Town Council News…
Next meeting: Monday, October 12, 2020; 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this virtual meeting via ZOOM at; https://us02web.zoom.us/j/297850640?pwd=czh3OD BEdEpTeXdkRTc5bDFmLzN2UT09 Or Dial-in to 301-715-8592 Meeting ID: 297 850 640 Password: 074385 Actions at the September Meeting Include:
- Approval of Resolution 2020-12; Authorizing Treasurer to invest funds at Sandy Spring Bank.
- Approval to engage Town attorney for research and removal of three (3) restrictive covenants placed by the Town in 1950 on the Deed of Sale of 201 Chestnut Avenue.
Mayor’s Kudos
In August, the Washington Grove Town Council and Mayor approved distributing an appeal to the Town by email asking for donations to the Capital Area Food Bank. The action was spearheaded by Kathie Evans. This effort collected $7,600.00 for the food bank. Thank you, Kathie!
Town Treasurer Position Filled!
Resident Jean Moyer has been tapped to fill the large shoes of retiring Town Treasurer Mary Challstrom and will be shadowing Mary until June. A fully qualified candidate for the position, Jean will bring lots of experience and knowledge to the job. We are fortunate to have Jean on our Town team.
Yard Signs, Political and Other
In this political season it is not unusual to see signs of support for candidates in many yards. Residents are reminded that such signs should only be displayed on private property per Article VII, Section 6.3. Permits are not required, but signs are limited in size and height above ground, illumination and must be static, as detailed in the Ordinance found here.
Where do I vote?
McCathran Hall is not our in-person voting place in November. Instead… In-Person voting on November 3: You may go to Gaithersburg High School or any of 28 Election Day Vote Centers.
For Early Voting October 26 thru November 2: There will be 11 Early Voting Centers in Montgomery County. The closest is the Activity Center at Bohrer Park.
Mail-In voting: To avoid lines, residents should request an Absentee Ballot (the same as a “Mail-In Ballot”) and then drop their ballot in the Mail or in a Drop Box.
Drop Boxes: Placing your ballot in a Drop-box will eliminate concerns over ballot delivery by US Mail. Ballot Drop Boxes at the Early Voting Centers should be installed by October 1. Ballot Drop Boxes at the Election Day Vote Centers will also be installed.
Please go to the Maryland State website for more info; https://voterservices.elections.maryland.gov/PollingPlaceSearch
Racial Equity Ad Hoc Committee
The Committee to Advance Racial Equity in Washington Grove will be holding our next meeting TBD over Zoom. The meeting is open to the public, so please feel free to spread the word! Anyone can join even if you were not at the first Zoom event. Please email us at [email protected] to register. You can also sign up for our mailing list and/or join the committee here.
Planning Commission News…
Next meeting: Wed, October 7, 2020; 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 may access the meeting by: By dialing in to: 301-715-8592, using Meeting ID: 781 347 688 where you will be taken to a waiting room. OR by joining the Zoom videoconference at: https://zoom.us/j/781347688 , where you will be taken to a 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.
Permits Up for Approval in October:
- 106 Ridge Road – Ramp
- 118 Ridge Road – Deck
- 412 4th Ave. – Shed
- 414 Brown Street – Front porch
Public Ways & Property Permits:
- 3 Ridge Road – Driveway apron
- 101 Center Street – Driveway apron
2020 Comprehensive Plan Work Session
Calling all residents! The Comprehensive Plan (formerly the Master Plan) will have a new Housing Element section as required by the Maryland Department of Planning. https://washingtongrovemd.org/wpcontent/ uploads/2020/09/092120-Housing-Element- DRAFT.pdf
We want YOUR opinion! The new Draft Housing Element is available on the Town web site under the Comprehensive Plan. To accommodate as much feedback as possible it would be helpful if you send written comments in advance rather than at the work session itself.
