By Kevin Adler

Anyone who’s driven through the busy intersection of New Hampshire Avenue and University Boulevard in the last few months has noticed the white girders soaring 30 feet in the air, forming a sleek, modern structure where a Taco Bell once stood.

The Takoma-Langley Crossroads Transit Center is well on its way to transforming the travel experience for thousands of daily bus riders. Built by the Maryland Transportation Authority for $34 million (construction and land acquisition), the facility is on schedule for completion this fall, says Paul Shepard, an MTA spokesman.

“It’s the first major investment in infrastructure here in decades. It’s modernlooking…physically, it looks like there’s something happening here,” says Melanie Isis, executive director of the Takoma/ Langley Crossroads Development Authority (Crossroads), which represents business owners in the area.

MTA is building the facility, and then handing over operations to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which will complete the finishing touches for a grand opening expected by the end of this year.

“The Transit Center will put all the bus passengers in one place, with easy access to their buses and transfers”

For WMATA, the Transit Center will streamline travel through what it calls the busiest non-Metrorail station transfer point in the Washington region. WMATA has found that up to 12,000 bus riders per day pass through the Crossroads area.

Under a translucent glass roof, the Transit Center will accommodate as many as 12 buses at a time. It will serving a dizzying array of routes operated by Prince Georges County, Montgomery County, WMATA and University of Maryland—as many as 60 buses per hour move through the area during rush hour.

Pedestrian safety and comfort is the biggest, most immediate benefit of the new development. “The Transit Center will put all the bus passengers in one place, with easy access to their buses and transfers,” says Erkin Ozberk, planner for the City of Takoma Park, and liaison with MTA and WMATA.

“It’s a bright, secure, sheltered facility with public restrooms. If you’re waiting for a bus, you won’t have to do it four feet from New Hampshire Avenue, exposed to the rain,” he adds. “If you’re transferring buses, you won’t have to run across busy lanes of traffic. And if you’re arriving on foot, there are new ‘signalized’ pedestrian crosswalks for the first time.”

Crosswalks and wider sidewalks also will help patrons of the stores and businesses in the area, says Isis. “So many people are in a one-mile radius, and many of them do not own cars. The Crossroads is where they walk to do their errands,” she says.

Drivers will benefit, too, because buses will conduct passenger pickups and dropoffs in the Transit Center. Because buses won’t be stopping in the right-hand lanes on New Hampshire and University, traffic flow will likely improve.

As important as it is to improve bus riders’ experience, the Transit Center could have an impact beyond transportation, says Reemberto Rodriguez, director of the Silver Spring Regional Center, which includes the Montgomery County part of the Crossroads area.

“Takoma-Langley is ‘undiscovered country,’ but very appealing to millennials moving to Silver Spring,” he says. “I’m totally convinced they will see TakomaLangley as the Columbia Heights we no longer have. They’re only a 10-minute bus ride from downtown Silver Spring.”

Plus, the Transit Center is perfectly situated if the Purple Line light-rail from New Carrollton to Bethesda is built. The Transit Center is, literally, the midpoint on the Purple Line, the 11th of 21 stations, Rodriguez pointed out. “It has the potential to be transformative,” he says.

And although the Purple Line has not yet been given the final green light (see page 7), the Transit Center has been designed with it in mind. The TakomaLangley Purple Line station would be in the median on University Boulevard, with safe access to and from the bus lines.

Even without the Purple Line, Takoma Park city officials view the Transit Center as an invitation for property and business owners to invest in the area. “We are optimistic that it signals investments being made in the Crossroads area, and that might spur property owners to make upgrades,” says Ozberk. “Also, we hope that the bold, crisp design might set a precedent for any redevelopment.”

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

The Takoma Park Emergency Preparedness Committee has vacation-head: time spent outdoors! Travel adventures! Family time! But while members wish all of Takoma Park a wonderful summer vacation, they also offer a few tips for staying safe. If you can answer “yes” to the following questions before you head out of town, you are more likely to enjoy the best of the season.

