Northwood News - NFCCA · fees that are not earmarked for specific purposes, such as solid waste...
Transcript of Northwood News - NFCCA · fees that are not earmarked for specific purposes, such as solid waste...
2011 Rachel Carson Meadow FestivalSunday, 15 May 2011 ` 1 to 4:30 PMNorth Four Corners Local Park, 211 Southwood Avenue
` Featuring the Festival Day participatory performance by the Washington Revels
` “The Pitting of the Pooches” pet dog competition, music, dance, environmental exhibits, activities for all ages
` Volunteers needed. Call 301.593.7863 for more information or to help.
Next Meeting on 13 April at FKES
Published Bimonthly by the Northwood-Four Corners Civic Association n April 2011
NewsNorthwood
Buddy, Can You Spare a Billion?
Dealing with Montgomery County’s Budget ProblemsBy Jim Zepp Justlikemanyotherstateandlocalgovernments,Mont-gomeryCountyhascopedwithongoingbudgetshortfallsforthelasttwoyears.Thishasmeantrepeatedlyreduc-ingexpendituresanddrawingonreservefundsasdecliningrevenueshavefailedtomeetpreviousprojections.Conse-quently,theCountyCouncildirecteditsOfficeofLegisla-tiveOversight(OLO)tostudythestructuralbudgetdeficitasthissituationisnotexpectedtosubstantiallychangeinthenearfuture.Thestaffwasaskedtoexaminetheexpen-ditureandrevenuepatternsofthelasttenyearsandtoprojectwhatislikelytohap-peninthenextfiveyears,as-sumingnosignificantchangesinspendingandothersources
ofincomefortheCounty,suchasfundsreceivedfromtheFederalandStategovern-ments. ThisanalysisincludedoperationsbyallCountyagen-cies(e.g.,Transportation,PublicWorks,Police,Fire,HealthandHumanServices,
Recreation,Libraries,Hous-ingandCommunityAffairs,EnvironmentalProtection,ConsumerProtection,Correc-tions,Elections,etc.),Mont-gomeryCountyPublicSchools(MCPS),MontgomeryCollege,andtheMaryland-National
(continued on page 5)
ThenextmeetingoftheNorthwood-FourCornersCiv-icAssociationwillbeheldonWednesday,13April2011,at7:30p.m.atForestKnollsEl-ementarySchool.Theschoolislocatedat10830EastwoodAvenue,justoffCaddingtonAvenue(there’snoaccessfromothersectionsofEast-wood). Ourspecialguestspeaker
willbeRogerManno,Mary-landStateSenatorforDistrict19(seepage2fordetails). AllresidentsoftheNorth-wood/FourCorners/ForestKnollsareaareinvitedtoat-tendandexpresstheirviews.OnlypaidmembersoftheNFCCAareeligibletovote(seepage12).Annualduesare$10perhouseholdandmaybepaidatthemeeting.n
2 April 2011 n Northwood News
Manno to Speak at April Meeting RogerManno,MarylandStateSenatorforthe19thDis-trict,willbetheguestspeakerfortheNFCCAmeetingonWednesday,13April2011.Themeetingbeginsat7:30p.m.atForestKnollsElemen-tary,10830EastwoodAvenue. SenatorManno(whopre-viouslyservedasDelegatefortheDistrict)beganhisSenateterminJanuary.HeservesontheSenateBudgetandTaxa-tionCommittee,andonthatcommittee’sHealthandHu-manServicesSubcommittee;
ontheJointCommitteeonFederalRelations;andontheJointCommitteeonHealthCareDeliveryandFinancing.(AsaDelegate,heservedfouryearsontheHouseEconomicMattersCommittee.)He’llturn45onApril26th. YoucancontactSenatorMannoatroger.manno@sen-ate.state.md.usortoll-freeat1.800.492.7122,ext.3151. NFCCAterritoryisthesouthern-mostpointofDis-trict19,whichstretchesnorthtoLaytonsville. n
Join One or Both Of the NFCCA’s Two List ServesNFCCA General List ServenSubscribe:[email protected](youmustsubscribefirst):[email protected]
Northwood Parents List ServenSubscribe(sendanemailto):northwoodparents-sub [email protected](youmustsubscribefirst):northwood [email protected]
Northwood Newsispub-lishedbytheNorthwood-FourCornersCivicAssociation.TheNFCCArepresentsthe~1,480householdsintheareaboundedbyColesvilleRd.(Rte.29),UniversityBlvd.(Rte.193),CaddingtonAve.,andtheNorthwestBranch. AnyresidentofthisareaiseligibletojointheNFCCA.Annualduesare$10perhouseholdandmaybepaidatanyAssociationmeetingormailedtothetreasurer. Northwood Newsispub-lishedfivetimesayear—inOctober,December,February,April,andJune.Toplaceanadordiscussastory,pleasecontacttheeditor.
EditorJacquieBokow10603CavalierDriveSilverSpring,[email protected]
Visit Our Websitewww.nfcca.org
Northwood News
President’s Message
Hellotoall.MynameisBrianMorrissey.MywifeFionaandIjoinedthiswelcomingcommunityin2005.Youmayhaveseenmeatacivicassociationevent:LockridgeCreekCleanup(I’mtheonewaist-deepinthecreek!),Neighbor-hoodNightOut,orperhapsattheRachelCarsonMeadowFestival.MaybeourpathshavecrossedattheNorthwoodFourCornersPark(attheendofSouthwood).Iamoftenseenpickinguptrash,pullinginvasiveplants,orjustwalk-ingmylittledogs,CosyandApple(thetwocutestdogsontheplanet).IrunasmallHomeRemodelingHandymanServicesCompanyfrommyhome. IhavetakenthetimetotellyoualittleaboutmyselfbecauseoftherelocationofLauraHussey,ourformercivicassociationpresident.Ihaveascendedtothethrone,sotospeak.Althoughmypreferenceistobeagoodindianratherthanthechief,Iembracethisresponsibility.IlookforwardtoparticipatingasPresident(orlesserstation)becauseIseevalueinastrongcommunity. We,themembersofNorthwoodFourCorners,areex-tremelyfortunatetohaveastronginfrastructureforcom-munity.First,wehaveanactivecivicassociationwhichpromotessocialactivitiesthatstrengthenneighborrelationsandencouragesexchangeofinformation.Second,wehaveanoutstandingnewsletterwhichinforms,entertains,andsometimesevenenlightens.WealsohavetwolistservesforinformationexchangethatistoofluidtowaitforthenextcivicassociationmeetingoreditoroftheNorthwood News. Myhopeis,whateverdurationmytimeaspresident,wecontinuetoencourageandenlivenparticipationinbothcivicassociationmeetingsandsocialevents.
