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MCPS Announces New Boundaries For Forest Knolls Elem. SchoolBy Frances Spiegel On November 26, 2019, the Montgomery County Pub-lic Schools Board of Educa-tion voted on new boundaries for Forest Knolls Elementary School. The Board’s deci-sion reassigns a portion of the Northwood/Four Corners neighborhood to Montgomery Knolls (Pre-K through second grade) and Pinecrest (third grade through fifth grade). The reassigned portion of our

neighborhood is labeled “F3” in the map on page 3. The redistricting was necessary due to severe over-crowding at Forest Knolls. The School Board determined that it was not feasible to ex-pand the footprint of Forest Knolls, and instead opted to build additions onto Mont-gomery Knolls and Pinecrest to address the issue. The Board’s decision follows an eight-months-long boundary study by MCPS planning staff, which included a community survey, public information meetings, and public com-ments submitted directly to the Board. The new elementary school reassignments start in September 2020; however, rising second graders in 2020 will not be reassigned until the following year, and rising fifth graders in 2020 will not be reassigned. Middle school assignments will not change. The Board’s resolution may be viewed at http://gis.mcpsmd.org/boundary studypdfs/Knolls_BOEReso-lution.pdf. School as-signments for individual addresses are provided at

Family Music & Arts Calendar ......5A new column from Carolyn Ross lists the shows in the area all ages will enjoy

A Guide to Organized, Engaging Public Speaking..........................7Aurea Sellmeyer’s Tips for Talks educational video may help your public speaking

Nearby Senior Centers Offer Many Programs ...................................9Bette Eberly-Hill outlines the services at the seven senior centers in the county

Forced Arbitration Bad for Con-sumers, Employees ...................10Richard Renner explains why

INSIDE

Next Meeting on 12th February The next meeting of the Northwood-Four Corners Civic Association will be held on Wednesday, 12 February 2020, at 7:30 p.m. at Forest Knolls Elementary School. The school is located at 10830 Eastwood Avenue, just off Caddington Avenue. Representatives from Maryland Advocates for Sustainable Transportation (MAST) and the Maryland Department of Transportation will speak to discuss Governor Hogan’s proposal to expand I-495 and I-270 (see page 2). All residents of the North-wood/Four Corners/Forest Knolls area are invited to at-tend and express their views. Please note that only paid members of the NFCCA are eligible to vote. (Annual dues are $10 per household and may be paid at the meeting.)

Published Bimonthly by the Northwood-Four Corners Civic Association February 2020

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Don’t forget! The next NFCCA meeting will be on February 12, 2020, from 7:30 p.m.–9 p.m.

at Forest Knolls Elementary School(10830 Eastwood Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20901)!

Our neighborhood has a city address of Silver Spring, but, as we all know, Silver Spring isn’t actually a city. Silver Spring isn’t a municipality at all; rather, it’s an unincorpo-rated part of Montgomery County. This means that we don’t have a city council, like Rockville or Gaithersburg. Instead, our most-local elected officials are our Montgomery County Councilmembers. In addition to District 5 Councilmember Tom Hucker, we are represented by two At-Large Council-members: Evan Glass and Will Jawando. This year, your NFCCA Board is prioritizing opportunities to have local elect-ed officials and leaders join us at our neighborhood meetings and events. At our December 2019 NFCCA neighborhood meeting, we heard presentations from Councilmember Evan Glass. Coun-cilmember Glass gave a detailed presentation on his legisla-tive agenda for 2020. He also answered attendees’ questions about numerous topics, including pedestrian safety. Council-member Glass has been a leading voice in the County’s Vision Zero pedestrian safety initiative. Through this program, the County is working to reduce the number of pedestrian and cyclist traffic fatalities by updating county roads, installing new traffic calming measures on some roads, and analyzing other measures that make our street safer and more walk-able. Anyone who has walked along Dennis Avenue in the neighborhood or down University Boulevard understands the need to improve pedestrian access to and across these streets. If you missed the meeting and have questions about what the Council is doing to implement Vision Zero, please contact Councilmember Glass through the www.montgom erycountymd.gov website. Another helpful voice advocating for neighborhoods through Silver Spring is Matt Losak of the Silver Spring Citi-zens Advisory Board (SSCAB). SSCAB advises the County on a number of topics and issues that affect Silver Spring. Mr. Losak also spoke at the December meeting and shared some of the SSCAB’s current initiatives. To learn more about these, please visit the county website listed above. Keeping with the theme of roads and traffic, we have in-vited a speaker for February from the Maryland Advocates for Sustainable Transportation (MAST) and a speaker from the Maryland Department of Transportation to discuss Gov-ernor Hogan’s proposal to expand I-495 and I-270. This has been a hot button issue in local politics, including in our neighborhood and surrounding parts of Silver Spring. MAST is a coalition of advocates concerned by Governor

