Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service - January 16, 2017

On January 16, in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday, Montgomery County will host Day of Service activities at several sites throughout the County. This annual event, organized by the Montgomery County Volunteer Center and partner agencies, will feature a wide variety of coordinated family friendly service projects at locations across the County, providing residents of all ages with simple ways to help our community.

Some of the projects available include packaging food for the hungry; making dog toys for the animal shelter; creating blankets for hospices; and crafting appreciation cards for military troops. Locations, times and registration information can be found at montgomeryserves.org.

"In November, one thousand County residents braved cold weather at a rally in Silver Spring to Stand Up for the Montgomery Way and reaffirm the values of diversity, inclusion, and respect for all that have made Montgomery County special," said County Executive Ike Leggett. "It is not enough to vote. It is not enough to attend a rally. The best way to stand up for the Montgomery way is to roll up our sleeves and help our neighbors in need. Service is the way we can move closer to Dr. King's ideal of the Beloved Community."
 
Ways to get active - 

• Come to the Volunteer Fair & Service Projects planned at the Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center on MLK Day or one of the other sites. See details and sign up at montgomeryserves.org.
• Individuals and groups can get together and plan a collection drive. (Visit montgomeryserves.org and use the keyword "collection" in the search box and see options to plan a drive for winter clothing, sports equipment, food and more.)
• School and neighborhood groups can organize a park cleanup. Montgomery Parks will have projects planned for MLK Day and many other dates, parksvolunteers.org 
• Businesses looking for ways to make a difference in the community can join the Corporate Volunteer Council of Montgomery County, cvc-mc.org.
• Faith congregations could plan a community gathering with an interfaith dialog and sign up to receive the enews from the Faith Community Advisory Council.

To further the aim of creating Dr. King's ideal of the Beloved Community by encouraging others to get involved, the Volunteer Center urges you to share details about your MLK Day events and your pledges to serve. Use #MLKMontCo on social media and online postings to keep the community up to date about the many local activities and volunteer opportunities focused on service and inspiring us in the spirit of inclusiveness.

Traffic Pattern Change - Capital Crescent Trail and Little Falls Parkway

DC Police Investigate Two Nearby Violent Crimes

First an armed carjacking, then a homicide

Armed Carjacking:
Metropolitan Police (MPDC) report that at approximately 6:20 p.m. yesterday (Sunday, December 11, 2016), a woman was unloading the groceries from her car in the 5600 block of Western Avenue when she was approached by five individuals wearing ski masks.  One of the suspects was armed with a handgun.

The group drove off in the victim's 2014 blue Hyundai Santa Fe bearing DC tags.  MPDC reports that the unoccupied Santa Fe was found about 45 minutes later in DC's 4th police district.  The investigation is continuing.

Homicide:
Below is a press release from the Metropolitan Police (MPDC) about a fatal shooting that occurred yesterday (Sunday, December 11, 2016) evening.  MPDC officials feel confident that this was not a random crime.  Investigation is in its early stages and is continuing.

Homicide: 6900 Block 32nd Street, Northwest
 
(Washington, DC)--Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department's Homicide Branch are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred in the 6900 block of 32nd Street, Northwest on Sunday, December 11, 2016.

At approximately 9:30 p.m., members of the Second District responded to the listed location for a Destruction of Property call.  Upon arrival, members located an adult male inside a vehicle suffering from multiple gun shot wounds.  DC Fire and EMS personnel responded to the scene and found no signs consistent with life.  The decedent remained on the scene until he was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

The decedent has been identified as 21-year-old Grant Copeland Dosunmu of Northwest, DC.

As part of the preliminary investigation, it appears that the suspect was inside the vehicle with the victim [when the shooting occurred].

Residents Reminded to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle During the Holidays and Everyday Throughout the Year

Every day, Montgomery County residents can help protect the environment by reducing waste, reusing items, and recycling everything that can be recycled. This is especially true during the upcoming holiday season which traditionally generates additional amounts of waste. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) provides the following tips this holiday season. By doing so, everyone helps to ensure cleaner land, air and water.
 
