Town Council News
Next meeting: Monday » 09.14.15 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. The public is invited to attend.
From the Mayor
First, I must note the passing of former Mayor Donald McCathran. He was not only a wonderful father, grandfather and great-grandfather but a wonderful father-in-law too. He served on the Town Council for many years and was Mayor from 1977 through 1981. His love and dedication to the Town of Washington Grove cannot be matched.
No Cash for Town Payments
Effective immediately, the Town of Washington Grove will accept only checks or money orders in payment of fees for McCathran Hall rentals, all building permits, recreation programs, and donations. This is being done for security reasons. I appreciate your cooperation in making this important policy change.
Emergency Preparedness Committee Members Needed
The Emergency Preparedness Committee is forming. The Chair for this Committee is Mark Frederiksen. Mark plans to attend the Town Council Meeting on September 14. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please contact me. This is important and planning ahead is paramount.
Notary Services Free to Town Residents
Treasurer Mary Challstrom and Joli McCathran are available to notarize documents for Town residents free of charge. If you need the services of a notary, please contact Mary at 301-926-4498 or [email protected] or Joli at 301-869-5358 or via e-mail at [email protected].
New Custodian Hired
The Town has hired a new person to perform the custodial duties at McCathran Hall. Please remember to be respectful of the space by leaving it as clean as possible.
Joli A. McCathran
301-869-5358
[email protected]
Planning Commission News
Next meeting: Wednesday » 09.02.15 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. The public is invited to attend.
If you are considering any renovation or building project at your house, be sure to get a copy of the revised procedures to apply for a Town Building Permit which will help you through the Town’s process. The procedures are available from the Town Clerk or from the Town’s website. In addition, the house files in the Town Hall, another resource when planning home modifications, may have some helpful information on your property. The Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning Commission are here to help you with your project.
Historic Preservation News
Next meeting: Tuesday » 09.15.15 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. Meetings are open to the public.
Myths (and facts) about old and new windows from the National Trust for Historic Preservation…
Should I really believe the hype about replacement windows being better than older original ones? No. If your existing windows are wood and were made before the 1940’s, they can perform just as well, if not better.
Myth #1: Replacement Windows Will Save You Money
On average, replacing windows with new, higher-quality replacement windows (when properly installed) could save you about $50 a month on your heating or cooling bills. However, this is after spending an average of $12,000 dollars to install the windows (the average home has between 24 and 30 windows, replaced at an average of $500-$1,000 each). If you heat your house an average of six months a year, the savings are about $300 a year. At this rate, it would take 40 years to even begin to recoup in energy savings the amount spent on the new windows. (Note: These figures assume that the windows are paid in cash or with zero percent financing. If the amount of interest paid on the total cost of the window replacement project is added, the payback period will be even longer.) By following some no- and/or low-cost methods to improve your home’s energy efficiency, you can easily save that same $50 a month on your heating bills without an outlay of thousands of dollars.
Even more important is the payback, or rather the lack thereof. The average person in the United States stays in the same house for between five and seven years. If it takes upwards of 40 years to recoup in energy savings what was spent to replace windows, the average person will never see their “savings” or recoup their expenses. Furthermore, the typical replacement window fails within about 20 years. So, in the time it would take to recoup the expenses of original replacement windows, statistically, the replacement windows will already have had to be replaced at least once.
Myth #2: Replacement Windows are Guaranteed
Many window replacement companies promise that by installing their windows, you will save 40% on your heating or cooling costs, guaranteed. However, if you read the fine print, you’ll find that if you don’t save that 40%, the maximum amount they will refund you is $500. So, after spending thousands of dollars to replace your windows and then experiencing little appreciable energy savings, the guarantee isn’t equivalent to your investment.
Many replacement windows also come with “limited lifetime warrantees.” Again, take the time to read the fine print. Even the better quality replacement windows limit the “lifetime” warrantee on the glass to 20 years, installation to two years, and the non-glass components to ten years. You’ll note that the “lifetime” better describes the lifetime of the product, not your lifetime or the lifetime of your home. Even more revealing is the fine print that describes what is not covered by the limited warranty. Also, notice that the warrantees are only good if the company that issued them is still in business when you need have the window replaced. Not all warrantees are transferable, or are only transferable within a certain amount of time from when the windows were installed. This means that if you purchase a house that has already had its windows replaced, your windows may no longer be covered by any warranty.
