Mansionization Task Force
In its yearly budget review of the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), the Montgomery County Council on May 7 recommended funding for a task force to evaluate and propose specific solutions to the problems of mansionization.
Councilmember Roger Berliner (D-1) proposed the task force in response to the rapid pace of infill construction in Potomac, Bethesda, and Chevy Chase.
"Three-fourths of infill development in the county is taking place in District 1," Berliner said. "Every day neighborhoods are changing, and not always for the better. While there are many examples of new homes being built that blend harmoniously with the existing neighborhood, there are unfortunately too many instances in which new homes loom over their neighbors, blocking sunlight, intruding on privacy and generally out of character with the neighborhood."
The task force will include M-NCPPC staff, citizen representatives, members of the development community, architects, Realtors, and staff members from different councilmembers. The Conflict Resolution Center of Montgomery County has agreed to facilitate the task force's meetings.
Whitman Festival of the Arts
Walt Whitman High School's annual Festival of the Arts features artwork from the school's students on display. The show runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16 and Thursday, May 17. For more information call 301-320-6600.
Country Sale on Saturday
More than 3,000 items including clothes, jewelry, books, furniture and more will be for sale at a Country Sale at 11725 Piney Meetinghouse Road, Potomac, on Saturday, May 19 from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. The sale benefits the Potomac Theatre Company.
Leggett Triples Gang Prevention Funding
County Executive Ike Leggett announced last week a funding package of nearly $6 million aimed at providing a system for identifying and providing services to at-risk youth before they join gangs or engage in criminal activity.
"Many of our children and youth in Montgomery County come home to empty houses," Leggett said. "Now more than ever, we need to come together as a community to provide positive out-of-school time opportunities for youth... Our youth need positive activities and role models so they are not drawn into gang behavior and activities."
The initiative includes expanded summer job programs and the annualization of $500,000 for the Centralized Gang Task Force in the Police Department, among it's other aspects. It builds on the work of the county's Gan Prevention Task Force, formed in 2004 to recommend strategies for combating gang violence.
CAN 5K Approaches
For the seventh straight year, the Cure Autism Now 5K will bring runners, walkers and volunteers to Potomac Village on the Fourth of July. Proceeds benefit Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks, formerly separate nonprofits that have merged to fund autism research and find a cure. Potomac’s Susan Pereles, the founder of the Can 5K, hopes to raise more than $200,000 with this year’s race, which will raise the event’s seven-year total to more than $1 million. Register now for the CAN 5K by visiting www.canrun.org.
Wicket Cool Fundraiser
Ron Furman will host a catered brunch at his home at 13211 Quarry Mill Road on Saturday, June 2 at 11 a.m. (rain date June 9), and will host the grand opening of a tournament croquet course, featuring demonstrations and lessons from three-time world champion Doug Grimsley. There is no charge for the brunch; guests will be asked to help raise funds to help families in Montgomery County through the Red Cross Heroes Campaign. Call Ron Furman at 301-948-7000 or Kumara Rama, community development officer for Montgomery County Red Cross, at 240-485-3012.
Scholarship Winners Announced
Gabriella Ra’Anan, a Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School graduate from Potomac, was one of 2,500 nationwide students who won a $1,500 National Merit Scholarship after meeting rigorous academic standards and other criteria.
Nationally, 2,500 winners were chosen from among finalists in the 2006-2007 program, sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).
NMSC finances most of the NMSC $1,500 scholarships with its own funds. Companies and businesses that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite the scholarships with grants.
Speed Cameras Now Issuing Tickets
Montgomery County Police announced that their Safe Speed Program kicked into full gear on Wednesday, May 2. The automated speed enforcement program uses stationary speed cameras and mobile speed enforcement vehicles to enforce speed limits in residential areas and school zones with a speed limit of 35 mph or less. Previously, violators had been issued warnings, but those warnings will now be citations, said Lucille Bauer, a spokesperson for Montgomery County Police.
In the Rockville/Potomac area, cameras are located on Dufief Mill Road, Bells Mill Road, Quince Orchard Road, Stone Ridge View Drive, Glen Mill Road, and Travilah Road. For a complete list of locations and for more information about the Safe Speed program, visit the Montgomery County Police Department Web site at www.montgomerycountymd.gov/police and click on the "Safe Speed" icon on the front page.
Wanted: Volunteers at Lockhouse 8
The Potomac Conservancy is looking for river history buffs to help maintain and staff the River Center at historic Lockhouse 8 on the C&O Canal. This year, the River Center will feature a new exhibit, Backyard to the Bay, which will educate visitors about the Potomac River, its connection to the Chesapeake Bay, and what they can do in their own backyards to protect these resources. The full docent description is available at www.potomac.org/join/volunteer.html. Volunteers who wish to help staff the River Center should contact Judy Welles at weles@potomac.org.
Volunteer at a Local Park
Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission seeks volunteers at local parks in the area. For a full listing of all the opportunities available, contact Jayne Hench at 301-495-2504 or e-mail jayne.hench@mncppc-mc.org.
Recreation Department Offers Courses
Art classes for toddlers, karate, dance and magic-trick lessons for children, fencing lessons for teens and yoga for adults are a few of the courses offered by the Montgomery County Recreation Department at Potomac Community Center. Elsewhere in the county, the Rec Department offers courses from skateboarding to yoga to cooking to youth art. Pick up the Montgomery County Recreation Department Guide a Potomac Community Center, 11315 Falls Road, Potomac, call 240-777-6840 or visit http://montgomerycountymd.gov/content/rec/RECord/articles/february2007/earlybird.html for course information.
Critical Blood Shortage
The National Institute of Health Blood Bank has announced an urgent need for type O blood donors. Both local and regional inventories of this blood type are dangerously low. If you are a donor with blood type O, donate today by visiting the NIH Blood Bank located on the first floor of the Clinical Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda. Hours of operation are from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Call for an appointment or directions at 301-496-1048. Convenient, free parking is available for blood donors.
If you have not donated blood before and are not sure if you are eligible, visit www.cc.nih.gov/dtm/html/donrinfo.htm to learn more about being a donor at NIH.
Info on Nursing Homes Available Online
An updated and redesigned resource to help Marylanders select a nursing home is now available on the Web. The “Maryland Nursing Home Guide” includes information on more than 200 comprehensive care nursing facilities and 34 continuing care retirement communities. Among the types of information available are quality of care assessments and results of recent inspection visits. The guide, developed by the Maryland Health Care Commission, is located by clicking on ‘Consumers’ on the commission’s Web site at www.mhcc.maryland.gov.