civic association news - McKenney Hills

civic association news - McKenney Hills

CIVIC ASSOCIATION NEWS
www.mhckcivic.org
Volume 7, Issue 2
Fall 2014
Construction Begins: Traffic Calming
on Plyers Mill Road
Crossing Plyers Mill Road should be safer for kids and
parents heading back to school this fall. Montgomery
County Division of Traffic Engineering and Operations
began construction of its recent traffic calming plan at
the end of August, and to say many people are thrilled
would be an understatement.
“I’ve been really impressed with how Montgomery
County transportation department officials responded
to community concerns about the dangerous conditions
of Plyers Mill Road,” said Eric Butters, a Plyers Mill
Road resident. “They did a great job developing a traffic
engineering plan, presenting the plan to the community,
and listening to community concerns. I’m excited to see
the upcoming road improvements which will hopefully
make Plyers Mill Road safer for vehicles and pedestrians
alike.”
Three adjacent civic associations worked with County
representatives this past year to collect input from the
surrounding communities. The final plan is online at:
http://pedsafetynews.blogspot.com/2014/07/
PlyersMill.html.
Working with the County proved to be a pleasant experience. “The very short timeline from when the residents
of the community reached out en masse to the County
to ask for help (last August), to the point where we have
real results (this August) displays true evidence that the
County is actively working to improve the quality of life
for its residents,” said Chris Gaegler, an active neighboring association member who lives on Plyers Mill.
That responsiveness from Montgomery County bodes
well for our civic association, where speeding vehicles
and traffic congestion top the list of resident concerns.
June’s MH-CK civic association’s meeting focused
on traffic issues near Flora Singer Elementary School,
where student enrollment continues to climb. Principal
Kyle Heatwole joined our meeting, walking attendees
through many of the challenges he faces every day,
including back-ups on Hayden, safety and air quality
issues, and disgruntled neighbors who must put up with
increasing congestion.
To begin to tackle these thorny issues, a sub-committee
formed last spring. Sarah Sumner took concerns posted
on the yahoo group and turned them into a useful tool
to work with the County going forward; an interactive map that can be updated continuously. Please
weigh in at https://mapsengine.google.com/map/
edit?mid=zuLCkQoQuOSw.kRyRruyGEgKA.
Finally, to continue informing the map and capture ideas
and concerns from the neighborhood, there will be a
Survey Monkey poll. Keep an eye out for the hotlink on
the yahoo group and our webpages, and please be sure
to respond. The poll will stay up for several months and,
after broad participation, results will be shared.
Karen Nozik
MH-CK Community Member
Save the Date!
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Community Block Party
2:00pm-6:00pm
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Community Meeting
7:00pm
Saturday, October 4, 2014
McKenney Hills Park Cleanup
10:00am-1:00pm
President’s Corner
Neighborhood Watch
The kids are back in school (I heard that joyous
exclamation!) and I can only look back in awe at the
changes that have taken place over the summer. The
concrete crews have moved on, leaving new sidewalks
and driveways as their legacy. Kyle Heatwole, Principal
of Flora Singer Elementary, was kind enough to invest
his personal time at our June Association meeting and
shared the efforts that his staff and MCPS are making to
ease the impact of school traffic flow in the
neighborhood. Some neighbors have moved away, and
we’ve welcomed new neighbors in their place (invite
them to volunteer with the Association!)
Crime within our civic association boundaries continues
to be low. When I check the weekly police reports, I often see no items within our civic association borders.
Perhaps the biggest change is one that our very own
Karen Nozik helped coordinate - the traffic-calming
efforts underway on Plyers Mill Road. Our children will
be safer getting to and from Oakland Terrace thanks to
leaders like Karen, with participation by several
neighborhood association members, and a neighboring
association. I’d also like to thank neighbor Ari Reeves
for undertaking the task of labeling neighborhood storm
drains in order to protect the Chesapeake Bay and it’s
tributaries. It’s community effort that made these changes
happen, this exemplifies how our neighborhood benefits
from the efforts of our Civic Association. Please consider
attending the next meeting on September 23rd to find out
more about your neighborhood association, and I hope
to see you at the block party on September 13. We’re
always in need of volunteers to help with preserving and
enhancing our community!