Myth #3: Replacement Windows are Maintenance Free.
Replacement windows are not maintenance free, though they may be easier to clean. This maintenance-free claim is most often used with companies that sell vinyl and aluminum windows. These windows simply cannot be maintained nor repaired. Traditional wood windows are composed of interlocking parts made from natural materials, and any part can be repaired or replaced. Vinyl, aluminum, fiberglass, and composite windows are manufactured as a unit and the components cannot be repaired. When a part fails, or the insulated glass seal breaks, or the vinyl warps, the entire unit must be replaced.
Myth #4: Replacement Windows are the Environmentally-Responsible Choice
Going green is about more than just energy performance. To determine real environmental impacts, one must take into account the embodied energy of the new and existing windows, the environmental impacts of manufacturing new products, and the expected lifecycle of the product. Embodied energy includes the energy required to extract the raw materials, transport them, make them into a new product, ship the product, and install it. Existing historic windows have all of this energy embodied in them. Tearing out historic windows for replacement units not only wastes embodied energy, it requires additional energy to remove and dispose them. This is on top of the energy required to create and install the new windows.
Statistically, it is virtually impossible to recoup, in energy savings, the amount of money spent on replacing historic wood windows with new windows before the new windows need to be replaced. The average person in the United States stays in the same house for between five and seven years. When it takes upwards of 40 years to recover in energy savings what was spent to replace the windows, the expense will never be recouped. Other studies have found that it can take as much as 222 years to recoup in energy savings what was spent on installing the replacement windows. Furthermore, the typical replacement window often fails within about 20 years. So, in the time it would take to recoup the original replacement windows, statistically, the replacement windows will already have had to be replaced at least once.
Maple Lake News
Next meeting: Thursday » 09.10.15 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room.
Recreation Committee News
Next meeting: Wednesday » 11.11.15 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room. As always, the Recreation Committee welcome volunteers, even for single events, so if you’re interested, or if you have ideas for new Town activities, please email Eve Zibart at [email protected].
It may be the dog days of summer, but the Recreation Committee already has a cool lineup of fun for the fall, starting with Labor Day. Craig English has once again volunteered to arrange the races and Linda Baim the adult tennis mixer, so your only personal labor is to prepare for potluck dinner Monday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. We’ll supply the plates, cups, and utensils; you bring a dish/dessert and whatever beverages your family desire. And for your dinnertime entertainment, the winners of the various matches and the coveted Grove Cup for sportsmanship and overall athleticism will be presented.
Mark Your Calendars!
- Bluestoberfest Sat. October 10th
- Punkin’ Carvin’ Sat. October 31st 11:00AM
Film Society News
A full-page announcement of the 16th annual film series, which starts on October 11, appears in this bulletin.
Look for a Film Society table at the Labor Day field events on Saturday morning, September 6. You’ll be able to buy subscriptions or ask us about this year’s films. See you at the movies!
“Local Boy Does Good”
Washington Grove’s own Adam Booher worked on a documentary about the shooting in Ferguson, MO.
Free Film Screening
Sunday, Sept. 27, 7:00 p.m.
Everyone is invited, and tickets are not required.
Ferguson: A Report from Occupied Territory
Directed by Orlando de Guzman,
2015, US, 54 minutes.
Adam will be on hand to talk about the film and to answer questions.
Woman’s Club News
Next meeting: Thursday » 09.10.15 @ 7:30 p.m. in Council Room.
As part of our Outreach Program for the Gude Men’s Shelter, at our September 10th meeting we will be hosting a guest speaker from that Shelter. Members, guests and spouses are encouraged to join us for what should be a most interesting talk. 7:00 PM at the Clubhouse.