—Brian Morrissey
3Northwood News n April 2011
TheBoardofDirectorsfortheNorthwood-FourCor-nersCivicAssociationmeetsfivetimesayear,inOctober,December,February,April,andJune.Currentofficersfor2010-2011are:
Acting PresidentBrianMorrissey10301EdgewoodAvenue301.593.4026merc259@verizon.net
Vice PresidentBrianMorrissey10301EdgewoodAvenue301.593.4026merc259@verizon.net
TreasurerLindaPerlman1203CaddingtonAvenue301.681.3735LSPerlman@hotmail.com
SecretaryTiffanyWright405RoyaltonRoad301.328.7380wright.tiffany@gmail.com
Immediate Past PrezCaroleBarth10602LockridgeDrive301.593.7863cbarth@mindspring.com
NFCCABoard
A Celebration of Community and Nature
2011 Rachel Carson Meadow Festival Announced for 15 MayBy Jim Zepp Northwood/FourCor-ners/ForestKnollsresidentswillagaincometogethertocelebrateacherishedneigh-borhoodamenity,theRachelCarsonMeadowintheNorthFourCornersPark.Commu-nitymembershavenamedthepark’ssix-acremeadowareaafterthefamouslocalscientistandauthor,RachelCarson.Thiswasinhonorofherlastbookcalled“TheSenseofWonder,”whichencouragedadultstoinstillinchildrenanappreciationforthebeautyandmagictobefoundinnat-uralareas. TheWashingtonRevels(www.revelsdc.org)willperformtheirSpringFestivalprogramaspartofthiseventagainthisyear.Earlierintheday,attendeesareinvitedtolearnsongsanddancesortohelpwithmakingprops.Lat-erintheafternoon,theRevelsperformersandcommunity
memberswillcometogethertopresenttheSpringFestivalcelebration,includingaMay-poledance. Dogownersarewelcometoentertheirpetsintothe“PittingofthePooches.”Thisisaverypopularandfuncom-petitionthatfeaturesprizesforbestkisser,mostresembletheirowner,andbesttrick.Therewillbeotheractivitiesforkids,localenvironmentalandcommunitygroupswillhavebooths,andsportsdem-onstrationswillbeoffered. Checkthecivicassocia-tionwebsite(www.nfcca.org)formoredetailsandscheduleinformation.Volunteersareneededtohelpwithactivitiesaswellassetupandcleanup.Ifyouhaveanactivityorarewillingtovolunteer,pleasecall301.593.7863orsendanemailtojzepp@mindspring.com.CountyParksDepart-mentregulationsprohibitanysalesonitsgrounds. n
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5Northwood News n April 2011
CapitalParkandPlanningCommission(MNCPPC).Itcoveredtax-supportedactivi-ties,whicharethosefundedthroughgeneraltaxeslikein-comeandpropertytaxesandfeesthatarenotearmarkedforspecificpurposes,suchassolidwastedisposalfees.ForFiscalYear2011,thisamountwasabout$3.4billion.ThetotalFY2011operatingbud-get,includingallrevenuesources,isabout$4.3billion. On19Nov.2010,OLOis-sueditsPartIreportonpastexpendituresandrevenuetrendsandon7Dec.2010submitteditsPartIIreportonoptionsforachievingalong-termfiscalbalance.(Thesedocuments,amongotherrelatedmaterials,areavailableatwww.montgom-erycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/Content/council/olo/reports/2008.asp.)ThisarticleincludessomeofthegraphsfromaPowerpointslideshowsummarizingtheOLOstafffindings.Thecompletesetofslidescanbe
accessedatwww.montgom-erycountymd.gov/content/council/olo/reports/pdf/PowerPointSlidesPresenta-tion.pdf.AlsoavideooftheOLOstaffpresentationandquestion/answersessionwithCouncilmembersatapublicforumonthebudgetcanbeviewedatwww.youtube.com/user/100marylandave#p/search/0/GfAvDiLUdvk. TheOLOstaffcharacteriz-estheCounty’sbudgetissuesinthefollowingmanner: “The imbalance today between projected rev-enues and desired expen-ditures in Montgomery County, similar to the im-balance in other places, contains both cyclical and structural compo-nents. A cyclical budget gap is a short-term imbalance between projected revenues and desired expenditures that reflects the ups and downs of the business cycle. In con-trast, a structural budget gap exists when projections of ex-penditures exceed projections of ongoing revenues on a
persistent and recurring ba-sis. The distinction between the two is that a structural budget gap continues to exist even when revenue growth resumes. “A common ingredient of the budget challenge facing jurisdictions across the coun-try is the increasing portion of tax-supported budgets that must be allocated to fixed spending commitments. In Montgomery County, these commitments include debt service, health insurance for active and retired employees, pension plan payments, cur-rent revenue contributions to the capital budget (paygo), and contributions to the County’s fund reserves. A structural budget problem becomes increasingly evi-dent when the projected cost increases of a government’s commitments exceed its pro-jected revenue growth. This is precisely the situation facing Montgomery County for the foreseeable future.” ThemainpointsoftheOLOstaffreportsarethat:nThe County’s tax-supported expenditures went from $2.1 billion in FY2002 to a high of $3.5 billion in FY2009, which was a 64% increase.Be-causeofrecentrevenueshortfalls,spendinghasbeenreducedto$3.4billioninFY2011.Evenadjustingforinflationandpopulationgrowth,theCounty’sspendinghasgrownsubstantiallyovertime.nInFY2011,spendingisdividedamongthefourmajoragencygroupsinthefollowingproportions,whichhavebeen
Dealing with MoCo’s $ Problems(continued from page 1)
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6 April 2011 n Northwood News
relativelyconstantovertheyears:
MCPS 57%County Government 34%Montgomery College 6%MNCPPC 3%
nPersonnel costs (sala-ries and benefits) account for 82% of the County budget expenditures;otherexpenses(e.g.,utilities,supplies,travel,training,etc.)are18%ofthebudget.nPersonnel costs have increasedfrom$1.7billioninFY2002toahighof$2.8billioninFY2010,whichisa66% change.nThe overall number of employees have increased by a much smaller pro-