The information from police about the Plyers Mill gang
shooting (on our northern civic association border) indicates there’s no evidence of criminal gang activity in our
immediate area.
I hope that residents will continue to alert the neighborhood of criminal or suspicious activity. The response to
the shooting was tremendous, with neighbors posting
news updates and a full report on the police community
meeting in Wheaton. See https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/
groups/mckenneyhills/conversations/messages/17543 for
this report.
I can’t say this enough: everyone is a member of neighborhood watch.
Larry Margasak
Neighborhood Watch Chairman
Bruce Cotting
MH-CK Civic Association President
For more information or to contact Bruce Cotting, please
email [email protected]
Becker Day Care
We Keep the Fun in Learning
(301) 649-2911
10211 Duvawn Place Silver Spring, MD
[email protected]
Over 90% of our “graduates” have gone on to
Advanced Programs!
2
¡Bienvenido a Noticias de MH-CK en Español!
Comienza la construcción para calmar el tráfico en
Plyres Mill Road.
El Condado responde bien a MH-CK
Por Karen Nozik
Este Otoño, cruzar la Plyers Mills Road va a ser un poco
más seguro para niños y padres que regresan a la escuela.
La División de Operaciones e Ingeniería de Tráfico
comenzaron la construcción del nuevo plan para calmar
el tráfico que presentaron al final de Agosto; y estamos
contentos.
“Realmente he quedado impresionado como los funcionarios Condado de Montgomery han respondido a la
comunidad de Plyers Mill Road,” dijo Eric Butters, un
residente de la misma. “Hicieron un gran trabajo desarrollando un plan de ingeniería de tráfico, presentándolo
a la comunidad, y escuchando nuestras preocupaciones.
Me alegra ver el progreso de las mejoras las cuales van
a ser de Plyers Mill Road una vía más segura para los
peatones y vehículos. “
Representantes de las tres asociaciones cívicas adyacentes trabajaron con el condado entre los veranos de
2013 y 2014 recopilando información de los dueños de
casa y residentes. El plan final se puede encontrar en:
http://pedsafetynews.blogspot.com/2014/07/PlyersMill.
html.
El tiempo dirá si los planes harán la diferencia en tan
ocupada vía. Durante reuniones de planeamiento de la
comunidad, los residentes compartieron historia tras
historia de los autos que descaradamente subían y bajaban dejando vehículos chocados y animales domésticos
muertos.
Trabajar con el condado demostró ser una experiencia
agradable, rechazando el mito de gobierno insensible.
“El muy corto tiempo desde cuando los residentes de la
comunidad acudieron en masa al Condado para pedir la
ayuda (el pasado mes de agosto), al punto donde tenemos
resultados verdaderos (este agosto) exhibe evidencia verdadera que el Condado está trabajando activamente para
mejorar la calidad de la vida para sus residentes,” dijo
a Chris Gaegler, representante de los vecinos de Plyers
Mill.
La respuesta del Condado de Montgomery se aplica bien
para nuestra propia Asociación Cívica, donde los vehículos a alta velocidad y congestión del tráfico está al
tope de la que la lista de preocupaciones de nuestros residentes. La reunión cívica de la asociación de MH-CK se
enfocó en la primavera pasada en situaciones del tráfico
cerca de la escuela primaria Flora Singer, en donde la
inscripción del estudiante continúa subiendo. El principal
de FS, Kyle Heatwole, participó en nuestra reunión y
compartió muchos de los desafíos que él enfrenta a diario, incluyendo congestión de tráfico en la calle Hayden
antes y después de las horas de escuela, que afecta la
seguridad y la calidad del aire, y los vecinos contrariados
que deben tolerar todo esto.
Para comenzar a abordar estas situaciones difíciles, un
subcomité se formó para recoger datos sobre situaciones
del tráfico dentro de nuestra vecindad. Sarah Sumner
tomó las preocupaciones en el ‘list serv’ y los convirtió
en un mapa interactivo de modo que tengamos una herramienta útil para trabajar con el condado de ahora en adelante. El mapa puede ser puesto al día continuamente y
animamos a todos que lo revisen en: https://mapsengine.
google.com/map/edit?mid=zuLCkQoQuOSw.kRyRruyGEgKA.
