Town Bulletin

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Town Council News

Next meeting: Monday, February 14, 2022, 7:30 pm
The public is invited to attend this virtual meeting via ZOOM at bit.ly/WGCouncilMeeting
Meeting ID: 297 850 640
Password: 074385
Or dial-in to 301-715-8592

Actions at the January meeting included:

• Kudos to Washington Grove Cares volunteers and Town Clerk Kathy Lehman for distributing free COVID-19 test kits and N95 masks provided by the County.
• Approved the FY21 Audit Report.
• Approved a PEPCO Electric Vehicle Charging Station Licensing Agreement for the Center Street location across from McCathran Hall, pending no material changes, and requiring a Public Ways and Property Permit. Site plan details will be agreed to prior to issuing the permit.
• In order to meet the guidelines of the Sustainable Maryland program, created the Sustainability Committee from the existing the Sustainability Group.
• Approved issuing a Request for Proposal for Landscaping and Maintenance Services.
• Approved issuing a Request for Proposal for Facilities Maintenance and Repair.

Town Council Budget Work Session for FY 2023

Tuesday, March 22, 2021, 7:30 pm via Zoom
The Mayor and Council will hold a work session to plan a budget for the coming year which begins on July 1, 2022. Public input is welcomed.

To attend:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/297850640?pwd=czh3ODBEdEpTeXdkRTc5bDFmLzN2UT09, or dial in to 301-715-8592 with meeting ID 297 850 640
and password 074385.

Looking For A Historic Preservation Commission Alternate

The Town Council and Historic Preservation Commission are looking for a volunteer to serve as the alternate. If you have an interest in historic preservation in Washington Grove, or would like to become more knowledgeable, and are ready to get more involved and help your Town, please contact the Town Office or one of the current HPC members. As the alternate, you would participate in HPC meetings on the third Tuesday of each month, and vote when a full member is absent.

Town Elections

Election Day in Washington Grove will be Saturday, May 14. Baring renewed Covid-19 concerns; voting will be held in-person in McCathran Hall from 4:00 until 7:00. The annual Town Meeting at 8:00 will also be in-person.

Open this year will be two seats on the Town Council (three-year terms) and the office of Mayor (one-year term). Candidates for Council and Mayor must be qualified voters of the Town. Council nominees must have resided in Town for at least one year immediately preceding their election, and nominees for Mayor two years.

Nominations must be submitted in writing to the Board of Supervisors of Elections. This is most easily done through the Town Office. Nominations require the signature of two qualified voters as nominators, as well as an acceptance by the nominee. The deadline for nominations is Monday, April 11.

Qualified voters are registered to vote in Montgomery County at a Town address. You can check your current voter registration here.  If you find your registration does not list your current residence in Town, you can find instructions on how to update your registration here.

Washington Grove is a self-governing municipality and a member of the Maryland Municipal League. Elected officials serve on a volunteer basis. Kudos to those who step forward and serve the Town in this way!

Maryland State Income Tax

Washington Grove Subdivision Code: 1612

Every year the Town of Washington Grove receives a portion of the Maryland State income tax paid by Town residents. Because most residents do not have mail delivered to street addresses, this presents a challenge for the State Comptroller’s office when attributing the taxes collected to Washington Grove. It is critical that all Washington Grove residents (including renters) designate “1612” and “Washington Grove” on the tax form. For those filing electronically or using software, there should be a drop-down menu to select Washington Grove. Please share this information with your renters and your tax preparer if appropriate. This DOES NOT increase your taxes but DOES help ensure the Town receives its proper share of income tax revenue. Thanks for your help! Questions? Call Treasurer Jean Moyer at 301-775-1168.

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News from Grove Commissions

Historic Preservation Commission News

Next meeting: Tuesday, March 15, 2022, 7:30 pm.
The public is invited to attend this virtual meeting via ZOOM. For a copy of the Agenda, email Chairman Bob Booher ([email protected]).

