Category Archives: News Alert

Category for Takoma alert items.

City Manager & Staff Blog, News Alert

Update from Chief DeVaul on the Peaceful Transfer of Power

 

Takoma Park residents, visitors and business owners, we made it through another peaceful transition of power. This did not come without planning and sacrifices by all of us. I wanted to share an email I sent to police department staff yesterday.

 

Message sent to TPPD staff on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2021:

“I wanted to extend my thanks to all of you, sworn and civilian, who have stepped up over the last few weeks to keep our community safe and secure. We have asked you all to come in on your days off, conduct additional patrols/duties, and perform many additional tasks. Every one of you did this professionally and without complaint. Your efforts are greatly appreciated and have not gone unnoticed.

Due to your efforts, Takoma Park residents, visitors and businesses were safe and secure and our nation was able to have a peaceful transfer of power. No matter what your political affiliation, watching the peaceful transfer of power is something you will never forget. I will never forget as a young officer standing out in the cold for hours on end while working the Inauguration Detail for President Bill Clinton. I remember how proud I was to be part of the peaceful transfer of power. Four Presidents later, I feel the same way.

Don’t underestimate your contributions today and every day. They make a difference! Keep up the great work!”

 

Please take the opportunity to thank our great team. They are well trained, professional, dedicated, caring, and service-oriented. I am proud to lead such a professional team and to be a Takoma Park native and your chief. Our community’s diversity, inclusiveness, caring for others and community service is what holds us together!

City Council & Mayor Blog, News Alert

Reflections on Inauguration Day by Mayor Stewart

 

 

Today we exhale a bit. The knots of tension that have formed in the base of our necks and shoulders soften, a bit. The last four years, and in particular the last year and the last two weeks, have been ones of stress, anxiety, pain, loss, and fear for our country.

 

We still face a great deal of work. But, the words of Amanda Gorman today show us that we can continue the unfinished work and begin the healing:

 

We’ve braved the belly of the beast
We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn’t always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we’ve weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished

 

I want to take a moment, on this day, to thank the residents of Takoma Park for their continued persistence, compassion, and dedication to justice.

To my colleagues on the Council, I am glad we have these next two years together under a new federal Administration to serve this great City. Together, we will respond to the ongoing pandemic, work to ensure residents are housed and fed and, as we recover, work to build a better and more equitable City.

To our City staff, we are grateful for the countless hours you have put in, and in just the last couple of weeks, your dedication to making sure we safely got to see this wonderful day.

And, today is a wonderful day.

With the swearing-in today of the Biden-Harris Administration, we now have the nation’s first female, African American, Asian American Vice-President.

 

And as President Biden said today:

 

“Folks, this is a time of testing. We face an attack on our democracy and on truth, a raging virus, growing inequity, the sting of systemic racism, a climate in crisis, America’s role in the world. Any one of these will be enough to challenge us in profound ways. But the fact is, we face them all at once, presenting this nation with one of the gravest responsibilities we’ve had. Now we’re going to be tested. Are we going to step up? All of us?

It’s time for boldness, for there is so much to do. And this is certain, I promise you, we will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era.

Will we rise to the occasion, is the question. Will we master this rare and difficult hour? Will we meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world to our children? I believe we must. I’m sure you do as well. I believe we will. And when we do, we’ll write the next great chapter in the history of the United States of America.”

 

As we continue the work ahead, let us find inspiration and strength in the words of Amanda Gorman:

 

We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it

 

Mayor Kate Stewart
City Council & Mayor Blog, News Alert

Safety Reminders from Councilmember Searcy for Inauguration Day

 

Dear Takoma Park Residents,

Following the Capitol insurrection on January 6 and on the eve of the Presidential Inauguration, I want to thank our Takoma Park Police Department, communications staff, emergency manager, and other City staff for working tirelessly to ensure the safety of our residents during this unprecedented time.  In preparation for the Presidential Inauguration, we have a few reminders for everyone:

  • Please avoid downtown Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, January 20.  
  • The Takoma Park Police are in an all hands on deck schedule. Therefore, you might see more police in the City than normal. 
  • Due to COVID-19 and increased security in the area, try enjoying Inauguration events from home. 

As always, if you see something of concern, please call our Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100 or call 911 if it’s an emergency. 

Stay calm and stay safe! 

