301-926-2256 [email protected]

Town Bulletin June 2009

Nov 3, 2015 | Town Bulletins

[ Bulletin Archive ]

Town Council News

Next meeting: Monday » 06.08.09 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. The public is invited to attend.

Deer Park Bridge Closes June 17

Deer Park Bridge Renovated, Not Replaced!
Summer Closure June 17-August 30
Reconstruction of the Deer Park Bridge will begin on June 17 and last until August 30. If you want to read the report from Montgomery County Department of Transportation, please go to the Town website (www.washingtongrovemd.org) and click on “Deer Park Bridge Newsletter.” You may also pickup up information about this in the Town Office or read the bulletin board posting at the Post Office. There may be times when Railroad Street is restricted to one lane, but these interruptions should be short-lived. We are anticipating having a “ribbon-cutting ceremony” for the re-opening in August. Stay tuned!

Planning Commission News

Next meeting: Wednesday » 06.03.07 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. The public is invited to attend. The following permits were approved:

  • 203 Grove Ave. Lattice Screen

Historic Preservation News

Next meeting: Tuesday » 06.16.09 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. Meetings are open to the public. As always, the HPC encourages residents to come for an early consultation when planning a renovation. The HPC can offer valuable, free advice BEFORE you spend money on architectural drawings. Bounce your ideas off the HPC – no charge!

Can Washington Grove’s Old Windows Be Energy Efficient???
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has two great articles about preserving our old windows. One is a 4-page tip sheet entitled Historic Wood Windows that can be downloaded at https://www.preservationnation.org/issues/sustainability/additional-resources/July2008WindowsTipSheet.pdf. It includes a myriad of references for additional information. The second article, Window Know-How, A Guide to Going Green, is available online at https://www.preservationnation.org/magazine/2009/march-april/ma09window.html. Hard copies of these articles are also available in the Town Office on the HPC Library shelf.

A few of the “Did You Know” tidbits culled from these articles are:

  • Studies have demonstrated that a properly maintained historic wood window, with weather-stripping and a storm window, can be just as energy efficient as a new window.
  • Significant energy efficiency can be achieved by repair and enhancement of wood windows, including restoring the proper fit between sash and frame; repairing broken panes, installing sash locks, and adding exterior or interior storm windows.
  • Old windows were fabricated from old wood, which is generally denser and lasts longer than wood used on modern windows.
  • More heat is lost through the roof and walls than through windows.

Recreation Committee News

Next meeting: Wednesday » 07.22.09 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. The public is invited to attend. New members always welcome!

Music Weekend will be June 19, 20, and 21

  • Friday night at the Gazebo: King Soul band with Tom Clifford, Memphis-style blues, pizza and beer.
  • Saturday night at the Gazebo: Rock N’ Roll Relics
  • Sunday morning at the Gazebo: Baroque Breakfast with Homewood Brass.

In the event of rain, all events in McCathran Hall

Heads Up!
There will be no July 4th brunch or picnic this year, but post-award POPSICLES will return!

Calling all Kids for Music Weekend!

There will be a children’s recital and reception on Saturday, June 20th at 10:00 a.m. in McCathran Hall.
Acts may include playing an instrument, singing, dancing or other musically related happenings.
To get on the program, please call or e-mail Tami Williams at [email protected]. 301-869-8541. If you need an accompanist, you must make your own arrangements.

Parents or participants will be expected to sign up for one of the following: setting up chairs/McCathran Hall, bringing a baked good or snack, bringing coffee/tea/bottled water, and cleaning up afterwards.

For those who want to perform for the children’s recital music weekend please let me know (by email if possible):

  1. The composer and the name of the piece (or name of performance)
  2. The time it takes to play the piece (approximate to the nearest minute)
  3. Name of accompanist (if there is one)
  4. The instrument(s) (if there are any)

I need this info by Friday June 12th so I can type up the program.

Dust off Those Band Instruments

and make the Muskrat Band your Fourth of July tradition. No audition required! If you play or have ever played a band instrument, you are invited to join the Muskrat Band for the 4th of July parade. Is that old horn still in the attic? Get it out and join the fun!! Please contact Eric Selby; [email protected] or 301-963-7073.

Lake Committee News

Swim Lessons

Please remember to submit Swim Lesson Registration Form 2009 for Swim Lessons at Maple Lake (in the afternoon after Summer In The Parks from June 30 through July23). The forms help us create swimming groups with children of similar swimming abilities. Please send your form to Tom Land, Box 305, or drop it off at his house, 313 Brown Street.

Neighborhood Watch News

Report Crimes & Suspicious Activity!
Mont. Co. Police non-emergency: 301-279-8000
Town Office: 301-926-2256
Joe Clark: 301-869-7944
Keith Gillis/Leigh Partington: 301-208-1437

Notice regarding Solicitors: Montgomery County Code requires that every individual door-to-door solicitor must obtain a solicitor’s license from the county (Girl Scouts are exempt). Solicitors are issued a photo ID that must be worn at all times while soliciting. Hours of solicitation are limited to between 9 am and sunset. To avoid giving away information about you or your home to potential thieves, Montgomery County Police recommends not purchasing anything from door to door solicitors and not even letting them into your house.

