Thief Found Guilty of Crime Committed in 2014

Power Tools Stolen from Garage on W. Irving Street

At about 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, the resident of a home on W. Irving Street between Connecticut Avenue and Magnolia Parkway was working in his detached garage behind the house. The resident returned to the house for a few minutes leaving the overhead door of the 2-car garage open; the garage is fully visible from the street.

From inside the house, the resident watched as a silver Dodge Durango SUV with Maryland tags backed into the driveway, then backed completely inside the open garage. Two black males in their 30’s wearing dark clothing got out of the SUV, stole two power saws that were hanging inside the garage, and quickly drove off. The alert resident was able to record the tag number of the SUV.

The resident called the police and Village officers responded right away. Sgt. Tiedemann of the Village Police Department processed the scene and located a latent fingerprint on a tool that was handled by one of the thieves. Police later learned that the fingerprint belonged to a known criminal, and as a result, a Montgomery County Police detective obtained an arrest warrant for Mr. Thavorn Hart of Baltimore County, Maryland.

After avoiding law enforcement for many months, Mr. Hart was arrested and held in jail pending today’s (August 3, 2017) trial date. After nearly three years since the crime, Mr. Hart pled guilty today to theft. He was sentenced to 11 months in jail with 9 months suspended. The court ordered Mr. Hart to pay restitution to the Village resident from whom he stole, and if he fails to repay the victim, Mr. Hart will serve the remaining 9 months of his sentence.

The Village Police Department is grateful to the alert homeowner in this case who had the presence of mind to get the tag number of the thief’s SUV, to immediately call the police, and to diligently show up for each scheduled court hearing. Without our citizen witness, we would not have been able to successfully prosecute this crime.

Residents are urged to keep their homes locked, to activate their alarm systems, and to contact the police immediately if they see or hear anything that makes them suspicious.

Bradley Lane Repaving to begin August 7

Bradley Lane is scheduled to be milled and repaved beginning Monday, August 7, weather permitting. Local traffic will have very limited access between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.weekdays and No Parking signs have been posted. Plan accordingly and anticipate parking on neighboring streets. A letter explaining more fully has been sent to all residents of Bradley Lane and individual notices were also hand delivered this week. In the event of inclement weather the project may be rescheduled or extended. Should you have questions regarding the project please contact Ellen Sands at the Village Hall at (301) 654-7300 or via email: ellen.sands@montgomerycountymd.gov. Here is a link to the letter mailed to Bradley Lane residents: Bradley Lane letter

Annual Maryland Tax Free Week

The second Sunday of August to the following Saturday is designated as Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week each year. That means qualifying apparel and footwear $100 or less, per item, are exempt from the state sales tax. This year, the first $40 of a backpack or book-bag purchase is also tax-free. Accessory items, except for backpacks, are not included.

The Shop Maryland Tax-Free Week for 2017 is Sunday, August 13 - Saturday, August 19.

Amended Plans, Rules and Regulations for the Redevelopment of Brookville Road Park

Additional Public Comments Welcomed

At its meeting on July 10, 2017, the Chevy Chase Village Board of Managers reviewed the amended plans, rules and regulations for the redevelopment of the Brookville Road Park and the dog exercise area proposed to be located within the park. The plans were amended pursuant to the testimony received by the community at Public Hearings held in the spring.

The Board has directed staff and its landscape architect, Ms. Lila Fendrick to begin working to finalize the plans in order to generate cost estimates for the work and source the specific materials and finishes that will be used within the park, including fencing, benches, plant stock and surface materials. This work will be done over the summer in preparation for a tentatively scheduled Public Hearing during the Board’s regular meeting on Monday, September 11, 2017. The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Amendments to the proposed plan, rules and regulations included:

Changing the proposed fence style from aluminum to a wood split rail fence with an attached wire mesh backing at a consistent height of five feet (5’).
The westernmost perimeter fence line was moved closer toward Brookville Road (just east of the stand of Willow Oak trees) to maximize the dog exercise area. As a result, the number of benches between the westernmost perimeter fence and the Brookville Road sidewalk was reduced.
Elimination of the access control and pet registry requirements.
Expansion of the dog exercise area (the fence enclosed area) by 1,300 square feet for a total of 7,800 square feet.
Expansion of the dog run area (the center portion to consist of either a stonedust or wood chip ground cover) by 1,230 feet for a total of 3,780 square feet.
Additional plantings have been added to fill in the remaining exposed areas along the existing wood perimeter fencing that separates the park from the abutting private properties to provide an additional layer of buffering between the dog exercise area and the neighbors.

The revised plans, rules and regulations are now available on the Village website for review. Comments regarding the revised materials may be submitted to the Village Board, c/o Village Manager Shana Davis-Cook atshana.davis-cook@montgomerycountymd.gov. Ms. Davis-Cook is also available to answer any questions or provide further information regarding the proposed project.

Are You Receiving Solicitations to Insure Your Water and Sewer Line?

WSSC is responsible for the maintenance of the water and sewer lines which run through the public right-of-way up to the individual property lines. The sections of pipe that run from the property line to the connections within your home are the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain. Over time, or as a result of intrusions, these pipes can become clogged or damaged and may even need to be replaced.

WSSC has partnered with a company called Homeserve to provide insurance for repairs and replacement of these portions of pipe, and letters have been mailed to WSSC customers to make you aware of this partnership. Before purchasing this optional insurance coverage through Homeserve or any other provider, check your homeowner’s insurance policy to see if the water and sewer lines—specifically the sections of pipe located between the property line and the exterior wall of the house—are already covered within your policy. If not, you may wish to consider purchasing the additional coverage through Homeserve, or another provider. Here is a link to more information on the WSSC web site at https://www.wsscwater.com/homeserve.

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.

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