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3440199688
Meeting ID: 344 019 9688

Looking For A Historic Preservation Commission Alternate

The Town Council and Historic Preservation Commission are looking for a volunteer to serve as the alternate. If you have an interest in historic preservation in Washington Grove, or would like to become more knowledgeable, and are ready to get more involved and help your Town, please contact the Town Office or one of the current HPC members. As the alternate, you would participate in HPC meetings on the third Tuesday of each month, and vote when a full member is absent.

The Historic Context of Minimal Traditional-Style Houses in the Washington Grove Historic District

Washington Grove’s initiative to seek incorporation followed national trends. Starting in the early twentieth century, many camp meeting associations across the country began to transition into independent municipalities or transferred their assets to other local government entities. Although Washington Grove’s initial effort lost considerable momentum during the economic collapse of the Great Depression, the initiative was resumed in the mid-1930s. Finally, in 1937, the stockholders of the Washington Grove Association voted in favor of incorporation. The charter for the Town of Washington Grove became effective on May 30 of that year.

While the early municipal period saw a gradual decrease in property abandonment and lots being listed for tax sale, deferred home maintenance, which had started during the Depression, continued to cause concern. In an effort to increase municipal revenues and attract families to the community, the town began to sell off platted but unoccupied lots. As a result, Washington Grove experienced a boomlet of home improvements and new construction during the early municipal period. Nationally, Minimal Traditional dwellings were built in great numbers, and this trend was evident in Washington Grove, continuing the community’s tradition of modest, one- or one-and-a-half-story, residential construction.

Minimal Traditional-style houses are generally small, one- to one-and-a-half-story residences featuring spare, distilled forms and elements of older architectural styles. They are typically compact in footprint, with square or rectangular massing. Front doors feature a small stoop or entry porch. Cladding is commonly wood or asbestos shingle siding. Roofs tend to be either side- or cross- gabled, with close eaves and rake and a low-to-moderate pitch. One of the most common subtypes of the Minimal Traditional style is the gable-and-wing form, which features a side-gabled rectangular or square block with a low-pitched, front-facing gable at one end. The gabled end bay typically projects just slightly from the wall plane. Another subtype is the side-gabled form known as the Cape Cod for its similarity in form to the New England folk house. This subtype is typically square or rectangular with a side-gable roof, which sometimes features dormers. Variations could also include hipped roofs and second stories. The World War II Cottage is a variation on the Minimal Traditional style. These houses were typically a single story, simple in form, and covered by a hipped roof.

The Minimal Traditional style was developed largely out of necessity. During the Great Depression, banks collapsed, mortgages piled up, and many Americans lost their means to purchase new homes, bringing the housing construction industry to a virtual standstill. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was established in 1934 under the New Deal programs of President Franklin Roosevelt to set standards for construction and insure loans banks made for home building. The FHA also produced their own technical bulletins on house design that proved influential. In fact, a number of these house plans were published in journals and pattern books in the 1930s and 1940s, promoting an economical take on the traditional house.

The FHA’s technical bulletin in 1940 was called Principles for Planning Small Houses, which laid out a number of recommendations for an economical, efficient home. Many of the basic forms and variations of what became the Minimal Traditional style were illustrated in the pamphlet. The FHA recommended simple compositions with limited variation in form. Unnecessary gables, dormers, and breaks in the roofline were to be avoided. Instead of adding ornamentation, character and variation could be achieved through the spacing and grouping of windows, the use of materials, and the design of minor details. “Porches, bay windows, and platform steps,” the bulletin states, “are useful as a means of making small houses more livable without adding greatly to their costs.” Efficient floor plans that maximized available space were advised, as higher building costs increased the difficulty in qualifying for FHA loan insurance.

