"The challenging thing about this park is when you have an existing community instead of open fields, you have to fight really hard and stick with it a long time," Guzzone told the crowd.
In North Laurel, the land destined to be the park had been subdivided into scores of narrow, never-developed building lots. The county had to buy 36 separate parcels of land to assemble enough for the park.
Although several generations of area children have grown to adulthood since the park was first conceived, Mary Rekus' son Adam, 9, will be able to watch the project progress as he finishes elementary school at Laurel Woods. Mother and son have testified in support of the project several times over the past few years.
"I'm so happy to be here. It's a most excellent day," Mary Rekus said. Adam got a valuable lesson in civic activism, she said, and now will be able to enjoy the fruits of that advocacy.
Peggy Dumler, principal of Laurel Woods, said the school will be able to use the park for field trips and the community center for other resources.
"We're thrilled," she said.
Two decades and counting
Although county Democrats are still basking in their success over the past several elections, there is one veteran Republican they have not been able to defeat for five elections over two decades - Circuit Court Clerk Margaret Rappaport.
She displaced 22-year clerk C. Merritt Pumphrey, a Democrat, in 1990's wave of incumbent losses, and no one has been able to touch her since. She beat Democrat Leslie J. Cale, who supervises court reporters, in each of the past four elections, though 2006 was her closest contest when she got a 53.4 percent majority, compared with Cale's 46.5 percent - a 6,686-vote margin. But she's ready to run again next year, she said.
"I happen to love my job. I'm very person-oriented," the 71-year old Rappaport said recently.
"I'm not the type to sit at home and do nothing. I have to keep on the move. I hate weekends," she said.
Arranging weddings, dealing with the judges and other court employees, and even campaigning for office are all fun in her mind, she said, not chores.
Since the court clerk doesn't make policy or create legislation, she thinks party designations have little meaning to voters. "I don't think it's important," she said.
Cale said she's still evaluating whether to make a fifth run for office.
