Connected Communities Newswire - Bethesda Regional Services Center

County Council Approves FY 2014 budget; Smoking Ban Outside County Facilities

Howard Hartman — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:09:59 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

May 23, 2013

In this issue

County Council approves FY 2014 budget

Smoking ban outside county facilities

Changes coming to public parking

MVA on wheels in Friendship Heights

Community emergency response team (CERT)

Farmers markets this weekend

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Bethesda post office search
Bethesda development
Traffic and pedestrian safety
Rapid Tranist
Building facility issues
Villages

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

Please join us on Monday at Bethesda's Memorial Day observance to honor our fellow Americans who gave their lives defending our nation. The observance begins at 10:30am, May 27, at Veterans Park located at the Corner of Norfolk Ave. and Woodmont Ave.

County Council approves FY 2014 budget

The Montgomery County Council today unanimously approved a $4.8 billion county operating budget for fiscal year 2014, a 4.1 percent increase over the approved budget for FY 2013. The FY 2014 operating budget, and adjustments to the fiscal years 2013-18 six-year capital improvements program, will go into effect July 1.

Some of the changes in the new budget include increased library funding, increased police staffing and 10 percent reduction in the energy tax.

For details, see the County Council press release.

Smoking ban outside county facilities

A new county law banning smoking on county-owned or leased property goes into effect on Monday, May 27, 2013. The ban is on smoking outside county buildings and outside the following types of facilities: county parks; county parking lots and parking garages; county-owned vehicles; and bus stops and bus shelters.

There are, however exemptions: county golf courses; county rights-of-way, including public sidewalks; any occupied residential unit owned or leased by the county for as long as the occupant on May 27, 2013 retains possession of the unit; and any outside area where the Director of the Department of Health and Human Services determines that a complete prohibition would impede a program's mission or effective delivery of services.

Changes coming to public parking

Display ads in county garages

The county is starting a six-month pilot project in early June to test display ads in four county-run garages in Bethesda and Silver Spring. The Bethesda garages are Bethesda Row on Bethesda Avenue and Woodmont Corner on Woodmont Avenue. The Silver Spring garages are Town Square on Ellsworth Drive and Cameron-Second on Cameron Street.

The pilot project will help the Division of Parking Management evaluate business demand for the ads, revenue potential for the county, types and sizes of display ads that are attractive to businesses and ways to ensure that garage signage continues to be clear and visible.

New parking fees in public garages, lots, meters

Currently, the rates are $1.25 an hour for any parking space up to four hours and 80 cents an hour for any long-term parking in excess of four hours. However, the County Council recently approved differential rates for most parking fees in the Bethesda parking district, effective July 1.

On-street meter parking will be $2 an hour, parking lot spaces $1.25 an hour and parking garage spaces 80 cents an hour. This new system means that most people will pay more, some will pay less and for those commuters and others who buy monthly passes, there will be no change.

This new differential parking fee structure may be a sign of demand pricing used in San Francisco and elsewhere to reduce circling and double parking in busier areas where demand for parking spaces is highest.

Current time limits remain in effect. Always check signs and parking meters to verify how many hours you can park in a given spot.

Expansion of the smart meter pilot program

About $280,000 has been approved in the county's FY 2014 budget to replace of on-street parking meters with single space smart meters. These meters let drivers use their credit and debit cards at the machines and see parking rates, hours and time limits on an illuminated display. The new meters will be phased in, block by block, over the next year in downtown Bethesda. Currently, the only smart meters in Bethesda are on Norfolk Avenue.

Meters on Cedar Lane

The county's FY 2014 budget also includes funds for the installation of about 90 parking meters along the south side of Cedar Lane between Old Georgetown Road and Rockville Pike, adjacent to the NIH campus.

MVA on wheels in Friendship Heights

Next Tuesday, May 28, between 10 am and 2 pm, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration's mobile office (i.e., a bus) will be on Friendship Boulevard, adjacent to the Village Center. The bus comes every fourth Monday (except when Monday is a holiday; then the schedule slips a day).

Services provided include getting a renewed, duplicate or corrected drivers' license or Maryland identification card; getting a disability car placard; renewing vehicle registration; and returning tags or applying for a tag refund. For additional services available or general information, click on the link above, call 410-768-7000 (1-800-492-4575 TTY for the hearing impaired) or send an email to atmvacs@mdot.state.md.us.

Community emergency response team (CERT)

According to FEMA, in 95 percent of all emergencies, the victims or bystanders provide the first immediate assistance until professional emergency response personnel arrive on the scene. Montgomery County provides emergency response training to interested community members through its CERT training program.

Montgomery CERT has over 400 community members trained in basic disaster response skills: fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. They can to provide critical assistance to others in their neighborhoods or workplaces following an event when professional emergency responders are not immediately available. CERT members also perform safety education and emergency preparedness projects in the community.

If you are interested in joining CERT or having CERT visit your organization, visit the Montgomery County CERT website.

Farmers markets this weekend

In addition to Memorial Day celebrations and parades going on this weekend, there are farmers markets galore in our area. Here are a few operating on Saturday:

Kensington farmers market, 8 am-noon. Kensington train station parking lot on Howard Avenue. 301-949-2424.

Pike Central farmers market, 9 am-2 pm, 11806 Rockville Pike (between Montrose and Old Georgetown Road), Rockville. 301-775-6402.

Rockville farmers market,90 am-1 pm, Route 28 and Monroe Street, Rockville.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Memorial Day Holiday Schedules; bikewway Improvements on MacArthur Blvd

Howard Hartman — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:59:23 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

May 21, 2013

In this issue

Memorial Day holiday schedules

Bikeway improvements on MacArthur Boulevard

Drilling, blasting at 8300 Wisconsin Avenue

Final hearing on Rockville Pike Plan

Save the Trail 5K

Hometown Holidays in Rockville Town Square

Bethesda's free summer concerts

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Bikeshare
Bethesda post office search
Bethesda development
Traffic and pedestrian safety
Mapping public spaces

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

I'd like to extend a big thank you to Phyllis Lieberman - the outgoing chair of the Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District board of directors - for her leadership, enthusiasm, and vision over the last two years.

During Phyllis' tenure, the Bethesda Arts and Entertainment District has gained new purpose and achieved great things including "Gallery B," "Tunnel Vision" and Bethesda's first independent film festival.

Thank you, Phyllis, for helping to improve our community!

Memorial Day holiday schedules

Closed on Monday, May 27: Montgomery County offices; libraries; county schools, school administrative offices; recreation administrative offices; senior centers; community recreation centers; TriPS commuter stores; Shady Grove transfer station.

Delayed one day: county-provided trash/recycle curbside collections.

Sunday schedule: Ride On, Metrorail, Metrobus.

Open: county liquor stores, 10 am-6 pm; indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities (e.g., pools); Montgomery Parks facilities, including Brookside Gardens, some ice rinks, tennis centers, trains and carousels (see the following websites for details:

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and www.Montgomery Parks.org).

Free: parking at county lots, garages and street meters.

Bikeway improvements on MacArthur Boulevard

Construction on bikeway improvements began last week along three miles of MacArthur Boulevard, from the Beltway to Oberlin Avenue. This phase is expected to be completed by early 2015. After that, construction will begin on the remainder, from Oberlin Avenue to the DC line.

Since the bikeway is already in place, construction is not expected to a major impact on vehicular traffic.

Drilling, blasting at 8300 Wisconsin Avenue

Drilling is scheduled to begin this week at 8300 Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda (Wisconsin Avenue at Battery Lane), site of a new 359-unit apartment building and a Harris Teeter grocery store. It should be completed in five to six weeks.

Crews must blast through rock to build an underground parking garage. Blasting and excavation is scheduled to begin in early July. According to StonebridgeCarras, the builder, this phase will take about five months. The builder will send out notices to the surrounding community before blasting begins.

The building is expected to top out by the end of 2014 and the entire project completed by the third quarter of 2015.

Final hearing on Rockville Pike Plan

The City of Rockville Planning Commission will hold its final public hearing on the revised draft Rockville Pike Plan and draft district code tomorrow, May 22, starting at 7 pm. The hearing will be at city hall in the mayor's and council chambers (111 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850).

The public is invited to comment on the documents, attend and testify at the hearing.

Save the trail 5K on May 25

This Saturday is the 4th annual Save the Trail 5K, sponsored by the Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail. The race, which starts and ends at Elm Street Park in Chevy Chase, begins at 9 am. On-site registration begins at 7:30 am.

Runners who pre-register are guaranteed a free race shirt. Events include music, face-painting, sign-making and prizes. The top three women, men and runners 14 and under will receive prizes. There also will be random prize drawings for all runners.

The $25 entry fee benefits the Friends of the Capital Crescent Trail.

Hometown Holidays in Rockville Town Square

Hometown Holidays is Rockville's annual street festival celebrating Memorial Day. The three-day event features dozens of entertainers performing on seven stages, children's rides, teen activities, a VisArts fine arts festival, an environmental expo, the Taste of Rockville, the annual ride for Rockville bicycle tour and a Memorial Day ceremony and parade.

Bethesda's free summer concerts

Free summer concerts in Bethesda's Veterans Park (corner of Woodmont and Norfolk avenues) are Thursdays night, 6-8 pm, through July 25. Featured this Thursday is the JohnStone Reggae Band.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Friday Event at Walter Reed, Possible Traffic Delays; Bike to Work Day;

Howard Hartman — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:07:20 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

May 16, 2013

In this issue

Walter Reed event, possible traffic delays

Bike to Work Day

New Bethesda post office location sought

Online chat with Ike Leggett

Business forum and showcase

Potomac cultural dance and cuisine night

Strut your mutt parade

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Bikeshare
Bethesda post office search
Bethesda development
Traffic and pedestrian safety
Mapping public spaces

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

The Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board meets next Monday, May 20 at the B-CC Regional Services Center. On the agenda is a budget update from County Councilmember Roger Berliner; a presentation on the County's Housing Policy; and a roundtable discussion of tenants rights.

The meeting runs from 7-9 pm. The B-CC Regional Services Center is located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane in downtown Bethesda. All are welcome to attend and participate.

Friday event at Walter Reed, possible traffic delays

From 11 am to 3 pm on Friday, Walter Reed National Military Center is holding an outdoor staff appreciation day on the front lawn of the Navy Exchange. It will include a barbeque, concert and skydivers who will touch down around 11:30. All of this will be visible to drivers on the south side of Rockville Pike/Route 355. Be prepared for rubbernecking delays if you're in the area then.

Bike to Work Day

This year's Bike to Work Day, is Friday, May 17, but it's not too late to register.

The downtown Bethesda pit stop, 6:30-8:30 am at Reed Street (corner of Woodmont and Bethesda avenues, near the Capital Crescent Trail), will have DJ entertainment, state and local dignitaries, lots of giveaways and raffle prizes (grand prize is a new bike from Griffin Cycle), bike maintenance checks and plenty of food to fuel your commute.

Even better, four local gyms have donated the use of their shower facilities to Bike to Work Day participants. See the Get Your Wheels Turning! flyer for details.