During World War II, relocating workers for proximity to defense-related factories created an immediate and pressing need for small houses that could be built quickly. Builder-developers constructed nearly 2.3 million homes, most in the Minimal Traditional style, for war and defense purposes between 1940 and 1945. Such small houses were also a response to the wartime reduction in the supply of building materials. When World War II ended in 1945, the Minimal Traditional house again proved to be the solution to a pressing national need. Housing accommodation had to be provided for the 10 million returning soldiers and their families. Approximately 5.1 million new homes, many in the Minimal Traditional style, were built between 1946 and 1949. Because these houses continued to be promoted by the FHA, developers could get faster approval of loans for construction to start. Much of the postwar construction in emerging suburban communities like Levittown, New York, consisted of mass-produced Minimal Traditional-style houses.

Many Minimal Traditional-style houses were built in Washington Grove from the early municipal period through post- World War II; twenty-two of them are contributing resources to our town’s Historic District. Examples can be found on Washington Grove Lane, Ridge Road, and Pine Street. Examples of World War II Cottages (a subtype within the Minimal Traditional category) are located at 108 Maple Avenue, built in 1941, and 401 Brown Street. The latter, built in 1943, has a rectangular form under a moderately pitched, hip roof.

Minimal Traditional houses are representative of an important period of Washington Grove’s development, when the new municipal government supported residential growth that responded to the needs of American families. In their simplicity of form and affordability, these houses represented continuity in design from the camp meeting era.

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Planning Commission News

Next meeting: Wednesday, March 2, 2022, 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this virtual meeting via ZOOM. As part of the Town’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, this Planning Commission Meeting will be conducted online, rather than in person.

Residents and the public can joining the Zoom videoconference at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2289422486, or dial in to 301-715-8592, meeting ID: 228 942 2486 and following the audio instructions.  Please make sure your name is associated with your zoom device in order to be admitted from the Waiting Room.

Building Permit Submission Deadline

The deadline to submit a building permit application for approval by the Planning Commission and review by the Historic Preservation Commission is the 2nd Wednesday of the month prior to the PC meeting at which the permit will be reviewed (this will be in the following month). This timing ensures the HPC will be able to complete a formal review before the PC meeting as this review is required for the PC to approve the permit in a timely fashion. If you are considering any renovation or building project at your house, be sure to get a copy of the procedures to apply for a Town Building Permit which will help you through the Town’s process.

Building Permits Approved in January

• None

Public Ways & Property Permits (PW&PP) Approved in January

• None

2022 Comprehensive Plan

A Public Hearing to receive testimony on the DRAFT 2022 Comprehensive Plan (CP) for the Town of Washington Grove was held by Zoom on February 16, 2022. The closing date for written testimony to the Planning Commission is 5 pm on Wednesday, March 16.

You may view the 2022 Draft Comprehensive Plan here.

The next CP work session will be March 16 at 7:30 pm.  REMOTE ACCESS ONLY
As part of the Town’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, these Comprehensive Plan Work Sessions will be conducted online, rather than in person. The agenda will be posted at the Town office and on the website.

Work Session Access:
Residents and the public may access:
By dialing in to 301-715-8592 using Meeting ID: 228 942 2486 and following the audio instructions.
OR by joining the Zoom videoconference at: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2289422486
Please make sure your name is associated with your zoom device in order to be admitted from the Waiting Room.

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News from Grove Committees

Border Committee News

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 10, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81915606459.

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Dog Park Committee News

Catch up and connect with your neighbors Wednesday, March 23, 7:30 pm to discuss all things doggie- and dog-park-related. All are welcome to attend, and your input is appreciated even if you don’t have time for another committee meeting!

On Zoom: https://bit.ly/03-2022DPCmtg

Or call 301 715 8592 and use meeting ID: 841 5727 9246

Questions? Call Mary Warfield at 202 421-6006.

