October 2019
Newsletter of the Kensington Heights Civic Association
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KHCA is a non-partisan neighborhood organization dedicated to representing the interests of all homeowners and residents of the Kensington Heights neighborhood in maintaining and enhancing the quality of life in our community
>> November Meeting - Stay Tuned
Elections for KHCA officers are coming up next month. The two-year term positions are: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer
KHCA is also looking to bring in people to join or chair several committees including Land Use, Traffic and Safety, History, Communications, Environment and Beautification 
We are always seeking to engage new volunteers to expand capacity and bring in fresh ideas. You can volunteer to be a member of any of these committees and also consider stepping in as the Chair / Co-Chair for committees that either has vacancies or would like new leadership.
The work required is not too time-consuming. Based on each committee’s activity, the Chair(s) are asked to submit a brief update to be shared in the newsletter/website to keep members informed. Committee chairs are encouraged to attend the ExCom Meetings held on the third Wednesday of every month. The committee chair(s) and members are also encouraged to share relevant information from Kensington Heights and surrounding areas including county projects that may be of interest to the KHCA community.
Have you lived here for a long time and think you have some great ideas to contribute? Moved in recently and looking to find a way to get more involved? Whatever your interest is – we need you – A LOT! 
Click here to let us know soon if you are interested in any of those positions or getting involved in a committee. Don’t put it off – and don’t assume someone else will step up. Your Civic Association needs YOU (and we guarantee you’ll like your fellow active members). 
>> September General Meeting Recap
Thank you to all who attended last month's Fall General Meeting at Danila's sanctuary.

The topic was "Creating Your Own Urban Oasis - Yes in My Back Yard!" We toured the property and heard from great speakers. Leon Vandenberg, President of the Montgomery County Beekeepers' Association, explained why bees are so important, what it takes to keep them, and the kinds of trees and native shrubs best for bees. Native plant experts John Parrish and RG Steinam gave a show-and-tell on sustainable gardening, landscaping, and permaculture. Laura Miller represented the County's TreeMontgomery program that will plant trees on your property for free! Kit Gage, a Stormwater Partner and consultant, walked us through the process of applying for the County's RainsScapes Rewards Rebates program. The program provides financial assistance to homeowners who install sustainable stormwater pollution mitigation techniques such as rain gardens, bioswales, rain barrels, and other projects.

To learn more about ways to green your property and our community (and save the bees!), click on the embedded links above.
Kensington Heights Civic Association September General Meeting

KHCA NEWS BULLETINS 
>> Support KHCA -- Pay Your Annual Dues  
To carry out our many activities, KHCA needs your support -- both through your volunteer efforts and also, your financial donations. All residents of Kensington Heights are members of KHCA, and all members are welcome to attend and speak at KHCA meetings. However, to be a voting member, KH residents are asked to pay annual dues of $10 per adult resident (18+ years) to a maximum of $30 per address. These monies are much appreciated and help to ensure that KHCA remains financially viable. Payment can be made online using the membership link on our website. Thank you!

KHCA UPDATES 
>> Traffic Committee Update
On Tuesday, October 1,  Andy Fraser and Karen Cordry had a call with Seifu Kerse from the Montgomery County from the traffic engineering study section. We discussed the morning traffic volume through the intersection of McComas Avenue and Farragut Avenue. The county is going to do a traffic study specifically targeting the McComas/Farragut intersection. Upon completion of the study, we will follow up with Seifu to see the traffic meets the county threshold for traffic-calming solutions. 

Also, we discussed the root cause of the issue, the morning back up on Connecticut Avenue and University Blvd. Both University Blvd and Connecticut Avenue are state highways, and any improvements are outside of the jurisdiction on the county. Seifu referred us to the office in charge at the state government, and we will be following up.  
>> Inflatable Bounce House has been a Great Success
As you may recall in our September newsletter, KHCA is making its new bounce house available to any KHCA Community Member who would like to use it for a birthday party or block party or the like. Contact Karen Cordry at karenc425@aol.com if you'd like to reserve it. To defray our expenses, we ask for a nominal donation of $40 per day (commercial bounce houses usually charge $200 or more).


COMMUNITY NEWS & CALENDAR
>> Other Montgomery County News
  • The application for a conditional use permit for a project for a 6 story building with a restaurant on the ground floor, artists space on the second floor, and self-storage above that was proposed for the corner of Plyers Mill and Connecticut, the site of a former gas station was denied by the Hearing Examiner, Martin Grossman (the same examiner who denied the application for the Costco gas station at the Mall). His conclusion was based on the lack of conformity of the project to what was provided in the Kensington Master Plan. Click here to see the report. 
      
  •  Developments in Wheaton: Wheaton Parcel Swap

  • Wheaton Library and Recreation Center Opens: The grand opening was on September 8 with many dignitaries and lots of curious neighbors waiting to see the new and fresh library and recreation center.  The County will host many meetings and events in the new space. Check out their website for hours and a multitude of events taking place there – everything from drop-in playtime and reading programs for the kids, video production classes for teenagers, English conversation meetings for our neighbors seeking to become more proficient, and a book club for adults. There's also a game room, basketball courts, and bookstore on site. 

  • The Montgomery County Civic Federation holds meetings every second Monday on topics of county-wide concern.  The next meeting will be on October 14, at 7:45 pm at the Executive Office Building at 101 Monroe St. in Rockville.  Click here for the latest Montgomery County Civic Federation Newsletter including several upcoming important projects and dates. 

KHCA CONTACTS
President:                            Karen Cordry (Torrance Drive) karenc425@aol.com
Vice President:                    Erl Houston (St. Paul Street) erlhouston@verizon.net
Secretary:                            Ann Arevalo (Torrance Drive) annarevalo@hotmail.com
Treasurer:                            Jim Ryan (Brunswick Ave) Jim.ryan@longandfoster.com
Immediate Past President:     Danila Sheveiko (Melvin Grove Court) dsheveiko@hotmail.com
Beautification Chair                Jon Foreman (University Blvd)  jonforeman@gmail.com
Communications Chair           Shruti Bhatnagar (McComas Avenue) shruti_bhatnagar@yahoo.com
Education Chair:                     Shruti Bhatnagar (McComas Avenue) shruti_bhatnagar@yahoo.com
History Chair:                         Erl Houston (St. Paul Street) erlhouston@verizon.net
Land Use Chair                      Derek Karchner (Torrance Drive) dkarchner@gmail.com
Safety Chair:                          open
Traffic Chair:                           Andrew Fraser (McComas Avenue) afraser@sandglass.com
Newsletter:                             Holly Rogner (Drumm Avenue) hlarogner@gmail.com 
Website:                                 Ricardo Gonzalez ricardo@bobbleheaddw.com

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