Town Council News
Next meeting: Monday » 03.10.08 @ 7:30 p.m. & Monday » 03.24.08 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. The public is invited to attend.
Actions at the February Council meeting included:
introduction of Resolution 2008-01; Adopting Completed Surveys (in this case for Johnson Alley & Block 10).
approval of a resolution in support of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2008 by the Maryland General Assembly as recommended by the Maryland Commission on Climate Change.
authorization for the survey of Block 9 as arranged with Snider & Associates.
endorsement of a proposal to return all “Walkway Only” signs to their historical position in the middle of the entrances to the walkways. This is being done in an effort to help decrease traffic on the walkways.
Tax Reminder – Washington Grove – 1612
Please fill in Washington Grove 1612 in the appropriate box on your State income tax form. If someone else prepares your tax forms, include this notice with your tax information and if you file electronically; be sure to select Washington Grove under City, Town, or Taxing Area. This DOES NOT increase your taxes, but DOES help ensure that the Town receives its proper share of local income tax revenue. Thanks for your help!
Town Elections
Town elections will be upon us in a very short time. Persons may be nominated for elective office in the Town by filing a certificate of nomination on or before the second Monday in March with the Supervisor of Elections, Mary Kay DuBois, 119 Maple Ave., 301-926-8941. The certificate of nomination must be in writing and signed by at least two qualified voters of the Town. No person may file for nomination to more than one elective Town public office. All nominees must be qualified voters of the Town. Councilors must have resided in Town for at least one year immediately preceding the elections (May 10th). The Mayor must have resided in the Town for at least two years immediately preceding the elections.
The following terms expire in May: Mayor – 1 year term, Town Councilor – 3 year term, Town Councilor – 3 year term, Town Councilor – 1 year (remainder of Darrell Anderson’s term).
BUDGET WORK SESSION SCHEDULED
MARCH 24, 2008: 7:30 p.m.; Council Room
Mark your calendars!
Town Meeting Change
Town Meeting will be on May 10, 2008 in McCathran Hall at 7:30 p.m. Please mark your calendars and note the change in the start time.
Important Information for All Property Tax Payers
Effective October 1, 2007, a new law enacted by the 2007 session of the Maryland General Assembly requires all homeowners to make a one-time application in order to be eligible to receive or continue receiving the Homestead Tax Credit. The Homestead Tax Credit law limits each year the amount of assessment increase on which an eligible resident homeowner actually pays County, Municipal and State property taxes. The application is required to insure that all property owners receive the credit on the one property used as their principal residence and not on properties used for other purposes, such as a rental or vacation home.
This credit can have a significant impact on your real estate taxes regardless of your property’s value or your income level. If the property is used as your principal residence, you are strongly encouraged to complete the application.
The application form will be included in the assessment notice mailed to one-third of the homeowners at the end of December for the next three years. It also will be mailed to new purchasers of residential property. For questions about the Homestead Property Tax Credit, call 1-866-650-8783 toll free, or visit the Department of Assessments and Taxation website at www.dat.state.md.us.
Board of Zoning Appeals Decision
At a hearing on February 16, 2008 the Board of Zoning Appeals granted Agape Flowers & Gifts’ request for a special exception to operate a florist shop at the Commercial Corner under the following conditions:
The sale of flowers must remain the primary source of sales for the applicants’ business. The sale of food or drink must be limited to gift baskets traditionally associated with a florist shop.
All merchandise must be delivered to and leave the store through the entrance facing W.G. Lane. The rear door and loading dock must not be used for the operation of the store.
All commercial vehicles used in the operation of the store must be parked in the lot between W.G. Lane and the store. These vehicles must not be parked in either parking lot (front or rear) of the Commercial Corner overnight.
Planning Commission News
Next meeting: Wednesday » 03.05.07 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room.
The public is invited to attend.
