Right-to-Life Protesters Expected on Tuesday, July 28

On Tuesday, July 28, 2020, a right-to-life group, Defend Life, will be exercising their 1^st Amendment rights by displaying large, graphic signs on the sidewalk along northbound Connecticut Avenue from 4:30pm-6:30pm. Chief Fitzgerald and several Village officers will be on the scene keeping the peace and ensuring traffic and pedestrian safety.
The images on the signs can be upsetting to some, and young children may not understand them. Also, traffic tends to back up on northbound Connecticut Avenue during the hours of the demonstration. If you typically use northbound Connecticut Avenue in your travels, you may want to consider an alternative route on July 25 between 4:30pm and 6:30pm.

The Village’s Medication Drop Box is Accessible Again

It is now on the front porch of the Village Hall

With the extended closure of the Village Hall due to COVID-19, the Medication Drop Box had been inaccessible to the public. This week, staff moved the box to the Village Hall’s entrance porch and it is available 24/7. Please remember that we DO NOT accept liquids, needles, or empty pill bottles. We also ask that if you remove the pills from their respective containers that you place the pills into a sealable bag that will not accidentally open when dropped into the box.

Additionally, free drug neutralization pouches are also available for those who wish to dispose of unused medications at home. They are simple to use: add water, shake, then seal the pouch. Medications will be deactivated for easy disposal in the regular trash. The pouches are located in a box by the Village Hall’s entrance. Take as many as you like.

Reminder: Call Before you Pick-up Mail from the Communications Center

As the Village Hall remains closed to the public, it is important that residents returning from time away call before coming up to the Hall to pick-up mail. By calling ahead, this allows Communications Center personnel to retrieve and bundle mail to facilitate contact-free pick-up.

Upon your arrival at the Hall, press the doorbell at the main entrance to speak with the on-duty clerk, who will ask you to present your photo ID in front of the camera located on the porch. Once photo ID has been confirmed, the on-duty clerk will electronically open the door to allow you to retrieve your mail.

We continue to urge residents to contact the U.S. Postal Service to have mail stopped while you are away. If our officers collect mail during a house check, residents will continue to receive a notice that mail has been collected.

New Traffic Pattern in Chevy Chase Circle

Most of the new lane markings in Chevy Chase Circle have been completed and the remainder are scheduled to be painted the week of July 27. The District of Columbia’s Department of Transportation (DDOT) has confirmed the following new traffic pattern, which applies to the entire circumference of the Circle including the portions in Maryland and the District of Columbia:

The lanes in the north and south portions of the Circle are reduced from three lanes to two lanes. This has been done by extending the painted stripes in the existing “no-go” zone adjacent to the landscaped traffic splitters.

If you are in the Circle and you wish to exit onto Connecticut Avenue (in either direction), you may use any of the three lanes. All three lanes may exit the circle but only the inner-most lane may continue around the Circle. In other words, if you are in the Circle and you wish to bypass the Connecticut Ave exit and continue around the Circle, you *must* be in the inner-most (left) lane. (The only exception to this is if a motorist enters the Circle from either of the Western Avenue entrances. Then, in this instance, using either of the two lanes is acceptable.)

Both of the Western Avenue entrances are (or soon to be) marked for two lanes on the approach into the Circle. Both Western Avenue entrances will have the same traffic pattern:

The left approach lane must continue around the Circle bypassing Connecticut;
The right approach lane may continue around the Circle bypassing Connecticut *or* they may exit onto Connecticut.

To increase pedestrian safety, all crosswalks will be painted in high visibility paint. A plan view of the new traffic pattern can be viewed HERE. A signage plan reflecting the new traffic pattern is forthcoming with new signage to be installed shortly thereafter.

General Presidential Election Information

Volunteers Needed to Serve as Election Workers

In person voting will occur at the Village Hall on Tuesday, November 3 for the General Presidential Election.
Election Workers Desperately Needed
The Montgomery County Board of Elections desperately needs volunteers for in-person voting. Qualified voters are urged to consider volunteering by visiting https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections/ElectionJudge/Overview.html for more information and to sign-up. The deadline to apply is (currently) October 13.