Please send your email to [email protected]. Emails received by end of Monday Oct 19 will be compiled and distributed to PC members. The input from the emails will also be copied without attribution into a Word file for PC review during our next work session on October 21 as we decide what to include in the new Housing Element section. Thank you!
The 2020 Comprehensive Plan (CP) draft versions are also available on the Comprehensive Plan page of the Town website. The Agenda will be posted on the Town web site home page.
CP Work Session Notice: Wednesday October 21 at 7:30 pm. REMOTE ACCESS ONLY As part of the Town’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, this Comprehensive Plan Work Session will be conducted online, rather than in person.
CP Work Session Access: Residents and the public may access using Meeting ID: 781 347 688 where you will go into a waiting room until the host lets you in. By dialing in to: 301-715-8592 and following the audio instructions. OR by joining the Zoom videoconference at: https://zoom.us/j/781347688 where you will go into a waiting room until the host lets you in.
Historic Preservation Commission News…
Next meeting: Tuesday, October 20, 2020; 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this virtual meeting via ZOOM. For a copy of the Agenda, email Chairman Bob Booher ([email protected]).
To Join the Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/91859198359?pwd=MmdPcjB6d21uN215aitYTmMrZmR4dz09 Meeting ID: 918 5919 8359 Password: 008571 Or dial-in to 301-715-8592 and follow the audio instructions.
Most Town residents are likely aware of Washington Grove’s beginnings as a “camp meeting” but may not know that religious camp meetings have been an American phenomenon for over 200 years. We express our appreciation for the work of Robinson & Associates in preparation of the Updated and Expanded Washington Grove Historic District Nomination; their research is the basis of this month’s examination of the origins of the camp meeting phenomenon.
The Origins and Early Development of Camp Meetings in the United States
While no standardized definition exists, a camp meeting is an outdoor preaching event at which participants sustain themselves and camp overnight, often in tents. Camp meetings are temporary gatherings, typically lasting a few days to a week at the end of the summer. Scholars have developed several theories as to the origin of the camp meeting, and there is still debate over the location and date of the first meeting in the Grove.
Historian Charles Johnson, in his classic work The Frontier Camp Meeting, advanced the concept that the camp meeting originated on the Kentucky frontier where populations were sparse and travel and communication were difficult. While preaching outdoors was common throughout the eighteenth century in rural and backwoods areas where churches, or even basic assembly structures, were not available, the element of overnight camping, often for several nights, was missing from these gatherings. Johnson asserted that camp meetings did not achieve universal popularity or standard form until 1800, the year Presbyterian minister James McGready organized several highly successful outdoor revivals in Logan County, Kentucky
More recent scholarship suggests that the earliest camp meetings did not arise from circumstances created by the frontier and were organized in the Carolinas or Georgia during the last decade of the eighteenth century. Many support the claim that the Rock Springs Camp Meeting near Denver, North Carolina, which dates to 1794, may have been the first camp meeting in the United States. Camp meetings allowed preachers to reach a wide audience and did not require much in terms of infrastructure or planning, as attendees were expected to provide their own food and shelter for the duration of the event.
The earliest camp meetings were the work of Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists. While the Methodist church never institutionalized the camp meeting, this form of religious revival was embraced as an important part of the practice and led to Methodist dominance in American Protestantism in the nineteenth century. The most famous, some argue notorious, early camp meeting took place at Cane Ridge in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in 1801. It lasted nearly a week, attracted tens of thousands of participants, and received wide coverage in the press, launching the camp meeting movement onto the national stage. Preachers at Cane Ridge and other early camp meetings spread the doctrine of universal redemption, and audience members were known to manifest their salvation by shouting, falling down, “jerking,” and dancing. The religious fervor of huge crowds often created a frenzied atmosphere of heightened emotions that resulted in disorderly conditions.
Following the national trend, camp meetings emerged as an important practice for Methodists in the Washington area in the first half of the nineteenth century. Washington Grove historian Philip K. Edwards states that camp meetings for the Washington District of the Methodist Church occurred as early as 1815.