Please report criminal or suspicious activity to your Neighborhood Watch Block Captain or Coordinators. Filing a police report, too, helps the police department keep track of criminal incidents and is necessary for police to take action. Of course, for emergency situations call 911.

Woman’s Club News

The Woman’s Club of Washington Grove would like to thank all the wonderful Town residents who worked to make this year’s Flower Show such a success. We couldn’t do it without each and every one of you!

The Annual WCWG Yard Sale will be our June event on Saturday the 13th. If you have clean, lightly used items you wish to donate they can be left on the Clubhouse porch from June 1st onward. We will have pricing sessions at noon on Wednesday June10 and at 6pm on Friday June 12. Additional pricing sessions may be needed and, if so, will be announced through the yahoo group. Anyone who would like to be involved in the pricing sessions is welcome to come help. As those who have helped us previously know—it’s fun! Questions? Call Joli McCathran or Georgette Cole.

WGUMC News

Grove Relief blog– Check out the updated live journal, now also including photos from the second project with Rebuilding Together of Montgomery County.
Photos of this and earlier Grove Relief projects and an interview with the fascinating Crusoe family, where we worked on April 18th and 19th, are at https://judy-young.livejournal.com Many thanks to all volunteer workers and all who helped to fund these projects!

Play Group– We’ll be meeting two mornings in June. Let Judy know if you prefer Tuesdays or Wednesdays, at [email protected]. June 9th or 10th, and then June 23rd or 24th are the dates. Our time is 9:30-10:30 am, downstairs in the church. All families welcome, so children can play and parents and grandparents can talk!

A little history– Participating in the Gaithersburg Memorial Day observance at Christman Park brought some Grove history to light–a town newsletter from the 1940’s revealed 44 young people from the Grove who were in uniform with Allied forces. Also, a Grove Vietnam casualty, John LeCompte, is honored along with William Christman and others on a memorial stone at Christman Park, 304 West Deer Park Rd.

Mark your September calendars– For a Variety Show/ice cream social at the church, on the evening of September 26th! Dust off those talents, and stay tuned for details…

Bulk Trash Pick Up Scheduled

The Town has scheduled a bulk trash collection for June 6, 2009. Please make note of a fairly new requirement to separate your metal from the rest of your trash. The truck will make two (2) passes through Town. They will pick up the metal first and then come back for the remainder. Collection may include furniture, appliances (not those with freon), rugs, large toys, small auto parts, etc… Materials may NOT include construction by-products, large automotive parts, or tires. Please place items “curbside” by 7:00 AM.

Piles of Yard Waste; Is it a Real Waste?

The Town will pick up small piles of yard waste, as it has done in the past, but there is an alternative that you already pay for. Paying twice for the same service doesn’t make a lot of sense. The Town contracts with a vendor to make weekly pick-ups of bagged yard waste; this is part of the trash removal contract that represents almost one-half of the per-house Town tax assessment-So you are paying for the service whether we use it or not. If you instead choose to make piles along the road instead of bagging the yard waste, the Town will eventually pick it up and take it to the Shady Grove transfer station. Not only do we use labor and transportation costs, but we also have to pay tipping fees to dispose of the yard waste-tipping fees cost the Town approximately $1,500 last year. So we are paying again for something we have paid for already. Please make an effort to reduce the number of trips we have to make to the transfer station by bagging appropriate yard waste. Some waste, such as limbs greater than 4 inches, cannot be bagged, but we can reduce our yearly double-billing by at least 90%. This should be something to think about.

Sweet Volunteer Opportunities

We need to staff up some of our volunteer positions. These are very good opportunities for those who want to volunteer but don’t know where to start. Consider the following:

  • 2-3 people are needed for the Forestry and Beautification Committee. This Committee meets once a month and has a very important impact on maintaining Washington Grove as a “Town Within A Forest,” as well as making the Town lovely.
  • One member for the Board of Supervisors of Elections. This group is responsible for voting in Town and meets when needed. This year we will be working to clarify some of the language in our Charter regarding voting procedures. This is a great opportunity for those interested in maintaining our democratic processes.
  • One member for the Fire Board. This position is a liaison position that sits on the Board of the Washington Grove-Gaithersburg Fire Committee. Meetings are generally once a month, although some months are skipped.
  • One member for the Historic Preservation Commission. This is an opportunity for someone interested in historic preservation and can act as an advisor to residents planning renovations or additions to their properties.

If you are interested, please call the Town Office at 301-926-2256 and throw your name into the hat.

Clerk’s Corner

The deadline for getting information into the Town Bulletin is the 24th of the month.

No power mowers or power anything outside before Noon on Sunday. Please and Thank-You.

FYI… one recycled aluminum can provides enough energy to operate a television set for three (3) hours.

One year ago this month the Town provided the PO with recycling containers for junk mail. What a difference a year makes!! Many thanks to Victor for his help with this!!

Council Areas of Responsibility

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