Finalmente, para mantener al día el mapa, y capturar
ideas completas y preocupaciones de la comunidad , el
subcomité está desarrollando una encuesta “Monkey
Poll”. Estemos pendientes al enlace en el “list serve”
en los próximos meses y asegúrese de participar. La
encuesta permanecerá por varios meses y después de
amplia participación, los resultados serán compartidos.
Usted es la Asociación Cívica
Si usted es nuevo en la vecindad, o es un viejo vecino, posiblemente no esté de todo al tanto sobre la
Asociación Cívica Carroll Knolls - McKenney Hills
- su asociación cívica. La membrecía de la asociación
cívica se compone de aproximadamente 1100 área que
se extiende desde el Plyers Mills Road hasta Forest
Glen Road, y desde la Leslie Street hasta la Georgia
Avenue. Establecida en 1993, el propósito de la asociación cívica es promover la seguridad pública de cada
residente dentro de sus límites y proporcionar liderato
y organización para representar y coordinar actividades
de la comunidad en situaciones de mutua preocupación.
Representa la comunidad ante el Condado, y sirve de
enlace en materias de interés. Revise nuestro website
para más información: http://www.mhckcivic.org.
La Asociación Cívica produce un boletín trimestral para
informar a todos en la comunidad de asuntos de interés.
Sirve de anfitrión a una serie de eventos sociales a
la que todos son bienvenidos: en Enero el Festival de
Blues de Invierno, en Agosto la ‘National Night Out’,
en Septiembre la fiesta y desfile de Halloween. También trabaja en las mejoras de la comunidad. Nuestro
Comité de Tráfico recientemente jugó un papel clave
en traer las aceras que necesitábamos y actualmente
se está comunicando con el Condado sobre control de
tráfico. Nuestro Comité de Vigilancia del Vecindario se
mantiene en comunicación regular con nuestro enlace
de la Policía del Condado, manteniendo a la comunidad
informada de toda actividad criminal en la zona y nos
recuerda tomar precauciones para mantenernos seguros.
La Asociación también trabaja en el embellecimiento
de nuestro vecindario, con limpiezas regulares de los
parques y una iniciativa de “100 árboles” para mantener
e incrementar la salud de los árboles.
La asociación cívica también patrocina un animado
‘listserv’ en línea, a través del cual los vecinos buscan
y dan consejos sobre todo, desde guardería hasta a los
que pasean perros y contratistas, para regalar o vender
artículos para el hogar y compartir noticias. El ‘listserv’
es supervisado a fin de mantener las comunicaciones
civiles y respetuosas. Ver (http://groups.yahoo.com/
group/mckenneyhills/join) para unirse.
Mientras que todos los residentes son miembros y pueden tomar ventaja de la mayoría de las actividades de
la Asociación Cívica, una cuota anual de $12 le ofrece
el poder de voto en las reuniones de la Asociación. Este
pequeño pago – ¡sólo $1 por mes! – cubre los gastos
de los eventos sociales, este boletín y el alquiler en las
escuelas locales para nuestras reuniones. Usted puede
pagar en línea (vea http://www.mhckcivic.org/pay-yourdues.html), por correo un cheque con el formulario
impreso en otra parte de este boletín, o pagando en el
evento siguiente reunión o social.
Si usted no ha sido un miembro que paga cuotas, por
favor considere hacerlo. Si no ha asistido a reuniones o
eventos sociales, por favor venga y disfrute – y considere ser voluntario. Mientras más voluntarios en esta
organización de voluntarios, mejor será esta maravillosa comunidad. Preguntas y sugerencias siempre son
bienvenidos; Póngase en contacto con la Junta de la
asociación en: [email protected].
3
National Night Out
Paper airplanes swooped through the late summer
air thanks to an impromptu flight lesson from Social
Events Committee Chair Vince Bradley. The National
Night Out, held on August 5th on Kohler Court, was
enjoyed by McKenney Hills-Carroll Knolls neighbors
of all ages.
Police Officers, including our neighborhood liaison Officer Patil, took the time to patiently answer our many
questions—especially those pertaining to the recent
crime that took place on Plyers Mill Road. Their efforts
were much appreciated by our neighborhood, as was
evidenced by the applause they received.
Although largely masterminded by Dick Tingley, other
prominent members of our Civic Association were in
attendance. VP Martha Randal, Treasurer Elizabeth
Managan, Secretary Katherine Toffeneti, and Neighborhood Watch Committee Chair Larry Margask were
all there to make certain the cookie supplies were welltended.