Voting Prior to Election Day
To reduce the number of voters on Election Day, voters may vote by mail, by requesting an absentee ballot online at https://elections.maryland.gov/voting/absentee.html. Voters requesting an absentee ballot will not be required to state a reason for voting absentee and all absentee ballots will be counted.

Early Voting will be conducted Thursday, October 22 – Thursday, October 29, 2020. Visit https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/Elections/EarlyVoting/index.html for a list of early voting sites and for more information. Voters may go to any early voting site in the county to cast a ballot. Early voting results are tallied on Election Night, just like votes cast on Election Day. If you vote early, you may not vote by mail or on Election Day.

For more information regarding the 2020 General Presidential Election, visit: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/elections

Message from the Environment & Energy Committee:

Avoid pesticide drift and injury to yourselves
and your neighbors.

The committee has fielded concerns regarding what can be done if applied pesticides are drifting onto neighboring properties. For more information regarding filing a pesticide misuse complaint with the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Pesticides Regulation Section, visit https://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Documents/complain.pdf and click on the below link to view information from the committee for ways that you can protect yourself and your property from exposure.

https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3699/Pesticide-Practices---Be-A-Good-Neighbor-

Submitted by the Village’s Environment & Energy Committee

Cardboard Accumulation Due to Increased Home Deliveries

Among the many effects of the COVID-19 crisis is a dramatic increase in the amount of goods shipped to residents' homes. Associated with this is a dramatic increase in the amount of cardboard and packaging for our recycling contractor to collect. Here are some guidelines to assure that as much cardboard as possible gets recycled:

Most types of cardboard, from tubes to paperboard to corrugated cardboard can be recycled;
Remove non-recyclable materials such as Styrofoam, packing peanuts and plastic cushioning pillows from all boxes. These are contaminates to the recycling process and boxes containing them will be disposed of as refuse, not recycling;
You do NOT need to remove tape or labels;
Pizza boxes are not recyclable- the grease is a contaminate;
Break down boxes so that they lay flat. This ensures the trucks are able to collect a full load.

While markets for recycled paper have been volatile, over half of cardboard can be recycled into cardboard boxes, as well as cereal and shoe boxes. For more information, read here:
https://earth911.com/recycling-guide/how-to-recycle-cardboard/
Help us ensure that as much of this material gets recycled as possible. Please contact the Village Hall if you have questions.

COVID-19 Operations Modification and Reminders

Below are reminders regarding the Village’s orders regarding access to the Village Hall and the status of non-essential staff, which remains in effect until further notice:

The Village Hall remains closed to public access. Only essential personnel will continue to have access to the Hall. (The U.S. Postal Service will issue directives regarding access to the Post Office).
All non-essential administrative personnel remain in a telework status. Administrative staff are continuing to monitor and respond to emails and are returning calls left on their extension.
All classes, events and activities in the Hall are canceled. The spring class session has been canceled due to the extended closure of the Village Hall.
Refuse and recycling collection continue normally; HOWEVER, should Montgomery County close its Transfer Station, refuse collection will be suspended. No closures are anticipated at this time.
All previously-issued permits that were scheduled to expire on or after March 14, 2020 are extended through the 30^th day after the date by which the Maryland state of emergency is terminated and the catastrophic health emergency is rescinded.
All new applications for administrative permits (Building, Tree Removal, Dumpster, Sign) must be submitted online. These applications and permits will be reviewed remotely by staff and applicants will receive further follow-up by email/phone.
All forms for new parking permits must be submitted online. Once processed, Communications Center personnel will maintain a log of approved permits that are pending issuance of the decal/permit for reference by Village patrol officers. Permits/decals will be provided to the applicant when the Village Hall reopens.
Mail pick-ups—Village Police are continuing our house check program as usual, however, residents are encouraged to contact the U.S. Postal Service to have mail stopped while you are away. If our officers collect mail during a house check, residents will continue to receive a notice that mail has been collected.

