Category Archives: News

Category for general news items.

Takoma Park Author Debuts First Picture Book

Cover of Let Me Finish! authored by Takoma Park resident Minh Le.
Cover of Let Me Finish! authored by Takoma Park resident Minh Le.

Join us on Tuesday, June 7, at 7:00 PM for a program featuring Takoma Park resident Minh Le, whose first picture book – Let Me Finish! – has just been published. Isabel Roxas, who illustrated the book, also will be on hand, and will do some live drawing for the crowd. Le’s book tells the story of a child who just wants to finish his book in peace. Each time he starts on a book, however, one of a series of well-meaning, and obviously well-read, animals inadvertently let slip plot spoilers in their eagerness to launch impromptu book discussions. Politics & Prose will be selling copies of the book at our event but the program is free and no purchase is required.

Takoma Park Maryland Library Links

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News: Children’s Room; Library Blog; Books; Teen Buzz

Takoma Park resident Minh Le , author of Let Me Finish!
Takoma Park resident Minh Le , author of Let Me Finish!
Isabel Roxas, illustrator of Let Me Finish!
Isabel Roxas, illustrator the of Let Me Finish!

Summer Fun at the Crossroads!

Takoma/Langley Crossroads will be hosting a series of Friday Nights on Holton Lane events! These free family events will feature films and concerts right across from the mural on Holton Lane.

Friday Nights on Holton Lane
1337 Holton Lane (across from the mural)
Takoma Park, MD 20912

So come on up to the New Ave and enjoy a food and craft vendors and a great (and free!) film or concert. Bring a chair or blanket! The schedule is currently:

Movies

All movies scheduled for 7:30-10:00 PM

  • June 17 – Akeelah and the Bee
  • July 22 – E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
  • August 19 – Las Mujeres Reales Tienen Curvas Nombre (Real Women Have Curves)

Concerts

All concerts schedule for 6:30-10:00 PM

  • June 24 – Ruthie & the Wranglers
  • July 29 – Elikeh (Afropop)
  • August 26 – The U-Liners
Crossroads 2016 Summer Series Presents Friday Nights on Holton Lane flyer
Crossroads 2016 Summer Series Presents Friday Nights on Holton Lane flyer

For more great community events check out the City Calendar!

iCan Shine Bike Camp Needs 40 Volunteers

Sign up to volunteer with the iCan Shine Volunteer Registration Form.

The City of Takoma Park Safe Routes to School Program is bringing the iCan Shine Bike Camp to Takoma Park!

June 27- July 1, 2016
Takoma Academy
8120 Carroll Ave.
Takoma Park, MD 20912

Photo of iCan Shine Bike Camp volunteer with bike rider
Spotters work with the same rider for each of the 5 days and experience the thrill of giving the gift of riding a bike!

About iCan Shine

iCan Shine is a non-profit organization that teaches individuals with a disability to ride a conventional two-wheel bicycle through its iCan Bike program, using adapted equipment, trained professionals and volunteer spotters. With 75 minutes of instruction over five days, over 80% of riders learn to ride a conventional bicycle independently by the end of camp.

40 Volunteers Needed

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED! Two volunteer “spotters” are needed per rider. Spotters work with the same rider for each of the 5 days and experience the thrill of giving the gift of riding a bike!

Volunteers must be at least 16 years old; be able to attend 90 minutes at the same time each of the 5 days of camp (15 minutes of training/daily briefing, 75 minute session); be able to provide physical, emotional and motivational support to assigned rider and be able and willing to get some exercise (light jogging/running) for a great cause!

  • Session 1: 8:30-9:45 AM
  • Session 2: 10:05–11:20 AM
  • Session 3: 11:40 AM-12:55 PM
  • Session 4: 2:00-3:15 PM
  • Session 5: 3:35-4:50 PM

Sign up to Volunteer with iCan Shine

Sign up to volunteer with the iCan Shine Volunteer Registration Form.

For more information and to view a video of last year’s camp visit the Safe Routes to School page.

Want to Go Solar? Join the Montgomery County Solar Co-op!