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Emergency Preparedness and Safety Committee News

Next Meeting:  Thursday, March 24, 2022  at 7:30 p.m.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89453124620?pwd=YVhiUmo0dEJoVGp1WHZPejI5Rnd1QT09
By Phone: 301 715 8592
Meeting ID: 894 5312 4620
Passcode: 955370

Cybersecurity: Learn how to protect yourself, your family, and devices with these tips and resources from the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

We are actively seeking new committee members. One committee goal is to promote a shared sense of preparedness, vigilance, and resilience to help strengthen our community. We welcome your input and ideas on how to achieve this and any other goals related to preparedness and safety. Please join us at our next meeting.

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Forestry & Beautification Committee (F&B) News

Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 9, 2022, 7:30 p.m. Via ZOOM Videoconference.

We will work on plans for the spring tree planting. We’re very excited to have located a source for larger bitternut hickory trees, which have a long tap root and are notoriously hard to transplant.  More flowering trees are in the works for Grove Avenue to replace trees lost to the 2020-2021 WSSC work.  It would be great to have you join us for these discussions!

Local Resources for Native Plants

Are you interested in using more native plants in your yard to increase butterflies and other native pollinators? The Woman’s Club of Washington Grove has invited new residents Bruce Daggy and Anne Vincent to talk on this very topic at 7:30 pm on Thursday March 17.  To coordinate with this talk, here’s advice and local resources from some Town residents:

• From Forestry & Beautification Committee member Jay Everhart:
  • The Maryland Native Plant Society has a lot of useful information, including sources to purchase native plants, although none appear to be in Montgomery County.  Of course, several local nurseries carry both native perennials and woody plants, but don’t always label them as such.  Just ask if you like the looks of a plant!
  • Ordering a plant online might seem risky but can actually be quite reliable. For good selection consider using Izel Plants, which is a clearinghouse for native plants from companies throughout the country.  It is a small, local operation (Chevy Chase, DC) that deserves support. Just be sure to get the plants in the ground as soon as possible after arrival.
• From Woods Committee Co-chair Joan Mahaffey:
  • Tree-Mendous Maryland Programs
  • Maryland Five Million Trees Program
  • Montgomery County Rainscape Gardens and Conservation Gardens

Online Via Zoom—To join the Zoom meeting use: https://zoom.us/j/781347688
Or dialing in to 301-715-8592 and follow instructions. Meeting ID is 781 347 688.
If you have a suggestion for where a new tree is needed, please contact one of the F&B Co-Chairs Georgette Cole ([email protected]) or Audrey Maskery ([email protected]) or our Council Liaison Barbara Raimondo ([email protected]).

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Lake Committee News

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 17, 2022, 7:30 pm via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87172976940?pwd=VzFieWh6TU5MK2xxU0dPUEVIOEhYZz09

Geese:  We are using the Humane Society’s protocol again to humanely prevent eggs from hatching this spring. In the past several years a pair of geese has nested in an area easily accessible to our egg-oiling team. They drive away the other geese during nesting season and then leave when their eggs do not hatch. Please do not feed or harass the nesting pair or disturb the nest. If you see a nest built, please call John Hutchinson. We encourage visitors to the lake to take along a plastic bag and scoop droppings. THANKS!

Lifeguards:  Lifeguards Needed for Maple Lake this Summer. Hours are from 12-6, seven days a week. Lifeguards must be certified in Lifesaving, CPR, and First Aid. Pay starts at $17.00 per hour. (Notify Tom Land or John Hutchinson for details.)

Swim Instructor:  Swim Instructor needed for Maple Lake for the month of July to teach little kids. Pay is $20/hour. Call Sung Chang or John Hutchinson for details.

