Montgomery County Offers Tips to
Prepare for the Winter Storm Season

As the winter season begins, residents are encouraged to familiarize themselves with what to do before, during and after a winter storm. 
 
With winter weather, there are several factors that residents should be aware of and prepare for, such as: slippery road/sidewalks, cold temperatures, heavy snow and ice, frostbite, hypothermia, wind chill and power loss. 
 
Know the terms:

• Winter Weather Advisory: Cold, ice and snow are expected.
• Winter Storm Watch: Severe winter weather is possible in the next 24-48 hours.
• Winter Storm Warning: Severe winter weather conditions have begun or will begin soon.
• Blizzard Warning: Sustained winds or frequent gusts to 35 miles per hour or greater and considerable amounts of falling or blowing snow (reducing visibility to less than a quarter mile) are expected for a period of three hours or longer.
• Freezing Rain: Rain that freezes when it hits the ground, creating a coating of ice on roads, walkways, trees and power lines.
• Sleet: Rain that turns to ice pellets before reaching the ground. Sleet also causes moisture on roads to freeze and become slippery.
• Wind Chill: The temperature it “feels like” when you are outside.

• Make sure your emergency kit is stocked. 
• Make sure you have an emergency kit in your car.
• Fully winterize your vehicle: Have a mechanic check antifreeze, brakes, heater and defroster, tires and windshield wipers to ensure they are in good shape. Keep gas tank at least half full.
• Make sure to have a cell phone with an emergency charging option (car, solar, hand crank, etc.) in case of a power failure.
• People who depend on electricity to operate medical equipment should have alternate arrangements in place in case power is out for an extended period of time.
• Plan to bring pets inside.
• Have a working carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors.
• Keep space heater safety in mind: Use electric space heaters with automatic shut-off switches and non-glowing elements. Keep all heat sources at least three feet away from furniture and drapes.
• Keep fire extinguishers on hand and make sure everyone in the house knows how to use them. House fires pose an additional risk, as more people turn to alternate heating sources without taking the necessary safety precautions.

• Stay indoors and only travel if necessary. If you must drive, travel during the day. Do not travel alone. Keep others informed of your schedule and route. Stay on main roads and avoid back road shortcuts.
• Walk carefully on snowy or icy walkways.
• Avoid overexertion when shoveling snow. Overexertion can bring on a heart attack—a major cause of death in the winter. Use caution, take breaks, push the snow instead of lifting it when possible and lift lighter loads.
• Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat.
• If you must go outside, wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent.
• Wear mittens, which are warmer than gloves.
• Wear a hat and cover your mouth with a scarf to reduce heat loss.
• Maintain ventilation if using kerosene heaters or a generator. Refill heaters outside and keep them at least three feet from flammable objects.

 
Visit the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security website for more information. 

HAWK Signals on Connecticut Avenue at
Lenox Street are Now In!

After years of advocacy, and many months of waiting, today the new HAWK signals on Connecticut Avenue at Lenox Street were installed! The HAWK signals replace the former flashing yellow beacons at the crosswalk.   

A HAWK (High-Intensity Activated CrossWalK) is a traffic control device used to stop road traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely at marked crosswalks. HAWK beacons are an alternative to traffic control signals and allow protected pedestrian crossings, stopping road traffic only as needed when activated by a pedestrian attempting to cross the roadway. Unlike the previous flashing beacons, when activated, the HAWK signal will transition to red for drivers on Connecticut Avenue.  This should ensure a much safer access for pedestrians to cross Connecticut Avenue. 

Special thanks to the current and former residents and staff who advocated with the state for years to bring this project to fruition. 

Montgomery County and WSSC
Urge Residents to be “Salt Wise”

In an effort to reduce the amount of salt contaminating local waterways, residents are urged to be “salt wise” and use less salt on driveways and sidewalks during winter storms.
Here are a few tips to follow:

• Shovel ice and snow early and often.
• Use one 12-ounce cup of salt for 10 sidewalk squares or for a 20-foot driveway.
• After storm events, sweep up excess salt for reuse.

Important Reminder: Residents are responsible for clearing all snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of or abutting their property within the first forty-eight (48) hours after the cessation of falling precipitation.  Residents who occupy corner lots are responsible for the sidewalk in front of AND on the side of their property.

View the full “Salt Wise” article on the county’s website. 

Wayside Exhibit Unveiled at Chevy Chase Circle

If you happen to be walking by the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church and see a desk-like metal structure in the public right-of-way that you, stop and have a look. The National Park Service have just installed a “wayside” exhibit and it is about the fountain’s namesake, Senator Francis G. Newlands.  

