By Ellen Robbins

The lines between old and new music are often blurred, especially when beloved standards are re-worked with understanding and sensitivity by younger musicians or even by their original creators. A sampling of our new music CDs is an evocative mixture that brings this idea home.

“Still the King: Celebrating the music of Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys” is a tribute album that is imbued with new life in the hands of ninetime Grammy winners Asleep at the Wheel. Bob Wills was known as the “King of Western Swing” in the 1930s well into the 1950s. In this 22-track release, Willie Nelson joins Merle Haggard, George Strait, Lyle Lovett and Del McCoury and other virtuosos in a dazzling display infused with unabashed enthusiasm for this rollicking genre.

2015 is the centennial of the matchless blues and jazz singer Billie Holiday. It’s no coincidence that Cassandra Wilson’s new album “Coming Forth by Day” is released now. Music reviewer Stephen Thomas Erleine has abundant praise for her celebration of Lady Day: “It luxuriates in its atmosphere, sometimes sliding into a groove suggesting smooth 70s soul, often handsomely evoking a cinematic torch song… moods that complement each other and suggest Holiday’s work without replacing it.” (allmusic.com)

Darlene Love is included among Rolling Stone’s 100 greatest singers. Her career spans 60 years from gospel to pop, and she appears in the academy award winning documentary “20 Feet from Stardom” (2013). Identified through much of her career with Phil Spector, who obscured her original style by attributing her singing credits to The Crystals, Darlene Love reemerges with her first solo album in 30 years. Produced by Steve Van Zandt, with songs recorded earlier by Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello among others, “Introducing Darlene Love” has had mixed reviews. Nonetheless, her vocal signature and prowess are abundantly clear. “This is likely the first album that Love has ever released to a wide culture of music fans who know her as the legend she always should have been rather than the footnote she once was” (Dave Bloom, Popmatters, 9/28/15).

A legend since he began his career with the Rolling Stones, Keith Richards is rated as fourth on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 greatest guitarists. “Cross-eyed Heart” is his first solo album since 1992. He has remained an unaffected original with unquestioned staying power. Elysa Gardner in USA Today observes that he is “one of the few vets in his field who has neither lost his edge nor devolved into a parody of his younger self. That enduring, effortless cool is rooted and reflected in his blues-based playing: muscular but not flashy, instinctively groovy, capable of brooding or stinging but also of expressing playfulness and joy.”

In their new album “Django and Jimmie,” Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard are invoking two icons that have inspired much of their music over the years: the gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt who was legendary in the 1930s and 40s, and countrywestern swing musician Jimmie Rodgers. Rolling Stone’s reviewer calls the album “a grab bag of new songs and rerecorded signatures fixed on the duo’s own mythology, largely sans blue yodels or gypsy jazz. Highlights are Haggard’s “Missing Ol’ Johnny Cash”…and “It’s All Going to Pot,” the “420 Day” single that shows two masters nailing the right song at the right time.”

In her album “The Trackless Woods,” vocalist and composer Iris DeMent is inspired by the poems of Anna Akhmatova, who was born in 1889 and died in 1966. Dement and her husband adopted a child from Russia when she was six, and this album is in part an attempt to build a “symbolic bridge” to her daughter’s homeland.” What is so amazing is that she is inspired by a past that is neither her own, nor strictly musical. According to NPR, “Iris DeMent makes music that celebrates humanity’s efforts toward salvation, while acknowledging that most of our time on Earth is spent reconciling with the fact we don’t feel so redeemed. Grounded in hymns, early country songs, gospel and folk, DeMent’s work is treasured by those who know it for its insight and unabashed beauty.”

Visit the Library soon to hear albums by some of the most creative and accomplished musicians recording today, who both celebrate and re-imagine their artistic inspirations.

This article appeared in the October 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Code Enforcement Staff

On or before Nov. 30, information will be sent out to all Takoma Park landlords informing them that they must apply for the renewal of their rental housing licenses. All applications must be submitted online as the City no longer accepts paper copies of the application for renewals. Email addresses are also now required by code.