New Bethesda post office location sought

At the meeting held last night at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, a US Postal Service representative said that USPS is looking for a second location in Bethesda. What's needed is a 2,000 square foot site with a loading dock, parking (preferably free) and handicap accessibility. If you know of and would like to recommend such a site, contact USPS real estate specialist Richard Hancock: richard.a.hancock@usps.gov or 336-665-2848.

Online chat with County Executive Leggett

County Executive Ike Leggett is holding a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, May 21, from 1 to 2 pm and invites county residents to ask questions. Questions and answers will be posted both during and after the chat at Live Discussion with Ike Leggett.

Call the Office of Public Information at 240-777-6507 for details or more information.

Business forum and showcase

On Wednesday, May 22, the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce is hosting two educational presentations, a networking luncheon and a showcase for more than 65 businesses and organizations that will display their products and services. The event is at the Hyatt Regency Bethesda, 9:30 am-3 pm.

Topics of the educational presentations are "Break out of your comfort zone" and "5 proven strategies for filling your pipeline with client referrals." The luncheon speaker's topic is "The CHUTZPAH Rules."

Registration is online. Contact Gloria Arnold at 301-652-4900 or garnold@bccchamber.org for more information.

Potomac cultural dance and cuisine night

To celebrate Potomac's multi-ethninicy, the Potomac community recreation center (11315 Falls Road) is hosting its first "Cultural Dance and Cuisine" night this Friday, May 17, from 6:30-8:30 pm. There will be international dance performances representing China, Greece, Russia, India and Latin America, as well as appetizers from each culture. Free.

The public is invited to attend.

Strut your mutt parade

The 8th annual B-CC Rotary Club Strut Your Mutt parade and festival is this Saturday, May 18, in Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle (at Norfolk and Woodmont avenues), 10 am-3 pm. The parade starts at 10:45. There will be winners in several categories, including "best mutt strut" and "best parade outfit."

Before and after the parade there are free activities for kids (e.g., moonbounces, games, facepainting), and for adults, a win-the-pot raffle, training shows, adoption shows by rescue groups and more.

The registration fee is $25 per dog. Proceeds will benefit the Montgomery County Humane Society and the B-CC Rotary Foundation .

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Rapid Transit public Hearing, Money Matters for Women Seminar, Veterans Hiring Event

Howard Hartman — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:26:13 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

May 14, 2013

In this issue

Rapid transit public hearing

Money matters for women seminar

Veterans hiring event

Teen forum

Bach concert to benefit Bethesda Cares

Free deck inspections

Ziplining in Rockville

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
White Flint Downtown Committee
Bikeshare
Bethesda Development
Traffic and pedestrian safety

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

Next Monday, May 20, the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board will meet at the B-CC Regional Services Center from 7-9pm. On the agenda is a budget update from Councilmember Roger Berliner; a briefing on the county housing policy; and a round-table discussion on tenant rights.

All are welcome to attend and participate.

Rapid transit public hearing

The Montgomery County Planning Board is holding a public hearing this Thursday, May 16, on the draft countywide transit corridors master plan. The draft recommends a system to place high-quality buses in the county's most congested areas: inside-the-Beltway communities, suburban activity centers and highly traveled commuter corridors. The draft also recommends ten transit corridors that span 79 miles.

The hearing starts at 6 pm at Park and Planning headquarters, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, 20910

Money matters for women seminar

On Thursday, May 16, 7-9 pm, the Montgomery County Commission for Women is holding "A Woman's Guide to Money Matters," a seminar on taking control of one's finances in five easy steps. Topics include setting realistic goals, developing a strategy, preparing for retirement, paying for a child's or grandchild's education and understanding investments and investment strategies.
The fee is $10 for pre-registration (at the link above), $15 at the door.

The seminar is co-sponsored by the Montgomery County (MD) alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

For more information, call 240-777-8300.

Veterans hiring event

The Maryland Department of Veterans Services and WorksMontgomery are holding a hiring event this Thursday, May 16 from 10 am to 2 pm, for all job-seeking veterans and their spouses.

Participating employers will be on site and job opportunities will be available. Service providers with expert knowledge of veterans' services also will be there. Free.

The event is at 11160 Veirs Mill Road, Suite LLH-17

Wheaton, MD 20902. There is free parking at Wheaton Westfield Mall, and the Wheaton Metro station is nearby.

To register or for more information, contact Kenneth Harris at the Maryland Department of Veterans Services.

Teen forum this Saturday

Teens will have an opportunity to share their experiences, insights and solutions to problems at a teen forum with County Executive Ike Leggett, members of the County Council and representatives from Montgomery County public schools. The forum will be Saturday, May 18, 10 am-1 pm, at the East County community recreation center, 3310 Gateshead Manor Way, Silver Spring.

Not only is the forum free, there will be performances by MC Christylez Bacon Red and Sprinkle Fashion Club, as well as the chance to win one of two mini I-Pads or a gift card.

Space is limited and registration is recommended. To register, visit the county's recreation website and sign up for course number 358458.

Bach concert to benefit Bethesda Cares

The Westmoreland chancel choir, with orchestral accompaniment, will perform an all-Bach program this Saturday night, 7 pm. A reception and art show will follow.

Free, but donations are welcome and will benefit Bethesda Cares, which seeks to prevent homelessness by helping people in our area avoid eviction.

Westmoreland United Church of Christ

1 Westmoreland Circle

Bethesda,Maryland 20816

301-229-7766

Free deck inspections

As part of Building Safety Month, the county's Department of Permitting Services is offering free deck maintenance inspections through May 31 for single-family detached homes, three-story-or-less townhouses and duplex dwellings. The inspections are available for all Montgomery County residents, with the exception of those in the cities of Rockville and Gaithersburg.

Participating homeowners will receive a checklist to help them maintain a safe, sound deck.

Requests will be honored as the inspectors' workload allows, and residents will be contacted before the inspection is performed. To schedule a deck maintenance inspection, call the Montgomery County customer service center at 311 or 240-777-0311.

Information on other building safety and sustainablity issues (fire, disaster mitigation, backyard and pool safety, energy and green building), visit the International Code Council's website.

Ziplining in Rockville

Many kinds of outdoor adventures are available in our area via county and city recreation programs, but not ziplining. However, ziplining is available in Rock Creek Park in Rockville through Go Ape!. It's available Thursday through Monday until June 13th, then seven days a week through September 3. Visit Go Ape! for more information.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

AnotherBethesda Post Office?, Rockville Farmers Markets Opening

Howard Hartman — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:08:53 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

May 9, 2013

In this issue

Another Bethesda post office?

Rockville farmers markets opening

Grateful Shred

Gun turn-in

Classes on aging

Bethesda Green solar & green home expo

Summer recreation and camp guides

Paving project in Montgomery Mall area

Weekend art doin's in Bethesda

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
FY2014 budget
Updating the Community Toolkit
Villages
Bethesda Development
Traffic and pedestrian safety

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

The Land use/Transportation committee of the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board will meet next Monday, May 13, 7pm at the City of Rockville City Hall. The agenda includes a briefing on the Rockville Pike Master Plan by David Levy, Rockville's Chief of Long Range Planning.

City Hall is located at 111 Maryland Avenue - across the street from the County Council Building.

The meeting is open to all.

Another Bethesda post office?

The US Postal Service is seeking community input on the possibility of a new post office in Bethesda and is holding a public meeting on Wednesday, May 15, at 6:30 pm.

The meeting will be at the B-CC Regional Services Center, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, second floor.

Rockville farmers markets opening

Rockville's Saturday farmers market opens for the season this weekend, May 11, in Rockville Town Center, 9 am-1 pm. As always, the offerings include farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, bedding plants, cut flowers, preserves, honey herbs, baked goods and more.

Rockville's Wednesday farmers market, also in Rockville Town Center, opens for the season on June 5, 11-2 pm.

Grateful Shred

There will be a "Grateful Shred" shredding party from 9 am-noon on Saturday, May 11, at the Clara Barton community center, 7425 MacArthur Boulevard in Cabin John.

Now's the chance to clean out your old tax records and other documents that have private, confidential or sensitive information you want to get rid of securely. A mobile shredding truck's cross-cut shredder cuts pages into tiny paper chips, which then are baled and sent to paper plants to be recycled.

Note that paper clips, staples, rubber bands, folders, binder clips hanging folders with metal strips and labels are all OK. Newspapers, three-ring binders, cardboard, heavy plastic, heavy metals, boxes, trash, floppy disks or CDs are not OK.

Not free, but cheap. The event sponsor, Friends of the Clara Barton community center, is asking for a donation of $5 per one-cubic-foot storage box or the equivalent, $3 for a half-box or $2 for a quarter-box or their equivalents.

Gun turn-in

This Saturday, May 11, is the Montgomery County gun turn-in, a convenient and anonymous way residents can dispose of unwanted firearms and ammunition, no questions asked. Collected firearms are later taken to an incinerator in Dickerson for disposal. For each gun turned in, a donation will be made to the University of Maryland's shock trauma center.

Guns and ammo can be turned in on Saturday, 10 am-2 pm, any of three locations :

Public Safety headquarters, 100 Edison Part Drive, Gaithersburg

Montgomery County fairgrounds

East County Regional Services Center, 3300 Briggs Chaney Road, Silver Spring

The event is co-sponsored by the Montgomery County Police, Montgomery County Sheriff, Gaithersburg Police, Rockville Police, University of Maryland R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Montgomery County State's Attorney, Maryland Attorney General, Victims' Rights Foundation and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission.

For questions or more information, contact the Montgomery County police firearms investigations unit at 240-773-6400.

Classes on aging

This month, Live & Learn Bethesda is holding several classes on aspects of aging: elder financial abuse (May 15), unlocking Social Security mysteries (May 22) for those already retired or considering retirement, how to be an effective caregiver (May 30), and retirement and beyond (also May 30), a practical workshop for retirees and those planning their retirement who want to remain active, engaged and connected. Lunch is included in the registration fee.

See page 5 of Live & Learn's catalog for detailed information on the classes, call 301-740-6150, or send an email to info@liveandlearnbethesda.org.

Bethesda Green solar & green home expo

Bethesda Green is holding its fourth annual solar & green home expo this Saturday, May 11, from 10 am to 3 pm. It features products and services from local green business. Attendees will learn about practical ways to 'green' their homes, including the following:

energy conservation
solar energy
remodeling
sustainable landscaping
solid waste reduction

Bethesda Green

4825 Cordell Avenue (above Capital One bank)

Second floor

Summer recreation and camp guides

The Montgomery County Recreation Department's summer guides for recreation and park activities and summer camps are online. Print copies are available at county libraries, recreation centers, park facilities and county buildings (including the B-CC Regional Services Center).

Online registration for recreation and park activities begins May 13. Camp registration, however, is underway now. Because the camps are so popular, getting one's first choice can't be guaranteed after May 15, so if you're interested in a particular camp, register ASAP at the link above.