If you receive a notice that mail has been collected during your absence, please call BEFORE coming to the Hall. In anticipation of your arrival, Communications personnel will bundle the mail in a bag. Upon your arrival at the Hall, press the doorbell at the main entrance to speak with the on-duty clerk, who will ask you to present your photo ID in front of the camera located on the porch. Once photo ID has been confirmed, the on-duty clerk will electronically open the door to allow you to retrieve your mail.
Key Pick-Up/Drop-Off—where practical, residents are encouraged to call BEFORE coming to the Hall. Upon your arrival at the Hall, press the doorbell at the main entrance to speak with the on-duty clerk who will ask you to present your photo ID in front of the camera located on the porch. Once photo ID has been confirmed, the on-duty clerk will electronically open the door to allow you to retrieve/leave your house key.

Updates and changes to these service modifications, including any extension of these closures, will be circulated via blast email and posted to the homepage of the Village’s website.

Click on the below link to view the local state of emergency order adopted by the Village Board of Managers on April 13, 2020:
https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3580/Adopted-Resolution-04-01-20

Village officers and Public Works personnel who are continuing to interact with the public are adhering to prevention efforts, including politely avoiding handshakes, maintaining social distance, sanitizing vehicles and work spaces, and staying home when feeling ill. Village staff are also wearing masks when interacting with the public.

As a member of the Montgomery County Emergency Management Group, Village staff is continuing to receive frequent updates from various county agencies, including the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS), and federal agencies including the Centers for Disease Control.

Residents should stay informed. Below is a list of website resources (some of these sites provide redundant information):

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/

Maryland Department of Health
https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/Pages/Novel-coronavirus.aspx

Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services
https://montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS/RightNav/Coronavirus.html

U.S. State Department Travel Advisories (specific to COVID-19)
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/novel-coronavirus-hubei-province--china.html

U. S. State Department Travel Advisories (general)
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

Should you or a member of your household believe that you have symptoms (fever and cough) or if you have been in close contact with a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, you should call your health care practitioner or the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Disease Control Office to speak with a nurse at (240) 777-1755. If you are unable to get through, call the state’s Infectious Disease Bureau at (410) 767-6700 (daytime) or (410) 795-7365 (after-hours).

Farmer's Market Returns to Section 3

The Farmers Market in Section 3 is open! Located at Taylor St. and Brookville Rd. with ample parking at La Ferme restaurant, the market features only organic products sold in a COVID-compliant manner. Patrons must wear a mask and bring their own bag.

The market is open on Saturdays from 8-9 a.m. for seniors and other vulnerable individuals and opens for all patrons at 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (rain or shine).

New Morning Farm, a Pennsylvania organic farmer features organic citrus fruits, apples, farm fresh eggs, mushrooms, apple cider, sweet and spicy greens mix, some lovely lettuce, honey, maple syrup, cheeses and lots of other organic veggies.

The food truck, Crepes Parfait, will be present serving up delicious hot coffee and crepes of all types for breakfast or a lunch snack.

Bring your own bags to shop at the farmers market, have breakfast and stop by some of the local merchants along Brookville Rd. too.

It's Summer and Birds Are Chirping!

Please call your landscaper and ask for a summer leaf-blowing holiday! Your neighbors will thank you, and you will hear the birds chirping.

Here is information from the Village's Environment and Energy Committee about noise and particle pollution from gas-powered leaf blowers:

https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3677/E--E-Committee-Article-for-7320-Blast

Census 2020; the Race to 100% Community Response:
Village Response Rate up to 85.1% as of July 22

Thank you to the OVER three quarters of the community that have responded to the census! We are in the home stretch. If you have not already responded and you are looking to kill some time during the stay at home order: spend a few minutes responding to the 2020 Census!

In March, homes across the country received invitations to complete the 2020 Decennial Census. One member of each household may respond in one of three ways: online, by phone, or by mail. As of July 22, the Village’s response rate was up to 85.1%, which is fantastic….if you have not already done so, take a few minutes to help the Village reach 100%!

