| 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
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| >> August 5: KHCA Community Picnic Come Join Us at Our Annual Community Picnic and Pot-Luck !!! When: 12 - 4 pm, Saturday August 5
Where: Kensington Heights Neighborhood Park, 10811 St Paul Street (corner St Paul/McComas) -- KHCA provides Burgers & Hot Dogs, Condiments, Drinks and a Bounce Castle for the kids -- You provide the pot-luck We always enjoy the wealth of these good eats! Last name A-M: Please bring salad or veggies Last name N-Z: Please bring dessert, chips or other snacks Please RSVP to Karen Cordry, KHCA President, so we have an idea of numbers attending
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>> KHCA Fall Elections, Voting, and Call for Volunteers Fall Elections. Election of KHCA officers will take place during our Fall meeting. The Nominating Committee, under the leadership of Andy Fraser, has been busily recruiting candidates for the elected positions: President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. If you are interested in running, please let Andy know (afraser@sandglass.com) or other members of the Nominating Committee Wendy Core, Tish Mueller and Laura Kervitsky. To Vote. We also want you to vote (in person or electronically), and under our by-laws you must be an "Active Member" to do so. It's easy to be listed as an Active Member -- just go to the KHCA website and use the form at the bottom of the "About" tab or just click here. No dues are required, but we hope you will support KHCA by using the "Donate" button while you are there. The suggested amount is $10 per person or $20 per household. Volunteers Needed. We are very interested in filling Committee Chair positions and having people who are interested in the activities join us. We currently maintain Education, Traffic, Public Safety, Communications, Beautification, and Membership (and Social Activities) Committees. If you are interested in helping out KHCA and your community with any of those areas, please either let Karen Cordry know or contact the Chair who is listed at the end of the Newsletter. The Communications Committee in particular is a place we can really use additional help. We are working on an exciting revamp of the website to make it an even friendlier and more useful place to visit. We also want to increase our presence on social media, so if you can help with any of those activities, please contact the Communications Committee Chair, Shruti Bhatnagar.
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>> Photos of Kensington Heights for Our Website Stay tuned for the upcoming new look for our KHCA website. With the help of Ricardo González, a volunteer from Bobblehead Design Works, we are making progress to update and improve the website. As part of that, we'd love to include your pictures of the sights and scenes in Kensington Heights. Email your best shots to Karen Cordry. And if you'd like to volunteer to help with the website effort, let her know that too.
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>> July 29: Training for "Organizing Your Block" The Montgomery Housing Partnership is hosting an "Organizing Your Block" training session in Wheaton North. Karen Cordry, KHCA President, will be attending on behalf of KHCA, but she hopes others in the community will join in this special and unique opportunity. MHPA will be bringing in Strong City Baltimore representatives to help lead the workshop.- When: July 29, Saturday, 10AM - 2:30PM, Lunch Provided
- Where: 2nd Floor, Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad, 2400 Arcola Avenue
- Register: amarcus@mhpartners.org or call Amy Marcus 301-812-4133
Do you want to be a part of bettering your neighborhood? Are you interested in taking on a leadership role in your neighborhood or a neighborhood project, but don’t know where to start? Do you want to connect with people in other neighborhoods who are working on similar issues or projects? A half day workshop will be held to talk about asset-based organizing and to help people look through a positive lens at their community. You will learn about tools and information needed to effectively problem solve in your neighborhood. And you will practice skills for (1)Training on door knocking (2) Initial engagement – one on one relationship building (3) How to effectively run a group or house meeting, and (4) Planning a neighborhood action.
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>> Deer in Our Neighborhood KHCA has become increasingly aware of the growing deer population in Kensington Heights and the resulting concerns ranging from damage to landscaping and fences to the possibility of disease due to deer ticks. In the near future KHCA plans to explore this issue and is interested in hearing from KHCA residents. Contact Karen Cordry or Donna R. Savage if you have thoughts or comments.
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>> Special Shout-Out to Kensington Heights Resident Jim Core KHCA appreciates the opportunity to highlight its citizens who accomplish something special. We'd like to recognize Jim Core who, as an employee at the Department of State, has worked to promote U.S. proposals to host World's Fairs. Jim has recently returned from overseas where he successfully worked to ensure that Minneapolis was included among the three finalists to be selected as a World's Fair host city. Yay, Go Jim !! If you know someone in Kensington Heights who deserves a shout-out from KHCA, let us know.
