Town Council News
Next meeting: Monday » 06.11.07 @ 7:30 p.m. & Monday » 06.25.07 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. The public is invited to attend.
Actions at the May Council meeting included:
approval of Ordinance 2007-02, a Zoning Text Amendment to create an RR-4 Cluster Zone.
approval of Resolution 2007-03, a resolution which authorizes annexation of the Cator/Harrison property at 17050 Railroad Street.
approval of Ordinance 2007-04, an ordinance which assigns zoning of annexed property.
appointed Darrell Anderson Mayor Pro-Tem
awarded this year’s road repairs contract to A.B. Veirs & Sons, Inc.
Town Election Results
Mayor (1-year term) – John Compton
Council (two 3-year terms) – Charlie Challstrom & Marida Hines
Town Meeting Adopts FY2008 Budget & Tax Rate
The tax rate for the fiscal year beginning July 1 will remain at $0.202/$100 assessed valuation and the dwelling unit charge, which is directly tied to the cost of refuse and recycling collection, will stay at $207 per dwelling. Budget detail may be found on the Town website under “Official News & Information”. Please call Treasurer Mary Challstrom at 301-926-4498 with questions.
State Lawmakers Help Town to Fight Additional Parks Tax
A measure passed by State lawmakers will exempt Washington Grove properties annexed after 1965 from paying approximately $200 per year each in additional taxes to support County parks. The Town’s District 39 legislators were instrumental in gaining this exemption from double taxation. Thirty-six properties in Washington Grove would have been affected. The newest member of our delegation, Saqib Ali, was the point-man in insuring the legislation included Washington Grove.
Council Goes to Two (2) Meetings/Month
In order to better serve the public on Town issues, the Mayor and Council have decided to have two (2) regular (but shorter) meetings per month. The meetings will be held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month. There will be no public appearances on the agenda of the meeting that occurs on the 4th Monday.
Council Areas of ResponsibilityMaintenance, Playgrounds
Darrell Anderson 301-963-8555 [email protected]
Planning Commission, Intergovernmental
Charles Challstrom 301-926-4498 [email protected]
Roads & Walkways, Forestry & Beautification
Georgette Cole 301-330-6740 [email protected]
Contracts, Website & McCathran Hall
Kathie Evans 301-869-7816 [email protected]
Maple Lake & Recreation
Marida Hines 301-519-8730 [email protected]
Safety, Memorials & Historic Preservation Commission
David Stopak 301-330-6446 …
Development Updates
Piedmont Crossing Phase I Site Plan: The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) will review the site plan for phase 1 of the proposed development known as Piedmont Crossing, tentatively, on June 28, 2007. In the meantime, there will be an informational meeting on Wed. May 30, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Room. The Mayor is interested in hearing your comments. Space will be limited because other locations in the Hall are in use that evening.
LOS Condemnation
The Mayor asks that residents not confuse the informational meeting scheduled for May 30th with the Special Town Meeting about the condemnation that will be called in June. The date for the Special Town Meeting has yet to be decided. With a ruling by the judge expected in June, one could anticipate the date for the Special Town Meeting to be scheduled shortly after that…stay tuned.
Planning Commission News
Next meeting: Wednesday » 06.06.07 @ 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 is $10.00, 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 permits as well.
Historic Preservation News
Next meeting: Tuesday » 06.19.07 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room.
The public is invited to attend. The HPC encourages residents to come for an early consultation when planning a renovation.
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:
Apr. 11: Coyote sited. 400 block Acorn Lane – Resident spotted a coyote just after dawn chasing a rabbit down Acorn La. and up 5th Avenue. Others reported seeing a fox. Residents were reminded to keep pets indoors (especially at night), to keep lids on trash cans, and not to put food outside.
Apr, 17: Breaking/Entering. 100 block of Center St – Vehicle broken into and ransacked. Nothing taken. Incident not reported.
Apr. 19: Theft. 400 block of Grove Ave – Valuables were stolen from a car that was mistakenly left unlocked.
Apr. 19: Theft. 200 of Ridge Rd – Cash was taken from a purse left in the car. Not reported to police.
Apr. 27: Vandalism. 400 & 500 blocks of Washington Grove La – Mailboxes were smashed or completely knocked down on both sides of the street up to Mid-County Hwy.
Apr. 28: Suspicious Activity: 500 block Brown St – Three times within a week, several youths carried duffle bags into the woods from 2 Ford Mustangs that were stopped at the end of the street. Police were called but the youths were gone by the time the police arrived.
Theft from cars
As the weather gets warmer, people tend to spend more time outdoors including at night. Residents are reminded to lock their cars and not to leave valuables in their cars overnight.
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 » 06.30.07 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room.
The public is invited to attend. New members always welcome!
Calling All Kids for Music Weekend!
There will be a children’s recital and reception on Saturday, June 16th at 10 a.m. in McCathran Hall. To get on the program, please contact Tami Williams at [email protected] or 301-869-8541. Tami will need to know the name of the piece, the composer, the length, the instrument(s), and the name of the accompanist (if there is one). Please get this information to Tami by June 8th in order to give her time to do the program. Parents will be expected to sign up for one of the following: setting up, bringing a baked good or snack, bringing juice/coffee/tea, and clean-up afterwards.
Music Weekend Schedule
(In the event of rain, all events will take place in McCathran Hall.)