The following is a link to a an official Census Bureau video with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the 2020 Decennial Census online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCM0XrSynFw&list=PLewV-zKXDZkiAT8Tp96NysEoq3dDEMi7L&index=1

To view a one-page Fact Sheet regarding the census, visit: https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/census/Resources/Files/everyone-counts-in-mc/EVERYONE-COUNTS-In-MCMD-Flyer_English.pdf.

For more information, visit www.2020census.gov.

When The Power Goes Out

In addition to its telephone call-in number and website information, Pepco has introduced a mobile app which provides updates to keep customers informed during a storm. Users can report outages, view outage maps, pay bills and access other services.

Visit pepco.com/mobileapp to download the mobile app.

Pepco has also added a new feature that allows customers to report a live outage by text via their mobile device. Registered Pepco customers can text “Out” to “48710”. Customers must first text “ADD OUTAGE” to “48710” from a phone linked to their account to sign up for the text service.

If a severe storm hits, Pepco follows a strategic response plan to restore service to the greatest number of customers first and will work to restore all service as quickly and safely as possible. Customers are asked to immediately report a downed wire or service issue by calling 1-877-PEPCO-62 (877-737-2662), visiting pepco.com or through the new mobile app and text option.

Sign-Up for Montgomery County’s COVID-19 Updates

Montgomery County is continuously pushing out useful information and updates related to the COVID-19 health emergency. Please visit the below site to sign-up for the county’s COVID-19 updates:

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MDMONTGOMERY/signup/14849

Volunteering and Being a Good Neighbor During COVID-19

Many Montgomery County residents, seeing their neighbors and members of the community in distress, are looking to help and volunteer during these difficult times.

The Montgomery County Volunteer Center website continues to be a resource for connecting volunteers and nonprofits. There is now a “Volunteer Response to COVID-19” section where people can see any current requests for volunteers and donations posted by local organizations.

Volunteer Now

Join the Village Listserv on Groups.io

Last year, CCVillage, the neighborhood mailing list for Chevy Chase Village, was transferred to CCVillage@Groups.io. During this period of social distancing, CCVillage is a resource to allow neighbors to stay connected with each other.

If you have not done so already, please join the mailing list by visiting https://groups.io/g/CCVillage and clicking on the blue "+ Join This Group" button. Once you are enrolled, the email address to submit messages to the mailing list is ccvillage@groups.io, and you can read the group messages online at http://groups.io/g/CCVillage/topics.

On the website, click on "Messages" in the left column menu to see the most recent CCVillage posts, and click "New Topic" to open an editor that will let you compose and send your message. You can search the database of old messages by clicking the "Search" button above the message list.

The CCVillage information website is at http://CCVillage.info. For assistance with joining or posting messages, please contact moderator and Village resident Tim Slagle at ccvillage+owner@groups.io.

Help Village Staff Keep the Community Safe and Beautiful

Report Areas for Repair and Maintenance

Village staff prides itself on being responsive and working hard to ensure that the Village remains a safe, beautiful and welcoming community—but we cannot do it alone. While we are constantly on the lookout for areas that need to be addressed, we need the support of residents serving as our eyes and ears throughout the community:

Sidewalk Repairs

The Village maintains brick paver sidewalks throughout the community. The brick pavers are not mortared and are set on a bluestone base to allow the sidewalks to gradually move as adjacent tree roots grow. Compared to the former concrete sidewalks, the dry-laid brick pavers are much easier for Public Works staff to repair by removing and resetting sections that have shifted. This is ongoing maintenance that our crews perform throughout the year as trip hazards are identified by staff or are brought to our attention by residents.

Tree Maintenance

There are well over 2,500 “public” trees located within Village parks, greenspaces and public right-of-way. The Village’s consulting Arborist and our Director of Public Works perform a quarterly assessment for tree maintenance needs including areas for pruning, removals or treatments to improve a tree’s health. These quarterly assessments supplement our ongoing response to observations made by staff and residents.