If you own a rental housing property or unit in Takoma Park, you are required to obtain a rental housing license. There are five requirements that must be satisfied before the City will renew your rental license. You must 1) complete the online application, 2) pay the license fee (charged per unit), 3) maintain a valid Landlord certification, 4) must meet the lead risk requirements for the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE), and 5) successfully pass a property maintenance code inspection. Licenses are issued for the calendar year and only after all requirements have been met.

If your landlord certification has expired, we offer a class every other month at the community center that introduces and briefly reviews the requirements and laws that apply to rental housing in Takoma Park. The classes are held the third Wednesday of every other month on alternating mornings and evenings in the auditorium. If you plan on attending, please call 301- 891-7255 to register for the class. A schedule can be found on the City’s website.

New in 2015 is a change in the MDE requirements from a construction date of 1950 to 1978. Additional information is available online www.MDE.state.md.us/ lead or by contacting the MDE at 800- 633-6101 x4199 or 410-537-4199.

Why be licensed? If your property is not licensed, neither the tenants nor the landlords are protected by Takoma Park’s laws governing rental properties. This is especially important in dealing with health and safety issues, repairs, security deposits and issues with leases and rents. Please ensure that your rental property is licensed so that the rights of all parties involved are ensured.

This article appeared in the October 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

Loose leaf collection will be provided by the City from Nov. 16 through Dec. 18. Residents can rake leaves to the curb at their convenience during the fiveweek period. Most streets do not have an assigned collection day. The goal of the program is to collect leaf piles within two weeks of their appearance at the curb. Leaf collection is dependent on the weather and rain, or freezing conditions can slow collection.

There are five streets that receive collection days on scheduled days. These streets are State Highway routes and have a heavy volume of traffic.

• Carroll Avenue, from 7000 to 7800 block
• Ethan Allen Avenue
• Philadelphia Avenue

Collection for these streets will take place Saturday, Nov. 21 and Monday, Dec. 21.

• Piney Branch Road
• Flower Avenue, from 7900 to 8600 block

Collection for these streets will take place Monday, Nov. 23 and Saturday, Dec. 12.

There will be no collection on the Thanksgiving holiday, which is observed on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 26 and 27. Also, on the dates of collection for the posted streets, no other streets will receive collection (November 21, 23 and December 12, 21).

During the first three weeks of collection, the crews will concentrate on picking up large piles of leaves. During the last two weeks, the crews will thoroughly collect all remaining loose leaves from the gutter and grassy strip along the curb.

The Public Works Department welcomes your comments and suggestions about the service we provide. You can also call the leaf collection hotline at 301-891- 7626 to notify us when your leaves have been raked out. Our goal is to collect leaf piles reported on the hotline within 10 days of the call.

Please follow these guidelines:

• Rake leaves into a pile at the edge of the curb. Do not rake leaves into the street. Leaf piles can create traffic hazards.
• Do not park your car in front of a leaf pile, and when raking please avoid piling leaves where cars are likely to park.
• The vacuum leaf collection is for leaves only. Do not include branches, brush, vines, rocks or debris. These items can seriously damage equipment and delay collection.
• Do not pile leaves near storm drain inlets. Leaves can block the drains and cause flooding problems.

The City also provides weekly Monday collection for bagged grass, leaves, branches and brush all year long. The Monday collection requires leaves and loose yard materials to be in paper bags, trash cans or stiff-sided containers. Plastic bags cannot be used for yard material because these items are composted, and the plastic interferes with the composting process. Branches must be less than four feet long and less than three inches in diameter and tied into small bundles or stacked in a trash can. The Monday yard waste collection is cancelled when a holiday is observed on Monday.

This article appeared in the October 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

The Takoma/Langley Crossroads Development Authority (CDA) has partnered with the Hindu Temple of Metropolitan Washington and City of Takoma Park to sponsor a November 8 celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, which coincides with the Hindu New Year. Diwali celebrates new beginnings, the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.

The Diwali Mela will be held outdoors at 7505 New Hampshire Ave. from 2 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8. Musicians will perform on a stage with traditional instruments, and dancers will present traditional Indian dances. Numerous vendors will set up stalls selling Indian clothing, jewelry, housewares, henna tattoos, snacks and sweets. CDA member Ram Agarwal, who is Secretary of the Hindu Temple, volunteered to secure performers and vendors for the festival, and persuaded the Hindu Temple to co-sponsor the event. Ram’s Fast Tax Service has been in operation at 7487 New Hampshire Ave. for many years.