Northwood News is pub-lished by the Northwood-Four Corners Civic Association. The NFCCA represents the ~1,485 households in the area bounded by Coles ville Rd. (Rte. 29), University Blvd. (Rte. 193), Caddington Ave., and the Northwest Branch. Any resident of this area is eligible to join the NFCCA. Annual dues are $10 per household and may be paid at any Association meeting or mailed to the treasurer. The Northwood News is published five times a year—in October, December, Feb-ruary, April, and June. To place an ad or discuss a story, please contact the editor.

EditorJacquie Bokow10603 Cavalier DriveSilver Spring, MD 20901301.593.8566editor at nfcca dot org

Visit Our Websitewww.nfcca.org

Northwood News

President’s Message

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Communicate With NeighborsNFCCA ListservTo join: nfcca-subscribe@ yahoogroups.com [add “un” to unsubscribe]To send messages to group: nfcca@yahoogroups.com

Nextdoor/Northwood-Four Cornershttps://nextdoor.com; enter your street address; choose “Northwood-Four Corners.”

Twitter: @NFCCAMoCoFacebook: www.facebook.com /nfccamocoPark [on FB]: NFCCAPark

3Northwood News FEBRUARY 2020

Hogan’s plan to expand I-495 and I-270. Of course, if the proposal is approved by the Maryland Department of Public Works, the Maryland Department of Transporta-

http://gis.mcpsmd.org/SchoolAssignmentTool2/Index.xhtml. The notes un-der the assignment indicate

tion would be instrumental in building and maintaining the expansion. We look forward to hearing from representa-tives of these groups, and hope you will join us at the February 12, 2020, meeting.

whether the address has been reassigned to Montgomery Knolls and Pinecrest. [Spiegel lives on Margate Road.]

Elementary students in the area marked “F3”—bordered by University Blvd., Colesville Rd., and Dennis and Eastwood Av-enues—will switch to Pine Crest Elementary in Woodmoor.

The Board of Directors for the Northwood-Four Corners Civic Association serves for one year and meets every month except July and August. Current officers (until October 2020) are:

PresidentSam Jones10702 Glenwild Road301.395.2722president at nfcca dot org

Vice PresidentEdward Levy212 Thistle Court240.988.8200veep at nfcca dot org

TreasurerSondra Katz10905 Lombardy Road301.593.4542treasurer at nfcca dot org

SecretaryLinda Perlman1203 Caddington Avenue301.681.3735secretary at nfcca dot org

At LargeRobin Loube10601 Cavalier Drive301.681.4987robin at nfcca dot org

Julie Whitcomb1019 Chiswell Lane301.509.5534julie at nfcca dot org

Karen Williams100 Snowy Owl Drive301.346.7815karen at nfcca dot org

‘Raffle Lady’Fiona Morrissey10301 Edgewood Avenue301.593.4026fiona at nfcca dot org