portion of only 15% atitsmaximumbetweenFY2002andFY2008.[NOTE:Work-yearsareusedtosimplifycal-culationsandcomparisonsbyderivingfull-timeequivalentsacrossanypart-timeemploy-ees,e.g.,twohalf-time(50%)employeesequalsonefull-time(100%)employee.]nThe“AverageCostperEmployee”chart(page5)displaysthe effect of these two trends on the average cost per employee, a 49% increaseoverthetenyearperiod.Thisgrowthwouldhavebeenevenlargerexceptforthemoderationinthelasttwoyearsbecauseofthebud-getshortfalls.nHowever,personnel
costincreaseshavevariedbyagencygroupbetweenFY2002andFY2011.TheCountyGovernmentagenciesincludepublicsafetyemploy-ees,whohavespecialprovi-sionsforearlierretirementagesandcompensationandbenefitsthataffectthiscat-egory’spersonnelcostsandwerenotseparatelyreportedinmostofthisanalysis.nDuetotherecentrevenueshortfalls,theagencieshavereducedtheirstaffsbyabout1,200employeesthroughbuyouts,retirements,andnotfillingvacantpositions.However,thesehavenotuni-formlyimpactedallagencies.MCPSandMontgomeryCol-legestillhavesubstantiallymoreemployeesthantheydidinFY2002,whileCountygovernmenthashadamini-malincrease,andMNCPPChaditsstaffreduced(see“TaxSupportedWorkyears”table).nGrowthinthecostsofemployeebenefitsasrelativetosalarieshasalsodrivenuptheCounty’sexpenses(see“BenefitsasPercentofSalarybyAgency,”left).nAnothermajorcostthatisexpectedtogrowsubstan-tiallyinthenextfiveyearsistheCounty’sdebtservice.Thisistheannualpaymentofprincipal,interest,andissu-ancecostsforbondssoldbytheCounty,mainlyforcapitalimprovements(e.g.,build-ingnewschools,parkandrecreationalfacilities,roads,etc.).Underthecurrentob-ligations,thisexpensewillgofrom$259millioninFY2011to$391millioninFY2016,a51%increaseinfiveyears.
Mont. County Budget Problems(continued from page 5)
(continued on page 7)
Tax-Supported Workyears FY2002 FY2011 % ChangeAllAgencies 26,702 29,400 +10%MCPS 17,085 19,439 +14%CountyGovernment 7,347 7,374 +0.4%MontgomeryCollege 1,363 1,773 +30%MNCPPC 907 814 –10%
7Northwood News n April 2011
Projected Tax Revenues TheOLOstaffhavepro-jectedtheCounty’sestimatedtaxrevenuesthroughFY2016.Itassumesaneconomicre-coverystartingin2013withamodestannualgrowthrateof2.7%ascomparedwiththe7.4%averageannualgrowthofthepre-recessionyears.(See“CountyTax-SupportedRevenues,”above.)
The Bottom Line Sowhatdoesthisallmean?TheOLOstaffcon-cludedthat,ifcurrenttrendsandconditionshold,thenthechartlabeled“ProjectedCountyTaxSupportedRev-enuesandExpenditures”(right)isthelikelyfinancialfutureforMontgomeryCoun-ty:acontinuingbudgetdeficitofabout$100millionormoreayearforthenextfiveyears. Thismaybeconsideredoptimisticsinceitrequiresothersourcesoffundingtoremainconstant.For
FY2011,theCountyreceivedabout$610millioninfund-ingfromtheStateandFederalgovernments.Forexample,ithasbeenestimat-edthatsomeoftheFederalbudgetcutsbeingconsideredcouldresultinasmuchasan-other$90millionlossinrev-enuestotheCountybecauseofthemanyFederalagenciesandcontractorsandtheirem-
ployeeslocatedhere.
It Gets Worse Aswasreportedinthe21March2011Washington Post(www.washington-post.com/local/politics/leggett-montgomery-coun-ty-unions-spar-over-pen-sion-costs/2011/03/16/ABUGqi9_story.html),Mont-gomeryCounty’spensionandretireehealthaccountsareunderfundedbymorethan$4.8billion.Itwouldrequireabout$20,300fromeveryfamilyintheCountytomakeuptheseshortfalls.
Some Alternatives to Solving the Shortfalls Becauseofthescaleoftheloomingandcontinuingdeficits,nosinglesolutionwillclosethefiscalgapsfacingtheCounty.Thechoicesinvolvewhichexpenditurestocutandbyhowmuchandwhichtaxesandfeestoraiseandbyhowmuch.Allofthesewillrequiresubstantialchangesinordertomeetthemultimilliondol-
Mont. County Budget Problems
(continued from page 6)
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8 April 2011 n Northwood News
lardeficits:nCut staff/programs.Becauseofthelargefinancialnumbersinvolved,cuttingstaffisessentiallyeliminatingwholeprogramsorservices.TheOLOstaffproducedtheseexamplestoillustratewhata$10millionexpensereductioncouldmean(see“ExamplesofWhat$10MillioninWork-yearsRepresents,”below).nReducing employee salaries and benefits.Thishasbeenacontroversialtopicinvolvingnegotiatedlaborcontracts.However,ifthecostsperemployeearenotreduced,thentheCountywillhavetofurtherreducethenumberofstaffandcutser-vicestothepublic.Asubsetofthisissueisthatbenefitsarenotuniformacrossalloftheagencies.Therearepro-posalstochangethissituationsothatallemployeesreceiveequaltreatmentintermsofemployeecontributionsandpensionplans.However,thisalsowillinvolvechangingla-
boragreements.nConsolidating agencies and services.Thiscouldeliminateredundantadmin-istrativecostsandduplicativeservicesprovidedbymultipleagencies.TheCountyap-pointedaspecialOrganiza-tionalReformCommissiontoinvestigateideasforsavingsthroughpossiblemergers.AnexampleistheCommission’srecommendationtofoldtheMNCPPCParkPoliceintotheCountyPolice.Thishasmetwithconsiderableopposi-tion,soithasbeendropped.Otherrecommendationsfaceargumentsaboutactualsav-ingsandthecostofmergingresponsibilitiesandstaffs.TheCommission’sreportisavailableatwww.montgom-erycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/content/council/organizationalreform_index.asp.nRaising taxes and fees.InFY2011,theCounty’staxrevenuescomefromthefol-lowingsources:
Property taxes (subject
to charter limit) 39%Income taxes 28%State and Federal
government aids 16%Other taxes 12%Program fees 5%
Inthecurrenteconomicconditions,manymayarguethatraisingtaxesandcharg-inghigherormorefeesforpublicservicesisnotappro-priatesolution.Whilesomeoftheincreasedrevenuemaybemadeprogressive(basedontheabilitytopay),thelargedeficitsinvolvedwouldprob-ablycostalltaxpayersmoreinordertoclosethesizeablefinancialgaps.