Newlands is a founder of Chevy Chase and served as a senator from the State of Nevada back in the early 1900’s. His wife and family donated the funds to build the fountain in Chevy Chase Circle in the early 1930’s. However, today the fountain’s namesake is very controversial and for years now many have questioned why we have a prominent structure in the middle of our community that is named for a man whose views on race and race politics are repugnant to our community’s values. 

In the summer of 2020, the Chevy Chase Board of Managers promulgated a Resolution asking the National Park  Service to remove the Newlands name from the fountain. This wayside exhibit is one outcome of that request; it is the NPS’s attempt to put Newlands in context. 

In the meanwhile, community efforts are still actively underway in Congress and with the National Park Service to remove the Newlands name from the fountain. 

Courtesy of the Friends of Chevy Chase Circle
 

Crime Prevention is a Shared Responsibility

Do your part—for yourself and your neighbors

For many years, our Village Police Department has been reminding us to take simple steps to reduce our chances of becoming victims of property crime.  The police department has made it clear they cannot prevent these crimes without our help.  Crime prevention is every resident’s obligation, and when one of us fails to do our part, that failure creates an opportunity for criminals to commit crime affecting all of us. 
 
Theft is the most prevalent crime in the Village.  Specifically, theft from unlocked parked cars and theft of packages from porches—both day and night—are crimes of opportunity. 
 
Stealing from cars is enabled when we fail to lock our parked cars.  Occasionally, a petty thief will discover a key fob left inside an unlocked car, which results in an auto theft.  According to the Village Police Department, every one of the incidents of stolen cars was enabled by a resident leaving the car’s fob inside their car.
 
‘Porch pirates’ have made the news in cities across the country for brazenly stealing packages from the front stoops of homes everywhere.  The internet is rife with videos of thieves grabbing boxes and dashing off.  During the holiday season when package deliveries peak, thieves are hard at work taking what doesn’t belong to them.
 
We make it far too easy for the thieves.  They come back time and again because they are successful.  Good security habits on the individual level benefit the larger community, and bad habits put the larger community at risk.   We, the Board of Managers, urge our neighbors to consider incorporating the below recommendations from our police department for the good of our community.

Children’s Music and Adult Fitness Classes
Beginning in January

The Village is pleased to announce that Meadowlark Music will be offering Toddler Music Classes beginning Wednesday, January 11 through March 29 and Pure Intensity will offer adult boot-camp style fitness classes beginning Monday, January 2 through February 27. 

For pricing, class information, and registration, click here to view the form. 

Registration forms and payments must be returned to the Village Office.

Montgomery County Seeks Volunteers for
Point-In-Time Homeless Count

Volunteers are needed to help survey unsheltered individuals and households for Montgomery County’s annual point-in-time (PIT) street count, scheduled for the overnight hours of Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Volunteers receive training, are organized in teams, and go out to designated locations where it is believed unsheltered persons may be located. Register to volunteer here by January 20.

The PIT count is a way to identify people who are residing on the streets, in cars, on campgrounds, under bridges, or in similar places. Done throughout the United States, the PIT count is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to qualify for federal funding.

The Montgomery County Continuum of Care, the county's local planning body that coordinates housing, services and funding for homeless families and individuals, organizes the PIT county in partnership with service providers in the community. Send any questions to HHSPIT@montgomerycountymd.gov.

With COVID Cases Rising Again, Montgomery County Recommends Precautionary Measures to
Protect Against Greater Community Spread of Virus

With the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the National Capital Region, Montgomery County officials are offering precautionary recommendations to prevent further community spread of the virus.

The increase in transmission has occurred both in the County and in other jurisdictions around the region.  Combined with influenza cases and other significant respiratory disease, emergency department visits and hospitalization rates have increased as well.
Based on the advice of Montgomery County Health Officer Kisha Davis, it is strongly recommended that people voluntarily engage in the following precautionary measures to slow transmission, protect the most vulnerable populations and keep hospitalizations down:

• Use a well-fitting face covering during visits to congregate places and indoor spaces with limited social distancing.
• Use of testing and test-to-treat antiviral medication after returning from travel or gatherings.
• Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including booster-shots.
• The County continues to offer free at-home rapid test kits and N-95 masks at libraries (and at the Village Hall, 5906 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase).

Click here to view the full county Press Release.

Montgomery County Recreation Center
Passes will be Free in 2023

Join the Village Listserv on Groups.io

CCVillage (CCVillage@Groups.io), is the neighborhood mailing list (listserv) for residents of Chevy Chase Village.  CCVillage is a resource to allow neighbors to stay connected with one another other.  Click for more information and to join the listserv.

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

Customer Service - 202-833-7500

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission

Emergency - 301-206-4002
or email emergencycallcenter@wsscwater.com
Sign up for email alerts (main breaks/emergency repairs) at http://wsscwater.com/cns

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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