Have you…

• Checked the predicted weather forecast for your destination?
• Made a list of important numbers for medical, police, trauma, rescue units in the new location?
• Identified the nearest hospital or emergency room?
• Packed extra medications and any special items if you are stuck in a vacation area?
• Made a list any allergies or other limitations, should you need emergency care?
• Checked to learn if your medical insurance will be accepted in your new location?
• Packed the contact information for doctors and the pharmacy back home?
• If you are going hiking, camping, or in areas where you can be separated from your group/family, have you identified escape routes and a re-unification location before you set out?
• If you are traveling with small children, have you packed extra water, baby food, extra snacks, change of clothes?
• If you are driving, have you enough supplies and emergency items if the car breaks down?
• Do you have working flashlights and extra batteries, a cell phone car charger, emergency kit and updated car assistance (such as AAA)?

On the home front, have you…

• Given someone you trust a way to reach you in case of flooding, street damage or other difficulties at home?
• Ensured a continually ‘lived in’ look at your home, with light timers set for different times, in several rooms?
• Arranged for someone to take in mail, newspapers and packages, or stopped delivery of all these items?
• Arranged for someone to water plants and take care of pets, and made corresponding arrangements with a security service, if you have one, so alarms won’t be inadvertently set off?
• Have you considered the Takoma Park Police Department’s home check program? See www.takomaparkmd. gov/police.

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

With more than a dozen above-90-degree days on the record just a few weeks into summer, many residents’ Pepco electrical bills are soaring. While the city is pushing energy efficiency in its competition for the $5 million Georgetown Energy Prize, energy efficiency and staying cool this summer don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Here are a few tips to keep cool and keep those energy bills in check:

Air conditioning

• Blasting the air conditioner on the lowest temperature won’t help your home cool down any faster. Your AC will blow the same temperature cold air if you set it to 65 or 75.
• Make it a habit every day before you leave for work to set the thermostat to 85, and turn it to 76 to 78 when you get home.
• Thermostats: You can get a free programmable thermostat from Pepco Energy Wise Rewards program: https://energywiserewards.pepco.com/md and Pepco will give you bill credits all summer long if you let them cycle your AC down during peak demand days. Or, Washington Gas will give you $30 to buy your own programmable thermostat: http://bit. ly/1HpOsgd
• Run the AC on “Auto” so your air handler does not run constantly. Use small fans or ceiling fans in the room you are occupying as needed.

Find out where your energy is going

• The best step in finding ways to save energy, and finding out where your cool air is escaping is to have a professional home energy audit. Find a contractor and rebates at: www.takomaparkmd.gov/sustainability/energy-efficiency-rebates

Lighting

• Direct sunlight greatly impacts the temperature inside the home. The use of blinds, curtains and other window coverings during the day is a simple way to keep your house cool.
• On the topic of lighting; light bulbs also emit heat. Only about 10 to 15 percent of electricity from incandescent bulbs turns into light. Don’t wait to replace your old bulbs: The newer Energy Star LEDs produce 75 percent less heat, save energy and now fit almost every type of fixture.

Air dry dishes and clothes

• Because dryers use heat, their continued use will only make your home even hotter. For those unable to use the air drying method, it is recommended that clothes dryers and dishwashers be used either in the early morning or late evening, when heat levels are not as high.

Maintenance

• Replace your air conditioning filters every three months to save energy and have better indoor air quality.
• Clean your refrigerator coils every four to six months to save energy and reduce the heat your refrigerator produces.

Food

• Eat a popsicle, or some frozen fruit. Eating cool foods is a great and tasty quick fix for a hot day.
• Avoid using the oven and prepare no-cook meals such as salads and sandwiches, use a grill outside, or pick up take-out.
• Cut back caffeine and alcohol, both can cause you to dehydrate faster in heat.
• Spicy food causes you to sweat without raising your body temperature, so you to end up feeling cooler. Grab the hot sauce and spice it up!
• Don’t forget you need to drink more water when it’s warm.

Cool your skin not the air

• Keep a spray bottle in the refrigerator and give your face a refreshing spritz as needed.
• Use peppermint soap and lotion: Mint refreshes the skin and leaves a cooling sensation.
• Use a cool compress on your neck, and dip your toes in a cold bowl of water.
• Only turn ceiling fans or floor fans on if you are in the room. They cool your skin by flowing air past you, but they do not cool the air temperature.