So What Can We Do? Ihavetriedtosummarizealargeamountofpublishedinformationandhavecon-densedsomeextensivedis-cussionsontheseissues.Iencouragereaderstofurtherexaminetheprovidedrefer-encestogetamorecompre-hensiveviewontheseissuesthatwillaffectourfuturequalityoflifeaswellasper-sonalincomeandexpenses. CountyExecutiveIkeLeggettrecentlysubmittedhisFY2012operatingbudgettotheCountyCouncil.BetweennowandMay,theCouncilwillbedeliberatingonthisandotherfiscaloptions.Youcanexpressyouropinionsonthesolutionstothesebudgetaryproblemsatwww.montgom-erycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/content/council/contact.asp.However,sav-inganyprograms,services,facilities,orstaffrequiresfindingotherexpensestocutorrevenuesourcesthatcanbeincreasedsincetheCountyislivingbeyondourmeans. n
Mont. County Budget Problems(continued from page 7)
9Northwood News n April 2011
Active & Under Contract Listings in Northwood/Forest Knolls/KinsmanAs of 3/15/2011
Full HalfACTiVe List Price Style Bedrms Baths Bath901 Caddington Ave* $280,000 Split Level 4 2 110901 Cavalier Dr* $325,000 Split Level 4 4 01015 Chiswell Lane* $319,000 Split Level 3 2 0507 Dennis Ave $995,000 Colonial 5 4 010603 edgewood Ave $465,669 Cape Cod 4 2 011108 Foxglove Lane* $283,000 Split Level 3 1 1512 Kerwin Road $439,900 Cape Cod 4 2 010109 Lorain Ave $700,000 Cape Cod 3 2 110212 Lorain Ave $479,000 Colonial 4 2 110308 Lorain Ave $495,000 To Be Built 4 2 110610 Ordway Dr $405,000 Cape Cod 5 2 0219 University Blvd W $750,000 Colonial 6 5 0201 University Blvd W* $299,000 Cape Cod 5 3 0415 University Blvd W $649,900 Arts & Crafts 4 4 0
CONTRACTS on the following properties:10306 Colesville Rd** $235,125 Cape Cod 3 2 067 Kinsman View Cir $309,500 Townhouse 3 2 110610 Lockridge Drive* $299,000 Rambler 5 3 0140 Southwood Ave* $299,000 Colonial 4 2 0
*Short Sale**Foreclosure
For All YourReal Estate Needs, Call
Maureen Bovich
Serving Northwood, Forest Knolls &Kinsman Residents For Over 10 Years
Office Direct: 301 388-2625Cell: 301 502-0601Email: [email protected]
** information deemed reliable but not guaranteed **
12520 prosperity drive, suite 105, silver spring, Md 20904 • 301-388-2600
10 April 2011 n Northwood News
Nature Trail Installed at FKES for Eagle Scout Project AndrewHickeyofBoyScoutTroop249gaveourcommunityagreatgiftonMarch19.ForhisEagleScoutproject,Andrewledtheinstal-lationofanaturetrailatFor-estKnollsElementarySchool,completewithastonesurfaceforeasyaccessibility. A10thgraderatJohnF.KennedyHighSchool,An-drewplannedtheprojectandmobilizedvolunteersyoungandoldtodigoutthe250-foottrailandtransport10tonsofcrushedstonetotheworksite.Roughly60peoplecameouttohelp,includingFor-estKnollsstudentsandtheirfamilies. TherealpowerbehindtheprojectwasAndrew’sScout
Troop249,whichturnedout13boystohelp,andprojectmentorJohnO’Donnell,atrail-buildingexpertandfre-quentadvisertoEagleScoutprojects.Andrew’sfellowKennedyHighSchoolJu-niorNavyROTCcadetsalsogaveanimpressiveshowingthroughouttheday. “Theinstallationofthisnaturetrailiswhatwe’vebeenworkingtowardfortwoyears,”saidClareNielsenNeal,leaderofthe“KidsReforestingForestKnolls”projectthathasseenthein-stallationofmorethan60nativetreesandshrubsonschoolgrounds.“We’rere-claimingthisabandonedareaandrestoringittothevibrant
oak-hickoryforestitoncewas.Usingthetrail,teachers,stu-dents,andneighborswillbeabletoexploretheareaandlearnmoreaboutnature.” Andrewsaysthathewant-edtogivebacktohiselemen-taryschoolbycreatingatrailthatthestudentscouldenjoy.“Iliveneartheschoolandlookforwardtoseeingstu-dents,friends,andneighborswalkingthetrailandenjoyingnature.” “Andrewdidagreatjobofseeingthismajortrail-build-ingprojectthroughtocomple-tion,”Claresaid.“WhenIfirstexploredthislittleforestremnant,Icouldenvisionapaththatletpeoplegetup
Andrew Hickey, as part of his Eagle Scout community project, mobilized Kennedy High School Junior Navy ROTC cadets and members of Boy Scout Troop 249 to build a new trail at FKES.
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11Northwood News n April 2011
We’restartingour21styearofannualspringclean-upsofLockridgeCreek.JoinusonSaturday,30April2011,at9:30a.m.attheLockridgeDriveandDennisAvenuein-tersectionandwe’llworkourwaydownthecreektotheRa-chelCarsonGreenway. Besuretobringglovesandwearsturdyshoes,longsleeves,andlongpants. Wewillalsoberemovinginvasivevines,sobringlop-persandclippersifyouwant
Annual Lockridge Creek Cleanuptohelpsavetrees. TheraindateforourcleanupwillbethefollowingSunday,1May. Ifyouwouldliketohelpwiththisevent,orneedmoreinformation,contactBrainMorissey,[email protected]! n
The creek bisects Lockridge Drive between the north end of Dennis Avenue and the Northwest Branch trail head.