Building Permits
If you are going to erect a building or structure (including fences), make structural alterations to, or move any existing building or other structure, you must first obtain a building permit from the Washington Grove Planning Commission. The Town zoning ordinance governs setbacks, lot coverage and height. Applications are available at the Town Office at 301-926-2256. The permit fee for a major building permit (addition/renovation) is $40.00. The fee for a minor building permit (fence/shed) is $10.00. Checks should be made payable to the Town of Washington Grove. Interior renovations, which involve electrical, plumbing, or load-bearing changes, generally require a County permit. A shed requires a County permit as well. The Town must first sign off all applications for County-required building permits. The Historic Preservation Commission will review most permit applications as well.
STILL WANTED…Planning Commission Secretary
If you are interested, please call the Town Office, 301-926-2256.
Historic Preservation News
Next meeting: Tuesday » 03.18.07 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room.
Meetings are open to the public. The HPC encourages residents to come for an early consultation when planning a renovation.
Lake Committee News
Next meeting: Thursday » 03.20.07 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room.
New members always welcome!
Lifeguards needed for Maple Lake
We have several applicants, but need one or two more lifeguards. Hours are from 12-6, seven days a week. Life guards must be certified in Lifesaving, CPR, and First Aid. (We can help you get the training.) Pay is $10 to $12 per hour. Call Marida Hines at 301-519-8730, for details.
Maple Lake Cleanup
The annual cleanup will be on Saturday, April 12th at 10 a.m.. Please join in and bring your leaf rake, shovel, and wheelbarrow if you have one. Donuts & Goodies will be served! Rain date is Sunday, April 13th at Noon. Call John Hutchinson at 301-926-8767 for details or questions.
Geese Update
The geese are frequenting the lake, and may be making a nest. Please do not disturb or feed them, and tell others not to also. Call John Hutchinson or Ann Philips if you have questions or notice any unusual activity.
Swim Lessons
Swimming lessons will take place the same 4 weeks as Summer in the Parks – June 30th – July 25th in the afternoon.
Neighborhood Watch News
Report Crimes & Suspicious Activity!
Mont. Co. Police non-emergency: 301-279-8000
Town Office: 301-926-2256
David Stopak: 301-330-6446
Betsy Klinger: 301-977-3517
Keith Gillis/Leigh Partington: 301-208-1437
Incident Report:
January 28: Loose dog. Washington Grove La. – Small, brown, male mixed-breed dog was found wandering around W. Diamond Ave and was taken to the Humane Society.
February 12: Driving on Walkway. Second Ave. – A Town resident drove a car on the 2nd Ave walkway and collided with a tree. The tree and car sustained damage. Police and EMTs were called to the scene.
February 19: Loose cat. Washington Grove La. & Towncrest Dr. – Orange and white female tabby found and taken to Humane Society.
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.
Recreation Committee News
Next meeting: Wednesday » 04.23.07 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room.
The public is invited to attend. New members always welcome!
Celebrate St. Patrick’s in the Grove!
Blackthorn St. Patrick’s Day C » il »
Friday, March 14, McCathran Hall
Dance Workshop 7-8 p.m.
C » il » begins at 8 p.m. with live music!
Free to Town residents, but donations gladly accepted to help pay the band. Bring a dish or dessert to share. For more info call: 301-990-0184. Sponsored by the Washington Grove Recreation Committee.
Second Poetry Workshop with David Keplinger
Resident poet David Keplinger, who teaches poetry at American University, will teach a second poetry workshop on Saturday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 or 1:00 p.m. The Woman’s Club is again graciously sponsoring the workshop and making the clubhouse available for the event. The workshop will include reading and writing poetry. Participants who were in the first workshop can revise a poem that was written but not read during that workshop and bring the results with them. New participants may bring in a short poem they have recently revised if they wish, but it is perfectly fine to enroll even if the last poem you wrote was a grade school assignment. This is a chance for those who already write poetry to be inspired and for those who don’t to try something new. David plans to teach a third workshop, not yet scheduled, to work on the results participants bring back after his introduction to the sonnet. Participants can bring the fee of $16 to the workshop in cash or as a check written to “The Woman’s Club of Washington Grove”. If you are interested or have questions, please e-mail Betsy at [email protected]. (Cell phone: 301-325-1956)
For Children Young and Old
The Recreation Committee presents master mime Mark Jaster at the annual children’s program on Sunday, April 20 from 2-4 p.m. at McCathran Hall. Mark Jaster presents wildly popular shows worthy of his master teachers Marcel Marceau and Etienne Decroux. Put aside whatever you expected from mime, and prepare to enjoy brilliantly articulate gesture, playful interaction, gentle, inclusive humor and witty musical surprises. A hands-on workshop will follow the performance. Because of the intimate nature of this performance and workshop, this show is limited to Washington Grove residents, family and friends only.