Immediate Past PresidentSharon Canavan10213 Edgewood Avenue301.593.0487ipp at nfcca dot org

NFCCABoard

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New FKES Boundaries Announced

President’s Message

4 FEBRUARY 2020 Northwood News

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Sales in Northwood/Forest Knolls: Since September 16, 2019

ADDRESS SALE PRICE SELLERSUBSIDY

CLOSEDATE STYLE BR BA/

HBA DOM LOTSQ FT SUBDIVISION

10206 Sutherland Rd $635,000 12/9/2019 Colonial 4 3 34 9,322 Northwood10420 Edgewood Ave $490,000 $5,000 12/2/2019 Cape Cod 4 3 43 12,597 Northwood Park10715 Glenwild Rd $481,000 9/30/2019 Bi-level 3 3 4 6,738 Northwood Park View10601 Lombardy Rd $470,000 $4,500 10/18/2019 Bi-level 4 2 127 7,032 Northwood Park View1100 Chiswell Ln $465,000 $9,300 10/4/2019 Split Level 4 2/1 30 8,465 Forest Knolls115 Northwood Ave $454,000 $6,000 9/27/2019 Cape Cod 3 2 16 9,908 Northwood Park

1118 Caddington Ave $450,000 12/4/2019 Ranch/Rambler 4 3 10 8,777 Forest Knolls312 Hannes St $450,000 10/22/2019 Split Level 5 2/1 7 8,855 Northwood Park

1013 Loxford Ter $430,000 10/21/2019 Split Level 4 3 123 10,370 Forest Knolls11108 Lombardy Rd $415,000 $500 10/30/2019 Ranch/Rambler 3 2 6 6,911 Northwood Park View

908 Caddington Ave $414,000 $7,500 1/6/2020 Split Level 4 2/1 7 6,011 Forest Knolls923 Malta Ln $410,000 $12,300 12/11/2019 Split Foyer 4 2/1 15 7,200 Northwood

1304 Caddington Ave $404,000 $8,080 12/13/2019 Split Level 4 2/1 21 7,116 Forest Knolls313 Ladson Rd $400,000 9/16/2019 Cape Cod 3 1 22 6,498 Northwood Village402 Hannes St $397,000 $5,955 10/29/2019 Split Level 3 2/1 8 6,012 Forest Knolls

10708 Lockridge Dr $390,000 $10,000 12/31/2019 Ranch/Rambler 3 2 59 7,659 Northwood Park View51 Kinsman View Cir $327,000 $9,500 10/29/2019 Townhouse 4 2/1 1 1,500 Northwood Park

Not all referenced properties are from my agent team or my broker. RETS data provided by BrightMLS is subject to change.

R5R5

5Northwood News FEBRUARY 2020

FEBRUARY 8–MARCH 22Zomo The Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Cre-ation MythImagination Stage (Bethesda), Saturdays and Sundays only, 1:30pm or 4:00pmpatrons.imaginationstage.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=6511 High-energy hip-hop adaptation of a Nigerian folktale (Helen Hayes-Nominat-ed Outstanding Production-Theatre for Young Audiences), puts a local spin and lots of silly humor on the global tradition of trickster tales. Ages 4+.

FEBRUARY 14–APRIL 5The Snowy Day and Other Stories Adventure Theater (Glen Echo), Morn-ing and Afternoon Showsmy.adventuretheatre-mtc.org/overview/snowyday Follow the character of Peter and his friend Archie around the neighbor-hood in four of Ezra Jack Keats’ beloved tales: The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie, Goggles!, and A Letter to Amy.

FEBRUARY 15John Henry the Guitar Playing Man’s President’s Day CelebrationAvalon Theatre (D.C.), 10:00amwww.theavalon.org/films/john-henry/ John Henry is known for perform-ing music and movement programs for children of all ages. This interactive program will engage children as they dance and sing during this concert.