closetothebeautifuloldtreesontheproperty.Forme,An-drewandhisvolunteershavemadeadreamcometrue!” Contributionstotheproj-ectcamefromfarbeyondourneighborhood.Andrewse-curedthedonationofcrushedstonefromAggregateIndus-triesofGreenbeltandequip-mentfromtheHomeDepotnearCherryHillRoad,SilverSpring.Costsofthereforesta-tionworkhavebeenlargelycoveredbygrantsfromtheMarylandUrbanandCommu-nityForestryCommittee,withadditionaldonationsfromMarylandDepartmentofNat-uralResources/Tree-mendousMd.;StadlerNurseries;EarthSanghaNativePlantNurseryofSpringfield,Virginia;andErnstConservationSeedofMeadville,Pennsylvania. Thereforestationproj-ectrecentlyearnedtheStateofMaryland’s“PLANT”—orPeopleLovingandNurturingTrees—awardatthe“Gold”
ebratethetrail’sopening.Bythatdate,itisexpectedthatmoretrees,shrubs,andflow-erswillhavebeenplanted. “Restoringour‘woods’isaworkinprogressandwillkeepgettingbetterandbet-ter,”Clarenoted.“Soon,ourtrailsignswillhavenewinformationtoread,withfea-tureswrittenbyForestKnollsstudentsKelseyMurray,Adri-annaQuaide,andAnnaVi-dergar.And,we’llcontinuetoaddnativeplantsofallkindstofurtherbeautifythetrailarea.” ThetrailislocatedneartheForestKnollsathleticfieldandiseasilyaccessedthroughtheentrancenearHannesStreet. “Pleasecomeoutandvisit!Betteryet,getinvolved,”saidClare.“NoteveryonecangiveasmuchasAndrewhas,butallcontributions—whetherinmanpowerorfinancial—aremuchappreciated.” [email protected]. n
(continued from page 10)
Andrew Hickey stands on the completed nature trail behind Forest Knolls Elementary.
New Nature Trail at Forest Knolls Elementary School
level.Aschool-wideeventisplannedforApril28—adaybeforeNationalArborDay—tobestowtheawardtoschoolleadership,recognizeAn-drew’scontribution,andcel-
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12 April 2011 n Northwood News
Belton Road & Court(6/48,12.5%):103,107,313,417,418,428
Caddington Avenue(5/83,6%):805,808,909,913,1203
Cavalier Drive & Court(5/53,9.4%):10601,10603,10612,10613,301
Chiswell Lane(7/39,17.9%):1010,1017,1018,1019,1025,1110,1118
Colesville Road(0/22,0%)Dennis Avenue(2/43,
4.7%):304,500Eastwood Avenue(3/53,
5.7%):10417,10420,10703
Edgewood Avenue(10/72,13.9%):10209,10212,10213,10301,10308,10400,10401,10428,10508,10712
Eisner Street(1/32,3%):404
Foxglove Lane(1/4,25%):11104
Glenwild Road & Court(4/33,12%):10612,10616,10619,10701
Hannes Street & Court(13/104,12.5%):104,202,209,220,229,238,308,311,320,330,403,408,10912
Irwin Street(1/31,3.2%):409
Kerwin Road & Court(3/42,7.1%):407,422,505
Kinsman View Circle(1/85,1.2%):20
Ladson Road(1/18,5.6%):318
Lockridge Road(3/31,9.7%):10602,10707,10709
Lombardy Road & Court(13/88,14.8%):10625,10700,10706,10712,10806,10817,10904,10905,11107,11013,11113,11201,11212
Lorain Avenue(3/21,14.3%):10104,10108,10207
Loxford Terrace(7/135,5.2%):824,857,859,907,917,920,1004
Malta Lane(4/45,8.9%):810,812,901,906
Margate Road(5/50,10%):10610,10615,10809,10812,10828
Marvin Road(5/18,27.8%):300,302,306,309,314
Mountain Quail Road(4/23,17%):10413,10414,10426,10428
Northwood Avenue(1/13,7.7%):123
Ordway Drive(2/26,7.7%):10611,10702
Playford Lane(0/31,0%)
NFCCA Membership as of 3/8/11 Brings the First Tie for the ‘Street with the Most Members’
Pinewood Avenue(2/13,15.4%):317,324
Royalton Road(3/31,9.7%):405,409,411
Snowy Owl Drive(6/23,26%):100,101,107,113,121,125
Southwood Avenue(4/21,19%):111,115,123,127
Sutherland Road(3/31,9.7%):10209,10213,10217
Thistle Drive & Court(2/22,9.1%):203,212
Timberwood Avenue(3/25,12%):306,315,317
University Boulevard(4/48,8.3%):205,505,509,611
Whittington Terrace(1/15,6.7%):814
Woodridge Avenue(3/13,23.1%):100,111,115Total:141of1,482(9.5%) Marvin Roadmaintainsitsleadershipinpercentageofmembers,with27.8%(5outof18)ofitsresidentsjoining.Snowy Owl Drivehasleaptfromfourthplacetosecond,with6outof23,or26%.Fox-glove Lane,with1outof4members,isnowthirdat25%.Woodridge Avenue(3outof13)isfourthat23.1%. Hannes Street(ourlargestroad,pictured)andLombar-dy Road/Court,whichhavebeenbattlingforthetitleofstreethavingthemostmem-bers,arenowtiedat13apiece.Edgewood Avenueremainssolidlyinthirdplacewith10. Tojoin,sendyourdues—$10perhousehold—toTrea-surerLindaPerlman,1203CaddingtonAvenue,orpaythematanymeeting. n
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13Northwood News n April 2011
Gary MacdonaldREALTY EXECUTIVES PREMIER
301.476.7700 x213202.369.1659 (cell)
[email protected]“Your Realtor” Since 1998 Resident—Kerwin Road
Current Real Estate Snap ShotNorthwood and Forest Knolls(January 1, 2011 –March 11, 2011)
Active Listings (13)Address Type BR Baths List Price Type of Sale 901 Caddington SF 4 2.5 $280,000 Short Sale 10901 Cavalier SF 4 4 $325,000 Short Sale 1015 Chiswell SF 3 2 $319,000 Short Sale 507 Dennis SF 5 4 $995,000 Normal Resale 10603 edgewood SF 4 2 $465,669 Normal Resale 11108 Foxglove SF 3 1.5 $283,000 Short Sale 512 Kerwin SF 4 2 $439,900 Normal Resale 10109 Lorain SF 3 2 $700,000 Normal Resale 10212 Lorain SF 4 2.5 $479,000 Normal Resale 10610 Ordway SF 5 2 $405,000 Normal Resale 201 University SF 5 3 $299,000 Short Sale 219 University SF 6 5 $750,000 Normal Resale 415 University SF 4 4 $649,990 Normal Resale
Homes Currently Under Contract (5)Address Type BR Bath List Price Type of Sale 10306 Colesville SF 3 2 $235,125 ReO/Bank Owned 67 Kinsman View TH 3 2.5 $309,500 Normal Resale 10610 Lockridge SF 5 3 $299,000 Short Sale 1007 Loxford SF 4 2.5 $379,900 Normal Sale 140 Southwood SF 4 2.5 $299,000 Short Sale
Sold Homes (5)Address Type BR Bath Net Sales Price* Type of Sale 407 University SF 5 2 $264,000 Short Sale 405 irwin SF 3 2 $300,000 Normal Resale 301 Dennis Avenue SF 3 1.5 $323,000 Normal Resale 130 Woodridge SF 3 2 $354,000 Normal Resale 1001 Loxford SF 4 2.5 $400,000 Normal Resale