By the 1830s, camp meetings had evolved into more sedate events, subject to rules of order, sometimes enforced by a civil officer. Attendees came for spiritual renewal and development. At some campgrounds, churches erected society tents to house church groups. The revivals fostered a sense of religious kinship, and socialization and recreation became important facets of camp life. Excessive socialization, which was characterized in literature of the day as the “pic-nic spirit,” was criticized by many of the movement’s detractors.
Others, such as Reverend B. W. Gorham, author of a camp meeting manual published in 1854, embraced the extra-religious pleasures of camp meetings. Historian John R. Stilgoe notes, “Much of the excitement of camp-meeting convocations derived from the pure pleasure of group activity. For families accustomed to week-long isolation and hard work, meetings offered a social release unlike that of raisings, bees, and funerals.” In his camp meeting manual, Gorham also promoted the religious campground as a place of good health, forecasting the next phase of camp meeting development wherein existing camps as well as new revival sites were promoted as religious alternatives to secular summer resort communities. To Gorham, the “purity and constant freshness of atmosphere” was one of the many circumstances that rendered the campground “a healthful resort.”
Next month: The “built environment” of camp meetings…
Forestry & Beautification News…
Next Meeting: Wed., October 14, 2020; 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend this virtual meeting via ZOOM. We will be discussing fall tree planting. All are welcome! The agenda will be posted on the Town website.
Residents and the public may access the meeting by: By dialing in to: 301-715-8592, using Meeting ID: 781 347 688 where you will go into a waiting room until the host lets you in. OR by joining the Zoom videoconference at: https://zoom.us/j/781347688 , where you will go into a waiting room until the host lets you in.
Home Tree Planting Wishing to improve your yard with more trees? Fall is a great time to plant a tree. Put “How to plant a container tree Maryland DNR” in your search engine (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CqW5wwYj9 U) for an excellent short video from the Division of Natural Resources.
Trees in the Grove – Hickories
Trees in the Grove – Hickories – Hickories are native trees important to wildlife and to humans well before the arrival of Europeans. One hickory, the pecan tree (Carya illinoensis), is one of the few commercially significant sources of food that is native exclusively to North America. The wood of most hickories is strong and resilient. It was preferred for wagon wheels and is used today for flooring, furniture, and the handles of tools such as axes. It has a high fuel value, both as firewood and as charcoal, especially for smoking pork. Among settlers, the fruit from pignut hickory was a favorite food for hogs. Shagbark hickory nuts were a staple food for Native Americans. Hickories are members of the walnut family and, as such, have compound, alternate leaves. A compound leaf is composed of several leaflets attached to a stem or petiole. In Washington Grove, black walnut is probably the most commonly observed member of this family, often unfavorably. They drop large nuts and produce a chemical that prevents other plants from growing beneath them.
Hickory Varieties in Montgomery County – The hickories found in Montgomery County share several distinctive characteristics that also make them hard to distinguish from one another. They grow straight, taller than wide. Notably, they have alternate leaves composed of 5-9 serrated leaflets that are similarly shaped across species. The leaves turn a rich yellow to golden brown in the fall, holding their color longer than the leaves of most other trees. The appearance of the bark is one distinguishing feature. Pignut hickories (Carya glauca and Caryacordiformis) have furrowed, forking ridged bark. Shagbark hickories (Carya ovata and Carya laciniosa) have striking light gray bark that looks like it is peeling in long strips.
The nuts of the Pignutare 3/4”-1 1/4”, shaped like a fig with a shortened stem, while the nuts of the shagbark are slightly larger and more rounded: pignuts on right, shagbark nuts on left). Quite a few pignut hickories are found throughout town. A large specimen on Town property is at the corner of Brown St and Grove Ave (in fall color photo#4 below). A stand of 10 trees is on a curve of Ridge Road, across the street from #326. In contrast, shagbark hickory is rare in Montgomery County and worth seeking out. Driving into Bethesda, a prominent specimen is at the SE corner of Bradley Blvd and Durbin Rd.