Mousetrap Concert No. 3
March 16, 2008 at 3:00 p.m.
Mikhail Svetlov – Baritone; Katerina Suvorova – Piano Arias from favorite operas and other wonderful songs! Need more info? 301-926-6347
Woman’s Club News
Next meeting: Thursday » 04.20.07 @ 7:30 p.m. in Clubhouse.
We have invited Diane Kuentz, owner of Twice as Nice at the commercial corner, to speak to us about her shop and about the art of accessorizing. Join us for camaraderie, champagne and dessert. Dues of $15 are now being accepted. Please send them to Cynthia Werts, P.O. Box 232.
Chili Dinner
Thank you to all who contributed to the success of our chili dinner from cooking, set-up, clean-up, attending and everything else. A special thank you goes to our Chairs, Kathi Kershaw and Terry Kirtz. It was a great event as always. See you next year!
Spring Egg Hunt
The Woman’s Club Spring Egg Hunt will be held Sunday, April 6 at 2:00 in the afternoon. Kids bring your baskets and meet at the Gazebo. (Meet at McCathran Hall in case of rain.) Refreshments will follow the hunt at McCathran Hall. Parents, grandparents and other volunteers are asked to fill one dozen eggs for each child attending. Plastic eggs can be picked up on the front porches of Pat Deely (415 Grove Ave.) or Joan Mahaffey (102 Ridge Rd.) Please return eggs to Pat or Joan by March 30. Volunteers are needed for refreshments, hiding eggs, games, or crafts. Teen volunteers are especially welcome. To volunteer call Pat (301-977-9505) or Joan (240-631-8064).
Attention Spring Cleaners!!!
Please remember while you are doing your spring cleaning to set aside unwanted items for the Woman’s Club Yard Sale in June. More information will follow regarding donation, drop-off, time, and date of the Yard Sale. We are in need of a Chairperson for this annual event. Please call Joan (240-631-8064).
The Woman’s Club Flower Show 2008
Is on May 4 this year entitled “Much Ado About Flowers”. The program will be Shakespeare-themed with 14 categories of horticultural specimens and eight categories of arrangements including: A Mid-Summer’s Night Dream (An arrangement incorporating fairies, nymphs, or other imaginary figures) and Comedy of Errors (An arrangement to make the viewers laugh) We are looking for people interested in participating in one (or more) of the committees that make this lovely event come together. “Many hands make light work” so the time commitment per volunteer is not lengthy. And if you’re new to town working on the Flower Show is a wonderful way to get to know people better. If any of the following committees appeal to you, please call or email the listed Chairperson(s).
Entries:
(Involves coming for one and a half hours the morning (8:15-10:15-two shifts) of the Flower Show to help people sign in their entries). Chair: Georgette Cole 301-330-6740 or [email protected].
Refreshments:
(Involves making goodies for the afternoon (1:00-4:00) of the show and/or coming to help hand them out). Chair: Devon Cohen 301-963-2894 or [email protected].
Staging:
(Involves coming in the day before the show and setting up tables and water bottles for the specimen entries). Chairs: Chris Brown 301-987-0688, [email protected] and Heather Hoerle 301-990-0568, [email protected].
Program Distribution:
(Involves taking copies of the Flower Show program to each Grove household the weekend before the Flower Show) Chair: Sharon Hurst 301-948-2424 or [email protected].
Clean Up:
(Clearing up the clubhouse after the Show ends and entries are removed around 4 p.m.). Chair: Margot Bohan 301-963-1737 or [email protected]
WGUMC News
Thank you so much for supporting the Grove Katrina Relief effort by donating to and attending February’s auction! With your help, our church/town group looks forward to rebuilding in Vancleave, Mississippi from Mar. 24th-Mar. 30.
Other March events:
Mar. 14th–7:30 p.m., Environmental Ethics meets in the church, to discuss each of our goals for reducing that carbon footprint.
Mar. 20th–7:30 p.m., Maundy Thursday service commemorating the Last Supper. This is a “Tenebrae” (darkness) candlelight service in reverse, with a candle snuffed out after each of the readings of the passion of Christ.
Mar. 23rd–Sunrise, Easter sunrise service at the Ridge Rd. field, followed by continental breakfast at the church; 11 a.m. Easter service. All are welcome.
Woods Preservation Group News
Did you know…? that more than 80 species of birds have been observed in Washington Grove? March through May is a great time for birding in this area. Many owl species have already fledged their young by this time, but Northern Screech Owls are courting in late February and March. Listen in the woods for their soft monotonic trill just after dusk or just before dawn. Carolina Chickadees and Northern Cardinals switch to their courtship songs. Listen for “feebee feebay” from the Chickadees and “cheer, cheer, cheer, what, what, what, cheer” from the Cardinals. Migratory hawks are passing through in March. Migratory songbirds make their way back north starting in March, stopping in at places like Washington Grove for food, water, and shelter. Our wintering birds (White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos, Red-breasted Nuthatches) are also preparing for their trip back north as well. Keep your feeders and birdbaths full and you might get some unusual visitors, such as Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks as they pass through. Many warblers and flycatchers come through in April, as well, although they are not feeder birds. Listen and watch for Black-Throated Blue and Black-Throated Green Warblers, Northern Parula, Common Yellowthroats, Hooded Warblers, Cerulean Warblers, and Magnolia Warblers to name a few. Our summer birds begin arriving in April and May as well, such as Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, Grey Catbirds, Wood Thrushes, House Wrens, swallows, Eastern Phoebes, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Great-Crested Flycatchers and Eastern Kingbirds. In May you’ll hear the Eastern Towhee, Wood Thrushes, and perhaps Scarlet Tanagers in both woods as well as several flycatcher species. In the Casey Fields you’ll hear the Field and Chipping Sparrows, Common Yellowthroats, Yellow-Breasted Chats, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, and the Indigo Buntings. By mid-May, the White-Throated Sparrows and Juncos have gone back north.
Yard Waste Recycling is Back
As of March 6th, Montgomery County Sanitation & Recycling will pick up your recyclable yard waste in the big brown bags and in properly marked containers. Please leave your bags and containers “curbside” on Thursdays and watch your yard waste disappear.
Spring 2008 Leaf Pickup by US Lawns
Per our contract with US Lawns, the spring leaf pickup must be completed by April 1st. This means you will see the leaf crew and the suck’emup truck in Town a lot during the last week of March. Please pile your leaves within 3 ft. of roads or walkways and remember, NO STICKS OR VINES, they foul the equipment.
Clerk’s Corner
Nag, nag, nag…. You didn’t ask for the darn junk mail so you’ll stick it to the Post Office by throwing it away in their trash cans, by golly! The only one getting stuck here is Mother Nature. The PO doesn’t recycle your junk mail, it goes to the landfill. Please take your junk mail, albeit unwanted, to your own home and recycle it. Mother Nature thanks you!
Woodward Park Soccer Field
will re-open in mid-June. Watch future Town Bulletins for new policies and procedures.
ROADSIDE RECYCLING IN WASHINGTON GROVE
Please put all recyclables including mixed paper and recyclable yard waste by the road on Thursdays by 7 a.m..
Download Recycling Flyer
For missed pickups call Kathie Evans 301-869-7816 or [email protected]. Yard waste is NOT collected during December, January and February.