Paving project in Montgomery Mall area

On or about next Monday, May 13, repairs will begin on Westlake Drive between Democracy Boulevard and Tuckerman Lane in Bethesda. The project is expected to take about four weeks. Work will be done between 8 am and 4 pm, Monday through Friday. Continuous traffic will be maintained at all times via temporary lane closures.

For more information, call project manager James Kisner at 240-777-7631 or check the Division of Highway Services' online project information.

Weekend art doin's in Bethesda

Art walk , Friday, May 10

Bethesda art walk features several downtown Bethesda galleries and studios that open their doors from 6 to 9 pm the second Friday of every month. The galleries showcase local, national and international artwork. The free Bethesda Circulator bus stops within a few blocks of each gallery and runs continuously for the duration of the art walk.

Opening reception at Gallery B, Friday, May 10

The opening reception for "Seven Variations and a Conversation," featuring the work of seven artists from the Foundry Gallery, is from 6 to 9 pm. The exhibit continues through May 25. 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite E, Bethesda.

Fine arts festival, Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12

The fine arts festival on Auburn and Norfolk Avenues (in the Woodmont Triangle) features 130 booths of contemporary fine art and craft, jewelry and furniture. There also will be live music.

Saturday, May 11, 10 am-6 pm

Sunday, May 12, 10 am-5 pm

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Online Purchase of Monthly parking permits, Separation and Divorce Workshop

Howard Hartman — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:11:01 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

May 7, 2013

In this issue

Online purchase of monthly parking permits

Separation and divorce workshop

Build a high-performing community workshop

County food trucks website

Older Americans events

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
FY2014 budget
Updating the Community Toolkit
Villages
Traffic and pedestrian safety

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

Online purchase of monthly parking permits available

Do you live or work in downtown Bethesda, Montgomery Hills, North Bethesda, Silver Spring or Wheaton and park in county garages or at non-metered spaces from 5 pm to 9 am? Now you can pay online for monthly garage and AM/PM permits (parking convenience stickers), rather than in person. Note, however, that the permits are still sent by regular mail; you can't print them out.

If you prefer to buy your permits in person, you still can do that. In Bethesda, the sales store is in the Cheltenham Drive garage office, 4720 Cheltenham Drive (240-777-8770).

Separation and divorce workshop

The Montgomery County Commission for Women is holding another workshop on the legal aspects of divorce and separation, on Thursday, May 9, from 7-9 pm. It will be in the Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, Suite 330. The registration fee is $10 if paid in advance (and can be done online) or $15 at the door, cash or check only.

The workshop is held in cooperation with the Bar Association of Montgomery County, Family Law Section,

the Montgomery County Women's Bar Association and

the Montgomery County Divorce Roundtable.

Call 240-777-8300 for more information.

Build a high-performing community workshop

High-performing community organizations identify issues and priorities, disseminate information and bring people together to improve the places where they live, work, play and pray.

This Saturday, May 11, there will be a free workshop on building a high-performing community, intended primarily for members of civic and non-profit organizations. The workshop is designed as an opportunity for attendees to bring their own experience to the table while networking with others, exchanging ideas and entering into meaningful, results-oriented dialogue.

The workshop is sponsored by the Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County.

10 am-2 pm

Wheaton Community Center art room

11711 Georgia Avenue

Silver Spring, Maryland 20902

RSVP: yonelle@crcmc.org (walk-ins OK, too)

County food trucks website

A group of food trucks operating in Montgomery County now has a website, making it easier for foodies who frequent them to find out where they are or will be. Just go to MoCofoodtrucks.com, then click on the logo of the truck

you want to find. The site currently lists 16 of the most popular trucks in our area, several of which have stops in Bethesda.

To learn more about the recently-formed food truck group, see the article that appeared yesterday in BethesdaNow.com.

Older Americans events

This is Older Americans Month. Three free events are coming up on different aspects of life that county residents may face.

50+ Employment Expo: Retool, Recharge, Reinvent

Friday, May 17, 2013, 10 am - 3 pm

Marriott Bethesda North Hotel and Conference Center

5701 Marinelli Road, Bethesda, MD 20852

The expo Includes seminars, r�sum� help, employers and community resources.

Driving and Beyond...Symposium and Mobility Resource Fair

Sunday, May 19, 2013, noon-4 pm Asbury Methodist Village, Rosborough Center

301 Odendhal Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877

Hear from local experts and visit mobility fair exhibitors on how to stay safe on the road, make informed driving choices, talk about safe driving and transitions with loved ones and learn about local transportation resources.

Open to the public but space is limited; RSVP requested. Call AARP at 1-877-926-8300 or click here.

To Life: Tools for Better Living

Thursday, May 30, 2013, 10:30 am - 2:00 pm

Leisure World, Crystal Ballroom, Clubhouse I

3700 Rossmoor Boulevard

Silver Spring, MD 20906

This health and wellness expo includes interactive demonstrations, workshops and over 50 exhibitors, as well as entertainment, raffle prizes and health screenings. For more information, call 301-348-3832.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Purple Line Open Houses, Dommercial Driver's License Training

Howard Hartman — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:01:02 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

May 2, 2013

In this issue

Purple Line open houses

Commercial driver's license training

Commission for Women offers counseling

County amateur photo contest

Area road projects

Weekend possibilities

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
FY2014 budget
Updating the Community Toolkit
Villages
May meetings of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee, Woodmont Triangle Action Group, and Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board.
Traffic and pedestrian safety

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

Bethesda Magazine has a nice article this month that explains the benefits of "Villages" - community organizations that help older residents remain connected and active in their neighborhoods. Read it to find out why the village phenomenon continues to grow in our area.

Purple Line open houses

The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is holding five open houses between May 7 and May 15 on the Purple Line project. Two of them are in Montgomery County: Silver Spring and Bethesda. The Bethesda open house will be on May 14 at B-CC High School (4301 East-West Highway) from 5-8 pm.

The entire project will be presented at each open house. You will be able to see the current plans for all locations along the alignment. MTA engineers will be there to answer questions and take suggestions, which MTA will use to make final revisions before the preliminary engineering plans are submitted for federal approval late this summer.

For more information, visit the Purple Line website, call 443-451-3706 or send an email to outreach@purplelinemd.com.

Commercial driver's license (Class B) training

Montgomery College's Transportation Safety Institute is offering a course to teach the skills necessary to pass the Maryland MVA's Class B commercial driver's license road examination. The course includes some classroom instruction, but the main portion is range and road driving practice and MVA examination practice.

A commercial driving learner's permit, with passenger and school bus endorsements, is required to enroll.

The two-week, Monday-Friday course is offered four times over May, June, July and August, beginning May 3. For more information, call 240-567-2577, send an email or visit the Institute's website.

Commission for Women offers counseling

After a nearly two-year hiatus, the Montgomery County Commission for Women is again offering short-term, solution-based counseling to help individuals (women

and men) address challenging life transitions. The service is available 9 am-5 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Commission's offices in the Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, suite 330.

Counseling is available in English, French and Arabic. Individuals who seek counseling must be Montgomery County residents, at least 18 years old and one of the following:

- single with no dependent children, annual income of
less that $50,000;

- single with dependent children, annual income less

than $75,000 per year; or

- married with combined annual income of less than

$75,000.

The service is free until July 1, 2013. Call 240-777-8300 to make an appointment or for more information.

County amateur photo contest

Here's a chance to show off your photographic skills and the beauty of Montgomery County. The county Department of Transportation's Keep Montgomery County Beautiful program is holding its annual amateur photo contest. Entries are due by June 21. Winners will be announced at a ceremony next October. Selected photographs will be displayed throughout the year at county libraries and other facilities.

All photos must be taken in Montgomery County by county residents and submitted by the person who took the photo. Additional information and the application are available online. For questions, call 240-777-7170.

Area road projects

The Seven Locks Road resurfacing project in Potomac has been temporarily delayed until July, due to unforeseen developments. The county's Department of Highway Safety will send notification to affected area residents a few weeks before work begins. The project should take six weeks, weather permitting, with work occurring between 9 am and 4 pm, Monday-Friday. Project manager: James Kisner, 240-777-7631.

The Newbridge Drive preservation project in Potomac, scheduled to begin this week, involves patching and sealing cracks. It will take approximately three weeks. Work will be done between 9 am and 3 pm, Monday-Friday. Resurfacing will begin this summer or fall. Project manager: Martin Wurdeman, 240-777-7649.

The Al Marah neighborhood pavement preservation project in Bethesda will begin on or about May 9. It will affect Pepperell Drive and Court, Burdette Road, Royal Dominion Drive and Zulima Court. Roadways will be prepared for resurfacing by patching and sealing cracks, which will take approximately four weeks. Work will be done between 7 am and 5 pm, Monday-Friday. Resurfacing is scheduled for this summer or fall. Project manager: Martin Wurdeman, 240-777-7649.

These projects will require temporary lane closures and alternating one-way traffic, but continuous traffic will be maintained.

Weekend possibilities

Arts festival at Rockville Town Square, May 4, 11 am-7 pm, May 5, 10 am-5 pm. This new outdoor gallery event, organized by the Bethesda Row Arts Festival team, features works by more than 170 artists. There also will be live entertainment. Free.

Juried craft show at Strathmore Mansion, May 4-June 13; hours vary. The Creative Crafts Council is holding its 29th biennial juried craft show at Strathmore Mansion (10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda). Opening reception is this Saturday, 7-9 pm. Free.

Family day at Glen Echo Park, May 4, 11 am-4 pm. In addition to the Dentzel carousel's reopening, there'll be face-painting, art activities, storytelling, Taiko drumming, a singalong, a magic show and dancers. Free, except for carousel rides ($1.25). 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo.

Spring Fest in Chevy Chase. The Jane E. Lawton Community Center (4301 Willow Lane, Chevy Chase) is holding its Spring Fest this Saturday, May 4, noon-3 pm. There will be carnival games, inflatables, an egg hunt, music, magic, refreshments and goodie bags for the first 100 attendees. Call 240-777-6852 for more information.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Yard Sale for a Good Cause; Race to End Poverty; Strides to Cure Cystic Fibrosis

Howard Hartman — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:59:05 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

April 25, 2013

In this issue

Yard sale for a good cause

Race to end poverty

Great Strides to cure Cystic Fibrosis

Bicycle commuting class

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
FY2014 budget
Updating the Community Toolkit
2nd district police station
May meetings of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee, Woodmont Triangle Action Group, and Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board.
Traffic and pedestrian safety

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

Super volunteer and newsletter editor Lynn Barclay is away this week. I am handling the newsletter today in her absence - so please excuse any typos!

Yard sale for a good cause

The South Bradley Hills Neighborhood Association will hold their third annual Yard Sale and Charity Bake Sale this Saturday, April 27, from 8am to Noon. Proceeds from the bake sale will go to benefit the National Center for Children and Families.

Neighborhood leaders tell us the community yard sale offers a delightful mix of household goods, decorator pieces, clothing, children's games and toys, small furniture pieces, yard paraphernalia, and other items.

The event will take place at the Bethesda Community School, 7500 Honeywell Lane, Bethesda, MD.