FEBRUARY 15Obata Teen Arts WorkshopSmithsonian American Art Museum (D.C.), 1pmamericanart.si.edu/events/obata-teen-arts-workshop-February-15-2020 In this hands-on workshop, learn about teacher and modernist art-ist Chiura Obata, who, as a Japanese American, played an important role in creating a cross-cultural dialogue de-spite widespread prejudice against Asian Americans. Ages 12–16.

February 15–April 5ThumbelinaImagination Stage (Bethesda)

patrons.imaginationstage.org/single/PSDetail.aspx?psn=6515 Adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. Ages 4+.

FEBRUARY 16American Ballet Theatre Family WorkshopKennedy Center (D.C.), 11amwww.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/ballet/2019-2020/family-dance-workshop-american-ballet-theatre/ Free. 45-minute workshop led by artists from ABT designed for families with children age 10 and under. The workshop explores music, movement, and/or themes of a ballet while taking families through learning simple ballet steps or choreography. Children must participate with an adult.

FEBRUARY 16NSO Family Concert: Girl Power! Celebrating Women in MusicKennedy Center (D.C.), 2pm/4pmwww.kennedy-center.org/nso/home/2019-2020/nso-fam-girl-power/ A special showcase of female compos-ers, conductors, and performers to mark 100 years since the 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. Ages 5+.

FEBRUARY 20–235th Annual Mother Tongue Film FestivalSmithsonian (Various venues in D.C.), FREE!mothertongue.si.edu The Festival celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity by showcasing films and filmmakers from around the world over four days of free screenings in D.C.

FEBRUARY 22Mark Nitzer 4DBlack Rock Center for the Arts (German-town)www.blackrockcenter.org/event/mark-nizer-4d This world-champion juggler uses lights, music, special effects and his own incred-ible skill to put on a dazzling performance with thrills and outrageous laughs.

FEBRUARY 22Imagination Stage: Down by the StationAvalon Theatre (D.C.), 10amwww.theavalon.org/films/imagination-stage In this workshop, an Early Childhood Teaching Artist accompanied by a live percussionist guides you through a mu-sical exploration of the classic children’s tale. Ages 1–5.

FEBRUARY 22–23NSO for Young Audiences: Mozart Mash-UpKennedy Center (D.C.)www.kennedy-center.org/nso/home/20 19-2020/mya-mozart-mash-up-69550 Share the magic and music of Mozart in a special family concert when mem-bers of the NSO play favorites from the prolific composer. Age 7+.

FEBRUARY 29Wow in the World Pop-Up PartyStrathmore (Bethesda), 1pm/5pmwww.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/wow-in-the-world Sketches and games are inspired by topics from Wow in the World podcast with Mindy Thomas, and bring Wowzers from the audience on stage to be lab as-sistants and game show contestants.

FEBRUARY 29Family Jam Session: Discover Folk Music with The Sweater SetStrathmore Mansion (Bethesda), 10:15amwww.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/saturday-family-jam-sessions Raise your voice and sing! Maureen Andary and Sara Curtin of the soprano-alto duo “The Sweater Set” treat kids to a smorgasbord of sound with classic folk and original songs. Ages 4–8.

FEBRUARY 29–MARCH 1Family Theatre: Yao YaoKennedy Center (D.C.), Morning and Afternoon showswww.kennedy-center.org/whats-on/explore-by-genre/young-audiences/

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Family Music & Arts Calendar

6 FEBRUARY 2020 Northwood News

2019-2020/YAO-YAO_69366/ Yao accidentally pulls a thread that leads to a magical world blending reality and imagination. South Korea’s Brush Theatre uses interactive screen technology and live music to capture the whimsical adventure that follows. Ages 3–7. [Sat., Feb.. 29 at 11 a.m. is a sensory-friendly performance.]