News Alert, Public Notices

Police Chief’s Update on Security Preparedness

 

Over the last week, members of the city’s leadership and I have sent several messages regarding response to the unrest at the Capitol and security planning for the upcoming Presidential Inauguration. As I stated previously, there continue to be no direct threats to Takoma Park. Today we are in an all hands on deck posture, so you are going to see a high visibility presence in the city. The patrols will be in marked vehicles, unmarked vehicles, on foot, and other means. Special patrols are being conducted in our business districts and high profile sites in the city. Through this time and on Inauguration Day, an all hands on deck posture will be in place.

Our staff are on daily intelligence conference calls with our local, regional, and national law enforcement partners. Intelligence is being monitored in real-time.

We ask that all of our residents respect the orders put in place by officials in the District of Columbia and avoid all travel into the city. We also continue to ask that you all serve as our eyes and ears. If you see something suspicious, contact our dispatch center at 301.270.1100, or 911. Rest assured, we are doing all we can to provide security in Takoma Park and keep our city safe and secure.

We will continue to provide updates to the community throughout the week.

News Alert

What is the Role of the Emergency Preparedness Manager?

 

Since the beginning of the declared pandemic in Maryland, I have been coordinating with the Council of Governments and Montgomery County. In the first few months, there were daily conference calls sharing best practices, and efforts to obtain Personal Protective Equipment for staff. With the aid of the City’s Finance Department, I was able to track our pandemic-related expenses eligible for reimbursement through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  The City has been reimbursed for three projects thus far, and I have a fourth nearly ready for submission. Under the Coronavirus Relief Act, I have requested other eligible monies from the allotment given to Montgomery County.

An important part of my job is communication and information sharing with the City’s senior leadership staff and City Council. Through weekly conference calls and emails, I keep them informed of what is happening nationally, with our state, Montgomery County, and the City regarding changes in health regulations and availability of resources related to coronavirus relief.

With the recent violence at the Capital, and in anticipation of the upcoming Presidential inauguration, I have been working with the Police Chief and staff on information sharing, coordination, and City security. As we get closer to Wednesday, January 20, security has tightened and will continue to get tighter to protect our President-Elect and the City of Takoma Park against civil disturbances. Working with the City Police Department, I will assist in coordinating resources within the City and requests to Montgomery County as needed. Chief DeVaul and his staff have a plan in place for the City’s security and are prepared should anything happen.

When the pandemic passes, I hope to get back to community outreach and provide more emergency preparedness services.

Ron Hardy
Emergency Preparedness Manager
ronh@takomaparkmd.gov

News Alert, Public Notices

Update: Books-to-Go Service Expanding

 

 

When:
  • Starting Monday, January 4, 2021
Pick-up Times:
  • Monday-Friday: 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
  • Saturday: 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Residents can place book orders in two different ways:

Email Request (Strongly Preferred)

Email: librarytakomapark@gmail.com

  • The subject line: should include your name (even if it is part of your email address), the type of books you want (A for adult
    books, J for children’s/teen books), and either the last four digits of your library card or the month and day of your birthday.
  •  In the body of the email:  list the books you are requesting. It will help us to help you if you first search our online catalog, and provide us with the title, and call number (not the barcode). Also, please make sure it is available. If it is a fiction work, please use what we have in the catalog. For instance, the call number for Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is FIC SALINGER. For a non-fiction book, such as Birds of Eastern North America by Paul Sterry, the call number is 598.097 STERRY.
  • We will reply when we have fulfilled your request, and let you know when you may to pick up your books. Incomplete information will delay the process.

Phone Requests

To request books by phone, call 240- 507-0229 between 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday.

  •  We will ask you for your name and the last four digits of your library card number or the month and day of your birthday.
  • When you give us the titles of the books you want, please give us the author and call number as well (if you are using the catalog).

Pick-up Procedures

When you arrive for pick-up, please call 301-580-0085. We’ll bring out your books and leave them on a table for you to pick up.

 

News, News Alert, Uncategorized

Join Us for Martin Luther King, Jr. Week of Service and Kindness January 16-24

 

 

News from the MLK Committee.

Due to the pandemic, we regret to report that we aren’t holding our annual celebration with food and music this year nor are we organizing formal service activities.  But we hope you still honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday on Monday, January 18th.

You can help:

  • Local groups that are distributing food (see list below)
  • You can venture to Sligo Creek or any public area and do your own cleanup (use gloves and take trash and recyclables home)
  • You can offer assistance to the elderly or infirm neighbors.
  • You can perform any act of kindness.
  • And you can shine a light into the darkness, symbolically and literally.
  • Please go outdoors onto your front stoop or balcony 7:00-7:15 pm on MLK Jr. Day and lift a flashlight or a candle or your phone into the evening sky.