Race to End Poverty

In 2012, A Wider Circle furnished 3,650 homes. This year, they hope to furnish 4,000 homes - 4K! You can help them accomplish this goal by participating in the Race to End Poverty 4K this weekend - Saturday, April 27 at Meadowbrook Park in Chevy Chase, MD. The race starts at 9 am.

More information and event registration is at A Wider Circle's event website.

Making Great Strides to cure Cystic Fibrosis

Great Strides is the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation's largest and most successful national fundraising event. It is a beautiful, healthy and fun 2 mile walk starting at Bethesda Row (downtown Bethesda) and through the Capital Crescent Trail taking place on Wednesday, May 15 at 7 pm.

Walk check-in time starts at 6:00 PM. Free food/drinks will be provided after the walk.

(Thank you local resident and mom Eileen Chang for bringing this worthy event to our attention. Eileen has put together a team of community members to walk. You can sponsor them online at the Great Strides website.)

Learn more about the CF Foundation and Great Strides by visiting www.cff.org.

Free Bicycle Commuting Class

Learn more about becoming a bicycle commuter on May 1 at free lunchtime class organized by County DOT, the North Bethesda Transportation Center, and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association. The one-hour class - which includes lunch - will cover route selection, bicycle choice, how to deal with cargo and clothing, bike parking, lighting, and foul weather riding.

The class will be held on Wednesday, May 1, Noon to 1 pm at the Wentworth House Apartments, 5411 McGrath Boulevard in North Bethesda/White Flint (next to Harris Teeter).

Limited space is available. Call 301-770-8108 to register.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Annapolis Legislative Session and Montgomery County

Howard Hartman — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:40:33 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

April 23, 2013

In this issue

Annapolis legislative session and Montgomery County

County cable news show wins national award

National Prescription Take-back Day

Housing Fair and Financial Fitness Day

Rockville Science Day

Rice On annual food drive

Bike to Work Day

AT&T National golf tournament

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Pedestrian safety
Updating the Community Toolkit
2nd district police station
FY2014 operating budget and County Council worksessions
May meeting of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

Annapolis legislative session and Montgomery County

In the 90-day legislative session in Annapolis that recently concluded, Montgomery County fared well, especially regarding increased funding for transportation. The funds are needed for the Purple Line, the Corridor Cities Transitway, the Watkins Mill Interchange and a backlog of road projects, according to County Executive Isiah Leggett.

The county also got increased funding for education, including $28 million in state grants for public school construction.

In addition, county delegation members were among the sponsors of several economic development measures that will directly benefit companies in Montgomery County, particularly start-up companies.

For detailed information on actions taken by the Annapolis legislature, see the 90 Day Report - A Review of the 2013 Legislative Session.

County cable news show wins national award

County Report This Week, the weekly half-hour cable news show produced by the Montgomery County Office of Public Information Office's cable programming section, has just received a 2013 Hometown Media Award from the Alliance for Community Media. The award-winning show was among more than 800 entries from across the country.

The award recognizes Montgomery County's overall excellence in public, educational and governmental access programming.

National Prescription Take-back Day

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another prescription drug take-back day. It's this Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10 am to 2 pm. There are several collection sites in our area.

This is a great opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted, unused prescription drugs, for those who missed previous take-back days or have accumulated medications since then that they want to get rid responsibly.

In the five previous take-back events, DEA, in conjunction with state, local and tribal law enforcement partners, collected more than 2 million pounds of unwanted prescription medications.

Housing Fair and Financial Fitness Day

Montgomery County's annual Housing Fair and Financial Fitness Day also will be on Saturday, April 27. It will be held at the activity center at Bohrer Park, Summit Hall Farm, 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg. 10 am-3 pm.

Fair-goers will have access to a wealth of useful information about housing programs and resources in Montgomery County, as well as information about eligibility for federal and state-level housing assistance. Highlights of this year's fair include:

free credit reports provided on site;
home ownership assistance by certified counselors, attorneys and lenders, tailored to fair-goers' specific needs;
on-site loan modifications from major lenders;
educational resources on the pros and cons of renting versus buying; and
information on managing money, credit and utilities,

The fair is organized by the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs, in partnership with the Housing Fair Planning Committee.

For more information, call 240-777-3602 or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dhca.

Rockville Science Day

Sunday, April 28, is the 24th Rockville Annual Science Day, which provides fun for the whole family. There will be a chance to launch rockets, meet animals, program robots, participate in hands-on experiments and experience science first-hand. Noon-5 pm. Free admission, free parking.

Rockville Science Day is organized by the Rockville Science Consortium and sponsored by the Rockville Science Center, the City of Rockville and Montgomery College.

Location: Montgomery College, Rockville Campus, 51 Mannakee Street, Rockville, MD

Ride On annual food drive

Ride On bus passengers can help needy families and receive free bus rides by donating canned and nonperishable food during the Ride On annual food drive, from Sunday, April 28 through Saturday, May 4. Children's items are also needed, especially disposable diapers, formula, baby and toddler food and juice. Plastic containers are preferred.

Non-riders who wish to donate can participate by giving their donations to a bus operator at any Ride On bus stop.

Food collected through the drive goes to Manna Food Center, which feeds over 3,600 hungry families a month.

Bike to Work Day

You can register now for this year's Bike to Work Day, Friday May 17, 2013. Organized by Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association, the event is expected to have over 10,000 area commuters participating in this celebration of bicycling as a clean, fun and healthy way to get to work. Attend one of 70 pit stops throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia to receive a free T-shirt, refreshments and be entered into a raffle for a free bicycle.

AT&T National golf tournament

While it's true that the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club isn't until June 27-30, it's not too early to sign up to volunteer or purchase tickets, given that Tiger Woods will be playing to defend his title.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

C'mon, Get Appy...at the Library, Public Hearings on Rockville Pike Plan

Howard Hartman — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 22:39:44 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

April 18, 2013

In this issue

C'mon, get appy...at the library

Publice hearings on draft Rockville Pike plan

Rockville celebrates Earth month

Bethesda Urban Partnership courtesy car service

Washington Conservatory of Music

Kensington "Day of the Book" festival

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
2nd district police station
FY2014 operating budget and Council worksessions
May meeting of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

Congratulations to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rotary Club on the 80th anniversary of its founding in 1933. Throughout its history, the club has been an important catalyst for improving the Bethesda-Chevy Chase community. You can still spot examples of the B-CC Club's contributions, including the Bethesda Metro Plaza clock, donated by the club on its 50th anniversary. Members continue to support the community through grants, volunteerism and major events, like the Turkey Chase and "Strutt your Mutt" dog parade and festival.

C'mon, get appy... at the library

This is National Library Week. In celebration, county libraries want us to know that there are eight free apps library cardholders can download to their mobile devices (Apple and Android) and be connected to the library no matter where they are.

With these apps, library patrons can search the catalog, place holds, download e-books, audiobooks and music, learn languages, find business and residential directory information and read magazine and journal articles.

For those who don't have a library card yet, visit the MCPL website to find out how to apply.

Public hearings on draft Rockville Pike plan

Public hearings will be held April 24 and May 22 on the new draft Rockville Pike plan and suggested zoning revisions to implement some of the plan's policies. The hearings will begin at 7 pm in the Mayor and Council chambers, City Hall, 111 Maryland Avenue, Rockville. Anyone wishing to testify should call 240-314-8200 by 4 pm on the date of the hearing.

The public record for comments on the plan and related zoning code will be open through May 31. Send comments by email or regular mail to Rockville Planning Commission, c/o Cindy Kebba, City of Rockville, Community Planning and Development Services, 111 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

Rockville celebrates Earth month

Earth Day is April 22, but Rockville is celebrating it for the entire month of April with a variety of events and activities. For example, on Sunday, April 21, there will be save our streams volunteer monitoring training at Croydon Creek Nature Center. On Friday, April 26, you can get your car inspected for free (first come, first served) by an accredited automotive technician at Thomas Farm Community Center.

For a full list of all Earth Month events, visit the City's website.

Bethesda Urban Partnership courtesy car service

If you've ever been in downtown Bethesda and locked yourself out of your car, lost your car key, run out of gas, found your car with a dead battery, the folks at Bethesda Urban Partnership (BUP) can help. You can ask a garage security person or a police officer to call BUP to send someone to help; ask any BUP employee you see wearing a red polo shirt; or call yourself.

This service is available Monday and Tuesday from 7 am to 4 pm; Wednesday through Sunday, 7 am to 10 pm. The number to call until 4 pm is 301-215-6660. After 4 pm, it's 301-252-5136.

The non-profit Bethesda Urban Partnership handles landscaping and maintenance; promotes the downtown through innovative marketing campaigns and large-scale events (e.g., the Bethesda Literary Festival this weekend); manages the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District; operates Bethesda Transportation Solutions; and manages Bethesda's free Circulator bus.

Washington Conservatory of Music, a hidden gem

The Washington Conservatory of Music is an independent, nonprofit music school dedicated to fostering the joy of music and guiding students of all ages and all levels to reach their personal musical potential. Classes are held in Bethesda at Westmoreland Congregational UCC Church on Westmoreland Circle and in the south arcade of Glen Echo Park.

The Conservatory also presents a series of professional performances in Bethesda. This weekend there will be an "Art Song Discovery Concert" at 4 pm at Glen Echo Park. Free, but donations are welcome.

Kensington "Day of the Book" festival

This Sunday, April 21, Kensington celebrates the International Day of the Book -- the book as literature, as art, as music -- in a street festival on Howard Avenue in Old Town Kensington.

There will be live music by the Atomic Swing Club, author readings, open mic, activities for children and adults, storytellers and books, books, books! Check here for the full schedule.

11 am-4 pm, rain or shine.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

"See Something, say something" Reminder, Bike Share Coming to our Area

Howard Hartman — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 22:58:16 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

April 16, 2013

In this issue

"See something, say something" reminder

Bike Share coming

YMCA parenting class tomorrow

Electronics recycling event

Computer monitors needed

Draft FY 2013 housing plan open for coment

Bethesda Literary Festival

Pike's Peek 10K run

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
April Citizens Advisory Board meetings
2nd district police station
FY2014 operating budget

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

It's been pretty hectic this week responding to Council staff questions for our upcoming budget discussions at the County Council. This Friday is the Planning, Housing, and Economic Development (PHED) Committee discussion of the recommended urban districts budget.

Next Tuesday, the Government Operations and Fiscal Policy (GO) Committee will review the recommended budget for the Community Engagement Cluster, the budget unit the Regional Services Centers now belong to.

The complete calendar of Council committee worksessions can be found here.

Visit our blog for the budget testimony delivered by the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board at the County Council public hearing last week.

"See something, say something" reminder

In light of the tragic events yesterday in Boston, the Montgomery County police department reminds residents to report suspicious behavior to police by calling 911. Officers will respond to all calls of suspicious activity.

Bike Share coming to our area

If all goes as planned by the Montgomery County Department of Transportation, by late September, 29 Capital Bike Share stations with 200 bikes will be in place at several down-county locations, including downtown Bethesda, Medical Center, Friendship Heights, Takoma Park and Silver Spring.