Growing Hickories – If you want to grow such a useful native tree, the bad news is that hickories have long tap roots that make them difficult to transplant and are nearly unavailable in commerce. By the time a foot-tall hickory is spotted, it will already have a tap root several feet deep. Thus, any hickory you see almost certainly grew on that spot. If you want to try to grow your own, gather many nuts and plant them as soon as they fall from the tree, covered with a screen to prevent squirrels from digging them up. Better yields may occur by soaking the nuts in water for a few days, then layering in a container of moist potting mix and placing in a refrigerator for several months before planting.
Lake Committee News…
Next Meeting: SPRING The 2020 swimming season is over. Thanks to all who helped with Maple Lake this crazy year of COVID!!
Woods Committee News…
The October Woods Committee (WC) meeting will be held by remote access via Zoom meeting on Monday, October 5, 2020 at 7:30 PM. Our meetings are routinely held on the first Monday of each month. An online meeting will also be held on Monday, November 2nd.
To join the WC meeting, please use: By internet: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83939301231?pwd=bFF3VmtEelhDOFlobERyMFBaekFFQT09 By phone: 301 715 8592 / Meeting ID: 839 3930 1231 Password: 340604
The goal of the Woods Committee is to preserve our forests in the East and West Woods. One present focus is trail identification and maintenance. The Woods Committee encourages enjoyment of our woods and trail systems. However, sometimes use by residents and surrounding neighbors threatens forest preservation. Bicycles cause rutting and deterioration of the trails. Short cutting and bushwhacking compact root systems of established trees, trample blueberry and spice bush, and prevent the growth of holly and other tree saplings. Use of metal detectors and digging for artifacts invites erosion. We encourage hikers to stay on authorized trails and to keep dogs on leash. Authorized trails near Town residences have been identified with wood chips. Other trails are marked with a yellow blaze on trees. The Cherry Trail from the Franklin Trail to the bridge has been recently rerouted and chipped to avoid traversing wet areas.
Special thanks go to Virginia Quesada for her efforts. During the coming year, the Woods Committee will continue to work on marking and identifying trails and making authorized trails more passable in wet weather. We would like to preserve our forests for the enjoyment of current residents and future generations.
Managed Deer Hunt
The volunteer Bow Hunter Firefighters of Maryland (BHFFMD) continues a Town-approved managed deer hunt in the East and West Woods. The 2020-21 Maryland archery deer hunting season began, September 11, 2020 and extends until, January 30, 2021. The BHFFMD harvested two does in the West Woods in September. Metrics to evaluate successful outcomes towards restoring the health of our forest ecosystem will include monitoring native plant reestablishment. We hope you continue to enjoy our East and West Woods forest preserves. Stay healthy and happy!
Recreation Committee News…
Next Meeting: TBD. The public is invited to attend a virtual meeting. At this time, the date of the video or ZOOM in unknown. Look on the Town website for more details.
Halloween in the Grove 2020
Pumpkin Carving Contest: We’ll be carving pumpkins and leaving them on our doorsteps so people can walk around Town and see the beautiful creations! Please remember to practice social distancing, and wear masks. Prizes will be awarded for the best design! Pumpkins will be provided upon request at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScNi_Vhz-RbZAVMvb1yQBiTzbUe_tDKrdrKUWiUNm3L0uLDbQ/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0
Requests due by October 17, 2020. Please see the Google form for more information.
Online Costume Parade: Please provide pictures of costumes you’d like to submit to Emily Cavey at [email protected] by October 15. Parade will be shown in a Zoom meeting on Halloween day.
Trick or Treating: The Recreation Committee is waiting for guidelines from Montgomery County regarding Halloween and trick or treating. We will post a Grove Alert with information as soon as we have more information. Right now Halloween is considered to be a HIGH RISK holiday by the CDC. If you have any questions please call or text Jenn Hix 301-825-3790.
HOLIDAY SHOW DEC. 12, 2020
Mark your calendars for December 12, 7:30 p.m., when you can tune in to the 2020 Washington Grove Holiday Show!
DO YOU WANT TO BE PART OF IT? Musicians and singers — we are looking for you! But we are also looking for anyone who has a few hours between now and mid-November to be part of the show, on-screen or behind the scenes. Contact Judy Mroczka, 301-785-3491, [email protected] or Marilynn Frey, 301- 351-4784 [email protected].
YOUR INVITATION TO JOIN THE 2020 VIRTUAL HOLIDAY SHOW!
Film Society News…
WG Film Society’s Ghostober Discussion Get in the mood for Halloween with the Film Society’s selection for October: The Orphanage. Atmospheric and beautifully crafted, scary but not too scary, The Orphanage may be the perfect hauntedhouse movie for Halloween. Laura, raised in an orphanage, returns with her husband and young son to reopen it. With echoes of a well-loved children’s story, the film is both eerie and unexpectedly poignant.
Directed by J.A. Bayona, 2007, Spain, in Spanish with English subtitles, 105 minutes, rated R (some disturbing content).
Stream The Orphanage for $3.99 on Amazon Prime, You Tube, and other platforms, then join the discussion on Zoom on Sunday, October 25, 7:30 PM. A link to the discussion will be emailed to the Town listserv a few days ahead, or request the link by emailing Freda Temple at [email protected]
WG United Methodist Church News…
Sunday services continue to be temporarily suspended.
As we continue to Stay at Home during the COVID- 19 crises, the Church has been enjoying Sunday morning Zoom services. If you would like to join us, please contact Pastor Andrew Peck-McClain at [email protected] to be included. We are collecting 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.
Once we can again go out into the world, please join us on Sunday mornings at 11:00 am at the Washington Grove United Methodist Church, 303 Chestnut Road, Washington Grove, MD 20880 (301-869-3753). 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
Washington Grove Cares (WGC) News…
Coordinating Shopping Trips During the COVID 19 Epidemic Regularly Scheduled Grocery Trips: Two volunteers are shopping at regular times during the week. Please contact them to make arrangements by the preceding evening.
MONDAYS: (notify by Sun. 5 pm) Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, MOM’s, or Aldi’s; text or email Caitlin Bethepu at 414-208-8661, [email protected].
WEDNESDAYS: (notify by Tues. eve.) Giant Food Store; call, text or email Paul Boynton at 301-367-7830; [email protected]. Impromptu Grocery/Shopping Trips. If you are going to a particular grocery store/pharmacy and can pick up items for others, consider posting a message to the listserv ([email protected]) hours before or even the night before you head out.
Mention which store you plan to visit and list your phone number so neighbors can contact you before emailing requests. NOTE: If you don’t regularly read the Washington Grove listserv, you can receive announcements of Washington Grove Cares-sponsored events and occasional impromptu shopping trips by emailing [email protected].
Woman’s Club News…
The Washington Grove Woman’s Club Halloween in the Time of Covid…This Trick or Treat will be a challenge for everyone, but it is especially hard for the children living in our local homeless shelter. They cannot go out Trick or Treating, and there are not any homes around who could even just leave candy on their doorsteps for the kids. To help make up for that, our Club will be collecting wrapped candies that we will put into individual bags to be delivered Halloween afternoon. There are also some infants at the Shelter who would love pouches of food they can suck on; teething cookies or yogurt treats that melt in their mouths. Bagging the candy will take a bit of time, so please, if you can donate to these families, drop off the candy and baby treats by Friday evening, October 23rd. Like all donations, the candy can be dropped off on the Clubhouse porch or in the painted cans on Wendy Weisbard’s porch.