To quote Dr. King, “Even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow I still have a dream.”

MLK Committee members Jackie Frazier, Cherwanda Oliver, Cindy Dyballa, Jay Keller, Annie Mozer, Howard Kohn

Acts of Kindness or Service
  • Adventist Community Services distributes food and addresses other basic needs. On MLK Jr. Day (Jan. 18th) they will be sorting food and clothing outdoors at 501 Sligo Ave, Silver Spring. (In case of rain or snow, they will cancel.) Contact Terry or Joyce Seamens at 240-793-5108 to schedule a time to volunteer — 3 one-hour shifts each with 15 volunteers (at least 3 must be adults). Shifts will start at 10 am, 11 am and Noon.
  • Small Things Matter distributes fresh food and staples, with assistance from the TPSS Coop, Takoma Park Presbyterian church and the 9:30 Club. Currently they are looking for teens to earn SSL hours by making casseroles, baking, and bagging bulk items, and they ask that donations of canned foods and other nonperishable items be deposited in a grocery cart near the Coop service desk.  Volunteers can sign up at  https://montgomerycountymd.galaxydigital.com/need/?agency_id=81036
  • We Belong Here: Takoma Park Equity Walk is designed to challenge family and friends to explore equity by examining who we are and what makes us feel valued and included. Each station engages you in a fun, physical activity, then prompts discussion. Additional resources enhance understanding about ourselves and others.
City Manager & Staff Blog, News Alert

Keeping Takoma Park residents safe and secure is a team effort

 

It’s been a week since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol Building occurred. As you have seen from the messages of Takoma Park Police Chief Tony DeVaul, our police department is conferring with other public safety agencies, monitoring locations in Takoma Park, and scheduling staff to be prepared for the impacts of potential violent disruptions as we near the Presidential Inauguration on January 20.

Besides the work of the Police Department, all City departments are on call to serve the needs of public safety in Takoma Park. From communicating to the public, to reporting suspicious activity, to making sure we have barricades or equipment ready, to providing support to residents and staff, staff throughout the City government are working to ensure that we are prepared even as we keep calm.

As Chief DeVaul has said, there is no indication at this time that Takoma Park is a target. Please rest assured that we are working jointly to take care of our community.

What can you do?

First, avoid going to downtown Washington, D.C. on days of higher risk, particularly January 17-20. Inauguration activities are scheduled to take place mostly virtually, so you can watch safely from home.

Second, if you see or hear something that is especially concerning, contact Takoma Park Police at 301-270-1100 or – if an emergency – call 9-1-1.

Third, help bring down the anxiety level. The mental health pressures of these last months have been heavy, and comments or listserv postings that sound scary can add to the unease. Yes, be vigilant. But also help reassure others that we are in this together and the City of Takoma Park has your back.

Keeping Takoma Park residents safe and secure is a team effort. It involves all departments of the City government, our business owners, elected officials, and residents. In these unprecedented times, this team effort and collaborative strength will serve us well.

 

Thanks to you and the wonderful City staff for being this caring team!

Suzanne Ludlow

News Alert, Public Notices

SNAPSHOT: New COVID-19 Assistance Programs

 

Snap-Up Food Benefits

You can apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly known as Food Stamps) For more  SNAP information:  click here

Recertification periods due March 31st, 2021

Apply online:
https://mydhrbenefits.dhr.state.md.us/dashboardClient/#/home

Montgomery County Dept of Health and Human  Services Centers

  • Montgomery County DHHS – Silver Spring Center
    240-777-3100
  • Montgomery County DHHS – TESS Center
    240-773-8260
  • Maryland Hunger Solutions
    1-866-821-5552

 

Free Tax Prep

The Community Action Agency’s Volunteer  Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is currently using a virtual tax preparation model during the COVID-19  emergency. Virtual VITA allows residents to use an online platform to securely upload their tax documents and have their taxes prepared for free by a certified tax preparer. The VITA program is scheduling virtual appointments now for the prior year (2018) amended taxes, as well as 2019 taxes.

VITA provides free filing services for federal and state taxes. They also help with completing taxes for individuals with Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITIN).

Qualifications: Montgomery County residents with household incomes of $57,000 or less

Call to register: 240-777-1123 to schedule an appointment.

 

 

The City of Takoma Park reminds you: