In September 2022, the City began preparing for the renovation of the library and community center. Since then, the library has been temporarily relocated to 7505 New Hampshire Ave., solar panels have been removed from the library roof, the library mosaic has been stored, partitions between the library and community center have been erected, interior demolition has been completed, and utilities have been disconnected.

In the coming weeks, prior to the demolition of the library, you may notice less parking availability at the Community Center as contractors periodically visit the site and materials are stored in preparation for the construction of the new building. The impact on parking during this phase of the project, prior to the building demolition, should have a minimal impact on access to the Community Center.

The demolition of the library is pending several final permits and approvals from local permitting authorities, most notably the County’s Department of Permitting Services. All permits and approvals are currently submitted and under review. While the timing of the release of the permits and approvals is subject to each permit authority’s queue, demolition is expected to begin in late March or early April. As the demolition date becomes more certain, notices will be provided to the community at large. Prior to demolition, a construction fence enclosing the entire construction site will be installed; however, the Community Center will remain open, and most of the existing City services will continue.

As a result of the construction, parking at the Community Center will be severely limited for both staff and residents. The City has prioritized parking at the Community Center for residents. Below is a map identifying patron parking at the Community Center during construction. Parking restrictions are expected to take effect about a week prior to demolition and last until the project is complete in Fall 2024.

City staff will park offsite on various private lots and public streets within walking distance of the Community Center. To limit the number of staff vehicles on any single street, City staff have been assigned specific streets and, in some cases, particular blocks to park. These streets include the 100 and 200 blocks of Grant Ave., the 7500 block of Maple Ave., Lee Ave., Sherman Ave., and Darwin Ave. Staff will be parked on public streets from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

There will also be several changes along Maple Ave. to accommodate parking during construction. Immediately in front of the Community Center, adjacent to the bridge and Maple Ave Community Center entrance, parking will be restricted to 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. On the adjacent southbound portion of Maple Ave., approximately three parking spaces will be reserved for City-owned administrative vehicles for the duration of construction. To stay up to date, visit: https://bit.ly/tkpkrenovation

A version of this article was featured in the March 2023 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

As we begin another month in much of the world, a date is abbreviated as day/month/year. The units get increasingly
larger – it’s logical! It makes sense. But, like our resistance to the metric system, American date abbreviations are not logical, as we typically invert the first two numbers: month/day/year.

Why am I telling you this? Because Pi Day relies on the weird American system of abbreviating dates. March 14 is Pi Day: 3/14 (or 3.14…). There is no April 31, so the rest of the world has to use our irrational system to celebrate Pi Day with us.

Sidebar: This is not exactly an aberration, as America tends to assert/impose its cultural hegemony all the time anyway, but I digress.

Second sidebar: Pi, or π as it’s written in mathematics, expresses the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. It is an irrational number, meaning it goes on forever, infinitely.

There are two popular themes for observing Pi Day, and they are Math and Pie, so I am combining them both to give you pie charts. They are not a cohesive series, just a reflection of some of the things I’ve been thinking about.

*note: “Indoctrination of a social agenda,” which, judging by the context, I tend to read as, “What if this book inspires my kid to engage in critical thinking that might upset my worldview?”

In total, all of these books represent a little more than one-third (36%) of children’s books published in the United States that year. I think publishers can (and need to) do better.

And, just for fun, some random pie charts for our Library!

Our young readers really love fiction! I also love to see our new adult books circulating so much.

Our staff’s language abilities include Spanish, French, and Amharic!

Have a lovely Pi Day, everyone! Celebrate with whatever form of Pi/pie you enjoy the most.

A version of this article was featured in the March 2023 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

We are pleased to announce Chris Parker, who joined the Recreation Department in mid-January as the Recreation Manager. He will oversee classes, facilities, special events, and our Community Center front-desk staff. Take a moment to get to know him!

Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your hobbies.
I was born in Philadelphia, raised on the Eastern Shore, and lived in Baltimore for the past 14 years. My hobbies are traveling and sports. Some of my favorite places to travel to are the Virgin Islands and Canada. My favorite sports are basketball, football, and baseball. I ran track in college. I have a daughter who just turned 4.

What recreation programs were you involved in growing up, and how did they shape who you are now?
I was involved in youth sports, and my coaches taught me about sportsmanship and teamwork. These programs helped me learn how to work with different people and adapt to changing situations.

What are you most excited about regarding your new position?
I am excited to learn about all the classes offered by the Department already, but I am particularly happy to be working with the recreation team and meeting new people around Takoma Park.

What have you enjoyed so far about the City of Takoma Park?
The diversity within the community has been refreshing. Coming from my previous position in Loudoun County, VA, it has been nice to see all the different people that live in Takoma Park and interact with them.

What kind of programs and classes would you like to bring to Takoma Park?
I would eventually like to bring a Track and Field program to Takoma Park.

This article was featured in the March 2023 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

Takoma Park is excited to have been the recipient of a grant from PEPCO to perform environmental improvements on the Circle Woods property.

Circle Woods is located in Ward 3 with pedestrian entrances in the 6600 block of Cockerille Avenue and 6700 Poplar Avenue. The property was acquired by the city in 1995 with the goal of preserving the floodplain from development.

Over the years, various stages of work have been done to improve the site, including stabilizing the streambanks and improving stormwater management. This site is noted as a significant resource to our residents and environment as a naturalized floodplain forest and short grass prairie.

Unfortunately, there are a number of non-native invasive weed species present on the site that pose a threat to this natural resource. As stewards of this property, the city intends to remove invasive species, followed by replanting with locally native plants. The ultimate goal is to increase the diversity and abundance of native plants and improve the aesthetic, recreation, and ecosystem value of the site.

The grant funds will be used to facilitate the removal of non-native invasive species, revegetation with locally native herbaceous and woody plants, and add informational signage about the environmental value of the site.

Opportunities for the community to be involved this spring will include site inventory and weed pull. If you are interested in being involved, email  Anna Mische John.

This article was featured in the March 2023 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.