Our Outreach Programs During the Pandemic…As the pandemic continues to impact both our lives and our activities, the Woman’s Club has been making necessary adjustments to our Outreach Programs.
Supporting Washington Grove Elementary School Winterwear for the Kids…The need for kid’s winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves will soon be upon us. Because Washington Grove Elementary will not be opening for in-person classes this Fall, it cannot be a distribution point for the winterwear that we will again be collecting. Instead, families are turning to other resources, such as Interfaith Works, and we will be trying to help them fill those needs again this year.
Donations for School Supplies are Needed…To be sure that all students have the same supplies, WGE purchases kits of supplies for the students at home. If you would like to donate towards these kits, make your check to the Woman’s Club and put in the memo field that it is for school supply kits.
New White Socks for the Men’s Shelter…As cold weather approaches, the men in the shelters will desperately need new white socks. Homeless people consistently say that while they can usually find food somewhere, but without socks the winter weather is brutal. We also continue to collect toiletries for the Shelter.
Working with Interfaith Works for the Children…As the less fortunate children, like the rest of us, must stay at home, the need for things to brighten their lives is even greater. While they always need essentials, they also need occasional treats in their lives. Our Club helps provide these by collecting Birthday Presents and small Treasure Chest items to be distributed through Interfaith Works.
Where to Bring Your Donations…Whatever pulls at your heart strings, we have a need you can fulfill. Even though our Clubhouse is currently closed, we have bins on the porch to collect for our Community Outreach Programs, or you can drop off your contributions in the painted can on Wendy Weisbard’s porch at 119 Grove Road. You bring them and we will sort where they go! Checks are always appreciated too, just put in the memo field if you want your donation to go to a specific project and mail to The Woman’s Club, PO Box 354, Washington Grove, MD 20880. The 2020 – 2022
Washington Grove Directories are still available…The new 2020-2022 Directories are now available. The cost remains $3 each or 2 for $5. If you want copies, please contact Joan Mahaffey (301- 641-2452 or [email protected]) or Marilynn Frey (301-351-4784 or [email protected]). Joining the Woman’s is easy…The Woman’s Club dues are a modest $15 per year and can be paid at any event, or by sending a check to The Woman’s Club of Washington Grove, to PO Box 354, Washington Grove, MD 20880.
What Your Dues Help Make Possible…Your dues make it possible for us to support Town programs such as The Summer In the Parks, the Acorn Library and the Holiday Show. They also let us host our annual Town events like the January White Elephant Sale, the February Chili Supper, Project Linus, the Spring Egg Hunt, the May Flower Show, the June Progressive Porch Party, the September Pot Luck Supper and guest speakers. Plus, all year-round we collect for our Community Outreach programs.
Stormwater Management Committee
Next Meeting: Tuesday, October 6, 2020; 7:30 p.m. The Stormwater Management committee meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month. We welcome all interested residents!
Join Zoom Meeting: https://zoom.us/j/91339104517?pwd=YnFLWm9LMndYSVFNR3NGZTA1Z2dvZz09 Meeting ID: 913 3910 4517 Passcode: 647042 Or Dial-in: 301 715 8592 Questions, concerns or ideas, please contact: Robert N. Johnson at [email protected] or 301 346- 6267
Emergency Preparedness Committee News…
Next Meeting: Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. REMOTE ACCESS ONLY by using Zoom videoconference at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82268141384?pwd=VnJwNFMyNGVjck1oN25HOTR5eitYUT09; Phone: 301 715 8592; Meeting ID: 822 6814 1384; Passcode: 749922 COVID-19 Preparedness Kit & Quarantine Kit
Montgomery County recommends adding items to your emergency preparedness kit related to COVID-19, and also creating a quarantine kit of supplies in case you have COVID- 19 or receive a positive test result. Please see details at: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/covid19/get-help/kit.html.