Capital Bike Share is an alternative, low-cost means of transportation in congested areas. It's currently operating in DC, Arlington and Alexandria.

YMCA parenting class tomorrow

Tomorrow evening, April 17, at 6:30, Suburban Hospital will host Anxiety: from monsters under the bed to preparing for college," in partnership with YMCA Youth and Family Services.

The cost is $15 per person, $25 per couple. All proceeds fund the prevention services of YMCA Youth and Family Services. You can register online.

Electronics recycling event

To celebrate Earth Day, the county is sponsoring an electronics recycling event on Sunday, April 21, noon-4 pm, in the Wheaton High School parking lot (12601 Dalewood Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20906). Items that are dropped off will be refurbished for reuse or recycled. Data on donated items will be securely destroyed.

The types of electronics you can drop off are many and varied, such as calculators, fax machines, printers, TVs, computers, monitors, copiers, cameras, small toys, popcorn poppers, cell phones, CDs, floppy disks and gaming consoles. See the complete list at the link above.

Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/recycling
or call 311 for more information.

Computer monitors needed

RecycleMyComputer, an all-volunteer organization that operates out of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, recycles used computers and computer equipment, refurbishes them and then donates them to people who can't afford a computer. Currently, the organization run out of monitors to refurbish and is seeking more.

Donations of computer equipment made to RecycleMyComputer are tax deductible.

If you have a monitor (or other computer equipment) you'd like to donate , contact Gary Cahn at 301-469-6800, press 1, x211, or garyacahn@verizon.net.

Draft FY 2013 housing plan open for comment

The draft FY 2013 consolidated plan for housing and community development is open for public comment at any time. However, anyone wishing to have his or her comments included in the final plan should send them by May 14, 2013. to senior planner Matthew Greene, 240-777.3831.

Hard copies are available for review at our and other regional services centers. (Please call first to be sure the office will be open when you plan to come.) To request a copy, call 240-777-3631.

Bethesda Literary Festival

The 14th annual Bethesda literary festival, produced by Bethesda Urban Partnership, is this weekend, April 19-21.

National novelists, journalists, poets and local essay and short story contest winners will read from their works at several venues around town, including the Bethesda library, the Hyatt Regency, The Writer's Center and Waverly Street Gallery. Among the writers scheduled to appear are David Maranniss, Lynn Povich and Alice McDermott.

This is a great chance to hear your favorite authors and to get them to sign their books for you.

Pike's Peek 10K run

This Sunday, April 21 is the annual Pike's Peek 10K & Kids Fun Run. It starts at the Shady Grove Metro station and finishes at White Flint Mall. Children of all ages can participate by running the 50 meter Toddler Trot or the 1K Family Fun Run at the mall. The mall will host a post-race festival that includes food, family activities, music and exhibits.

The 10K starts at 7:50 am on Sunday. The children's runs start at 9:30 am. Participants can register online. For more information, read about the event here, send an email to pikespeek.info@mcrrc.org or call 301-353-0200.

The race is conducted by the Montgomery County Road Runners Club, in partnership with Montgomery County and the City of Rockville. Proceeds from the race will benefit Montgomery County Youth Recreation Fund, Rockville Youth Recreation Fund, Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Washington, DC, and RRCA Road Scholars.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Bethesda Metro to be Model Station for the Future, Pedestrian Safety Program

Howard Hartman — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:16:05 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

April 11, 2013

In this issue

Photo exhibit in Friendship Heights

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
April Citizens Advisory Board meetings
2nd District Police Station
FY2014 Operating Budget

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

Please join us 7 pm Monday night for the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board meeting here at the Regional Services Center. There are several interesting topics on the agenda.

Councilmember George Leventhal will discuss efforts to ensure coordination between public utilities and the county DOT on projects that dig up neighborhood streets.

Planner Larry Cole will discuss the Planning Board review of alignments for bus rapid transit in our area.

Finally, Kelly Caplan from Washington Gas will discuss a new effort to re-line aging gas pipe in the areas served by Washington Gas.

The meeting is open to all.

Bethesda Metro to be model station of the future

Today, Metro announced a plan to test potential future station concepts at the Bethesda station, making it a model station of the future. The model station will enable Metro to test several design concepts in a single station, with improved lighting, better information and improved customer convenience.

Metro stated that the Bethesda station is ideal for the model station pilot,"due to its underground location and center platform design, making it the hardest type of station to illuminate."

Pedestrian safety program in Bethesda

In response to recent pedestrian accidents in Bethesda, beginning next week police officers will conduct a targeted pedestrian safety program, the Street Smart Pedestrian Safety Initiative. It will run April 15-30.

Police will stop drivers who don't obey traffic laws at various Bethesda intersections and crosswalks, especially drivers who fail to stop and yield to pedestrians before turning right on red and who fail to yield to pedestrians in marked crosswalks.

During the initiative, police also will stop pedestrians and cyclists who violate the rules of the road.

How to request a sidewalk

Where there is no sidewalk, pedestrians often walk in the road, which can result in serious accidents.

To provide safer access for pedestrians in such locations, county residents, associations, such as homeowners associations, and elected officials can apply online for sidewalk installation from the Montgomery County Department of Transportation's Division of Highway Services. The evaluation criteria provides helpful information, as does the interactive map of pending sidewalk requests.

Online apartment locator guide

If you or someone you know is looking for an apartment to rent, the online apartment rental guide that was developed by the Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) and Department of Technology Services may help.

The guide enables users to locate apartments in over 400 buildings in the county, including those for the elderly and disabled and subsidized apartments for singles and families. The guide is searchable by geographic area using a map, by city name and by apartment building name.

The listings, updated each spring, are based on information reported by apartment landlords to DHCA.

Make the right call

Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger and Fire Chief Richard Bowers want county residents to make sure that they "make the right call" in an emergency, a public safety-related non-emergency or for county information or services:

Call 911 only when your or someone else's life is in danger or if there's a crime or fire occurring.

Call 301-279-8000 to report non-emergencies (e.g., a noise problem; property damage from a traffic collision but no personal injury; a suspicious person, vehicle or situation).

Call 311 for general county information or assistance.

To find out more, read the "Make the Right Call" brochure.

Shop at Bloomingdale's to help RTMC

You can help Rebuilding Together Montgomery County, MD (RTMC) this Saturday, April 13, by shopping at the Friendship Heights Bloomingdale's. When you use the coupon you've printed out, Bloomingdale's will donate ten percent of your purchases to RTMC.

RTMC is a nonprofit volunteer organization dedicated to helping elderly and disabled low-income homeowners and families with children through home renovation and repair. It was selected in 2012 as one of the best nonprofit organizations in the Washington area and is featured in this year's Catalogue for Philanthropy.

Photo exhibit, reception in Friendship Heights

Photographs by members of the Gaithersburg Camera Club are on exhibit through May 4 at Friendship Gallery in the Friendship Heights Village Center (4433 South Park Avenue, Chevy Chase). Exhibit hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 am-9 pm, and Saturday-Sunday, 9 am-2 pm.

On Sunday, April 14, there will be a reception to meet the artists from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. All are invited.

Posters of World War II

Posters of World War II were used by all participating countries for recruitment, fundraising, home-front production, conservation, security, morale and as propaganda tools.

Live and Learn Bethesda is offering a class where artist and educator Luba Sterlikova will describe how World War II poster art changed the world. Sunday, April 21, 1-3:30 pm; $10.

The class will be held at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, second floor, Bethesda, MD 20814. Contact Live and Learn to register or for more information: http://liveandlearnbethesda.org/, 301-740-6150 or info@liveandlearnbethesda.org.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Residential Street sweeping Begins, New paving Projects in Potomac

Howard Hartman — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:52:51 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

April 9, 2013

In this issue

Residential street sweeping begins

New paving projects in Potomac

Innovation and entrepreneur workshops

Bethesda Row restaurant week

Volunteer for family day at Glen Echo Park

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
April Citizens Advisory Board meetings
Bethesda development

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

Next Monday's (April 15) Citizens Advisory Board features Councilmember George Leventhal, who will discuss efforts to ensure coordination between public utilities and the county on projects that dig up neighborhood streets.

Also on the agenda is a presentation by planner Larry Cole on the draft Countywide Transit Corridors Functional Master Plan.

The meeting begins at 7 pm and will be held at the B-CC Regional Services Center, in Bethesda at 4805 Edgemoor Lane. All are welcome to attend and participate.

Residential street sweeping begins

Starting this week, Montgomery County's annual street sweeping program gets underway. To alert residents, bright yellow signs are posted in neighborhoods a few days before street sweeping begins. Residents are urged to find alternative parking while their streets are cleaned.

County officials expect the sweeping to remove about 2,000 tons of excess debris and abrasives that otherwise could be washed into county streams. It also helps to keep drainage systems clean.

For daily updates detailing which areas are scheduled for street sweeping, visit Highway Services' website or call 311, the county's customer service line, 7 am - 7 pm.

New paving projects in Potomac

Several new paving projects -- repairs and resurfacing -- by the county's Division of Highway Services are planned in local subdivisions, including two in the Potomac area.

The first is Piney Meeting House Road from Canaugh Drive to Boswell Lane. The project is scheduled to begin this week and take approximately five weeks. The work will be done between 8 am and 4 pm, Monday-Friday.

The second project in Potomac is Stoney Creek Road from Travilah Road to River Road. It's expected to start on or about April 22 and be completed within about four weeks. As with the first project, the work hours will be 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday.

For questions or more information about either project, contact project manager James Kisner at 240-777-7631. For questions of a more general nature, contact the DOT customer service office at 240-777-6000.

Innovation and entrepreneur workshops

Beginning this evening, April 9, Live and Learn Bethesda is holding a series of four workshops for decision-makers, change agents, visionary thinkers, entrepreneurs and anyone interested in developing new ideas. Expected outcomes for participants are imaginative thinking and problem solving; increased conceptual reasoning; and learning the fundamental tools for recognizing and maintaining innovation.

The weekly sessions are April 9, 16,23 and 30, 6:30-8:30 pm. They're held at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, second floor, Bethesda, MD 20814. The cost is $50.

For more information or to register, call 301-740-6150, or send an email to info@liveandlearnbethesda.org.

Bethesda Row restaurant week

Bethesda Row restaurant week is Monday, April 15 through Sunday, April 21. Thirteen restaurants are participating, offering $15 three-course lunches or $30 three-course dinners. In addition, Jaleo's is offering a $200 certificate to the lucky winner. You can register here.

Volunteer for family day at Glen Echo Park

Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, Inc. will hold its annual family day at Glen Echo Park on Saturday May 4, and is looking for volunteers 13 and older to help from 9 am to 5 pm.

Volunteers will participate in setting up for the event, supervising arts and crafts activities, face-painting and cleaning up after the event. It's a fun way to be involved in family day and a great way for students to earn SSL hours.