MARCH 1Family Series: Hot Peas ’n’ ButterGeorge Mason University Center for the Arts (Fairfax), 1pm and 4pmcfa.calendar.gmu.edu/hot-peas-39-n-butter Family music ensemble blends traditional Latin music, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, jazz, bluegrass, country, and rock. Ages 2–6.

MARCH 7–8NSO Music for Young Audiences: 1-2-3 Andrés Kennedy Center (D.C.), Morning and Afternoonculturecapital.com/event/71213/nso-music-for-young-audiences-1-2-3-andrs Children’s Latin Grammy winner An-drés Salguero and Christina on a cultural exploration of Latin America. Families sing, shake, and sound out. Ages 3–6.

MARCH 7Holi Festival of ColorBlack Rock Performing Arts Center (Ger-mantown), 2pmwww.blackrockcenter.org/event/kuchipudi-holi A traditional Indian spring festival open to one and all! The biggest out-door paint fight in Montgomery County. Come dressed to play!

MARCH 7Family Jam Session: Discover Go-Go Music with Elijah BalbedStrathmore (Bethesda), 10:15amwww.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/saturday-family-jam-sessions In this family-friendly go-go (official music of D.C.) workshop and jam session you’ll learn about Chuck Brown, the “go-go swing” feel, and how the original

go-go beats were created. Ages 4–8.

MARCH 14–28Rigoberta, ¿Dónde Estás? A Journey Through GuatemalaGALA Hispanic Theatre (D.C.), 10:30am/3pmen.galatheatre.org/2019/07/rigoberta-donde-estas-journey-through.html 10-year old Pilar travels to Guatemala City in search of her idol Rigoberta Menchú; villagers along the way suggest questions she should ask the Nobel Peace Prize winner. A bilingual journey of self-discovery filled with stories, song, and dance.

MARCH 21Family Jam Session: Discover Classi-cal Music with Piotr PakhomkinStrathmore Mansion, 10:15amwww.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/saturday-family-jam-sessions Unlock your child’s inner Mozart with classical guitarist Pakhomkin. In this interactive performance, you’ll learn the basics of improvisation by clapping rhythms and compose original melodies using the musical alphabet. Ages 4–8.

MARCH 22Marsha and the PositronsThe Avalon Theatre (D.C.), 10amwww.theavalon.org/films/marsha-and-the-positrons-2 Fun songs about science and how the world works are playful, educational, and entertaining for kids and grown-ups.

APRIL 4Capital City Symphony—Meet the OrchestraAtlas Center for Performing Arts (D.C.), 10am and 11:30amwww.capitalcitysymphony.org/upcoming-events/2020/4/4/atlas-arts-for-young-audiences-presents-meet-the-orchestra An engaging and educational intimate program for young people to meet the mu-sicians and see their instruments up close at an instrument petting zoo. Ages 3–8.

APRIL 11Family Fun Series: Dance of HopePrince George’s Publick Playhouse

(Cheverly), 2pmculturecapital.com/event/73319/family-fun-series-dance-of-hope Dance of Hope brings Uganda’s cul-tural experience to global audiences of all ages. Experience passionate rhythms, sensational sounds, and exhilarating and colorful choreography.

APRIL 11Family Jam Session: Discover Blue-grass Music with Brad KolodnerStrathmore Mansion (Bethesda), 10:15am, Sensory-Friendlywww.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/saturday-family-jam-sessions Multi-instrumentalist Brad Kolodner takes families on an Appalachian music journey. From toe-tapping fiddle tunes to groovy banjo melodies and jubilant sing-alongs, explore the vibrant and rich tradition of bluegrass and old-time music. Sensory-friendly. Ages 4–8.

APRIL 19NSO Family Concert: Goldilocks and the Three DinosaursKennedy Center Concert Hall (D.C.), 2pm/4pmwww.kennedy-center.org/nso/home/2019-2020/nso-fam-family3 Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur… and a Dinosaur visiting from Norway! A hilarious take on a classic, retold by Mo Willems with music by Ben Folds. Ages 5+. (2pm show is a sensory-friendly performance.)