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

Beginning Sept. 1, Takoma Park will begin collecting food waste on the same day it collects trash and recycling. The change is designed to increase the participation rate for the food waste collection program, and city staff expect a better setout rate per week after the switch.

Takoma Park currently collects food waste from 1,500 households, reflecting a city-wide participation rate of 39 percent. According to a Public Works survey, 70 percent of participants would prefer to set out food waste on the same day as trash and recycling.

In addition to the same-day collection change, the city’s sanitation crew will be taking over all food waste collection Sept. 1, as the city’s contract with The Compost Crew expires. The outside contractor had been collecting from about half of the food waste program participants; program costs will be reduced by bringing all collection services in-house.

Takoma Park began collecting food waste in February 2013. On average, each participating household puts out 13 pounds of food waste per week.

Households that have not yet participated in the program can sign up via Public Works web page at: www.takomaparkmd. gov/publicworks/food-waste-collection. Each new participating household will receive a five-gallon bucket and a bag of compostable liners.

Compost Collectibles

• fruit and vegetable scraps (fresh or cooked)
• meat, fish, shellfish (including bones)
• dairy products (cheese, butter, ice cream, etc.)
• bread, pasta, rice, grains, cereal, baked goods, etc.
• nuts, beans, seeds (including shells/hulls)
• coffee grounds, filters, tea bags (no foil or foil-backed products)
• paper products (paper towels, napkins, & paper plates)
• pizza boxes (remove non-food items)
• chopsticks and popsicle sticks

Leave these out

• diapers
• facial tissues
• fats, oils or grease
• pet waste
• styrofoam

If you have any question related to the program, please contact Nima Upadhyay, Special Projects Co-ordinator at 301-891- 7621.

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

Takoma Park was recently informed that as of July 1, plastic bags are no longer accepted at the recyclables processing facility used by the city. Residents may no longer include plastic bags or plastic film in curbside recycling bins. The ban includes grocery bags, newspaper bags, vegetable bags, bread bags, dry cleaning bags and all plastic film.

At the Prince George’s County Processing Facility, where Takoma Park’s recyclables go, plastic bags and film have been damaging the equipment used to sort and bale the recyclables, jamming and clogging the machinery. Also, the plastic collected from local homes is frequently dirty and contaminated with bits of broken glass and other materials, reducing the quality and value to manufacturers who use and purchase plastic film.

Plastic bags can still be recycled at many grocery stores in the area; recycling points are usually located near the entrance of the establishments. Participating stores accept clean, dry plastic bags and can market these because they are uncontaminated with other materials. The best option, though, is to use reusable bags or totes when shopping, or ask for paper bags instead of plastic, where available.

For more information about what can be recycled in Takoma Park, go to www.takomaparkmd.gov.

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

Spring Park, at the corner of Elm and Poplar avenues, will be the first of 12 Takoma Park parks and playgrounds to install new bulletin boards, designed for residents to share information about community activities.

The bulletin board project was orchestrated by Takoma Plays, Takoma Park planning staff, Takoma Park City Council, Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission and Takoma Park Public Works. Landis Construction is paying for the boards.

ying for the boards. The boards will be available for residents to post information about neighborhood events such as picnics and block parties, and could include reminders about city-wide activities such as play days, street festivals and outdoor concerts. After much discussion, City Council approved the posting of small advertisements that will appear on the bulletin boards. The ads must be no larger than 4 by 6 inches.

Pat Rumbaugh, director of Takoma Plays, is hopeful that the Spring Park bulletin board will be up by the end of July, and that the rest of the boards will be installed before Takoma Play’s Seventh Annual Play Day, on Saturday, Sept. 26.

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

iCan Shine is a non-profit organization that teaches individuals with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheel bicycle using adapted equipment, trained professionals and volunteers. Takoma Park is running an iCan Shine Bike Camp July 6-10 at Takoma Academy, 8120 Carroll Ave., and needs volunteers to help out.

The camp, which involves 75-minute sessions of instruction every day for five days, uses volunteer spotters who work with the same camper each day, in the same 75-minute time slot. Prior to each session there will be a 15 minute briefing for the volunteers on the camper’s progress and needs. Spotters run alongside the bike encouraging the rider by cheering and giving instructions. Volunteers must:

• Be at least 16 years old
• Be able to attend 90 minutes at the same time each of the five days of camp (15 minutes of training/briefing, 75 minute riding session
• Be able to provide physical, emotional and motivational support to assigned rider
• Be able and willing to get some exercise (light jogging/running) for a great cause!

