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Newsletter, Mar. 2009

Email: manager@chevychasesection5.org

VOLUME 43   NUMBER 1   MARCH 2009

Section 5’s largest source of revenue is a portion of the State income tax paid by Section 5’s residents. Unfortunately, Section 5 will not receive its share of income tax revenue unless its name appears on the Maryland income tax form in the box marked, “City, Town or Taxing Area”. Also, remember to write “Montgomery” in the “Maryland County” box. Please don’t forget to complete these sections when filing your taxes and if someone else prepares your taxes, please remember to instruct that person to complete those two lines.

As always Section 5 residents were very generous this holiday season in their response to the holiday gift fund for the collectors of the town’s trash and recyclables. Residents donated $2,500 and the Council contributed additional money to equal $5,000. This money was equally divided among the four employees. The men send their heartfelt thanks for your generosity.

The Annual Meeting will be held April 7, 2009, at 7:30pm at the Village Hall, 5906 Connecticut Avenue. The election will be held from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. The results will be announced as soon as the votes are tabulated.

Three of the five seats on the Council are up for election this year. Two of the incumbents, Ira Rosenbaum and Andrew Smith, plan to seek re-election. Margy Abbott will not seek re-election. Everyone is encouraged to participate in local government by serving on the Council. If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone else, please contact the Manager by email or by telephone 301-986-5481.

Each person who on the 30th day before the Annual Meeting is a resident of Section 5 and is a registered voter in the State of Maryland, shall be eligible to vote. Registration for voting in the Section 5 election closes 30 days prior to the election.

If you wish to vote, but will be unable to attend the meeting, absentee ballot forms are available from the manager, 301-986-5481. No write-in votes will be counted. No proxy voting is permitted.

A copy of the Section 5 election rules may be found on the town’ s web site.

Section 5’s Council voted at the October Council meeting to pay the Village of Chevy Chase to employ police officers to patrol Section 5’s streets for twenty (20) hours per month. These extra patrols will cost $1,000 per month for a six-month trial period. It is an effort on the part of the Council to make Section 5 a safer place to live.

Please cut back the hedges along your property line that abuts a public sidewalk. Section 5 wishes to ensure that the sidewalk abutting your property is clear of all obstacles and this will make Section 5 a pedestrian friendly town.

The County animal control code requires that you keep your dog on a leash whenever your dog is not on your property. Also, you must clean up after your dog. Please keep our sidewalks and yards clean from dog waste. Please remember that your barking dog may not be music to your neighbors’ ears. Dogs who are left outdoors for long periods of time often bark incessantly and become real nuisances to neighbors.

The spring bulk trash pickup will be Sat. May 9, 2009. Special trash includes: washing machines, dryers, stoves, furniture, large toys, bicycles, swing sets. Paint will be accepted but no oil-based paint. You must remove the lid and let the paint dry out before the pick-up day.

EXCLUDED ARE: large tree stumps, poisons, acids, caustics, explosives, flammable liquids, motor vehicles and parts including batteries and tires; bricks and general construction material, oil, wood piles, large rocks, large tree limbs, dead animals, human or animal feces, and ammunition.

ITEMS FOR COLLECTION MUST BE PLCAED AT THE CURB. PLEASE do not place items at the curb more than one day in advance.

Are you planning an addition or fence, or deck, thinking of installing a sump pump or putting in a driveway? Please call the manager.

Before you get too far into your planning, please contact the manager 301-986-5481 about Section 5’s building ordinances.

BEFORE you get a Montgomery County permit, before you spend money on plans, check to see if your plans will meet Section 5’s building requirements. Please ask questions up front to save problems down the road.

Residents are reminded to be observant and thoughtful when they park on Section 5’s streets. Parking is often limited and some streets are very narrow, making on-street parking even more difficult.

Please:

  • Make certain not to block a neighbor’s driveway.
  • Make the best use of on-street parking.
  • Do not park opposite a neighbor’s driveway.
  • Observe the 30 ft. No Parking zone that is required at a STOP sign.

If you need new recycle bins, please call the manager 310-986-5481 or email her.

Please join the B-CC High School Education Foundation for the third annual evening of wine, chocolate and cheese to benefit B-CC High School’s Academic Support Programs honoring B-CC teacher Christopher Orlando, Montgomery County Teacher of the Year 2008. The event will be held March 12, 2008, 7:00-9:00pm at the Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase, 7931 Connecticut Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD. For more information and to buy tickets, go to www.BCCEDFOUNDATION.ORG or call 301-657-2547.