*Net Sales Price reflects any seller subsidy involved (buyers’ closing costs paid by seller)
2010 Sales Recap — All Homes in Northwood/Kinsman Farm/Forest KnollsShort Sales
# of Sales Low Price High Price Average Price3 $230,000 $295,000 $258,000
REO/Bank Owned# of Sales Low Price High Price Average Price
12 $209,000 $343,000 $289,000Normal Resales
# of Sales Low Price High Price Average Price39 $250,000 $497,000 $363,000
14 April 2011 n Northwood News
Cath
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Sustaining Wildlife with Native Plants in Your YardBy Jacquie Bokow I’vejustreadabookontheimportanceofbiodiversityandI’dliketosharewithyousomeofwhatI’velearned.ThebookiscalledBringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native PlantsbyDouglasW.TallamyandIpurchaseditattheWildBirdCenterinWheaton. Usuallythefirststepinthesuburbanizationofanareaistobulldozetheplantsnativetotheneighborhoodandreplacethemwithlarge,manicuredlawnsborderedbyarelativelyfewspeciesofpop-ularornamentalsfromothercontinents.Lookoutsideyourdoorandwhatdoyousee?Sterilelawns(whichare,basi-cally,aliengrasses)separatedbyimpermeablepavedroadsandsidewalks.Throughoutsuburbia,wehavedecimatedthenativeplantdiversitythathistoricallysupportedourfa-voritebirdsandmammals. Atfirst,developmentleftislandsofsuitablehabitatinwhichmostoftheplantsandanimalsthatsurvivetodayfoundrefuge.Buttodaythesehabitatpatchesareminiscule,fartoosmalltosustainpopu-lationsofmostlivingthingsforverylong.Environmen-talistshowloverthelossofforestintheAmazon,butTal-lamysaysonly15percentoftheAmazonianbasinhasbeenlogged,whereaswellover70percentoftheforestsalongoureasternseaboardaregone. Therearemanycompel-lingreasonstochoosenativeplants,butthemostcompel-lingtoTallamyisbecause
theyfeedthebugs!Our na-tive insects cannot survive on alien plant species.Ifyoulookatthealienplantstakingovertheland—multiflorarose,autumnolive,orientalbitter-sweet,Japanesehoneysuckle,Bradfordpear,Norwayma-ples,mile-a-minuteweeds—allhaveverylittleornoleafdamagefrominsects.Whileitmightsoundlikeagardener’sdreamtohaveapest-freeyard,whatitreallymeansisasterileenvironment. Nearlyallterrestrialbirds(96percentoftheminNorthAmerica)reartheiryoungoninsects,notseedsorberries.Notseenasmanybirdslately?Perhapsit’sbecausethere’snothingtoeatinyouryard.(Yes,Ihaveabirdfeeder,too,butthebabiescan’teatthoseseeds.)Whatparentswillbuildanestiftheymusttravelscoresofmilestothenearestgrocery?Nobugsmeansno
birds. Thesamegoesforthebugs.Youwantbutterflies?Plantingbutterflyweedorabutterflybushwillfeedtheadult,butthatadultwon’tlayitseggsthereasthere’snoth-ingfortheemergingcaterpil-lartoeat.WhenIplantedJoePyeWeedandSwampMilkweed(bothnatives)inmyboggybackyardearlylastsummer,Iwasastonishedathowmanybugswereonthem.Thetypesofbugstherechangedwiththetimeofday,butatonepointIcounted15differentspecies—includingseveralmonarchbutterflycaterpillars—ononlyonebush!Perhapsthereweresomanybugsbecausethosefewbloomingplantsweretheonlyfoodinthevicinity.Clearly,theremusthavebeensome-thingelsetoeatastheyhadsurvived,butitwasasifmy
Monarch butterfly caterpillars are “specialists”; they lay their eggs and feed before they become adults only on milkweed.
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15Northwood News n April 2011
yardwastheonlydecentdinerintown. Nativeinsectsshunalienplantsbecausetheyarespe-cialists,abletoeatonlyafewplants(insomecases,onlyone).Iftheironefoodsourcedisappearsfromanarea,sodotheinsects.Theymightmakeittoanotherplantofthesamespecies,butifthedistanceistoogreat,they’llstarvebeforetheygetthere. Itiswithinyourpower,asanindividualgardener,tomakeadifference.Countlessspeciescouldlivesustainablywithusifwewouldjustdesignourlivingspacestoaccom-modatethem.Intoomanyplaces,wehaveremovedthefood,shelter,andnestingsitesneededbymostspeciesinourhastetomakevastparkinglots,shoppingmalls,lawns,
andsoccerfields. Biodiversityisessentialtothestability—indeed,theveryexistence—ofmosteco-systems.Weremovespeciesfromournation’secosystemsattheriskoftheircompletecollapse. IhavenotdonejusticetothecompellingargumentselucidatedbyTallamy.Iurgeyoutoreadthisbookyourself.IespeciallywishtodrawyourattentiontohisdescriptionoftheinvasionoftheFloridaEv-ergladesbyMelaleuca quin-quenervia(thepaperbarkteatree)andoftheislandofMan-hattanasanecologicalsink.Inthemeantime,nexttimeI’llcoverwhatTallamyconsiders“native,”andincludeatable(fromTallamyandothers)ofplantsnativetoourownregion,theChesapeakeBaywatershed. n
(continued from page 14)
Sustain Wildlife by Planting Native Plants in Your Own Yard
Update on Proposed South 4C Day Care CenterBy Jim Zepp Thedeveloper—CraigKay,Glimour-Brunett,LLC—sub-mittedarevisedapplicationon17Marchforthedaycarefacilityproposedfortheva-cantpropertyonthecornerofUniversityBlvd.andBrunettAve.(pictured).Thiswasinresponsetothestrongop-positionoftheFourCornersareacivicassociationsandtheunanimousvoteoftheCountyPlanningBoardtodenythisspecialexceptionrequest. TheMaryland-NationalCapitalParkandPlanningCommission(MNCPPC)staffhadrecommendedthisdenialbecausethefacilitydidnotcomplywiththeFourCornersMasterPlan,violatedspacerequirementsfordaycarefacilities,andwouldincreasetrafficcongestionintheFourCornersintersection.TheprojectiscurrentlyscheduledforahearingbytheZoningBoardofAppealson15April. Themainfeaturesoftherevisedapplicationinclude:nTotalcapacityof94chil-dren,rangingfrominfanttohighschoolages(25%morethanpermittedbytheCounty’s500square-feet-per-childstandard).Originallythisfacilitywastohavea150childcapacityandhadbeenreducedto120whenreviewedbytheMNCPPC.nExpectedtohave20staff.n36requiredparkingspac-es(staff=20,children=16).n28providedparkingspac-es(only78%ofrequiredpark-ingspaces).nAllsurfaceparking(un-dergroundgarageisgone).nBuildingis5,608sq.ft.