Takoma Park’s Sustainability initiative is teaming up with MD SUN (Maryland Solar United Neighborhoods) to provide Takoma Park residents with a chance to join a solar co-op. Come to an information session to find out more!

MD SUN Solar Co-Op Information Session

Tuesday, May 31
7:00 PM
Takoma Park Community Center – Sam Abbott Citizens’ Center
City of Takoma Park
7500 Maple Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912

To learn more and register for the information session, visit: www.mdsun.org/montgomery. Questions? Email: solarteam@mdsun.org or download a PDF of the event flyer (shown below.)

 

MD SUN Solar Co-op Flyer
The solar co-op is a great and affordable way to go solar in Takoma Park!

Meet 2016 Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall

Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall
Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall

Join us Thursday, May 19 at 7:30 PM in the Library’s Children’s Room for a chance to meet “reigning” Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall. She’s coming to talk about her newest project, illustrating a new chapter book series, The Witches of Benevento, written by John Bemelmans Marciano. The series, aimed at ages 7-10, focuses on five cousins and the way they outwit the many witches who live in their hometown of Benevento, Italy. School Library Journal noted of the first book, Mischief Season: “Magical spells and amusing characters with distinctive personalities, coupled with an engaging story with a twist, will captivate readers and leave them clamoring for future stories….”

Blackall won the 2016 Caldecott Medal for her illustrations for Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear. The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association to the artist of the “most distinguished American picture book for children,” and is regarded as one of the most prestigious awards in the world of children’s literature. Marciano, the grandson of Madeline creator Ludwig Bemelmans, has continued the Madeline series and also written several other books, including The Nine Lives of Alexander Baddenfield, also illustrated by Blackall.

At our May 19 event, Politics & Prose will be selling copies of Finding Winnie as well as the first two books of The Witches of Benevento series, but our program is free and no purchase is required to attend. Please join us for a rare opportunity to meet a Caldecott Medalist!

Takoma Park Maryland Library Links

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Visit Our Catalog and Digital Resources
Check Your Library Account (Sign in with your card number)
News: Children’s Room; Library Blog; Books; Teen Buzz

Tiny House “Proof is Possible Tour” and Workshop Comes to Takoma Park

Tiny Homes are cute, intriguing, and all the rage. You can check a real Tiny Home that TV and film personalities Corbett and Grace Lunsford actually live and work in! The Lunsfords will lead a week of Tiny House Tours and workshops for homeowners, realtors, and remodelers in Takoma Park. As a showcase for their 20-city “Proof Is Possible Tour, ” the Lunsford’s Tiny House is built to the highest performance standards – the most energy efficient, the best indoor air quality, the most comfortable, the most durable, net-zero, and with green materials. With built in sensors to prove it, this house demonstrates best practices that you can do yourself, and explains how to get your contractors to use best practices in your remodeling projects to deliver proven, verified results.

Photo of tiny home in a parking lot while on tour
Visit the Tiny House Lab in Takoma Park May 30 – June 3.

…plus it’s really fun to tour!

Visit the Tiny House in Takoma Park May 30 – June 3 from 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM each evening at the City Parking Lot up at the Takoma Junction, sponsored by ecobeco and the City of Takoma Park.

Homeowner workshop Wednesday June 1, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM at Historic Takoma, 7328 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912. RSVP  at http://bit.ly/DC_ProofisPossibleRegistration

The Peace Tree From Hiroshima

The Peace Tree From Hiroshima cover illustration
Cover illustration for the book The Peace Tree From Hiroshima

On Thursday, May 12 at 7:30 PM., author Sandra Moore and illustrator Kazumi Wilds will discuss their children’s book, The Peace Tree From Hiroshima in the Library’s Children’s Room. Their presentation is timely, given the announcement that President Obama will visit Hiroshima later this month. In our program, Moore, a local resident, and Wilds, visiting from California, will talk about how the book came together. The Peace Tree From Hiroshima tells the story of a bonsai tree that was cared for by generations of a Japanese family; the little tree somehow survived the bombing of Hiroshima and was donated 40 years ago to the National Arboretum by Japan to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial. Publishers Weekly called the book a “straightforward but affecting tribute to patience, dedication, and a generosity of spirit that surmounted tragedy.” Copies of the book will be on sale at the program, but the event is free and no purchase is required.