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Lighting Committee News

Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 7:30 p.m.
We meet the fourth Wednesday of every month. All are welcome to attend!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84026124891?pwd=WDZTSmtQOTIxdTduZzZRTG5pc1Jhdz09
Meeting ID: 840 2612 4891
Passcode: 721012

The Town of Washington Grove has supported the County and Municipal Lighting Investment Act, sponsored by Senate Bill 376 (Lee) and House Bill 1083 (Carr).  This bill would help Maryland municipalities controlling their street lighting by giving them options for:  improved service, reduced cost, reduced energy consumption, and the ability to choose their energy source or provider.  Specifically, the Act:

• Is enabling legislation intended to streamline the process for local governments considering acquiring utility-owned overhead streetlights and assuming ownership and maintenance.
• Strengthens the original Maryland law enacted in 2007.
• Is an updated version of HB1034/SB895 of 2020 incorporating feedback from Public Service Commission staff, experts, and municipal stakeholders.
• Requires that each electric utility file with the Public Service Commission an updated street lighting tariff that explicitly provides for customer owned/ maintained lights. The local government that owns its lights would continue to pay the utility for distribution energy consumed (kWh).
• Establishes a process to resolve disputes between local governments and utilities regarding plans or inquiries about converting utility-owned lights to customer-owned and maintained lights.
• Establishes constitutional and fair rules for how to place a value on utility-owned lights that may be acquired by a local government.
• Allows local governments that have acquired utility-owned lights to select a maintenance provider of their choice and to partner with the private sector to upgrade lights to a style and technology of their choice if desired.
• Establishes a physical interconnection point that separates utility responsibility from local government responsibility for customer-owned lights.
• Provides for other energy saving innovations, such as part-night lighting and smart dimming that other states have embraced.

Conversion of utility-owned street lighting to customer-owned lighting is a best practice that is proven to improve service and reduce costs. It has been successfully employed for local governments in California, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and in other states.

The Maryland Municipal League and a growing number of individual municipalities support this bill. MML and municipal officials were instrumental in securing passage of the original Maryland legislation in 2007 and have supported subsequent efforts to strengthen the law.

Questions, ideas or concerns? Please contact Virginia Quesada at 301-706-7933 (cell) or [email protected], or Robert N. Johnson at [email protected].

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Racial and Social Equity Committee News

Next meeting: Sunday, March 13, 2022, 2:00 p.m.

All are welcome! Folks who would like to attend should email [email protected] to get the Zoom link.

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Recreation Committee News

Next meeting: Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 7:30 p.m.

Join via Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5392315882, Meeting ID: 539 231 5882

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Sustainability Committee 

Next meetings: Tuesday, March 1, and Tuesday, April 5, 2022, via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3440199688
Meeting ID: 344 019 9688

WG Household Energy Survey

If you haven’t had a chance to complete the short household energy survey, we hope you will do so now. The information collected will help us develop an accurate picture of the Town’s current energy usage so that we can advise on steps to take to lower future emissions. The five-question survey is available here.

Formation of a Community Garden

If you would like to participate in discussing the possibility of creating a community garden to serve as a sustainable local food hub, please contact Bruce Daggy ([email protected]) or Anne Vincent ([email protected]).

Subscribing to Community Solar Electricity

For a year, the Sustainability Committee has encouraged Grovers to switch from Pepco’s standard-offer electricity (which is only 6% renewably generated) to a renewable electricity supplier via Maryland Electric Choice. You can make this change to help fight climate change without much trouble, but, if it seems a challenge, Sustainability Committee members can help.

In addition, there is a different route you can take to secure solar-generated electricity for your household: become a community solar subscriber. Community solar in Maryland, created by state legislation in 2015 and regulated by the Public Service Commission, was launched in 2017. It allows Marylanders who rent, who live in condos or co-ops, or whose roofs are not suitable for photovoltaic panels to benefit from locally generated solar energy — and save money as well.

When you subscribe to community solar, you are assigned a portion of the electricity generated by a particular solar field in the area served by your electric company, in our case Pepco. Pepco is required to buy that electricity from you and will credit your next month’s bill for the amount they paid. Then you pay the community-solar subscription management company for the electricity you actually used, but at a rate discounted from Pepco’s normal kWh rate by 5% to 10%, depending upon your contract. If you qualify as low- or moderate-income, your discount can be as high as 25%.

You may not use as much electricity as you are credited in the summer when there are more hours of sunlight. The credit will roll over to the next month. In the winter, you may use more electricity than you generated, and then you will pay the balance on your Pepco bill to Pepco (or to your chosen third-party supplier from the Maryland Electric Choice list).