Numerous City-sponsored events are held every year in Old Takoma or the Takoma Park Community Center. The Diwali Festival is a new sponsorship that will attract residents to an area of the City unfamiliar to many. The Takoma/Langley Crossroads area is very international with a mix of retail and service businesses and professionals. Both “mom and pop” businesses and chains co-exist in a safe, stable area with a diverse population. Long associated with Latinos, today’s Crossroads includes Africans from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and Senegal, Caribbean natives, African-Americans, South Asians, Chinese, Koreans, and persons from the Middle East. For more information about the Diwali Mela, call 301-445-7910.

By Patti Mallin

On a Thursday afternoon last month, Karen Maricheau, director of Takoma Park’s Lifelong Takoma program and allaround Pied Piper, leads twenty-some middle and high school students and a handful of adults merrily through the computer center rotunda. Pointing to the left and right, she indicates where workshops will be held, where lunch will be displayed. She asks, “Who are my food service volunteers?” This is the second orientation Maricheau has led for the more than 50 volunteers who will assist her in running the 2nd Annual Lifelong Takoma Day.

In the year since the first event, Maricheau has tracked the needs of Takoma Park residents who contact her directly and gathered similar information from local agencies, churches, and other community partners. She and her planning committee built the agenda for this year’s program based on input from these groups.

The theme of “one community – engaged and inclusive” grew from a sense of disconnect and isolation that many aging residents reported. One person expressed it this way, “There are two Takoma Parks, one for the young and one for the old.”

However, young and old came together on this day. Community partners and service providers lined the front walk to the Community Center, ready to introduce themselves to Takoma Park residents. Mary Murphy, program director at SeniorConnection, explained the free transportation service available to eligible seniors. At the same time, she recruited others, including a young mother with an infant, as volunteers to help drive seniors to the grocery store and to medical appointments.

Right across the walkway, Michelle Dudley reminded visitors about the innovative FreshChecks program at the Crossroads Community Food Network, which helps put fresh fruits and vegetables into the shopping bags of senior citizens and low-income shoppers at the farmers market.

Participants in the financial fitness workshop, facilitated by Kristin Rodriguez, were concerned primarily about debt management. Rodriguez guided them through a decision-making process resulting in a personal plan for taking control of their debt, meeting a workshop goal of putting people in the driver’s seat where their finances are concerned.

The Housing Opportunities Commission of Montgomery County taught attendees how to register for affordable housing through the new online portal. While some were there to explore opportunities for themselves, others looked for opportunities for their adult children living with disabilities.

The social center of the day was the rotunda area outside the senior room and the public computer center. Lunch, and then snacks, were served there by a dedicated (and exceedingly busy) group of volunteers under the capable management of Joyce Seamens. Her team included veteran volunteer Gladys Harvey, also a member of the Lifelong Takoma planning committee, Montgomery College students Thareth and Vicky, and a host of others. Mountains of falafel and baklava fueled conversation among folks with walkers and those with strollers. As groups chatted over Blessed Coffee and apple juice, connections were made and community strengthened.

The day concluded with a “Community Conversation” about building an “agefriendly, intergenerational linked City.” The Takoma Community Band, whose members span generations, kicked things off. Bryan Goehring, representing Takoma Park Middle School’s Difference Makers, noted that the composition of that band is an example of what makes the City special.

Many residents are aware of the Snow Angels program (see p. 12) where TPMS students help clear the walkways of seniors and disabled residents during the winter. Goehring noted that an unintended outcome of this program is that some of the residents it serves have in turn volunteered to help the school in any way that they are able. Takoma Park appears to be on its way to building that linked community.

This article appeared in the October 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Bob Guldin

If you own a home in the historic preservation district of Takoma Park, and you have exterior work done on the house, you may be eligible for a sizeable tax credit from Montgomery County or the State of Maryland …. or maybe even both.

