A native of Colombia, Sebastian spent his school-aged years in Norfolk, Va. before heading off to James Madison University. Several circuitous years of letting his degree in history idle somehow led to Syracuse University's masters program in journalism, where, one early morning during an especially brutal Central New York winter, being tossed about in a dinghy by nearly gale winds as a freshwater ecologist pulled soil samples from Onondaga Lake's notoriously polluted floor, Sebastian discovered his love for reporting. Or at least a rather strong like.
After Syracuse came five-and-a-half years on The Gazette's Gaithersburg/Montgomery Village desk, where he cut his teeth as the newspaper's lead reporter on immigration and the county's plan to build a 900-acre "Science City" between Gaithersburg and Rockville.
It is entirely possible that Sebastian is addicted to Coke Slurpees. During rare moments when he's not poring over court records or some arcane county document, Sebastian dreams of running off to join a professional flip-cup league and/or the day when maybe, just maybe, he throws a truly perfect spiral.
<b>Politics </b>
I do not belong to any political parties. Truth be told, I have never voted. The closest I come to a political belief is my conviction that, to paraphrase Churchill, democracy is the worst form of government ... except for all the others.<br><br><b>Religion</b>
Although my uncles, aunts and cousins back in Colombia are quite intensely Catholic, I adhere to no particular religiousity. Life's every moment is wondrous and magical; that's about as deep as I get.<br><b><br>Hot-Button Issues</b>
<i>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?</i>
Montgomery Village faces a seminal moment as the 50-year sunset of its unique zoning rules looming in the not-very-distant future. What will the Village be after 2015, and who will be the people casting those decisions?
In a similar vein, Montgomery County as a whole is in the throes of wholesale demographic upheaval. As the community's complexion changes, issues such as immigration and increasingly urban levels of construction, traffic and crime will push further and further to the fore.
<i>Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i>
I am hardly so vain as to think I have the answers, or even an inkling of them. My only interest, as a journalist, is in accurately if not relentlessly portraying what is actually happening, rather than what some people would have themselves and others believe.<i><br></i>
The following information was supplied by Montgomery County Police. Arrests do not indicate a conviction.
Scenes from the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee's viewing party for Election Night 2012.
Scenes from the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee's viewing party for Election Night 2012.
Scenes from the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee's viewing party for Election Night 2012.
Many polls have seen waits of more than an hour for much of the day.
Updates on the 2012 federal and state elections will be posted here throughout the day. Connect with us on Twitter at #PatchElections.
One suspect sought in armed robbery of the Liberty gas station in the Montgomery Village Center.
How to have the best voter experience in Montgomery County.
The following information was supplied by Montgomery County Police. Arrests do not indicate a conviction.
Volunteers needed as Montgomery County and City of Gaithersburg co-host the 2nd Annual Homeless Resource Day on Nov. 15.
A look at the people and questions on the ballot this election year in Prince George's County.
National Weather Service predicts flooding will reach levels not seen since Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
Empty highways, roads closed, bare store shelves—the storm documented in photos. Share yours here.
Raffie Tabbal, 40, of Montgomery Village, has been ordered to pay $42,500 in restitution for scheme that funneled forged and counterfeit checks through his bogus limousine company.
Question 7 has drawn the most expensive media campaign Maryland has ever seen as casino interests spar over gambling’s impact on schools funding.
Question 7 has drawn the most expensive media campaign Maryland has ever seen as casino interests spar over gambling’s impact on schools funding.
CASA of Maryland’s advocacy for next month's referendum on same-sex marriage has sparked the ire of religious leaders
As advocates boost their million-dollar ad campaign, more than 800 faith leaders will rally Tuesday in Silver Spring to spur more voter outreach ahead of Election Day.
L.A. Times database lists nearly 90 cases in Maryland between 1959 and 2004.
CASA of Maryland’s advocacy for next month's referendum on same-sex marriage has sparked the ire of religious leaders