Currently, three community solar companies offer subscriptions in our area:  Neighborhood Sun, CleanChoice Energy, and Arcadia Power.

The Fassett/Bolotin household recently signed up with Neighborhood Sun and report:

If you look into community solar, read your contract carefully, but these are the advantages and concerns we see with our own contract.

Advantages:

• There are no costs to subscribe.
• Even if we don’t monitor our bills closely to watch our credits go up and down monthly, we can be assured we’ll always pay at least 5% less than what Pepco would have charged for our electricity usage.
• Our contract is for 20 years, but it can be ended, with 90 days’ notice, with no penalty or cost. If we move within the Pepco service area, our contract can move with us.
• We now know that about 90% of our electricity usage comes from locally generated solar energy. Many of the third-party suppliers (some of whom are fossil-fuel companies) are purchasing RECs (renewable energy certificates) on your behalf rather than generating renewable energy themselves. That’s OK, although RECs can represent renewable energy that some people may find less green than solar or wind.
• Neighborhood Sun is a local business headquartered in Silver Spring. It is a Certified B Corporation, indicating it meets high social and environmental standards and is accountable to its employees and customers as well as to shareholders.
• If the community solar company were to go belly up or our solar field were destroyed by a catastrophe, there won’t be a power disruption. Pepco will still deliver electricity to us, charging its regular rates.
• We could subscribe to community solar even though we were already signed up for an alternative renewable energy supplier through Maryland Electric Choice. The solar farm will provide about 90% of our electricity, with the remainder coming from our originally chosen supplier, whose charges are paid when we pay our Pepco bills.

Concerns:

• Solar fields take up land. Some people prefer that land to be used for agriculture or as a natural reserve. Agricultural researchers are exploring growing crops or pollinator-friendly plants beneath solar arrays.
• Billing is a little complicated, and we’ll be billed separately by Pepco (which will always charge for its transmission fees) and by Neighborhood Sun.
• Neighborhood Sun requires automated payment from our bank account or credit or debit card. Perhaps this is an advantage, but we’re old-fashioned.
• People wishing to subscribe may face a waiting period until spaces open in existing projects (because subscribers relocate or quit) or until new projects come online. Having people waiting to subscribe, however, is no doubt attractive for solar field developers deciding where to build.
• Because we want our electricity sources to be 100% renewable energy, we still had to choose a third-party supplier for the estimated 10% difference between the electricity our household uses and the amount our contract with Neighborhood Sun covers. [NB: This does not necessarily apply to other community solar companies. For example, Sung Chang reports that Arcadia Power, with which he has contracted since late 2018, will purchase RECs on your behalf for the 10% or so of your electricity use that isn’t provided from the community solar farm.]

Recently, Bruce Daggy signed up with CleanChoice Energy. A company called Utility Advisor, which does not charge the consumer for its services, helped him find an available community solar subscription at 10% less than Pepco’s rate.

For more information about community solar, see Solar United Neighbors, a national advocacy organization.

Are you intrigued? Do you have questions? Ned Helme, Mimi Bolotin, Sung Chang, or Bruce Daggy can try to answer them for you, or email us at [email protected]. Are you already a community solar subscriber? Please let us know.

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Woods Committee News

Next meeting: Monday, March 7, 2022, 7:30 p.m. via Zoom Video Conference.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87130024348?pwd=OGVrcXQ3bitHaHh5RnJvVlRjbGFZUT09
By Phone: 301 715 8592
Meeting ID: 871 3002 4348
Passcode: 023710

The Woods Committee is working with a tree service company to cut fallen trees and clear trails. At this point, all trails are clear. If you discover trees blocking trails, please contact Joan Mahaffey or Patty Klein. This time of year, the Woods can be very wet, and the weather can be very windy. Please use caution when entering the Woods, especially on windy days. We hope these precautions allow you to experience our Woods Preserves in a safer and more enjoyable way.