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>> No Executive Committee Meeting in August There will be no August Executive Committee meeting. But we will resume again September 19. Remember, all are welcome to attend !!
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>> Public Safety Committee Exchange Zones. The Montgomery County Police report there have been several incidents in the 4th DIstrict this past month as a result of residents buying and selling items over the internet. In order to protect youself and your valuables, the County Police are asking citizens to consider using designated Exchange Zones (located at each of the six police district station’s lobbies and parking lots) when buying or selling goods through an online or app-based transaction service. Click here for more information, exchange zone locations and safety tips for completing transactions with strangers. Recent Crimes. Theft from vehicle on Jennings Court. No other info available at this time.
[Submitted by Chris Peoples, Chair, Public Safety Committee]
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>> Traffic Committee A special thanks to all who filled out the survey regarding the county traffic calming proposal for the intersection of McComas Avenue and Drumm Avenue. We will continue to work with the County on ways to improve the safety of our community. We will provide updates as we continue to work with the County to complete the process of installing needed traffic calming measures for this intersection and surrounding roads. [Submitted by Andy Fraser, Chair, Traffic Committee]
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>> Land Use Committee Regarding the Wheaton Redevelopment for Downtown Wheaton/Parking Lot 13/Reedie Drive: -- Site activities during the week of July 23 have included continuation of the geothermal drilling operation started about 2 weeks ago that will continue through the next 10 weeks. Thus far, while a little noisy, the geothermal drilling operation has had no effect on vehicle traffic or pedestrian activity (according to the MCDOT folks). The new building will include a geothermal system that will provide about 30 percent of its energy needs. --The median along Reedie Drive in front of the Regional Service Center building will be removed during the week of July 23. The median removal is required for the new development and is being removed early on to facilitate traffic control and to allow for installation of new underground utilities that cross under Reedie Drive from the building site toward the WMATA station. The median removal will be completed within 3 days of its start. Minimal disruptions to traffic along Reedie Drive are expected. --You can sign up to receive regular emailed updates on the project and construction activities associated with the redevelopment of Wheaton by clicking here and entering your email address in the appropriate box underneath the map. [Submitted by Donna R. Savage, Chair, Land Use Committee]
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>> Education Committee Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
Pre-Kindergarten and Headstart Program Registration for Upcoming School Year. Program registration is currently open and ongoing, and for more info click here. These programs offer a high-quality educational experience to income-eligible children in order to prepare them with the foundational knowledge and skills necessary for school success in kindergarten and beyond. There are 109 Pre-Kindergarten classes and 34 Head Start classes throughout the county. Children must be 4 years old by September 1, 2017, and families must meet income guidelines. Walk-in applications are accepted Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 143, Rockville, Maryland 20852. Appointments are available if preferred; call 301-230-0676 for an appointment. 2018 Operating Budget. The Montgomery County Board of Education on June 13 unanimously adopted a $2.52 billion Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2018. The budget represents a $59.6 million increase over the current budget, which is a 2.4 percent increase over the prior year. This will allow the district to make targeted investments to manage significant enrollment growth and build the foundation and structure that is needed to ensure that all MCPS students are able to achieve at higher levels. Read more here. MCPS School Calendar 2017-18. The first day of school for students is September 5,2017. Click this link for the full calendar. Montgomery County Public Libraries (MCPL) STEM. Science includes technology, math, and engineering (STEM). MCPL provides several ways for children to engage in STEM activities including STEM stations, STEM programs and STEM e-books. Also, for the young ones you can check out Go! Kits which are backpacks for children 3 to 6 years intended to get young children excited about science and math. The kits are designed to encourage the parent/caregiver and child to actively explore the world around them. Each kit can be borrowed for 2 weeks. Check out *all* the STEM information by clicking here. Affordable Health Care Programs. Consumers can learn about available health care plans, get an estimate of financial assistance, compare health insurance options, and enroll in health insurance plans during open enrollment periods. Find out more at this link. Free Music. You can download 5 MP3 songs each week. They're free and legal to download. Find out more at this link. [Submitted by Shruti Bhattnagar, Chair, Education Committee]
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COMMUNITY NEWS & CALENDAR
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>> Plans for Senior Living Center at old Mizell Lumber Site. A recent Kensington Town Council Update reports a courtesy review for the development of a senior living center at 10500 St Paul Street, the former property of Mizell Lumber. Info on the center can be seen by clicking here.