Friday, June 15th 7:00 – 11:00 p.m.
Zoe Wadsworth Park
Rock & Roll Relics
Saturday, June 16th 10:00 a.m.
Children’s Recital
McCathran Hall
Saturday, June 16th 7:30 p.m.
Contra Dance featuring “Gypsy Meltdown”
Live Music, Pizza, Beer
McCathran Hall
Sunday, June 17th 10:30 a.m.
Bring a breakfast goodie to share, a lawn chair/blanket, and your ears!
Homewood Brass
Zoe Wadsworth Park
New July 4th Festivities
The Recreation Committee has decided to try something a little different for July 4th this year. Instead of the picnic in the evening, there will be a potluck brunch (similar to the Baroque Breakfast) at the Hall in the morning from 9am-12. The costume judging will take place at 11am at the Hall and at 12 everyone will head over to the park to have the flag raising and start the parade. The Mayor’s address and prize distribution will follow the parade as usual. We are looking for some new costume judges this year. Judging is a great way to meet all the kids in town and their parents. It actually does not involve judging at all, just coming up with fun names for the kids based on their costumes. If you are interested, please call Missy Yachup at 301-947-4159.
Maple Lake News
Lake Committee Meeting – Wednesday, May 30, 2007; 7:30 p.m.; 319 Grove Ave.
New members are always welcome!! The Lake will open for weekend use on May 26th and for daily use on June 14th. The lifeguards will be on duty from 12 Noon – 6:00 p.m..
Remember, Lifeguards Rule! This year, we are fortunate to have an entire crew of lifeguards who have previously worked at Maple Lake. At a recent meeting of the lifeguards and their supervisors, they composed a list of things that have concerned them in previous years. Please remember that this is a difficult job, your safety is in their hands and take these suggestions as a way to have a safer, happier summer at the lake. The lifeguards are concerned about the following:
Non-swimmers in the deep end with no parent or caregiver in the water with them.
Non-swimmers in the deep water paddling around on a flimsy noodle without a parent or caregiver in the water with them. “Noodles” are not life jackets.
Visibility – large flotation devices block their ability to see swimmers and swimmers can’t be seen under water.
Fishing hooks & fishing line – if you or your children fish, please be sure to pick up all hooks and line. They are hazards to humans and critters.
Please help the lifeguards by remembering that when they ask you to abide by the rules at Maple Lake, their only concern is safety.
Woman’s Club News
Next meeting: Thursday » 06.21.07 @ 7:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. at the home of Sandy Klingenberg, 103 Grove Ave.
Come for a wine-food pairing dinner with Jim Davis of The Really Good Food Company. The cost is approx. $20 per person. Please RSVP to Devon Cohen by June 14th at 301-963-2894 or [email protected]
Town Directory
If you have not completed your questionnaire for the Woman’s Club Washington Grove Directory, please complete it as soon as possible. If you did not receive a questionnaire, contact Devon Cohen.
Yard Sale
Saturday, June 9, 2007 at the Clubhouse.
Devon Cohen is this year’s chair. You may drop off items at Joan Mahaffey’s home, 102 Ridge Road (240-631-8064). Large items will be accepted at the clubhouse starting Monday, June 4th. If you can assist in set-up, pricing, clean-up, bake sale, or any other tasks, please reply directly to Devon (contact info. in first article). Start cleaning!
WGUMC News
June/July Friday nights–A college-age and up Friday evening is planned at and near the church, consisting of Ultimate Frisbee, lasagna, and conversation. We’re also planning to show the film “Amazing Grace” on another Friday–that’s the gripping 30-year saga of William Willberforce’s crusade to eradicate the slave trade in England, a fascinating portrait of both political and moral intricacies. Watch the list-serve and the post-office postings for details, or call the church or Judy at 301-869-3753.
GO GREEN!
Automobiles are one of the most obvious sources of carbon emissions and other forms of pollution. Ideally everyone will increase their use of public transportation and/or purchase ultra-efficient, zero- or low-emission vehicles (hybrid, electric, flex-fuel etc.). What can you do in the meantime to get the best gas mileage from the car you have?
Drive sensibly and observe the speed limit: Aggressive driving wastes gas (it feels good to say that). It can lower your gas mileage by up to 33%. While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas. Sensible driving is also safer.
Remove excess weight: Avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your MPG by up to 2%.
Avoid excess idling: Idling gets 0 MPG. In addition, idling on hot days increases local ozone and significantly decreases the air quality in the immediate vicinity. NEVER sit in an idling car with the air conditioning running while watching your kid’s soccer practice.
Keep you car in good shape: Keeping your engine properly tuned, replacing air filters on a regular basis, and using the correct grade of engine oil can save around 15% in gasoline usage. Also make sure to keep your tires properly inflated, which will both maintain your maximum MPG and help the tires last longer.
Finally, keep track of you car’s average MPG. A sudden decrease in fuel efficiency may give you a heads up to potential problem before the check engine light comes on. Plus, you will find out how well these tips actually work.
Sources: https://www.fueleconomy.gov and https://www.nsc.org/ehc/mobile/mse_fs.htm
Clerk’s Corner
Bulletin Deadline is the 12th of the month!
Nag, nag, nag….. Please don’t ask the Post Office to deal with your junk mail. They DO NOT recycle it. It ends up in the landfill….yikes!
Congratulations to all this year’s graduates! Hooray for the class of ’07!