nEntrance/exitonGilmoureDr.andexitonBrunettAve.nCurbbumpoutononecornerofGilmoureDr.&Bru-nettAve.todirectneighbortrafficawayfromdaycareexit.nLaneshiftonBrunetttonarrowsouthboundlaneandallowdaycaretraffictoexit.
RelatedmaterialswillbepostedontheNFCCAwebsiteatwww.nfcca.org. Althoughtherevisedap-plicationmaycausethesched-uletochange,thesecondpublichearingiscurrentlyscheduledfor15April2011,9:30a.m.,attheStellaB.WernerCouncilOfficeBuild-ing,SecondFloor,DavidsonMemorialHearingRoom,100MarylandAvenue,Rockville,MD20850.Interestedpar-tiescansignuptotestifybycontactingtheZoningBoardofAppealsat240.777.6600oremailatBOA@montgomery-countymd.gov. nJa
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16 April 2011 n Northwood News
Property Ownership: Titling Your HouseBy Linda S. Perlman Oneofthemostimportantdecisionsthatyouwillneedtomakewhenbuyingahouseishowyoutaketitletotheprop-erty.Thereareseveralwaysthatpropertycanbeowned. 1. Sole Owner.Youownthepropertyindividuallyinyourownname.Wordsinthedeedsuchas“WilliamSmith,assoletenant”estab-lishtitleassoleownership. 2. Tenants in Com-mon.Thisisaformofco-ownershipwheretwoormorepeopleownpropertytogether.Wordsinthedeedsuchas“WilliamSmithandJohnJones,astenantsincom-mon”establishtitleastenantsincommon.Eachtenantincommonownerhasadivisibleinterestintheproperty.Mosttenantincommonowner-shipsaredividedequally(i.e.,50/50),buttheco-ownersdonothavetobeequalownersoftheproperty.Inthatcase,thedeedmightlistthetitleas“WilliamSmithastoa75%interestandJohnJonesastoa25%interest,astenantsincommon.” Inatenancyincommon,onthedeathofoneowner,thedeceasedowner’spercent-ageownershipinthepropertybecomesapartofhis/herestateandthatestatemustbeprobated.Thedeceasedowner’spropertyinterestdoesnottransfertothesurviv-ingowner.Ifthedeceasedownerleftawill,thatportionofthepropertypassestohis/herheirsnamedinthewill,whothenbecomenewtenantsincommonwiththesurviv-ingpropertyowner.Ifthe
deceasedownerdieswithoutawill(referredtoas“intes-tate”),thenthelawsoftheju-risdictionwherethedecedentwasdomiciledwillcontrolthedistributionoftheproperty. 3. Joint Tenants.Un-derthisformofco-ownership,propertyisownedbytwoormorepersonsinequalshares.Whenonejointtenantdies,his/herinterestintheprop-ertyautomaticallypassestothesurvivingjointtenant(s).Thisfeatureofjointtenancyownershipisknownastherightofsurvivorship.Pro-bateisnotrequired.Infact,ifthedeceasedownerhadawillleavinghis/hershareofthejointlyownedpropertytosomeoneelse,thatotherpersonwouldhavenoclaimtotheproperty.(Anexceptionwouldbeifbothjointtenantsdiedsimultaneously,inwhichcasetheirwillswouldcontroltheirinterestinthejointten-ancyproperty.)Wordsinthedeedsuchas“WilliamSmithandJohnJones,asjointten-ants”establishtitleinjointtenancy.Althoughthemagicwords“withrightofsurvivor-ship”arenotrequired,itisrecommendedthatthedeedexpresslystatethatajointtenantstitleisheldwithrightofsurvivorshipinordertomakeitclearthattheparties’intentistoholdtitleasjointtenants.Ifpropertyisownedbytwoormorepersonsandthedeeddoesnotspecifythetypeoftenancy,thentheown-erswillbeconsideredtobetenantsincommon. 4. Tenants by the Entirety.Thisisaformofjointtenancylimitedtole-
gallymarriedcouples.Themajordifferencesfromhold-ingtitleasjointtenantsarethatneitherspousecansellortransferthepropertywithouttheotherspousejoiningthetransfer(excepttotheotherspouse)andthatajudgmentcreditorofoneofthespousescannotforceasaleofpropertyownedastenantsbytheen-tirety(thiscanonlybedoneifbothspousesowethemoneyjudgment).Bycontrast,ajointtenancyownershipcanbeunilaterallyseveredbyoneofthejointtenantsandajudgmentcreditorwhohasajudgmentagainstoneofthejointownerscanforcethesaleofthepropertyinordertopaythejudgment(inthatcase,thejointtenantwhodidnotoweanymoneywillgetone-halfofthesalesproceedsandtheamountofthejudgmentdebtwillbedeductedfromtheotherjointtenant/judgmentdebtor’sshareofthepro-ceeds). 5. Life Tenants.Alifetenanthastherighttoresideinthehouseforhisorherlifetime.Insomecases,thelifetenantalsohastheabilitytosellthehouse(thisiscalledalifeestate“withpowers”),therebydefeatingtheinterestoftheremainderman.(Thepersondesignatedtoreceivethehouseuponthedeathofthelifetenantiscalleda“remainderman.”)Thedocu-mentestablishingthelifees-tatealsomayestablishotherrestrictionsorconditionsonthelifetenant’sresidency.Ingeneral,thelifetenantpaystheday-to-dayexpensesofthe
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17Northwood News n April 2011
Third AnnualR a c h e l c a R s o n
MeadowFestival
Sunday15 May 2011
1:00 p. M.–4:30 p. M.