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>> News from Villages of Kensington Is aging at home a possibility? In Montgomery County there has been a grass roots effort to rebuild the "Village" concept of neighbor helping neighbor. Villages of Kensington is our local version of a Village, serving all residents of the 20895 ZIP code. Recently Montgomery TV produced an interview with the Montgomery County Village Coordinator and the President of the Board of Villages of Kensington. Click here to view this informative 26-minute video. You can also read the July 2017newsletter (Vol 1, No 2) by clicking here. For more information about the Villages of Kensington visit the website or send email to Villages of Kensington@gmail.com.
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>> Some Legislation Topics Being Considered by the Montgomery County Council While summer might seem like a quiet time for the Council, there are nonetheless several important bills being considered. Here is a flavor of what is on the table, with links to more info. KHCA is a non-partisan association, but if you believe we should engage on any of these issues please let us know by emailing Karen Cordry. Short-term residential rentals (“STRR”) – Zoning Text Amendment 17-03, and Bill 2-17. This topic – covering the so-called “Air BnB” type rentals – has been under consideration by the Council for more than a year. There will be a public hearing on these revised proposals at 7:30 pm on Sept 12, 2017. Anyone wishing to testify must sign in by 10 am that day. ZTA 17-03 would make STRRs a limited use in every zoning code, while Bill 2-17 would require that they be limited to the applicant’s primary residence and cannot be used at a site that already has an accessory apartment. The owner may only rent for 90 days while absent from the site (but without limit if he is present during the rental). Only 6 adults may be housed and parking spaces must be provided. In addition, a designated representative for emergencies must be named and live within 15 miles. Click here for info. Raising the minimum wage – Bill 28-17. Councilmember Elrich is lead sponsor (along with co-sponsors Council members Leventhal, Riemer, Hucker and Navarro) of a bill to increase the minimum wage from the current $11.50 per hour (as of July 1, 2017) to $15 per hour by July 1, 2020 for businesses with 26 or more employees. Smaller employers would have until 2022 to comply. The County Executive vetoed a similar bill in January; this one puts more businesses under the slower phase-in period. The staff report on the legislation can be viewed here. County Student Loan Refinancing Program. There are $1.2 trillion in student loans, making them one of the largest forms of debt in this country and saddling young people with huge obligations that dominate their finances. About a dozen states operate state programs to loan money directly or to refinance existing loans by using the government’s superior borrowing strength to create a loan pool that can charge lower rates of interest. Last year, the state authorized Montgomery County to set up its own refinancing authority, conditioned on preparing feasibility studies to determine if the fund would be viable. In OLO Report 2017-2018, county staff provided an initial analysis of the issues and suggested a range of costs. Such a program can be tailored to provide added relief for low-income families or for those who work for the school system or similar criteria. The County Executive is skeptical, but two Council Committees held a joint hearing on the report on July 20. District 5 Council Member Tom Hucker is particularly interested in this proposal for those who are interested.
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| >> Montgomery County Civic Federation Information from the MCCF newsletter can be found at this link. The mission of MCCF is to preserve and improve the quality of life for all current and future residents of Montgomery County. Since its founding in 1925, the volunteers of the MCCF have committed themselves to providing an effective citizen voice to government policy makers. The MCCF newsletter is published monthly except for July and August, so we will report new items in September.
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History Chair: vacant
Website: incoming volunteer Ricardo Gonzalez
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| Thank you to our Newsletter Sponsors
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| Greetings Neighbors .... from Jim Ryan, Realtor
For those of you that I have yet to meet, I’m sure that day will come. I moved my family to Kensington from Alexandria 27 years ago. There is no other place that I would rather live than this community! I have a real estate license with Long and Foster Downtown Silver Spring. If you have friends interested in moving to this area, I am glad to help.
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