Unwanted Mail:

• In the weeks leading up to the holidays, most households receive larger quantities of advertisements, sale flyers and catalogs. Before placing unwanted mail into the mixed paper recycling bin or cart, residents should take a moment to remove their names from any mailing lists of companies they no longer wish to receive information from. Often, all that is needed is a call to a toll-free number provided in the mailing.
• Another way to help reduce the amount of unwanted mail received at any time of the year is to register on a “Do Not Mail” list with any of a number of organizations offering this type of service. One service, Catalog Choice, can be accessed at https://www.catalogchoice.org. The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) is another organization which provides a similar service. To register with DMA, visit www.DMAchoice.org. Or, download the form from that site, complete and mail it to: DMA Choice, Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512. 

Shopping:

• Plan your shopping to accomplish as many purchases as you need while limiting the number of trips you make. Shop with a friend and carpool, or take public transportation.
• Take along reusable bags when shopping. This eliminates the need to pay for and use either paper or plastic shopping bags.
• Buy and give reusable bags as useful gifts; there are many unique types, sizes, materials and designs of reusable bags available. Recipients can use them throughout the year.
• When buying gifts that will be mailed, select items that are easy to ship and don’t require much packaging.
• Shop for gifts at vintage shops, antique stores or estate sales – one person’s unwanted item is another person’s treasure.
• Look for gifts that are environmentally friendly and support our local economy, including items made with recycled content materials, or locally produced items.
• If you have either paper bags or plastic bags that can no longer be used, recycle them. Recycle paper bags and place them into your recycling toter. Take plastic bags back to local grocery or other retail stores on a return trip, and place them into the store’s plastic bag recycling bins. 

Wrapping:

• Consider giving gifts that require minimal or no wrapping: tickets to shows, concerts, and/or sporting events, gift certificates or gift cards.
• For oversized or bulky gift items such as bicycles, sports equipment, or artwork, simply tie a reusable ribbon or bow around them.
• Make the gift wrap a part of the gift, for example, put a plant in a wicker basket, cookies on a ceramic plate, gardening tools in a planter, or jewelry in decorative case.  
• Wrap gifts in useful and durable wrapping, such as fabrics, scarves, or towels.
• Many gift boxes are attractive and don’t need wrapping. Add a reusable ribbon or bow.
• Gift bags are a great idea. They save time and effort when wrapping gifts, and can also be used again and again.
• Wrap only the top of boxes, rather than the entire box.
• Sunday comics, magazines, older maps or brown paper decorated with stencils, glitter, and twine can be unique gift wraps.
• If you must purchase wrapping paper, look for ones made from recycled paper.
• Reuse wrapping paper – have scissors or letter openers handy when opening gifts so paper doesn’t get damaged when removing tape.
• Items that must be shipped or mailed can be wrapped in reused brown or decorative paper bags.
• Reuse packing cartons, cardboard boxes, and shipping materials such as plastic air pillows, shredded paper or newspaper and bubble wrap. Donate excess packaging materials to local mailing centers.
• If you have wrapping paper or cardboard boxes that can no longer be used, recycle them. Be sure to put them in your recycling toter. 

Entertaining:

• Send electronic event invitations, rather than paper ones.
• Make creative centerpieces and decorations out of natural items from your yard, such as flowers, sprigs, pinecones, leaves, branches, etc.
• Use durable, reusable dishes, glassware, flatware, table cloths and cloth napkins rather than disposable items. Consider renting these items if needed.
• Avoid buying individually packaged beverages, and purchase food items in bulk to reduce the amount of packaging.
• Don’t throw out leftovers. Put them in reusable containers for guests to take home with them to enjoy later.  
• Holiday cooking can generate many types of items such as bottles, jars, cans and containers that can be recycled in the Village’s recycling program. Before recycling them, consider whether any of them can be reused for storing leftovers. Be sure to recycle all the rest in your recycling toter.  

Christmas Tree Recycling:

• When the holidays are over, recycle cut Christmas trees and wreaths. Christmas trees are given another use if they are composted or chipped for mulch.
• Remove the stand and all decorations – including lights, ornaments, and tinsel, and leave no metal attached to the tree.
• Village residents can recycle Christmas trees and wreaths at the curb and they will be collected as part of your normal brush collection.
• Live Christmas tree branches and pine needles can also be recycled at home by placing them under trees and shrubs or adding them to a compost bin. 

Holiday Light Recycling:

• Holiday string lights are being replaced by more energy efficient and longer-lasting LED lights. If you are replacing older holiday lights with newer LED lights this holiday season, consider recycling the old lights.
• Do not place holiday lights into your blue recycling bin. These lights are not recyclable.
• Instead, there are several retail locations and mail-in options available for residents to send their old or unwanted holiday lights for recycling.
• Recycle old or unwanted holiday lights by taking them to all Home Depot store locations in the County or Lowe’s in Gaithersburg.
• Visit our Visit our website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/recycling for a list of mail-in opportunities that accept holiday lights for recycling.