To volunteer or for more information, email Dwight Rundle at drundle@glenechopark.org.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Bethesda Metro Station Bus Bays to Close

Howard Hartman — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 01:03:48 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

April 4, 2013

In this issue

Bethesda Metro station busy bays to close

Hearings on county FY2014 budget

Free telework workshop for employers

Blasting at 4500 East-West Highway tomorrow

Keeping track of zoning changes

Making cycling irresistible

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
April Citizens Advisory Board meetings
April meeting of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee
Bethesda development

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

On Monday, April 8, the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board Quality of Life/Public Safety Committee will hold a public meeting on enrollment trends and school facility planning with Bruce Crispell, Director of Long Range Planning at Montgomery County Public Schools.

The meeting is here at the Regional Services Center at 7 pm. The BCC Regional Service Center is located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda.

The meeting is open to all.

Bethesda Metro station bus bays to close

As reported in yesterday's Gazette, the bus bays at the Bethesda Metro station will close for about 18 months to allow phased repair and renovation of the concrete between the bus bay and the private parking garage below.

While the bus bays are closed, bus riders will get on and off their buses on Edgemoor Lane. Every effort will be made to allow pedestrian access to the Metro station.

When this all will happen is uncertain. The county's Department of Transportation must approve the final plan before the bus bays are closed. Talks are still underway among DOT, WMATA and the owner, Brookfield Properties.

Hearings on county FY2014 budget

The Montgomery County Council will hold five public hearings next week on the county's FY2014 operating budget. Residents can sign up to speak at afternoon or evening hearings in Rockville: April 9 at 7 pm; April 10 at 1:30 pm and 7 pm; and April 11 at 1:30 and 7 pm.

The number of speaker spots available for the week is limited. To register to speak, residents should call 240-777-7803. The deadline to sign up to testify for 1:30 pm hearings is 5 pm the day before the hearing. The sign-up deadline for 7:30 pm hearings is 10 am the day of the hearing.

The hearings will be held in the third floor hearing room of the Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Avenue in Rockville.

County residents also can offer comments on the budget by email at county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov; by regular mail to: County Council, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville MD 20850; or by calling the council's budget hotline at 240-777-7802.

Free telework workshop for employers

The Montgomery county Department of Transportation is sponsoring two free breakfast telework workshops on Thursday, April 11. Experts on telework will explain what factors businesses and organizations should consider in making telework decisions. Employers who are successfully implementing telework programs will discuss their experiences.

A limited number of free personalized consultations and technical assistance will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to help employers evaluate whether telework would work for them.

As an added incentive, everyone who attends will be entered into a prize drawing for an iPad mini or Samsung tablet. Registration is required (go to link above). Those who register by Friday, April 5 will receive a $5 Starbucks gift card.

The event will be from 8-10 am at the Montgomery County Executive Office Building auditorium, 101 Monroe Street, Rockville, MD 20850.

Blasting at 4500 East-West Highway tomorrow

Underground blasting will occur starting this Friday, April 5, at the construction site at the intersection of 4500 East-West Highway in Bethesda between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. Noise may be heard and vibrations felt within a 300-foot radius of the site. The blasting schedule will be the same on Monday and Tuesday next week and will likely repeat itself for the rest of the week.

Keeping track of possible zoning changes

Are you wondering or concerned about potential zoning changes in your community that are being considered as part of the county's zoning rewrite project? If so, there's an interactive zoning map on the Montgomery County Planning Department website, where you can find out about current and proposed zoning categories. For more questions, call 301-495-1325.

Making cycling irresistible

As part of the Montgomery County Planning Department's speaker series, Virginia Tech professor Ralph Buehler will present "Making Cycling Irresistible: Lessons from Europe and North America," that link transportation and land-use policies with bike use.

The presentation will be on Tuesday, April 9, at 7 pm, at Park and Planning headquarters auditorium, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring. Free; no registration required.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Meeting on School Enrollment Trends/Facility Planning April 8

Howard Hartman — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 21:53:09 GMT

B-CC Regional Services Center

School enrollment forecasting and facility planning meeting next Monday, April 8

The Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board Quality of Life/Public Safety Committee will hold a meeting on enrollment trends and school facility planning with Bruce Crispell, Director of Long Range Planning at Montgomery County Public Schools. The meeting is here at the Regional Services Center at 7 pm.

The BCC Regional Service Center is located at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda.

The meeting is open to all.

April Public Meetings

04-04-2013 13:50:00 PM

We're very busy with a number of public meetings coming up in April.

Tuesday, April 9, the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting at the Bethesda North Conference Center at 8 am. The committee was formed recently to advise the county on services in the emerging urban area around the White Flint Metro.

On Friday, April 12, the Woodmont Triangle Action Group will meet to discuss a proposal to permit self-storage in downtown hotels. The meeting will be at the Regional Services Center. The Action Group is appointed by the Planning Board to help guide development in the Woodmont Triangle quadrant of Bethesda.

The next general meeting of the Western Montgomery Citizens Advisory Board is scheduled for Monday, April 15 from 7-9 pm. County Councilmember George Leventhal will discuss efforts to ensure greater coordination in roadwork scheduling between public utilities and the County. Sande Brecher from the Department of Transportation will provide an update on Bikeshare. All of these meetings are open to the public. ...�

New Villages organizing

03-28-2013 15:46:00 PM

New "Villages" are getting started in our area. We've been in touch recently with organizers of the Potomac Community Village and the Little Falls Village.Villages are grassroots organizations that make it easier for seniors to stay connected and access resources. The BCC Regional Services Center has been involved in promoting the Village movement since 2008. Our Village Blueprint, a how-to guide for establishing a village, is available for download at our blog. ...�

Leggett Seeks Applicants for Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board

03-13-2013 18:41:00 PM

County Executive Isiah Leggett is seeking applicants to fill vacancies on the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board. Potomac resident Jeff Hearle and Bethesda resident Ilaya Hopkins are completing their terms on the Board this Spring.

The 19-member Board represents the residential and business communities of Bethesda, Cabin John, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo, North Bethesda, Potomac and Rockville. ...�

Regional Services Center
4805 Edgemoor Lane
Bethesda, Maryland 20814

Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

New MacArthur Boulevard Bike Path, New Youth Cruiser SmarTrip� Cards,

Howard Hartman — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 22:56:18 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

April 2, 2013

In this issue

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
April Citizens Advisory Board meetings
April meeting of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee
Bethesda development

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

We're very busy with a number of public meetings coming up in April.

On Monday, April 8, the Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board Quality of Life Committee is holding a meeting on school enrollment trends and facility planning with Bruce Crispell, Director of Long Range Planning at Montgomery County Public Schools. The meeting will be here at the Regional Services Center at 7 pm.

Tuesday, April 9, the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting at the Bethesda North Conference Center at 8 am. The committee was formed recently to advise the county on services in the emerging urban area around the White Flint Metro.

On Friday, April 12, the Woodmont Triangle Action Group will meet to discuss a proposal to permit self-storage in downtown hotels. The meeting will be at the Regional Services Center. The Action Group is appointed by the Planning Board to help guide development in the Woodmont Triangle quadrant of Bethesda.

The next general meeting of the Western Montgomery Citizens Advisory Board is scheduled for Monday, April 15 from 7-9 pm. Tentative agenda items include a discussion of roadwork coordination between utilities and the County and an update on Bikeshare.

All of these meetings are open to the public.

New MacArthur Boulevard bike path

Beginning in mid-April, the county's Department of Transportation, Division of Engineering Services, will begin constructing a new, 2.61- mile bike path along MacArthur Boulevard between I-495 and Oberlin Avenuel. DOT estimates the project will take one year to complete.

The project will include roadway resurfacing, installating retaining walls, driveways, underpass lighting,upgrades to the existing drain system and landscaping.

Work will be done weekdays between 7 am to 5 pm. There will be lane closures for short periods between 9 am and 3 pm. Accessible pedestrian routes will be provided to the extent possible. Access to all side streets and driveways will maintained at all times.

For more information, send an email to mcdot.dte.construction@montgomerycountymd.gov or call 240-777-7220.

New Youth Cruiser electronic SmarTrip� cards

Ride On recently eliminated youth cruiser and summer paper passes and transitioned to electronic SmarTrip� cards. This means there are no more paper Ride On monthly and summer passes for county youth 18 and younger. Instead, there now is the Youth Cruiser SmarTrip� card.

Once you have a Youth Cruiser SmarTrip� card, you can load the youth monthly pass ($11) or youth summer pass ($18) or add stored value online at www.smartrip.com, by visiting one of the locations listed below or selected CVS and Giant stores in Montgomery County and Zodiac stores in Gaithersburg and Wheaton.

The new Ride On Youth Cruiser SmarTrip� card works like Metro's SmarTrip� card. In fact, it's good on Metrorail and Metrobus, but only if there is stored money on the card. However, the Ride On SmarTrip� card can't be used as a pass on Metro.

You can purchase and register a Youth Cruiser electronic SmarTrip� card, which costs $2, at any of these locations:

TRiPs store, 17 Wisconsin Circle, Friendship Heights

Montgomery County Treasury office, 255 Rockville Pike, Suite L-15, Rockville

TRiPs store, 8413 Ramsey Avenue, Silver Spring

More information is available by calling 1-888-762-7874.

Free webinar on US Census Bureau data

On Thursday, April 4, the US Census Bureau will hold a free webinar, from 10-11:30 am, on how to access and "mine" census data from your desk. This should be useful for anyone who needs to make informed decisions for a business, community, government entity or nonprofit organization.

Registration is required and capacity is limited. To register or for more information, email Nesreen Khashan or call her at 202-510-6403.

Chevy Chase At Home meet-and-mingle

Chevy Chase At Home, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping neighbors remain independent in their homes as they age, is holding a special meet-and-mingle. The speaker will be Dr. Alexandre Kalache, who will talk about making communities more age-friendly. Under his leadership, WHO launched the Global Age-Friendly Cities Project in 2007.

The event will be at Chevy Chase Village Hall (5906 Connecticut Avenue Chevy Chase, Maryland 20815) on Tuesday, April 16, 2-4 pm. Anyone interested in ageing-in-place issues is welcome to attend and participate. No registration is required.

Gypsy romance concert

On Saturday, April 6th, Cantigas, Washington's premier Latino chorus, will present a showcase of classic Spanish songs, poetry and castanets. The repertoire will include Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco's Romancero Gitano (Gypsy Baladeer) for classical guitar, choir and voice soloists.

The 7:30 pm performance will be at Bethesda United Methodist Church, 8300 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20814. For tickets or more information, visit www.cantigas.org or call 301-230-1361.

Kensington farmers market

If you like to shop at farmers markets and haven't been to this one before, try the Kensington farmers market. It's open 8 am to noon every Saturday in the MARC train station parking lot on Howard Avenue.

In the market you'll find a wide variety of fresh produce, seafood, meat, breads, olive oil, pizza, paella, peanuts, homemade soaps, cheeses, cut flowers, bedding plants, chocolate candy, cookies and other baked goods.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Planning Board Meeting April 4, Earth Day 2013, Pay-by-Cell Popular

Howard Hartman — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:10:45 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

March 28, 2013

In this issue

Planning Board meeting April 4

Earth Day 2013

Pay-by-cell popular

Bethesda Cares' 25th anniversary

Trawick Price entry deadline

Contemporary Afgan art exhibit

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
April Citizens Advisory Board meetings
April meeting of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

New "Villages" are getting started in our area. I've been in touch recently with organizers of the Potomac Community Village and the Little Falls Village.