Mariel Becker (7) and Alex Del Sole (8) performed a
trick involving water bottles on foreheads and impressive balance, complete with costumes and music, to
raise funds for A Wider Circle.
Glow-sticks, footballs, jellybeans, enormous bubbles,
dogs huge and not so much, and families of all kinds
made this National Night Out a complete success.
Our stalwart president Bruce Cotting couldn’t be there
to shake hands and kiss babies, as he was sipping Mai
Thais on the beaches of The Outer Banks. We’ll forgive him, as he works hard all the year through.
John Becker
http://www.john-becker.com/
4
You Are the Civic Association
Whether you are new to the neighborhood, or an oldtimer, you may not know about the McKenney HillsCarroll Knolls Civic Association – your civic association.
Established in 1993, the Civic Association promotes the
public safety of everyone living within its boundaries
and provides leadership and organization to represent
and coordinate community activities on issues of mutual
concern. It’s also required by the county for
communications with, and many actions performed by,
the county.
If you have not been a dues-paying member, please
consider becoming one.
You can pay online at http://www.mhckcivic.org/payyour-dues.html, or mail a check with the form below,
or pay in person at the next meeting or social event.
The Civic Association also sponsors a lively online listserv, through which neighbors seek and give advice on
everything from day care providers to dog walkers to
drywall contractors, give away or sell household items,
and share news. The listserv is moderated so that
communications are civil and respectful. Visit http://
groups.yahoo.com/group/mckenneyhills to join.
The Civic Association produces a quarterly newsletter to
inform the community on matters of interest, and hosts
a number of social events to which all are welcome:
the January Winter Blues Festival, the August National
Night Out, the September block party, and the Halloween
Parade. It also works on neighborhood improvements.
Its Traffic committee recently played a key role in
bringing sidewalks to the neighborhood, and is currently
communicating with the county about traffic control. Its
Neighborhood Watch committee regularly communicates
with our County Police liaison, informs the community
about criminal activity in the area, and reminds us to
take precautions to prevent crimes. The Association also
works to beautify our neighborhood, with regular park
cleanups and a “100 tree” initiative to increase the tree
canopy. for our meetings.
While all residents are members and can take advantage of Civic Association events, a $12 annual dues
payment brings the power to vote at Association meetings. This small payment – just $1 per month! – pays
for social events, this newsletter, and the rent at the
local schools.
If you have not attended meetings or social events,
please come and enjoy – and consider volunteering.
The more people that volunteer in this all-volunteer
organization, the better this wonderful community will
be. Questions and suggestions are always welcome;
contact the Association’s board at: [email protected].
SUPPORT THE MH-CK CIVIC ASSOCIATION
Paying dues allows you to become a voting member of the MH-CK Civic Association. All residents of the community
(both owners and renters) are eligible to become voting members.
These dues go towards fun, year-round neighborhood events and activities and the quarterly newsletter.
Membership dues are also payable through PayPal!
Visit www.mhckcivic.org/pay-your-dues.html for more details.
Thank you for your continued support!
Name: _____________________________________
Address: ____________________________________
Phone: _____________________________________
Email:______________________________________
Check for e-delivery of newsletter.
I would like to volunteer!
Please detach this portion of the form and return it along with a check for $12.
Please make checks payable to McKenney Hills-Carroll Knolls Civic Association.
McKenney Hills-Carroll Knolls Civic Association
P.O. Box 393, Kensington, MD 20895
5
Contribute to Your Community
Today!
Treasurer’s Report
Contributing your time, skills, and energy can help make
our neighborhood a vibrant and inviting place. Please
volunteer to help make this community even better!
Happy September, everyone! We had a great turnout for
the National Night Out in August. A special thanks to
Richard Tingley for making all the arrangements and to
our local police for attending. We also appreciate the
folks who paid dues during the event and all of our sponsors which is how these events get funded.
LEADERSHIP!
Elections held every January fill the roles of President,
Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Interested
community members are invited to shadow the current
2014 officers as understudies for future officer positions. Board committees also need fresh ideas from new
contributors.
EVENTS!