APRIL 25Family Jam Session: Discover Soul Music with CecilyStrathmore Mansion (Bethesda), 10:15am, Sensory-Friendlywww.strathmore.org/events-and-tickets/saturday-family-jam-sessions Join singer-songwriter Cecily to explore soul music. Experiment with elements like call-and-response; learn about influences such as gospel, blues, and rock; and celebrate the sounds of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Art Blakey, and more. Sensory-friendly. Ages 4–8.

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Family Music & Arts Calendar

7Northwood News FEBRUARY 2020

A Guide to Organized, Engaging Public SpeakingBy Aurea Sellmeyer Are you afraid of public speaking? Do you struggle with good presenting skills? If so, watching “Tips for Talks: A Guide to Organized and Engaging Public Speaking” might help. It is an educa-tional video I made in support of the public speaking compo-nent of the 4-H program. My video educates viewers about how to prepare for and deliver an organized and en-gaging illustrated talk or dem-onstration. I have firsthand experience with how intimi-dating and challenging pre-senting can be because I have been in a public speaking 4-H club for 11 years. The chal-lenges and growth I witnessed inspired me to do this project. Public speaking is an impor-tant life skill that every person will need at some point in time. I believe it is beneficial for everyone to develop their presentation skills to the best of their ability. Here are some of the tips I include in my video.

Eye Contact Good eye contact is one of the keys to keeping your audience engaged with you and your words. Proper eye contact means that you are purposefully connecting with your whole audience, looking to all sections of it (left, right, and center). If the idea of looking your audience in the eyes makes you uncomfortable, you can look at their foreheads rather than making direct eye con-tact. They will not notice the difference.

Body Language It is not just about what you say, it is also about what you do with your body. Body language can greatly help a presentation or it can be very distracting. While presenting, refrain from distracting behaviors such as: putting hands in pockets, twirling hair, rub-bing your nose, wringing your hands together, twisting your shorts or the bottom of your shirt, etc. These actions are distracting because the mo-tion pulls the attention away from what you are saying and that is the last thing you want. Watch the video for more tips and examples of students demonstrating these pointers. The purpose of my video is to educate and thereby benefit people as they learn about public speaking. I cre-ated it as a training tool for 4-Hers (and others) to help them learn more easily, and for their leaders, teachers, and parents to be more confidant in coaching. This video is my 4-H Level Six Diamond Clover

service-learning project. The Diamond Clover program is designed to push members, at age-appropriate levels, out of their comfort zones and guide them into leadership positions and community service. Level Six is the highest-level mem-bers can reach through 4-H and it requires members to propose and complete a size-able service-learning project that involves and benefits the community. 4-H requires the Level Six service-learning project to be sustainable. As there are always new kids and adults learning working on their public speaking skills, there is a continuing need for public speaking educational materi-al. My goal for this video is to broadcast it as widely as pos-sible to meet that need. You can find my video, “Tips for Talks,” through YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGt9EMC7U0o&feature=youtu.be. [Sellmeyer lives on Mar-gate Road.]

(continued from page 6)APRIL 26Day of the Book Street FestivalKensington, 11am-4pmdayofthebook.com A version of a Catalan tradition from the North of Spain called the Festival of the Rose. Children’s stage, book read-ings, music, and food.

[Compiled by Carolyn Ross on Lombardy Road. Follow her on Twitter @kindiemusicdc or at family musicnarts.tumblr.com.]