Takoma Park Maryland Library Links

Register for Library Events
Visit Our Catalog and Digital Resources
Check Your Library Account (Sign in with your card number)
News: Children’s Room; Library Blog; Books; Teen Buzz

Two Great Lifelong Takoma Events Coming Up!

Two great events are coming up courtesy of our Lifelong Takoma program including the Volunteer Takoma Community Fair 2016 on May 7! The Volunteer Takoma Community Fair is a great way to find ways to make a positive impact right here in Takoma Park!

Volunteer Takoma Community Fair 2016

Saturday, May 7
1:00-4:00 PM
Piney Branch Elementary School

7510 Maple Ave
Takoma Park, MD 20912

“Building Community Connections”: Come out to the event to learn about volunteer opportunities that are available with local nonprofits and the City.

This event is being hosted through the City of Takoma Park’s Lifelong Takoma Program.  Its’ purpose is to connect volunteers with city programs and community nonprofits who may need their help. Residents of all ages and abilities who have interest in volunteering are welcome to attend.

Registration will take place on site on the day of the event.  The event and food are free!

Prizes will be given to the first 50 to arrive.  For more information, please contact Katerina Maltseva at eKat@longandfoster.com or 240-210-2315, or Karen Maricheau at lifelong@takomaparkmd.gov or at 301-891-7232.

Aging Well Network

Tuesday, May 24,
10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Takoma Park Community Center – Sam Abbott Citizens’ Center
Azalea Room
7500 Maple Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912

Our monthly group meeting will be focused on “Food For Thought” at our event in May.  Participants are encouraged to bring a light dish or snack to share.  Kathie Baker will be facilitating a conversation on nutrition and the group is invited to share their tips on healthy eating.  There will be music for listening or dancing.  Come prepared to have a good time, make a new friend, try a new dish and join in the conversation! This event is hosted by the Lifelong Takoma Program and the Village of Takoma Park.

Sign Up for the Takoma Park Police Explorer Post 7500!

Applications due no later than Friday, July 15, 2016 at 4:00 PM at the Takoma Park Police Department

Learn about the Takoma Park Police Explorer Post and see if you have what it takes to be one of our newest explorers!

The Takoma Park Police Explorer Post is a partnership through Learning for Life and the Takoma Park Police Department. The objective of this program is for young men and women to begin a foundation of becoming good citizens with a background in law enforcement by learning Honor, Integrity and Leadership.

Service & Discipline

Explorers will work closely with members from many different areas of the Takoma Park Police Department. Participants will undergo classroom lectures coupled with hands on practical exercises to demonstrate knowledge and proficiency. While training can be rigorous, many Explorers find that they leave our post with many of the skills to be good people, citizens and employees in any field while making lifelong friendships.

Those individuals who are dedicated to the program find that they have an advantage in obtaining employment with departments. In fact, many previous Explorers have been hired by other police departments and have had successful careers while promoting within our organization.

Requirements

  • Minimum age of 15 years old but no older than 20 years upon entry
  • Maintain a 2.0 GPA
  • Free of significant or repetitive criminal and traffic violations
  • Free of alcohol or drug use, including abuse of prescription drugs
  • Must possess and display a high degree of honesty, integrity, discipline, morals and ethics
  • Must be able to attend weekly training meetings consistently

Mail your application to participate in the Explorer program to the Takoma Park Police Deparment’s Public Information Officer:

Catherine Plevy
Public Information Officer
Takoma Park Police Department
7500 Maple Avenue
Takoma Park, MD 20912

or it can be sent via email it to CathyP@takomaparkmd.gov. For more information call 301-891-7142 or 301-270-1100.

Takoma Park Police Explorer Applications

Links to the application (PDF) are below. The Youth Application should be used if you are 15-17 years old and the Adult Application should be used if you are 18-20 years old.

Through service, we learn to help others and develop who we are as Police Explorers!