Two organizations that help support local Montgomery County libraries are looking for volunteers:

Friends of the Library The Chevy Chase Chapter of the Friends of the Library (FOLCC) funds many library programs, purchases equipment for the library, helps finance staff development; and supports the staff FOLCC funded programs include Summer Reading Program events, Family Fun Day, celebration of Chinese New Year, and author talks. Among the equipment the FOLCC has purchased are the library’s AV/DVD projection system, bookcases for paperbacks and over-sized books, a die-cut machine, a laminator and wall-mounted folders. To support the staff, the FOLCC has given small holiday and Library Lover’s Month gifts and purchased a microwave and toaster oven for staff us.e

Library Advisory Committee The Library Advisory Committee for Chevy Chase (LAC) advises and consults with the local Library manager, and represents the Chevy Chase community’s interests regarding library needs before the Library Board and the County Executive.

The FOLCC is looking for members to help pay for what was mentioned above. It costs $25 for a family to join, $15 for an individual, and memberships are tax-deductible. Joining the FOLCC automatically conveys membership in the Montgomery County FOL, which provides support ot the entire County library system. And both the FOLCC and the LAC are looking for persons who can contribute time, as volunteers, in addition to money. To become a member and/or to volunteer, please contact Steve Schmal at 301-652-8620 or via email .

GIVE YOUR BOOKS A NEW HOME! DONATE BOOKS TO THE B-CC HIGH SCHOOL PTSA

USED BOOK SALE MARCH 28 & 29, 2009

Drop off dates:

  • Fri. 3/20 2:30 – 9:00pm
  • Sat. 3/21 8:00am – 6:00pm
  • Sun. 3/22 9:00am – 5:00pm
  • Mon. 3/23 thru Thurs. 3/26 2:30pm – 9:00pm
  • Fri. 3/27 2:30pm – 7:00pm

Curbside drop-off at the main entrance to B-CC High School (4301 East-West Hwy). Tax receipts given at drop-off. Proceeds support B-CC PTSA.

Section 5 residents who observe that a street light is burned out or functioning erratically should file a report by visiting this web page.

  • Force yourself to get outside and interact with neighbors, even when it’s cold.
  • You can start a neighborhood watch program (Ask the local police department for help.)
  • Let friends know when you expect to be out of town.
  • Keep lights on outdoors and keep shrubbery trimmed to reduce hiding places.
  • Be discreet when discarding gift boxes. Tear up that Nintendo Wii carton and tuck it among other recyclables. Why give the bad guys a shopping list?
  • Most important, lock your doors and windows

Residents along Brookville Road remember the long procession of large dump trucks which filed down Brookville Road for several days on their way to the construction site at the Chinese Embassy on Van Ness Street, N.W. in D.C. Brookville Road was not restricted to trucks under five tons and thus these trucks used that road rather than Connecticut Avenue which is restricted to trucks over five tons.

The State highway department responded to the many complaints from residents and towns along Brookville Road and sent some representatives to view the situation. The State has now created regulations which will restrict Brookville Road traffic to trucks under 5 tons except those making local deliveries. Signs have now been installed on East-West Highway alerting trucks to the fact that Brookville Road is restricted to trucks under 5 tons. The southbound traffic is covered but northbound traffic coming from the District of Columbia is not as yet signed because it requires cooperation by the D.C. Department of Transportation with whom the State Highway Administration (SHA) has been unable to reach an agreement as to the installation of these signs. As a result SHA will place signs on Brookville Road, immediately north of Western Avenue (This road is maintained by the District) informing motorists of the truck restrictions. It may take some months before these signs will be installed.

If you see trucks larger than 5 tons using Brookville Road and not making local deliveries, notify the Village or County police.

Courtesy of Section Three’s newsletter

On windy recycling days, please weigh down all your papers, cardboard and light plastic items. The slight extra effort saves chasing debris all over the neighborhood.

The Chesapeake Executive Council has confirmed that long-standing goals for cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay by 2010 will not be met; the Chesapeake Bay Foundation recently sued the Environmental Protection Agency over its role in the cleanup. Urban and suburban runoff accounts for 13 percent of Maryland’s nitrogen load to the bay.