What’s more, Montgomery County in 2013 boosted the size of the tax credit it offers. For many years, you could get a credit of 10 percent of the amount you had spent. That has now increased to 25 percent. For example, if you spend $4,000 for a new roof this year, the county can reduce your 2016 tax bill by 25 percent of that or $1,000.

The idea behind these tax benefits is to encourage homeowners and commercial property owners to keep older buildings in good repair and to preserve the character of older neighborhoods.

A considerable portion of Takoma Park falls within the historic district. That includes most of North Takoma, the Old Takoma/PEN neighborhood, and the WACO or Westmoreland neighborhood, as well as a long strip of Carroll Avenue that reaches from Laurel Avenue to Sligo Creek Park.

To get a precise reading of what is included in our historic district (and other historic districts in the county), go to www.montgomeryplanning. org/gis/interactive/historic.shtm. You’ll find an interactive map that shows both the county and state historic districts. These overlap but are not exactly the same. On the map, you’ll see the county historic district in red and the state historic district marked with purple crosshatching. Zoom in or use the search window to find a specific property.

Here’s how the county credit works (and this writer has actually received these credits, so we know they’re real). The county credit is for exterior work only, like painting, repair or restoration, e.g., putting in new windows that look similar to your old windows. Remodeling work, like rebuilding a porch or a fence, may be eligible for the tax credit if you get a Historic Area Work Permit from the county before getting the remodeling done. The work must cost at least $1,000 in a calendar year, and you must have before and after photos and receipts or canceled checks from a licensed contractor.

You should apply to the county by April 1, 2016 for work done in 2015 to get your tax credit on time. According to Kevin Manarolla, a staffer with the Montgomery County Office of Historic Preservation, the county will generally consider applications for the previous two years.

The Maryland Tax Credit

The Maryland State homeowner tax credit — a separate program from the county one — can cover as much as 20 percent of your costs. It is possible to combine county and state credits. Add those together and you could get an impressive 45 percent reimbursement for your out-of-pocket expenses.

For the state program, the owner must spend at least $5,000 on eligible work in a 24-month period. There’s also a $50,000 cap on how big a tax credit can be.

The state program, run by the Maryland Historical Trust, differs from the county’s in several ways. For instance, to get a state credit, you must get a Historic Area Work Permit (i.e., prior approval) before work begins. The state also covers both exterior and interior work, such as refinishing floors or HVAC.

Collin Ingraham, the administrator of the state program, indicated that the first step a property-owner should take is to make sure their home is eligible for the state tax break. “Each historic designation is different,” he said. Another complicating factor: A property may be eligible for a state tax credit even if it is not in a historic district if the building itself contributes to the historic character of the neighborhood.

The state and county also differ in how they make the tax credit money available. Montgomery County subtracts it from the property tax you owe. The state applies the credit to your next income tax return.

Clearly, anyone who hopes to get a state tax credit should contact the Maryland Historic Trust (410-514-7600) very early in the process. You can find a useful fact sheet at http://mht.maryland.gov/taxcredits_homeowner.shtml.

Lorraine Pearsall, the vice president of Historic Takoma, urges residents, “Don’t be afraid to use the state tax credit, even though there are three forms and it makes people go cross-eyed.” She says her organization is ready, willing and able to help neighbors navigate the process and obtain the historic tax credits. Pearsall can be reached at info@historictakoma.org.

This article appeared in the October 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

Walk to School Day has become a regular event in Takoma Park. Each year on the first Wednesday of October, students, parents and school staff hit the streets together. This year, on October 7, Takoma Park, Piney Branch, East Silver Spring and Rolling Terrace Elementary Schools and Takoma Park Middle School will host events to encourage walking on Walk to School Day and every day. Check with your school PTA or administration for specifics.

On Walk to School Day, parents and teachers should take the opportunity to talk with students about best safety practices for walking to school:

• Use the sidewalk
• Always cross at the crosswalk
• Stop, look left, right and left again before crossing
• Make eye contact with the drivers
• Obey the crossing guards and traffic signs and signals
• Wear bright or retro reflective clothing so that drivers can see you

Parents can form walking groups or “walking school buses” to share the responsibility of escorting the students to school. When students are ready to walk without a parent, the buddy system is still always the best option.