The programs that bring neighbors together need volunteers to organize them. Assisting with just one
event a year will help us continue our community traditions:
• Winter Blues Fest • Spring / Fall Park Cleanup •
Community-Wide Yard Sale •
Block Parties INITIATIVES!
Ongoing programs to improve our community—from
web/newsletter communications, to traffic measures, to
welcome signs—require just a couple of hours a month
from volunteers.
By contributing a small amount of time, you can help
make a big impact!
CONTACT US!
Email [email protected] or call 202-MHCK-1-CA.
We currently have just under $1100 in the bank to support this newsletter and other activities in the neighborhood.
The Association is run completely by volunteers. Your
neighbors write and distribute the newsletter, advocate
for you on topics such as increasing traffic safety, and put
on activities such as National Night Out and the Halloween party. We hope these activities make our neighborhood feel a little closer and we hope you can help either
by volunteering your time (as much or as little as you
like) and paying your dues.
To begin or renew your membership that supports Civic
Association activities, please see the payment form and
article elsewhere in this newsletter.
If you have any questions, or would like to check the
status of your membership, please email treasurer@
mhck.org.
Elizabeth Managan
MH-CK Civic Association Treasurer
For more information, please contact
[email protected]
Subscribe for E-Delivery!
To receive e-delivery only, please send the
following information to
[email protected]:
Name | Address, with closest cross-street
E-mail address | Telephone number
Thank you for your support of the MH-CK
newsletter!
6
Fall 2014 CA Calendar of Events
Date
Saturday, Sept 13, 2014 – 2:00 - 6:00 PM
(Rain Date Sunday Sept 14)
Tuesday, Sept 23, 2014 – 7:00 PM
Saturday, October 4, 2014 – 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Saturday, October 25, 2014 – 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Tuesday, January 27, 2014 - 7:00 PM
Sunday, January 25, 2014 – 2:30 - 5:30 PM
Event
Community Block Party (End of Brunswick)
Community Meeting/Social, Flora Singer ES
McKenney Hills Park Fall Clean-up
Halloween Party and Parade - McKenney Hills Park
Community Meeting and Elections, Flora Singer ES
Winter Blues Festival - Homewood Recreation
Center
Michele Bruggeman
REALTOR | LEED AP Homes
Licensed in Maryland and DC
Real Living At Home
4600 N. Park Avenue # 100
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Office:
(301) 652-0643
Cell & Text: (202) 491-2494
Broker:
202-518-8781
Email: [email protected]
Website:
http://realliving.com/Bruce.Cotting
Long & Foster
20 Chevy Chase Circle, NW | Washington, DC 20015
C: 202-427-3993 | O: 202-363-9700
[email protected]
Bruce Cotting
Realtor,
Partner Associate
Your Neighborhood Realtor 7
Contribute to Your Community Today!
Contributing your time, skills, and energy can help make our neighborhood a vibrant and inviting place.
Please volunteer to help make this community even better!
LEADERSHIP!
Elections held every January fill the roles of President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Interested community members are invited to shadow the current and upcoming 2015 officers as
understudies for future officer positions.Board committees also need fresh ideas from new contributors.
EVENTS!
The programs that bring neighbors together need volunteers to organize them. Assisting with just one
event a year will help us continue our community traditions:
• Winter Blues Fest
• Community-Wide Yard Sale
• Spring / Fall Park Cleanup
• Block Parties
INITIATIVES!
Ongoing programs to improve our community—from web/newsletter communications, to traffic
measures, to welcome signs—require just a couple of hours a month from volunteers. By contributing
a small amount of time, you can help make a big impact!
CONTACT US!
Email [email protected] or call 202-MHCK-1-CA.
T 301.565.0300 F 301.585.6794
FOR ALL YOUR
QUALITY
PRINTING NEEDS
❖
❖
❖
10528 Detrick Avenue
Kensington, Maryland 20895
TEL: (301) 933-2990 • FAX: (301) 933-2867
Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm Monday - Friday
www.knowlesprinting.com
Letterhead • Envelopes • Brochures • Business Cards • Desktop Publishing
2700 BARKER STREET, SILVER SPRING, MD 20910
Invitations • NCR Carbonless Forms • Rolodex Cards • Catalogues • Letterpress
Offset Printing • Short Run 4 Color • Graphic Design • Reports
Newsletters • Flyers • Computer Forms • Pocket Folders • Labels