How to Report an Issue or Concern

Residents can use the Village’s online form system to report any number of issues/concerns, by visiting:

https://www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/RequestTracker.aspx. From this page, residents can report sidewalk trip hazards and streetlight outages, and request public tree maintenance and recycling toters.

As always, residents may also call the Village’s 24-hour Communications Center or email requests/concerns to the Village’s main email address at ccv@montgomerycountymd.gov (emails are then routed to the appropriate department).

Thank you for helping us to continue addressing the needs of the community!

Join the Crew; The Compost Crew

Food-waste recycling--otherwise known as “composting” is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and greenhouse emissions while returning nutrients to our soil and food system.

The Village has partnered with The Compost Crew to provide low-cost household collection of food-waste. The Compost Crew provides each household with an airtight bin and compostable bags; all you have to do is separate your organic waste and leave the bin by your trash and recycling receptacles for collection on the designated day for weekly pick-up. The collected waste is processed at a composting facility in Maryland and, after six months of service, households can request that a portion of your contributed waste be returned in the form of rich, finished nutrient-rich soil.

For more information regarding the household composting collection service, including current rates, please visit the “Food Waste Recycling Program” page on the Village website under Quick Links on the homepage. The more households that sign-up,the cheaper the service is for all, so sign up today!

Are You Prepared?

As we have experienced during various seasonal events, it is important to be prepared for local weather emergencies. In order the assist residents in their preparedness, the Village in partnership with the Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS) offer a number of helpful tools, plans and free alerts to assist and keep you informed.

Village Website and Blast Email System – Have you signed up for the Village’s blast email system? This is the Village's primary method of communication with residents. The Village has 2 email lists you can sign-up for:

Urgent News Alert – include messages such as criminal activity, neighborhood disruptions such as water main breaks, power outages and road closures and major weather events.

General News Alerts – include messages about Board and committee meetings, community events, changes in public services such as refuse/recycling collection schedules and upcoming road closures.

To sign-up for the blast email system visit the Village website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the tablet icon at the top of the Village’s homepage.

Alert Montgomery – Alert Montgomery is the official emergency communications service for Montgomery County, MD. During major crisis, emergency or severe weather events, Montgomery County will send event updates, warnings and instructions directly to you on any of your devices. To sign-up for Alert Montgomery please visit the OEMHS website www.montgomerycountymd.gov/oemhs and click on the “Alert Montgomery” link at the top of the page.

Family and Community Preparedness Information – Emergencies can take many forms and occur with or without warning. By taking a few simple steps now, you can ensure that you, your family and your community are better prepared to handle emergencies. To assist in your family planning, please visit the Village’s emergency preparedness page, www.chevychasevillagemd.gov/emergencyprep for helpful tools and links. Another important tool the Village has created to assist you in your preparedness efforts is our House Check Program. Always request a House Check when you are leaving town and ensure that your emergency contacts are up to date with the Village office.

For additional information please visit the Village’s website at www.chevychasevillagemd.gov and click on the “Are you prepared? – Emergency Preparedness Tips” link listed in the Quick Links on the homepage.

Emergency Contact Sheet

EMERGENCY - 911

Chevy Chase Village Police
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-654-7300

Montgomery County Police
Non Emergency/24hrs - 301-279-8000

Bethesda - Chevy Chase Rescue Squad - 301-652-0077

Chevy Chase Fire Dept
(Opposite Columbia Country Club) - 240-773-4707

Bethesda Fire Dept
(Wisconsin Ave and Bradley Blvd) - 240-773-4706

National Capital Poison Center
(George Washington University Hospital) - 800-222-1222

Utilities

Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO)

Emergency-Live wires down, power failure - 877-737-2662

or visit the website at Pepco.com/Outages/ReportanOutage
to report their outage and receive restoration information.

Customer Service - 202-833-7500

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Emergency - 301-206-4002

Complaints, Leaks, Information - 301-206-4001

Washington Gas

Emergency - 703-750-1400

Information & Customer Service - 703-750-1000

Comcast - 800-934-6489

Verizon - 800-837-4966

**A cut out sheet is also located on page two of the January 2019 Crier.

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