Family Calendar

8 FEBRUARY 2020 Northwood News

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Nearby Senior Centers Offer Many ProgramsBy Bette Eberly-Hill The seven Senior Centers in the County are great re-sources for seniors (age 55 or older) in our community. The Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center on Forest Glen Road is the only one with no member-ship fees. There are many different programs—recurring sched-uled ones and “special” ones—in art, educational lectures, fitness, games, health, music, sports, and technology. One of the most popular programs is called “Senior Fit,” which is a free exercise program that is offered every morning except Thursday at MSSC (Mon., Wed., and Fri. at 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., Tues. at 9 a.m., and Sat. at 9:30 a.m.), and at 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursdays at Wheaton SC. It is sponsored by Holy Cross Health and Kaiser Permanente, with paid instructors, and lasts 45 min-utes. The Senior Centers pro-vide many opportunities for individuals 55+ to participate in individual and team sports, and a huge variety of fitness programs. Sports programs currently include: billiards, badminton, basketball, pickle-ball, softball, table tennis, and volleyball. Many of these are open gym drop-in programs, which only require individuals to purchase a $30-per-year Gym Pass. The pass is good at all Montgomery County Recreation community center open-gym programs, and all skill levels are welcome. All of the Senior Centers except Wheaton serve lunch.

Lunch is served at noon every day. The cost of a meal is just under $6 for guests or spous-es under age 60. For seniors age 60 and over, a donation is requested. Advanced registra-tion is requested so they know how many meals to order, so call to reserve a meal at least a week in advance. Some Se-nior Centers also offer a “wait-ing list” for those wishing to have a meal at the last minute if there are any extra meals available. There is free curb-to-curb transportation—Monday through Thursday—to five of the senior centers (those at right with an asterisk). This free service is available to County residents 55 and over within five miles of the Senior Center they’re attending. It is sponsored by the Jewish Council on Aging. Pick up at homes starts at 7:30 a.m.; drop off starts at 3 p.m. Call the senior center you want to attend to request a ride. There are programs to meet the needs of older adults in early stages of diagnosed memory loss as well as to provide care partner respite. Each of the Senior Centers has its own newsletter with a calendar of events; see them online at the website below or call your local Center. Some special programs at MSSC include an AARP Driv-ing Course, a butterfly garden, a yearly yard sale (probably in May this year), music pro-grams such as the Akhmedova Ballet, and lots of programs by Community Partners. To enhance programs with addi-tional funding to supplement

The Seven SeniorCenters in Mont. Co.Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center (MSSC)*1000 Forest GlenSilver Spring240.777.8085

White Oak Senior Center*1700 April LaneSilver Spring240.777.6944

Wheaton Senior Center11701 Georgia AvenueWheaton240.773.4830

Long Branch Senior Center*8700 Piney BranchSilver Spring240.777.6975

Holiday Park Senior Center*3950 Ferrara DriveSilver Spring240.777.4999

North Potomac Senior Center13850 Travilah RoadRockville240.773.4805

Damascus Senior Center*9701 Main StreetDamascus240.777.6995

county funds, the Friends of MSSC, a nonprofit board of volunteers, was formed. For more information, vis-it https://www.montgomery countymd.gov/rec/facilities/seniorcenters. [Eberly-Hill lives on Pine-wood Avenue.]

10 FEBRUARY 2020 Northwood News

Forced Arbitration Bad for Consumers, EmployeesBy Richard Renner Congress passed the Fed-eral Arbitration Act (FAA) in 1926 to permit companies to agree to a way to resolve dis-putes that would be cheaper, quicker, and lessen the ever-crowded dockets of state and local courts. Through an arbi-tration agreement, the parties agree that, if a dispute arises between them, neither of them will go to court. Instead, they will request appoint-ment of an arbitrator who will hear from both sides and then make a decision. The parties typically agree that there will be no appeals. Whatever the arbitrator decides will be the final resolution of their dis-pute. Arbitration can be “pre-dispute” or “post-dispute.” With post-dispute arbitration, the parties agree to the arbi-tration process after their dis-pute has arisen. Pre-dispute arbitration means the parties agreed to arbitration before either of them knew that there would be any dispute between them. Since 1926, we have had the Civil Rights Movement, an environmental movement, and a consumer protection movement. There are a lot more laws now that protect our rights as employees and consumers. This means that there are more ways in which companies can be liable to their employees and custom-ers. To reduce the risk of li-ability, many companies have started to require that all their employees agree to arbitrate any disputes. These agree-