Undeveloped land absorbs rainfall like a sponge and slowly releases it. As homes, schools, office buildings and highways are built, this natural pattern is changed . When rainfall hits paved or impervious surfaces, it carries waste, chemicals, nutrients and sediment to our waterways. Stormwater runoff also erodes streams and increases flooding.

The proposed Montgomery County Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit is one of the most progressive in the country and clearly demonstrates that the County and Maryland are serious about improving water quality. The permit requires retrofitting 30 % of areas developed before modern stormwater control requirements were in place to treat stormwater, developing and implementing measurable strategies to reduce trash as part of the County’s commitment to a trash-free Potomac River; and setting pollution limits necessary to meet water quality standards for impaired waters.

Each of us can also do our part. Property owners can use permeable surfaces such as wood decks, bricks and concrete lattice for driveways and patios. We can connect our downspouts to drain into vegetated areas. We can grow “buffer strips” alongside waterways and plant native trees, shrubs or goundcover to reduce bare patches. We can reduce or eliminate the use of fertilizers and pesticides and pick up trash and pet waste before it can pollute our waterways.

Courtesy of Shari T. Wilson, Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment

  • Change a light and save a bundle. ENERGY STAR* qualified light bulbs are up to 75% more efficient than incandescent bulbs.
  • Refrigerators use more energy than any other appliance in your home. An ENERGY STAR* qualified refrigerator uses about half the energy of a 10 year old conventional model.
  • Use a hot water insulation kit to wrap your water heater and save on water heating costs.
  • Use cold water for your washing. Over 90% of the energy used when washing clothes is to heat the water.
  • Change your heating/cooling filter about every 3 months. This will help ensure your unit is functioning efficiently, conserving energy and reducing your monthly bills.
  • Use an energy efficient ceiling fan to help cut down on heating and cooling costs – make sure the air moves downward in the summer to provide a cooling breeze and upwards in the winter to distribute warm air throughout the room.
  • Install an ENERGY STAR* qualified programmable thermostat. You’ll save up to $100 per year.
  • Choose a wide range of plants for your home garden. Yards that have a wide array of plants will resist the spread of pests and diseases better than gardens with little variety.
  • Choose organic lawn and garden products to help keep our water and air clean.
  • Water your lawn only in the morning or evening. Water evaporates four to eight times faster during the heat of the day.

In 2008, sorted white ledger, sorted office paper, and magazines steadily increased in market value when compared to the fourth quarter of 2007, while corrugated cardboard and newsprint prices experienced dramatic decreases. During this period, sorted white ledger prices increased by 10 percent, rising from $290.00/ton in 2007 to $320.00/ton in the same quarter in 2008. Sorted office paper prices followed this same trend, rising from $195.00/ton in 2007 to $210.00/ton in 2008, showing an eight percent increase. Prices for magazines had increased by six percent (from $90.00/ton in 2007 to $95.00/ton in 2008). However, prices for corrugated cardboard declined from the fourth quarter of 2007 to 2008 from $122.50/ton to $75.00/ton and newsprint prices decreased from $80.00/ton to $52.50/ton netting 39 percent and 34 percent decreases, respectively.

Check all your medicine cabinets and cupboards for expired or no longer relevant medications and dispose of them safely. The old method—flushing them down the toilet—we now know simply pollutes the watershed. Montgomery County Environmental Protection folks advise that you crush all the pills (put them in a plastic bag and run a rolling pin or a hammer over them) and mix them with coffee grinds and put them in the regular household trash. Then take the vials they came in, remove the labels or blacken them with a magic marker so no one can use them to get another prescription, and place those vials in your recycling bin.

If you smell natural gas, call the Washington Gas Emergency Leak Line at 703-750-1400. Do not attempt to locate the source of the odor. If the odor is very strong, or you hear a blowing or hissing noise, vacate the building immediately, leaving the doors unlocked as you go. Do nothing to create an ignition source — do not light a match, use the telephone, turn electrical equipment or light switches on or off, or start your car. Call 911 and the Washington Gas emergency numbers only after you have reached a safe distance away from the source of the leak.

COUNCIL MEMBERS: Andrew Smith, Chairman; Ira Rosenbaum, Vice-Chairman; Margy Abbott, Treasurer; Peter Gray, Building Inspector; Chris Richardson.

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