For more information, contact lucyn@ takomaparkmd.gov or 301-891-7235.

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

Last summer, just after noon on an early August day, Takoma Park neighbors heard a disturbance in the 800 block of Colby Avenue and called the police. When Takoma Park police officers arrived, they found 73-year-old Cecil Brown violently beaten, dead in his own back yard. The Medical Examiner later determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the investigation began.

Neighbors were assured early on that this was not a random crime, and that it was unlikely there would be related incidents in their neighborhood. But police were necessarily stingy with the details as they worked to unravel the case.

Then on May 28, 2015, Brown’s widow, Larlane L. Brown, 68, and a man who investigations suggest was her lover, Hussain Ali Zadeh, 49, were arrested for first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder. The two were arrested at the Baltimore Washington Airport as Zadeh returned from a trip to Jamaica, and Brown was there to meet him.

The investigation reads like a detective story. There were phone calls and texts between Brown and Zadeh the morning of the murder. The suspects denied they knew one another well. But there were shared bank accounts. There was a silver Jaguar for Zadeh, purchased by Brown. And records of hotel bookings. A family member told police there was an affair. And, perhaps most damning, there were searches on Larlane Brown’s phone about how a person could die – death by burning, drinks that cause heart failure, taser shock – as well as hand-written recipes for poison.

Police were ready with evidence months before they were able to make the arrests, so when Zadeh returned to the country they acted quickly. Now Brown is being held at $5 million bond, and Zadeh at $3 million bail.

At the center of the sordid tale is Cecil Brown, who police described as well-liked by neighbors and family members, someone who was often out working in his yard, a man who, “doted on his grandchildren,” according to one account. “He was just a decent, respected man, a hardworking guy,” Takoma Park Police Chief Alan Goldberg told the Gazette newspapers at the time of the arrest. “It’s such a shame.”

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

By Jim Jarboe

As of May 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 269 firerelated incidents in 2015. The department addressed or assisted with 1,316 rescue or ambulance related incidents for a total of 1,585.

Totals for 2014 were 259 and 1,148, representing an increase of 178 incidents.

During the month of May 2015, the Takoma Park volunteers put in a total of 1,189.5 hours of standby time at the station, compared to 1,443.5 in May 2014. Grand totals as of May 2015 are 7,265.5 hours, compared to 6,368.5 hours in 2014, an increase of 897 hours.

Maryland fire deaths

The Maryland State Fire Marshal Office reported as of June 18, 2015, 33 people have died in fires, compared to 35 in June 2014.

Safety Messages

ALL FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY! Let’s be safe…enjoy them from a distance. Leave the fireworks to the professionals.

Grilling Safety

There’s nothing like outdoor grilling. It’s one of the most popular ways to cook food. But, a grill placed too close to anything that can burn is a fire hazard. They can be very hot, causing burn injuries. Follow these simple tips and you will be on the way to safe grilling.

• All cooking grills should only be used outdoors.
• The grill should be placed well away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
• Keep children and pets away from the grill area.
• Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill.
• Never leave your grill unattended.

Facts

• June and July are the peak months for grill fires.
• Thirty-three percent of home grill structure fires start on an exterior balcony or unenclosed porch. IT’S THE LAW… NO COOKING ON BALCONIES!

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

Activist Michael Walli, recently released after serving a two-year jail term for spilling blood on the top uranium production site for nuclear weapons in Oak Ridge, Tenn.; and Robert Alvarez, an international expert on nuclear proliferation issues at the Institute for Policy Studies, will headline the Nuclear Free Committee’s program on halting nuclear weapons July 16 at the Takoma Park Community Center.

The event also features the shocking video, “A Time Lapse Map of Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945.” The date of the event marks the 70th anniversary of the world’s first nuclear weapon detonation, the Trinity test , carried out by the U.S. at the Alamogordo proving grounds in the New Mexico desert on July 16,1945. The program will begin at 7 p.m. There is no admissions charge.

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