Villages are grassroots organizations that make it easier for seniors to stay connected and access resources. The BCC Regional Services Center has been involved in promoting the Village movement since 2008. Our Village Blueprint, a how-to guide for establishing a village, is available for download at our blog.

The White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee will hold its first meeting on April 9, 8-9:15am, at the Bethesda North Conference Center. The new committee will advise the County on services in the emerging downtown and coordinate efforts to promote, maintain, and improve the area.

Planning Board public meeting April 4

The Montgomery County Planning Board's meeting agenda for Thursday, April 4, addresses two issues of interest.

The first is a work session on the draft countywide transit corridors functional master plan. The draft contains an examination of and recommendations for transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure that will help create complete transportation options. The draft plan is currently the third item on the board's agenda.

The second is a public hearing on the staff report on the preliminary plan amendment and site plan for Bethesda Center. Once completed, the Center, to be located on the northeast corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Norfolk Avenue, will house a Westin hotel, offices and restaurant/retail space. To offer comments on the plan, contact John Marcolin by email or phone (301-495-4547). If you'd like to speak at the hearing, you can sign up online.

If you plan to attend the work session or the public hearing, check the agenda or call 301-495-4600 closer to April 4 for the most current scheduling information.

The Planning Board is located at 8787 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

Earth Day 2013

Montgomery County will celebrate Earth Day 2013 throughout April, with a variety of events and volunteer opportunities at numerous locations. Several events are approved for student service learning (SSL) hours for Montgomery County public school students.

See the complete list of events and opportunities on the Volunteer Center website, where you can search by zip code, date(s) and organization, as well as sign up. More information is available from the Montgomery County Volunteer Center at 240-777-2600.

Pay-by-cell gaining in popularity

Pay-by-cell at parking meters continues to grow in popularity in Montgomery County. By February of this year, the Division of Parking Management processed nearly 97,000 pay-by-cell transactions at 12,000 parking meters in Bethesda, Silver Spring, Wheaton, Montgomery Hills and North Bethesda. About 15 percent of all parking meter revenue comes from pay-by-cell transactions.

If you haven't signed up yet for pay-by-cell, just visit ParkNOW!

Bethesda Cares' 25th anniversary

Bethesda Cares, a local non-profit organization that addresses problems of the homeless in the DC metro area, will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Saturday, April 13 at Positano's Ristorante Italiano. Tickets are available online.

Trawick Prize entry deadline

April 1 is the deadline for local artists to submit their works and be considered for the Trawick Prize, a juried visual art competition established in 2003 by Bethesda community activist and philanthropist Carol Trawick. The top winner will receive $10,000. The works of the winners and several other entrants will be displayed at Bethesda's Gallery B.

The application is available online. Or, entrants can dowload the application and mail it to the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District.

Contemporary Afghan art exhibit

"Crossing the Distance," an exhibit featuring the work of emerging contemporary artists from Afghanistan and the United States, is making its final run at VisArts in Rockville before traveling to its next venue, Babor Garden at the Queen's Palace in Kabul. The last day of the exhibit at VisArts is Sunday, March 31.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Rockville's New Red Light Cameras, Separation and Divorce Seminar

Howard Hartman — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:46:30 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

March 26, 2013

In this issue

Rockville's new red light cameras

Separation and divorce seminar

My Green Montgomery

Live & Learn spring-summer catalog

Seven Locks paving project delay

Glen Echo Park's Ballroom Café opening soon

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
April Citizens Advisory Board meetings
April meeting of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Committee

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

Now is the time to sign up to testify to the County Council on the County Executive's proposed FY2014 County operating budget. Public hearings are scheduled for April 9, 10 and 11 in the council hearing room, 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

Call 240-777-7803 to sign up. Written testimony may be sent to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov or

Council President

100 Maryland Avenue

Rockville, MD 20850.

Rockville's new red light camera locations

The City of Rockville started to operate red light cameras at three new locations this month and will begin issuing tickets for violations after an initial grace period that ends April 15.

The new camera locations are as follows:

North Washington Street at Middle Lane (northbound)
Park Road at N. Stonestreet Avenue (westbound)
Gaither Road at Redland Boulevard (northbound)

The other red-light cameras are at the following intersections:

North Washington Street at Beall Avenue (southbound)
West Gude Drive at Gaither Road (westbound)
West Gude Drive at Research Boulevard (eastbound)
West Gude Drive at Research Boulevard (westbound)
Seven Locks Road at Fortune Terrace (northbound)

Cameras at these five locations have proven effective in improving vehicular and pedestrian safety: there has been an 80 percent drop in the number of violations in the seven months since they were first installed.

Go to county speed camera locations for a complete list of red light cameras in the county.

Separation and divorce seminar

When a marriage ends,there are financial, property and practical issues that both spouses need to consider. On Thursday, April 11, 9:30-11:30, there will be an attorney-led seminar that will cover those issues and more, presented by the Montgomery County Commission for Women, in partnership with others.

The seminar will be held at the Rockville Memorial Library, 21 Maryland Avenue, Suite 330, Rockville, MD 28950. The early, online registration fee is $10, $15 at the door (cash or check only).

For more information, call 240-777-8300.

My Green Montgomery

MyGreenMontgomery.org, a website developed by several Montgomery County agencies, is designed to help county residents find local programs, services, resources, tips and answers to environmental questions all in one place.

If you're trying to live more 'green', this is a good resource for you. It will help you find green projects for you and your family, even your little ones, make your own green plan, show you how you can recycle just about anything (even your used cooking oil), and more...much more.

Live & Learn spring-summer catalog

The Live & Learn Bethesda spring-summer 2013 catalog for April, May, June, and July adult education classes is now ready for viewing online and downloading. [If you'd like to request a catalog, just send an email, call 301-740-6150 or drop a line to Live & Learn Bethesda, 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814.]

As always, the classes are very affordable, interesting and cover a wide variety of categories, from exercise and fitness to the arts, music, computers, history, literature, health and wellness, aging in place and self-improvement.

Seven Locks paving project delay

Due to neighborhood conflicts, the Seven Locks Road paving project that was scheduled to begin about April 1 has been pushed back by the county's Division of Highway Services. DHS now estimates that the project will begin in July.

Glen Echo Park's Ballroom Caf� opening soon

Located next to the Spanish Ballroom, the Ballroom Caf� will re-open for the season at Glen Echo Park on Friday, April 5. Brown Bag once again will run the caf�, offering sandwiches, salads, snacks, coffee and drinks.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Planning Board Applicants Sought, Revised Rockville Pike Plan Online

Howard Hartman — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 23:20:28 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

March 21, 2013

In this issue

Planning Board applicants sought

Revise Rockville Pike plan online

Seven Locks paving project

Montgomery Parks camps

Bethesda Green finance workshop

Volunteer opportunities at Montgomery Parks

Dog park fees, permits not required

Weekend possibilities

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Pedestrian safety
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
First meeting of the White Flint Downtown Advisory Board.

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

Planning Board applicants sought

The Montgomery County Council is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on the Planning Board. The deadline for applications is 5 pm on Wednesday, April 17. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

The Planning Board serves as the County Council's principal adviser on land use planning and community planning. Board members also serve as commissioners on the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

Anyone wishing to apply should send a letter expressing interest, a r�sum� listing professional and civic experience, political party affiliation, home and office telephone numbers and an email address, by email to county.council@montgomerycountymd.gov or by regular mail to the following:

Council President Nancy Navarro

County Council Office

100 Maryland Avenue

Rockville, MD 20850

Revised Rockville Pike plan online

Based on comments offered at the public hearing held by the Rockville Planning Commission, the Rockville Pike plan was revised, and the revised document is now online. Hard copies are available at City Hall (111 Maryland Avenue, Rockville).

Anyone wishing to comment on the plan should contact the person below. Comments will be accepted until May 31.

David Levy, Chief

Long-Range Planning and Development

City of Rockville

111 Maryland Avenue

Rockville, MD 20850

dlevy@rockvillmd.gov

Seven Locks paving project

On or about April 1, work will begin on repairing and resurfacing Seven Locks Road between Montrose Road and Tuckerman Lane. The project is expected to take approximately six weeks, weather permitting. Work hours will be 9 am-4 pm, Monday through Friday.

Continuous traffic will be maintained, although there will be temporary lane closures and parking restrictions, which will be posted. Access to residences will be maintained.

For questions about the project, including status, call project manager James Kisner, 240-777-7631.

Montgomery Parks spring break and summer camps

Good news: It's not too late to sign up for Montgomery Parks five-day spring-break camps the weeks of March 25-or April 1-5.

Montgomery Parks also offers more than 75 half- and whole-day summer camps for budding scientists, archaeologists, adventurers, nature lovers, tennis players, ice skaters, hockey players, golfers, skateboarders and theater-lovers. Even better, there's an early-bird discount for registering by April 2 for some of the camps. You can view the 2013 summer camps guide here.

Finance workshop for 'green' businesses

On Thursday, March 28, Bethesda Green will hold the fourth in its series of workshops for local business that are or hope to be 'green'. The workshop, "Due diligence: Evaluating a potential investment," will address the substance and process of due diligence. A distinguished panel of experienced investor and entrepreneurs will discuss these issues.

The workshop will be held at Bethesda Green, 4825 Cordell Avenue, 2nd floor, Bethesda, MD 20814. 8-8:30 am, light refreshments and registration; 8:30-10 am, program.

Free for incubator companies, $15 for others. You can register online or at the door. For more information, contact Robert Snyder at 240-396-2440, ext. 103, or rsnyder@bethesdagreen.org.

Volunteer opportunities at Montgomery Parks

Montgomery Parks is looking for both special event and long-term volunteers. You can look for volunteer opportunities online by clicking on the category that interests you. Here are some examples of the opportunities open now:

Ice skating assistants, Wheaton ice arena; seasonal
Ice skating assistants, Cabin John ice rink; seasonal
Trail workdays, throughout Montgomery Parks; dates through June
Stream and park cleanups throughout Montgomery County parks
Historic site tour guides, four locations, April - December; training provided

Dog park fees, permits no longer required

There now is no fee to use Montgomery County's dog parks, and dog permits are no longer required. For a complete list of dog parks, visit Montgomery Parks.

Weekend possibilities

There are always varied, interesting things to do in our area, especially on the weekends. Here are a few:

Saturday, March 23

Nature walk for children 3-5 (accompanied by an adult) Meadowside Nature Center (5100 Meadowside Lane, Rockville), 1-2 pm. $5. Register at www.parkpass.org.

Japan Fair at Bauer Drive Community Center (14625 Bauer Drive, Rockville. Demonstrations of Japanese arts, games, customs and a tea ceremony by students from Yokohama Hayato High School, Japan. 1-5 pm. Free.