A reminder to please stay on the walking trails to protect understory native plant vegetation. Do not walk or bike on trails that are too wet and muddy to avoid rutting, soil erosion.

As we make progress on control of non-native invasive plants and deer over browsing, we anticipate the emergence of more native ephemerals, shrubs, and saplings, especially in the East Woods. The spring explosion changes from day to day. For help in identifying your discoveries, websites such as the Chesapeake Bay Native Plant Center’s provide descriptions and photographs of native grasses and ground covers, shrubs, and trees.  Search within the Piedmont Region for optimal results. Stay healthy and stay happy!

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News From Other Grove Organizations

Film Society News

In the Heat of the Night

Discussion on Sunday evening, March 27
Stream In the Heat of the Night, then join your neighbors to discuss it on March 27, 7:30 pm on Zoom.

• Rent it for $3.99 on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, You Tube, VUDU.
• Stream (with subscription) on HBO, HBO Max, Max Go, Direct TV, WatchTCM, IndieFlix.

Zoom link for discussion: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86773783512?pwd=YUN3L2pUU3hXMGwxU09DV0ladDk2dz09
Meeting ID: 867 7378 3512
Passcode: 641785

A Black Philadelphia homicide detective passing through a small Mississippi town finds himself first a suspect and then the primary investigator of a local murder. Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger star in In the Heat of the Night, winner of the Best Picture Oscar in 1968. The racial animus, clearly still a topic for us today, is examined in part through the relationship between the principals. Steiger won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of the bigoted town sheriff, and Poitier brings his usual dignity and grace to the iconic role of Virgil Tibbs. Artfully directed by Norman Jewison, this movie is history, sociology, and intriguing mystery in addition to a memorable character study. Directed by Norman Jewison, 1967, U.S., 1 hour, 50 minutes, English.

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Washington Grove Cares News

Hiking at Lake Needwood

Saturday, March 19, 1:00 pm
The folks who came hiking last month enjoyed themselves so much we promised to do it again.  Put on your hiking shoes and grab the kids if you have some!

Meet at Lake Needwood. Put “Lake Needwood Picnic Area 3” in your GPS. When you arrive, continue down the road until you see Picnic Area 1. Park there and meet the group at the trailhead.

Optional: So, we will know to wait for your arrival at the trailhead or to send you weather cancellation updates, please RSVP, including your cell phone number, to Caitlin Bethepu at [email protected]. Questions? Call Caitlin at 414-208-8661.

Can You Help a Neighbor?

Are you willing to lend an occasional hand to a Grove neighbor in need of assistance? Could you climb a ladder, troubleshoot a %@$&! computer, help shovel snow, or provide a ride or a meal?  Washington Grove Cares is building lists of people who can be called upon to provide various sorts of help.

When we get a request in a category for which you’ve signed up, you may hear from us. If it’s not a good time for you, we’ll call someone else. It’s not an obligation until you tell us you can help in a particular instance.

Please fill out our brief online Volunteer Form at bit.ly/wgcares-signup. You can also find a link to this form on our web page, which has recently moved to the town website. (Thank you, webmaster Christine!)

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WG United Methodist Church (WGUMC) News

Please join us at 11:00 AM Sundays

For those who want to worship in person, we are again meeting at the church, and we hope you will join us at 11:00 AM Sunday mornings. For those who are not yet comfortable with in-person, please feel free to joint us over Zoom, on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM using the link https://zoom.us/j/4353137794 or meeting ID 435 313 7794.

We continue to collect non-perishable food donations to support the St. Martin’s food bank. Your contributions can be dropped off on the screened-in porch at Peggy Hansen’s house, 201 Chestnut Avenue, in Washington Grove, or bring them when you join us on Sunday morning.

