County Seeks Volunteers to Work
With Victims of Sexual Assault

Volunteers are needed to assist sexual assault victims and their families through the Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program (VASAP) of the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. Interviews are currently being conducted for a June 2017 training session. VASAP outreach volunteers donated more than 10,000 hours in 2014 serving victims of sexual assault in Montgomery County.
 
Volunteers provide 24-hour crisis counseling and companion services at Montgomery County hospitals and police stations for victims of rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Bi-lingual volunteers are encouraged to apply.
 
All potential volunteers must attend a training program, which covers crisis intervention skills and the specialized knowledge of the emotional, medical and legal issues that victims face. Volunteers must commit to serve for one year, in an on-call capacity, for one 12-hour shift or two six-hour shifts per week. All volunteers must be at least 21 years of age, Montgomery County residents, have a valid driver’s license and immediate access to transportation.
 
For more information or to arrange an interview, call the Montgomery County Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program at 240-777-1355 or go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/vasap.

Wider Circle Donation Period Ending June 1, 2017

We will continue to take donations here at the Village Hall for Wider Circle through June 1, 2017. If you would like to read up on what is being requested here is a link to the Flier.

New Latex Paint Disposal Policy

Latex paint cannot be disposed of within the regular trash, nor will the county accept it through the hazardous waste stream.  For years, we have instructed residents to place kitty litter or other commercially available drying agents into the wet cans, wait for the paint to dry and then enclose the cans within their regular trash.  This process requires some effort and time.  Unfortunately, many latex paint cans have not been successfully dried prior to placement in the household trash, and these cans have leaked onto Village roadways and in the back of the trash trucks causing a mess and damage. 
           
Both to assist our residents and to prevent paint cans from leaking, we are enacting a new policy to ensure latex paint cans are sufficiently dried prior to disposal:

• When you are preparing to dispose of latex paint cans, proceed to add either kitty litter or another commercially-available drying agent (available at local hardware stores) to the can.
• Once you feel that the paint can has sufficiently dried, contact the Village Communications Center or visit the Village website to complete a Public Works Order form to request a “paint can check”.  The can(s) must be placed in an easily accessible exterior location (in the vicinity of your refuse/recycling containers or on your driveway is best).
• Once your request is received by the Village, a Public Works employee will be sent to your home, typically within two business days, to determine if the cans are sufficiently dry.
• If the can is sufficiently dry, Public Works staff will place a green sticker on the top of the can approving it for safe disposal. 
  • If the can is not sufficiently dry, Public Works will affix a red sticker to the top of the can indicating that either additional time or application of more kitty litter or drying agents are necessary.
• Once a can receives a green sticker, you may proceed to place the can in a bag along with your regular household trash.

We hope this new procedure will help our residents by ensuring that latex paint cans are safe for disposal.  You can also find this policy on our Website. Should you have any questions regarding this new policy, please contact the Village office. 

Art Shows by Somerset Elementary School Fifth Graders
By Councilmember Barbara Zeughauser (Trent Street)

Lynn Lewis, the art teacher at Somerset Elementary School, has been working with the fifth graders of Somerset Elementary School, on a project entitled: Mother Earth: Micro, Macro and Me, that will be on display at the Somerset Town Hall from March 31 – June 9, 2017.   The Town Hall is open Monday through Friday, from 9a.m. to 4:30p.m.  
 
The fifth graders explore different perspectives of life on Earth through mix media that connects art with environmental awareness.  Their work entails tooling metal discs for a microscopic view of plant or animal cellular structures.  In addition, they examine an interstellar view of the universe using watercolors to create their own visions, while referring to photographs from the Hubel telescope.   Finally, they superimpose a silhouette of themselves in a setting on Earth where they feel most at peace. 
 
This exhibit was created in conjunction with the Mother Earth Project, an Instagram movement, founded by Somerset resident and sculptor, Bart Rubenstein.
 
In order to accommodate all fifth graders, there will be three separate shows and three Opening Celebrations.  The first show will be from March 31 through April 25, with the Opening Celebration on Thursday, April 6, from 6-7p.m.  The second show will be from April 27-May 18, with the Opening Celebration on May 2, from 6-7p.m.  And the last show will be from May 19-June 9, with the Opening Celebration on May 23, from 6-7p.m. 
 
We hope many of you will take the time to stop by the Somerset Town Hall to see this truly extraordinary exhibit by the children of Somerset Elementary School.  And hopefully many of you will be able to attend one or all of the Opening Celebrations!

The Collection at Chevy Chase Re-Development

The Chevy Chase Land Company, owners of The Collection at Chevy Chase, formerly referred to as “Chevy Chase Center”, are working to obtain the final various approvals required for them to proceed in their redevelopment of the shopping center.  These approvals include the Village’s agreement to allow the creation of a traffic roundabout on Montgomery Street west of the Buffer. Village officials are finalizing the terms of the agreement, which will require Village Board approval.

The Land Company expects to begin construction on the Center in mid-summer 2017 and should be completed in early to mid-2018.  The project will be done in phases since the center will remain open during construction.  The first phase of the project will focus on the westernmost internal roadway including the new plaza, followed by the changes in Farr Park, the roadway reconfiguration at the entrance closest to Clyde’s restaurant and along Wisconsin Circle, and then the changes near the Western Avenue entrance. The Montgomery Street roundabout is projected to be the final phase.

For more information regarding the project, please contact Village Manager 
Shana Davis-Cook at shana.davis-cook@montgomerycountymd.gov or visit 
http://collectionchevychase.com/redevelopment/. 

Maintaining Rights-of-Ways

Spring is finally here and that means shrubs and plantings are set to bloom. Take a walk around your property…are all of the public sidewalks surrounding your property clear of low-hanging branches, overgrown bushes and vines? Is the grass in the right-of-way and tree box area mowed and maintained at less than ten inches in height? Does any shrubbery block sight lines for vehicles?

Be a considerate neighbor (and comply with the Village Code) by mowing the grass and pruning back any overgrowth that interferes with pedestrian use of the sidewalks abutting your property. Clearing these obstacles will continue to make the Village pedestrian, stroller, and bicycle friendly and safe for all.

Are You Prepared?

As we saw last season during the record Blizzard of 2016 and as gear up for the upcoming winter season, the Village reminds residents that it is important to be prepared. 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 primary electronic method of communication with you. 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 office emergency communications service for Montgomery County, MD. During major crisis, emergency or severe weather events, Montgomery County officials 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 form 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 to assist you in your preparedness efforts is to always request a House Check when you are out 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

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 2017 Crier.

You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to receive general news updates from Chevy Chase Village. Did you know the Village sends out urgent news updates as well, click here to sign-up.