Displays and Demonstrations
Provided bylocal environmental Groups and schools
enter your Pet in the “Pitting of the Pooches,”
the nFcca-sponsoredDog show
Much More!
Celebrating the Sense of WonderIn North Four Corners Park
featuring
The Washington Revels
HIHIHI
HIHIHI
Phot
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201
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M F
estiv
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y Ca
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Bar
th; R
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by A
leks
Bel
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revelsdc.org
18 April 2011 n Northwood News
house,suchaspropertytaxes,homeowner’sinsurance,andordinaryrepairs,whilecapitalimprovementsaredividedbe-tweenthelifetenantandre-maindermenbasedonthelifeexpectancyoftheimprove-ment.Alifetenancymightbeestablishedin,forexample,asecondmarriagesituationwhereyouwantyourspousetobeabletoremaininthehouse,butuponthespouse’sdeath,ownershipofthehousewouldreverttoyourchildren. 6. Trusts.Whilenottechnicallyaformofowner-ship,realpropertymaybeownedbytheTrusteeofyourLivingTrust(orothertypeoftrust).Uponyourdeath,thepropertywouldpasstothe
successortrusteesand/ortobeneficiariesyouhavedesig-natedinthetrustagreement. 7. Entity Ownership.Realpropertyalsocanbeownedbyanentity,suchasacorporation,limitedli-abilitycompany,orgeneralorlimitedpartnership.En-tityownershipisbeyondthescopeofthisarticle;however,youprobablydonotwanttoownyourprincipalresidencethroughanentity.Forexam-ple,ifahouseinMarylandisownedbyacorporation,then,evenifyouarethesoleshare-holder-ownerofthecorpora-tion,thepropertywouldnotbeeligibleforthehomesteadpropertytaxcreditwhichlim-itstheincreaseinassessmentsthatyourrealestatetaxesarebasedonto10%orlesseachyear. Whatformofproperty
ownershipisbestforyou?Mostmarriedcoupleschoosetobetenantsbytheentire-ties,butthatmightnotbetherightdecisionforeverymarriedcouple.Inaddition,estateplanningconsider-ationsmayfactorintothedecisiononhowtoholdtitletoyourhouse.Youandyourco-owneralsomaydecidetoenterintoaformalwrittenagreement,preparedbyanattorney,tocoversituationslikelytoariseduringjointownershipofyourhome.Keyelementsofsuchapropertyownershipagreementwouldinclude:provisionsforthedi-visionofthehouseexpenses;provisionsforoneownertobuyouttheotherowner’sinterestintheproperty,iftheownersdecidetogotheirseparateways;andprovisionstoresolvedisputes. n
House Titling(continued from page 16)
19Northwood News n April 2011
You Need The Best Professionals In this difficult market, you need the best! My Team provides color photo layouts, brochures, visual tours, featured Internet listings and general advertisements. The key to my success, is my ability to negotiate with all parties, including: inspectors, appraisers, lenders and settlement attorneys to close your transaction. “Seal Your Deal with Ciment”
SS/Northwood Specialist I have been serving the Northwood, Forest Knolls and Kinsman Farm area for over 33 years. If you are thinking of selling in the 2011, the Spring real estate market has begun and we need to talk as soon as possible!
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The only real estate number you need 301-622-7002
Local Numbers Barbara Ciment .................. 301-622-7002 CVS (Kemp Mill) ………….. 301-649-3500 CVS (Woodmoor) ………….. 301-593-5252 Forest Knolls Elementary ….. 301-649-8060 Forest Knolls Pool ….…....… 301-593-9883 Hoover-Fisher Florist .……... 301-593-4700 J.F. Kennedy H.S. ………….. 301-929-2100
Long &Foster Real Estate, Inc 301-468-0606 Magruder’s (Kemp Mill) …... 240-290-0722 Montgomery Blair H.S. …..... 301-649-2800
Northwood High School …... 301-649-8088 Sil Spr. Intl Mid. School ..….. 301-650-6544 Wheaton Ice Rink .................. 301-649-2250 Wheaton Library .................... 240-777-0678 Wheaton Recreation Ctr ......... 301-929-5500
Important Numbers Cable (Comcast).................... 301-424-4400 Holy Cross Hospital ............. 301-754-7000 Metro Transit Info ................ 202-637-7000 Montgomery County Govt ... 240-777-1000 Pepco .................................... 202-833-7500 Poison Control ...................... 1-800-222-1222 Recycling/Trash Pick Up ..... 240-777-6410 Telephone - Verizon ............. 1-800-837-4966 Time ...................................... 301-844-2525 Transit-Ride-On Bus Info …. 301-217-7433 Verizon (FIOS) ..................... 1-888-553-1555 Washington Gas .................... 703-750-2500 Washington Post (Delivery).. 202-334-6100 Weather Forecasts: Local ..... 301-936-1212 WSSC (Water Service) ......... 301-206-4001
Amtrak Info .......................... 1-800-872-7245 Arena Stage.......................… 202-488-3300 Baltimore Orioles ................. 1-410-685-9800 Baltimore Ravens ................. 1-410-261-7283 Folger Shakespeare Theater . 202-547-1122 Ford's Theater ....................... 202-347-4833 Kennedy Center ................... 202-467-4600 Merriweather Post ................ 1-410-715-5550 National Gallery of Art ........ 202-737-4215 National Theater ................... 202-628-6161
Recreation Numbers Olney Theater ...................... 301-924-3400 Redskin (Fed Ex Field) ........ 301-276-6000 Smithsonian Museum .......... 202-633-4629 Ticketmaster ……................ 202-397-7328 Verizon Center ..................... 202-628-3200 Washington Convention Ctr. 202-789-7000 Washington Nationals ……. 202-675-6287 White House Tours .............. 202-456-7041 Wolf Trap …........................ 1-877-965-3872 Zoo Information .................. 202-633-4800
20 April 2011 n Northwood News
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