Washington Grove United Methodist Church is a Reconciling Congregation, which means we believe that each person is a precious creation of God and is of sacred worth. We welcome and celebrate persons of every gender identity, racial or ethnic background, sexual orientation, and physical or mental ability into full participation in the life of this faith community. We celebrate the gift of love and affirm all loving relations and marriages.

Our mission is to follow Jesus, worship God, and provide loving service to our community and the world.

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Woman’s Club News

Going Native: How to Turn Your Yard into Habitat for Nature…

Looking for new ideas for your home garden this year? Looking for natural solutions that encourage and support a healthy ecosystem for your yard? Wanting to have more birds and butterflies?

Join our March 17th, 7:00 PM Zoom webinar, co-hosted by the Woman’s Club and the Town Forestry & Beautification Committee, when ‘new-ish’ Town Residents Anne Vincent and Bruce Daggy talk about an approach to gardening that supports nature and nurtures your soul!

Bruce and Anne, who moved here from California last September, are avid gardeners and enjoy bird and wildlife watching. Their approach to gardening is influenced by the teachings of University of Delaware professor Doug Tallamy. Anne and Bruce will talk about Tallamy’s approach to gardening, how they applied the principles in their former home garden and two community gardens in California, and how they will be applying the same principles here.

Bruce is a biologist with a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry; his interest in gardening started from an ecology and human nutrition perspective. Anne is a retired entrepreneur who absorbed gardening knowledge from her parents’ listed garden in England. She designed the California home garden and one of the community gardens there.

We hope you take away from the talk ideas that you can apply starting this spring to your own garden. Reference information will be provided for those who want to learn more.

We’ll be sending out more details about this upcoming program. Meanwhile, this will be the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85876340190?pwd=L1U5MnpMYVAvdTIwT1FsY1AvK0hTUT09. Don’t worry – we’ll send it in an email also 😊.

Mark Your Calendars for Our April Program…

Former White House butler Alan DeValerio will be our guest speaker on April 7th at 7:00 pm to share with us his first-hand experiences with history.

The Liz Robertson Memorial Children’s Underwear Drive Will Continue…

For the Liz Robertson Memorial Kids Underwear drive, we had hoped to collect 74 pair for Liz’s 74 years. Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we tripled that! We’ve collected 222 pair, and we’ve already delivered 148 pair to Interfaith Works to include in their back-to-school backpacks.  The others are being given, as needed, to Archways children and others in need.

The need for underwear among children never ends, so we will continue collecting them all year round, in Liz’s memory.

We’re Helping Out Where SNAP Leaves Off

As the needs of those around us continue, our Club is collecting some of the much-needed items that SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) doesn’t pay for. We are collecting these items for the apartment residents of the MoCo Coalition for the Homeless’s Archways Program and those who depend on the help of the Interfaith Works’ Food Hub. These are some of the items we’ll be needing in the next month.
• Women’s deodorant
• Sanitary napkins for women and teenage girls
• Clothes washing detergent
• Baby wipes
• Diapers size 3 and up
• All-purpose cleaner in spray bottles
• Paper towels
• Toilet paper

Helping Archways Kids and Their Families

The seven Archways families need all of the non-Snap necessities listed above, plus things like towels and wash clothes.

We’re also asking for treats for the kids. There are 16 children in the program, ranging in age from an 18-month-old baby to 18 years old. Their social worker likes to bring them something when she does her visits. With your generous help, so far every month we have exceeded our goal of at least one treat and one non snap item a month.

We also collect food for the children for days when there is no school, so they don’t get breakfast and lunch there.

Where to Drop Off Your Donations

Monetary donation checks should be made out to the Woman’s Club with a notation in the Memo field if you want them to go towards a specific project, such as:

• Snap Plus
• Archways or Shelter Projects
• School Supplies
• The Treasure Chest

All donations can be dropped off either on the Clubhouse porch or in the painted can on Wendy Weisbard’s porch at 119 Grove Road.

You can now follow The Woman’s Club of Washington Grove on Facebook, at Instagram at @wgwomansclub, and our special events on this website.

 

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