Annual Pot Luck Supper & the Return of a Tradition
Fall is in the air, which means it’s time for the Woman’s Club’s Annual Pot Luck Supper! Please join us at the Clubhouse, Friday evening, September 18th, starting at 6:30 PM. Bring your appetite and a favorite dish. This year, we’re resurrecting an old tradition…the Mayor’s Biscuit Supper. Using an historic recipe, Mayor Joli McCathran will be making and selling biscuits as a special fund raiser. This year’s guest speaker, the Town’s Archivist, Pat Patula, will be telling us about the origin of this almost forgotten annual event.
Reminder
We will have a donation box on the Clubhouse porch for gently worn winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves for the needy children at Washington Grove Elementary School through the end of October.
Washington Grove Film Society Series XVI
Join us Sunday evenings in McCathran Hall at 7:00 p.m. A discussion follows each film. We expect new speakers will provide improved sound in the hall this year.
Purchase a 5-film subscription for $20 by sending a check payable to the Town of Washington Grove to Birgit Henninger, Box 355. If you miss a film, you can still use the ticket by bringing a guest to a subsequent film this season. Tickets at the door cost $7.
Hail the Conquering Hero
October 11, 2015
imdb
Directed by Preston Sturges, 1944, US, 101 minutes. Shown with English subtitles.
Woodrow’s hay fever leads to his quick discharge from service in WWII, but he dreads returning home having lost his chance to distinguish himself. On a lark, some helpful fellow Marines spread word that he’s a hero, and the story hilariously balloons out of control.
Pride
November 15, 2015
imdb
Directed by Matthew Warchus, 2014, UK, 119 minutes. Shown with English subtitles.
With heartfelt sentiment enlivened by humor and music, “Pride” portrays an unusual alliance during Margaret Thatcher’s premiership in Britain. A young activist in London rallies his gay friends to make common cause with striking Welsh coal miners.
Ace in the Hole
January 10, 2016
imdb
Directed by Billy Wilder, 1951, US, b&w, 111 minutes. Shown with English subtitles.
Although released in 1951, “Ace in the Hole” presents a dark, cynical vision of American media that feels astonishingly contemporary in its lust for sensationalism. Billy Wilder’s film stars Kirk Douglas in a fiercely intense performance as a reporter who will do anything to exploit the big story and lurid headlines.
The Lunchbox
February 21, 2016
imdb
Directed by Ritesh Batra, 2014, India, 109 minutes. Hindi with English subtitles.
In colorful, chaotic Mumbai, the wrong lunch lands on the desk of an office worker, setting off a chain of events that brings together a neglected housewife and a lonely widower nearing retirement. Their communication, via handwritten notes and home-cooked meals, evolves into a deeper bond.
Safe in Hell
March 20, 2016
imdb
Directed by William A. Wellman, 1931, US, b&w , 73 minutes. Shown without subtitles.
A New Orleans woman, played by Dorothy Mackaill, flees to a Caribbean island to escape a sordid past. That’s when her real troubles start. This 1931 “talkie” preceded the Hays Code era; studios had not yet begun to follow guidelines about what was morally acceptable in movies..
The Washington Grove Film Society purchases public performance rights from movie distributors for all of our screenings. The film series is supported by your subscription purchases and by the Town of Washington Grove Recreation Committee.
WG Meadow Conservation Park News
Mayor McCathran, Meadow Liaison Georgette Cole, Park Manager David Quintanilla, and Forest Ecologist/Botanist, Carole Bergmann met to assess the status of the Meadow Park within the approved Operation and Use Plan. We know control of non-native invasive weeds is a multi-year effort, but it was encouraging to see the decreasing amounts of Mile-a-Minute (MAM), wisteria and bittersweet. The Parks Department recently cleared a large patch of MAM out of the northwest corner of the meadow. Bittersweet remains a problem along the northern edge of the meadow on the border with Shady Grove Crossing. There are still many shoots of MAM and wisteria along the western border of the meadow next to Ridge Road. Sometime in the next few weeks the Parks Department will send in a mow/bush hog crew to clear problem areas along Ridge Road, primarily north of Oak Street. The annual native grass in this area has already seeded and will come back next year.