A Greener Way to Deal with Autumn Leaves

As autumn brings its leaves, the Environment and Energy Committee reminds us that leaf blowers—particularly gas-powered blowers--produce high levels of noise and pollution.  Here are some lawn-care practices that can reduce or eliminate those effects.

Good practices:

1. Use a lower speed on your blower to reduce noise, polluting emissions and dust in the air. This should not affect the efficiency of most blowers in clearing leaves and debris from medium-sized properties.
2. Instruct your lawn care providers to use only one leaf blower at a time on the property. This would help bring noise levels in compliance with Montgomery County Noise regulations and be respectful of neighbors.
3. Apply only organic fertilizers like compost from natural sources—no synthetics, and no synthetic pesticides.
4. Switch to an electric leaf blower—several new models are available. These are less polluting in that they do not emit black carbon or Carbon Monoxide. [Note: If you currently offset your electricity with renewable energy, the overall operation becomes carbon neutral.]
5. Eliminate use of leaf blowers altogether. Hand rake the leaves and dispose of at curbside for collection. Or, use a mulch blade on your mower to mow and mulch leaves in place, providing an organic layer which fertilizers your lawn through the fall and winter months, eliminating the need to collect and dispose of leaves, thereby also reducing cost and the  carbon footprint involved in leaf collection and disposal. This is by far the best option from a sustainability standpoint; it should result in time and cost savings to households, as well.

Landscape companies are beginning to see demand for greener practices in landscaping as a new business opportunity.  Landscape companies offering “green” options can inform the Village and be included in a list of green providers on our website.

Did You Know?

• Did you miss information about a recent meeting or Village event? Want to know about power or service outages or upcoming projects taking place in the community? Make sure you are registered for the Village’s general and urgent email blasts. Visit the Village’s website and click on the “Notify Me” icon on the homepage to sign-up.
  
• In addition to the weekly special-pick collection, Public Works collects hazardous materials on the second Wednesday of each month.  This includes motor oil, garden chemicals, corrosive household cleaners, and oil-based paint.  Follow the above procedures to schedule a pick-up. Public Works will NOT collect latex paint, which must be dried and placed with your regular trash.

Board Receives Feedback Regarding the Future of the Brookville Road Park

The Villages Board of Managers held a Public Hearing during its November 14 regular meeting to consider comments on the future use of the Brookville Road Park.  This approximately half-acre park located on the east side of Brookville Road between Quincy and Primrose Streets has become a gathering place for dog owners to take their dogs off-leash due to its being fully enclosed by fencing on all sides.  Although the park has never been classified by the Village as an official “dog park”, the Village Board acknowledged that the community’s use of the park had embraced the ability to utilize the space with dogs off-leash; however, due to maintenance and safety concerns, the Board invited comments on the future use of the park as the Village embarks on a rehabilitation plan for the space.

Over 50 residents from Chevy Chase Village, the Village of Martin’s Additions and the Village of Chevy Chase, Section 3 were in attendance to express their opinions regarding the future use and design of the park.  Although the Board did not make any final decisions regarding the future of the park, a summary of the policies under consideration is summarized on page 4 of this issue under the “Board Actions” article.  Staff will present to the Board more information regarding these options in early 2017 and the information, including a modified park plan, will be posted to the Village website early next year.

In Case You Missed It: Annual Village Holiday Party

What a party! Many residents attended the Village Board of Managers’ Annual Holiday Party held on December 14th. Provisions Catering provided a delicious dinner and wonderful desserts for everyone’s enjoyment. In addition to a wonderful meal, there was a visit by Santa Claus himself! The smallest of the Village’s residents had fun in the kids’ room where they decorated picture frames for their pictures with Santa Claus.
 
Many Village residents and staff contributed their energies to build, enhance and preserve the sense of community which the guests of this annual event have come to cherish. Among those who have not sought, but certainly deserve, thanks for helping with this year’s event are the Garden Club of Chevy Chase for the seasonal decorations, specifically lead decorator Ms. Elayne Bennett; Community Liaison Ms. Tamu Tucker who organized the event and the various staffers who helped to support the event. Visit the Village website for photos from the night and plan to attend next year’s party.

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