Sunday, March 24

"Sounds of Remembrance" concert by the New Orchestra of Washington at Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ (1 Westmorland Circle, Bethesda). Tickets are available online and at the door. 4 pm.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Mandatory Water Restrictions, BRAC Implementation Committee Meeting Tonight

Howard Hartman — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:08:54 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

March 19, 2013

In this issue

Mandatory water restriction

BRAC implementation committee meeting tonight

Homeowner association email lists coming online

Internship opportunities

Long-term care ombudsman volunteers sought

Bethesda film festival

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Pedestrian safety
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
FY2014 budget
March Citizens Advisory Board meetings

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

Mandatory water restriction in effect

Due to the break last night in a 54-inch water main at the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Chevy Chase Lake Drive in Chevy Chase, the WSSC issued a mandatory water restriction order this morning, as follows:

To ensure continued water supply for all WSSC customers and for fire protection and hospital/medical uses, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) General Manager Jerry N. Johnson this morning called for mandatory water restrictions for all WSSC customers. The restrictions take effect immediately and could last up to a week.

See the WSSC alert for details on the break and the restrictions.

BRAC implementation committee meeting tonight

The base realignment and closure committee will meet tonight, March 19, at the BCC-Regional Services Center (4805 Edgemoor Lane, plaza level) at 7 pm. Transportation planner Larry Cole will present the staff draft of the countywide rapid transit corridors plan to the committee.

The public is invited to attend.

Homeowner association email lists coming online

The county Planning Department maintains a list of homeowner and citizen associations (HOA), with email addresses, to keep residents informed of the current developments and planning issues of interest to the community. Developers use the list to publicize their application plans.

In the near future, the list of HOAs' email addresses will be available online to other web users seeking to notify residents about pending development or other issues. With that in mind, homeowners association leaders may want to change their email addresses from personal to generic (e.g., mygroup@gmail.com) and update their contact information.

FYI, the planning department now tweets its plans and initiatives a few times a week.

Internship opportunities

If there's a college student in your household interested in planning and urban development and looking for a summer internship, the Montgomery County Planning Department has a wide variety of opportunities that provide realistic work experience. Applications, either printed and mailed or filed online, will be accepted through March 31.

Long-term care ombudsman volunteers sought

Montgomery County's long-term care ombudsman program is seeking individuals interested in enhancing the quality of life for nursing home residents as long-term care advocates with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. These ombudsmen representatives work to promote the highest quality of life for these residents and help resolve problems.

Volunteers are assigned to make regular visits to residents in nursing homes and assisted living facilities at convenient locations throughout the county.

There is an intensive orientation for new volunteers that will be held during the week of Monday, April 22 through Friday, April 26 at Holiday Park Senior Center in Wheaton.

For more information, contact Eileen Bennett at 240-777-1067 or eileen.bennett@Montgomerycountymd.gov.

Bethesda film festival

The first Bethesda film festival is this Saturday, March 23, at Imagination Stage, 8 pm. Featured will be five short documentaries made by local filmmakers, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers

Selected films to be shown:

Baffle their Minds with Bullsh*t, Kerry Leigh
Into the Lime Light
The Plan
Porchfest
Rights of Butterflies

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Drivers, Pedestrians, Beware, Online Chat with Ike Leggett, Free Tax Assistance

Howard Hartman — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:21:18 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

March 14, 2013

In this issue

Drivers, pedestrians, beware

Online chat with Ike Leggett

Free income tax assistance

Electric car-charging stations

White Flint trash program

"Three Little Birds"

Ladies who scat

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Pedestrian safety
Villages
Updating the Community Toolkit
FY2014 budget
March Citizens Advisory Board meetings

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

County Councilmember Nancy Floreen will be the featured speaker at Monday's (March 18) Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board meeting in Potomac. Councilmember Floreen will share her reactions to the County Executive's proposed FY2014 Operating Budget. Also on the agenda is an open community forum and a presentation by the County Department of Environmental Protection on County recycling and sustainability goals.

The meeting will be held from 7-9 pm at the Avenel Community Association, 9501 Beman Woods Way, Potomac MD 20854. All are welcome to attend and participate.

Drivers, pedestrians, beware

There have been a spate of vehicle-pedestrian collisions in our area recently, some resulting in serious injuries or death. Montgomery County averages about 400 pedestrian collisions a year. With the change to daylight savings time last weekend and warmer weather, there are more pedestrians out walking during the early morning hours before daylight, and thus, more potential for harm.

Both drivers and pedestrians have responsibilities to reduce the likelihood of vehicle-pedestrian collisions:

Drivers

* Be aware of pedestrians and be prepared to stop.

* Don't drive aggressively.

* Don't drive distractedly - put away your cell phone/other electronic devices while driving.

* Slow down and obey the posted speed limits.

* Be patient, especially when young children, seniors or persons with disabilities are present.

Pedestrians

* Remain vigilant when crossing the street.

* Cross the street only at signals, marked crosswalks and intersections.

* Don't step off the curb without looking left, right and then left again.

* Be alert for drivers who aren't paying attention.

* Don't count on drivers to see you or react in time.

* Get off the cell phone so you're not distracted.

* Don't talk to friends while crossing; stay focused on crossing safely.

* When crossing, pay attention and keep looking around for cars.

* Stay visible when it's dark and in bad weather.

* Use pedestrian crossing push buttons; they give you more time cross the street.

For more information, visit

www.montgomerycountymd.gov/walk.

Online chat with Ike Leggett

County Executive Ike Leggett will host his next online, live discussion with residents on Tuesday, March 19, from 1-2 pm.

Residents interested in participating can submit questions before or during the chat. Questions and answers will be available for viewing both during and after the chat.

For more information, call the Office of Public Information at 240-777-6507.

Free income tax assistance for eligible residents

Montgomery County taxpayers with incomes under $51,000 per year may be eligible for free income tax preparation assistance through the IRS' volunteer income tax assistance (VITA) program, sponsored by Montgomery County's Community Action Agency, part of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Free tax services are also available through the AARP tax-aide program, community tax aid and at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

To learn more about the county's free tax services, and where to apply, call 311 (TTY: 301-251-4850 / MD Relay- 711) or visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/freetaxhelp.

Electric car-charging stations

Yes, there are charging stations for electric cars in our area. As reported in the Bethesda Patch, there are 11 in Bethesda, Rockville, Silver Spring and DC. [See the article for the complete list.] There's also a handy website, carstations.com, to help you find a station no matter where you are or are going.

Good to know, whether you already have an electric are or are considering buying one.

White Flint cleanup program

The empty lots and surrounding streets in the parts of White Flint that are or soon will be under development are perfect places for trash, weeds and overgrown brush to collect. However, there's no business improvement district-like organization yet to keep the area cleared.

Until there is such an organization, the area is kept clean by crews who are people fulfilling their community service requirements through the county's department of corrections. Montgomery County White Flint implementation coordinator recently stated that they have removed 20,000 to 30,000 bags of refuse from the area since last May.

"Three Little Birds" at Adventure Theatre

A new reggae children's musical, "Three Little Birds," has its world premier this Friday, March 15, at 7 pm. The play is based on the story by Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley, with music and lyrics by Bob Marley. The Friday opening includes a 7 pm pajama party with milk and cookies, all at Glen Echo Park's Adventure Theater.

The play runs through April 14. On Saturdays and Sundays, shows are at 11 am and 2 pm; Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11:30 am.

Tickets are $19 each and can be purchased online at www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org or by calling 301-634-2270.

Ladies who scat

This Saturday, March 16, the Kensington Park Library (4201 Knowles Avenue) is hosting a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and other ladies who scat. The performers are vocalist Christiana Drapkin and jazz pianist Peggy Stern. 3 pm. Free. For more information, call 240-773-9515.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814

Pearl Street Closure Tomorrow, Nominations Sought for Community Action Awards

Howard Hartman — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:16:30 GMT

Neighborhood News

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Garrett Park, Glen Echo,

North Bethesda, Potomac, Rockville and White Flint

March 12, 2013

In this issue

Pearl Street closure tomorrow

Nominations sought for community action awards

Public hearings on Rockville Pike plan

The Trawick Prize

Ken Hartman is

working on:

White Flint area clean-up
Pedestrian safety
Villages
2nd district police station
FY2014 budget
Artist work studios
March Citizens Advisory Board meetings

__________________

Quick links

Archived newsletters

Organizations

Citizens Advisory Board

Bethesda Urban Partnership

Bethesda Green

Glen Echo Park

Live and Learn Bethesda

Greater B-CC Chamber of Commerce

Potomac Chamber of Commerce

Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Services

Crime reports

Meeting room rentals

Volunteer opportunities

Call 311, get it done

From Ken Hartman, director

The Western Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board meets in Potomac next Monday, March 19, 7-9pm at the Avenel Community Association, 9501 Beman Woods Way. On the Agenda is a discussion with County Councilmember Nancy Floreen; a presentation on County recycling and sustainability goals; and an open community forum. All are welcome to attend and participate.

Pearl Street closure tomorrow

Pearl Street will be closed down to one lane starting tomorrow, Wednesday, March 13, 2013, to accommodate excavation and construction activity at the former McDonald's site on East-West Highway. The closure will last the duration of the project, or approximately 12 months.

Traffic will be one way heading south between East-West Highway and Montgomery Avenue. The closure is in accordance with the county's traffic maintenance plan.

Alert Montgomery will send out notices to subscribers whenever blasting is to be used.

Nominations sought for community action awards

The county's Community Action Board is seeking nominations for several awards that recognize individuals and organizations that have made a difference in reducing poverty or for advocating on behalf of Montgomery County's low-income residents. Awards will be presented at the board's annual community action month celebration and volunteer event on Tuesday, May 28.

Nomination forms are available online and must be received by Friday, March 22. For more information, call Sharon Strauss at 240-777-1697.

Public hearings on Rockville Pike plan

The Rockville Planning Commission will hold public hearings on the revised draft Rockville Pike plan on March 20, April 24 and May 22 at Rockville City Hall (see address below), starting at 7 pm.

Advanced sign-up is requested, but not required, for those wishing to testify at the hearings. If you want to speak, call the Department of Community Planning and Development Services at 240-314-8200 by 4 pm on the date of the hearing on which you plan to attend.

Written testimony is now being accepted by email or regular mail. Send to Rockville Planning Commission, c/o Cindy Kebba, City of Rockville, Community Planning and Development Services, 111 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

To stay informed about the plan, join the Rockville Pike email list.

The Trawick Prize

The Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District invites eligible artists to enter The Trawick Prize. This annual juried competition awards $14,000 in prize monies for contemporary art to selected artists from the Maryland-DC-Virginia area. Finalists' works will be featured in a group exhibition in Bethesda's Gallery B next September.

The deadline to apply is April 1. Entrants can apply online or by downloading the PDF application and mailing it in. There is a $25 entry fee.

For more information, contact Stephanie Siegel Burke at sburke@bethesda.org.

Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center | 4805 Edgemoor Lane | Bethesda | MD | 20814