Walking is good exercise. The First Lady, the Surgeon General and the CDC all recommend 60 minutes of physical activity per day for young people and walking to and from school counts. Numerous studies show that physical activity correlates to better academic performance. Walking to and from school prepares kids to learn. Walking to and from school is good for the environment.

Want another reason? It is fun! So take your child’s hand and experience the world from a different perspective. Enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the morning or afternoon and the knowledge that you are doing something good for your family, the community and the earth.

This article appeared in the October 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Amanda Stevens

You might have noticed a few things out of the ordinary along New Hampshire Avenue on the evening of July 18. You might have heard the melodies and rhythms of violins, trumpets and drums. You may have spotted new artwork. You might have even seen people you know dancing together in celebration of what New Hampshire Ave is, was, and could be.

Created by Dance Exchange and sponsored by the City of Takoma Park, this performance and community celebration was the culmination of a multi-year project known as “New Hampshire Ave: This Is a Place To… .” With major support from the National Endowment for the Arts and ArtPlace America, the project provided an opportunity for people to gather and reflect on the ways they shape what the place is today and what it will be tomorrow.

During July’s place-based performance, audience members accompanied performers on a journey of storytelling between Hampshire Tower, Takoma Overlook and the Recreation Center field. As they shared their stories of New Hampshire Ave, Dance Exchange transformed them into movement, weaving them together with Dance Exchange Founder Liz Lerman’s landmark work “Still Crossing,” to create an intergenerational performance by Dance Exchange artists and New Hampshire Avenue community members. Local musician David Schulman also joined the performance along with trumpeter Don Tillery and Taiko drummer Mark H. Rooney.

For almost two years, Dance Exchange has collaborated with the City of Takoma Park’s Housing and Community Development Department to use art and dialogue to create meaningful relationships between the people and places that shape New Hampshire Avenue. Led by Artistic Director Cassie Meador, this work “brings a range of people into conversation about their contributions and hopes for the Avenue.” The impact of doing so, Meador explains, “is already apparent, and the connections the project created, we hope, will live on after it ends.”

One way the project lives on is through the work of several local artists with whom Dance Exchange collaborated. Installation artist Nicole Salimbene, painter Fetunwork Amedie, photographer Ben Carver and multi-disciplinary artist Nguyen K. Nguyen captured the Avenue in a series of photo portraits, paintings and illustrations, which were installed in the Recreation Center field during July’s performance. During the next month, this artwork will appear on banners in public spaces throughout Takoma Park. To learn more, visit danceexchange.org.

This article appeared in the October 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Jim Jarboe

As of August 31, 2015, the Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department and the personnel of the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service assigned to the station have responded to 438 fire-related incidents in 2015. The department addressed or assisted with 2,169 rescue or ambulance-related incidents for a total of 2,607.

Totals for 2014 were 458 and 1,890, representing an increase 259 incidents. During the month of August 2015, the Takoma Park volunteers put in a total 1,294 hours of standby time at the station compared to 1,585 in August 2014. Grand totals as of August 2015 are 10,741 hours compared to 11,091.5 hours in 2014, a decrease of 350.5 hours.

Maryland fire deaths

The Maryland State Fire Marshal Office reported as of September 14, 2015, 42 people have died in fires, compared to 39 in September 2014.

Fire Prevention Week October 4-10

Theme: Hear the Beep Where You Sleep: Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm Fire Prevention Week commemorates the Great Chicago Fire, October 8-9, 1871. This two-day blaze killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres.

Mark the date!

Sunday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., there will be an “Open House” at the Takoma Park fire station. At the start of Fire Prevention Week, members will be on hand for show and tell regarding many activities on fire safety. Bring the family; it’s a time to learn and have fun.

Takoma Park VFD member receives prestigious training award

New EMT Bernice Williams was honored with the Richard B. Thompson Award for the top academic student in the class. It was presented at the EMT Class graduation held at the Public Service Training Academy on August 28. Member EMT Enoch Davis also graduated. Congratulations to both for a job well done.

This article appeared in the October 2015 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.