ments are then contained in the stack of documents that new employees have to sign. Current employees are some-times told that they must sign the arbitration agreement or be fired. American employ-ers now require 36 million employees to agree to forced arbitration of any disputes. These companies often ex-pand their arbitration agree-ments to their customers as well. Many on-line services now include somewhere in their “terms of use” a require-ment that any disputes must be resolved through the arbi-tration program picked by the company. When big companies re-quire that employees and con-sumers agree to arbitration as a condition of having a job or receiving goods and services, this “pre-dispute” arbitra-tion becomes “forced arbitra-tion.” The parties are not in the equal bargaining position imagined by our legislators when they enacted the FAA in 1926. Companies abuse the FAA by making the arbitration agreement one-sided. Not only does the company pick the arbitrator, or the arbitra-tion program, but they specify that no class-actions are al-lowed, hearings must be held in a particular city, deadlines for filing can be shorter, evi-dence and results are kept se-cret, and fees of the arbitrator can be foisted onto the em-ployee or consumer who dares to request arbitration. In a series of court cases, the Supreme Court has made clear that companies can get

away with using forced arbi-tration to protect themselves from liability. The FAA pre-empts state laws so that states cannot protect their citizens from forced arbitration. In one case, the court held that even an employee who re-fused to sign the arbitration agreement was still forced to use arbitration just because she continued to work for the company after she knew the company policy was to arbi-trate all disputes. When the arbitrator knows that the company used forced arbitration, and the arbitrator’s future employ-ment depends on staying in the company’s good graces, companies tend to win almost all cases that go to arbitra-tion. Many egregious cases of sexual harassment, race discrimination, and con-sumer exploitation have been thwarted when companies force them to the arbitrator of their choice. No court sys-tem would allow the richer party to pick the judge of their choice, but that is a fair de-scription of forced arbitration. The Economic Policy In-stitute found that, with forced arbitration, companies win 79 percent of the time, compared to 64 percent of the time in court. When workers or con-sumers do win in arbitration, they receive much less. The median jury award in federal court is $176,000, while the median arbitration award to a successful claimant is $37,000. Forced arbitration is different than labor-man-

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11Northwood News FEBRUARY 2020

agement arbitration. Union contracts typically provide for final and binding arbitration of grievances. For decades, labor arbitrators have known that they have to keep both bosses and unions happy with their decisions to keep getting work. As a result, decisions tend to look for ways to split the difference, or explain why a particular decision is for one side and not the other. Each side tends to win about half of their cases. Post-dispute arbitration also removes the incentive for an arbitrator to favor one side. On 20 September 2019, the House of Representatives passed the Forced Arbitra-tion Injustice Repeal Act of 2019, also known as the FAIR Act, by a vote of 225 to 186. If passed by the Senate and signed by the President, it would prohibit an arbitration agreement from being valid if it requires forced arbitration of an employment, consumer, or civil rights claim against a corporation. It is now stuck in

the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. When we have a Sen-ate and President who care about fairness to workers and consumers, the FAIR Act will become law and we will again enjoy our Constitutional right to a trial by jury. In the meantime, we can refuse to do business with companies and websites that require arbitra-tion. Check out the “terms of use” and provide feedback so that companies know they are losing business by forcing ar-bitration. For more information: www.nela.org/index.cfm?pg=mandarbitration employeerightsadvocacy.org/takingforcedoutofarbi-tration www.publicjustice.net/what-we-do/access-to-jus-tice/forced-arbitration www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1423. [Richard Renner, former-ly the Legal Director of the National Whistleblowers Cen-ter, lives on Loxford Terr.]

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Forced Arbitration Not Good for Us

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