Additional CDC and Maryland guidance on what to do if you or a household member tests positive for COVID-19 is available on the Town website at: https://washingtongrovemd.org/whatshappening/alerts/grove-alert/what-to-do-if-amember-of-your-household-tests-positive-for-covid-19/.
Dog Park Committee News…
The dog park, located in the West Woods Forest Reserve, currently has a total of twenty “bone-afide” users! For those who don’t know about this amenity, we have included an application in this Bulletin should you wish to sign up. If you would like more information about the Dog Spot, please see our page on the Town website (bit.ly/wg-dogspot) and read all about it!
Lighting Committee News…
The next TWG Lighting Committee meeting will be on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 7:30p.m.
General Information
Bulk Trash Collection Scheduled
Mark your calendars! The Town has scheduled a bulk trash collection for NOVEMBER 7, 2020. Materials may include furniture, appliances (nothing with freon like air conditioning units), rugs, large toys, small auto parts, etc. Material may NOT include construction by-products from your renovation projects, large automotive parts or tires. Items should not contain gasoline or motor oil. Please keep your metal separate from the rest of your trash.
Leaves Are Falling
New and long-time residents alike are reminded of the Town contract for bulk leaf removal each autumn. The contractor, Green Earth, Inc., will make regular but unscheduled pickups of leaves raked or blown into windrows within six (6) feet of any roadway or walkway, excluding Railroad Street, 2nd Ave., 3rd Ave., 4th Ave., 5th Ave., and Boundary Street. This service begins October 31, 2020 and ends January 4, 2021, or as soon thereafter as we agree the work is complete. This is the only time to have leaves removed without bagging for recycling. The contractor will time pickups based on the availability of full truckloads for vacuuming. One or two spectacular fall weekends in November or early December usually have most of us raking at the same time. If you rake when most others are raking, the windrows will probably disappear relatively quickly.
Please place your windrows within six (6) feet of the road or walkway (keeping in mind car & pedestrian traffic).
Green Earth will collect leaves by working from one end of the Town to the other, typically starting with Ridge Road working their way across the community, first removing piles along roads for safety reasons. After making one pass along roads, they will focus on walkways. If roads become obstructed before walkways are completed, roads will be cleared until they are safe. Then collection will resume along walkways. Weather may affect this process. Rain can restrict movement of large trucks on the avenues and accumulated snow or freezing rain may make piles too heavy to vacuum.
The contractor will not remove leaf piles that contain branches, brush, pruned limbs, and cut ornamental grasses. Please do not add these to leaf piles. They foul the vacuum and Green Earth will not collect piles containing this material. If a particular leaf pile has lingered for an inordinate amount of time, please call Kathy Lehman at the Town Office, 301-926-2256, or by e-mail [email protected]. Happy raking! It’s the rite of autumn, particularly in a town graced by so many beautiful deciduous trees.
DRIVE 15, ENJOY THE SCENE!!
October Coming Events Calendar
(All meetings via ZOOM Conference)
October 5 » Woods Committee 7:30 pm ZOOM
October 6 » Stormwater Management 7:30 pm ZOOM
October 7 » Planning Commission 7:30 pm ZOOM
October 12 » Town Council Meeting 7:30 pm ZOOM
October 14 » Building Permit Submission Deadline 7:30 pm ZOOM
October 14 » Forestry & Beautification 7:30 pm ZOOM
October 15 » Swing Time Big Band Rehearsal 6:30 pm Outside Town Hall
TBD Committee to Advance Racial Equality 7:30 pm ZOOM
October 20 » Historic Preservation Commission 7:30 pm ZOOM
TBD Recreation Committee 7:30 pm ZOOM
October 21 » Comprehensive Plan Work Session 7:30 pm ZOOM
October 22 » Emergency Preparedness & Safety 7:30 pm ZOOM
November 2 » Woods Committee 7:30 pm ZOOM