The Takoma Park City Council sent a letter to the Maryland Higher Education Commission on March 1, 2016 voicing concerns regarding Montgomery College’s Facilities Master Plan process and asking it to postpone consideration of the 2013-2023 Montgomery College Facilities Master Plan until the required local stakeholder and municipal government consultation takes place.

Montgomery College is legally required to consult with the community and local jurisdictions. The City Council does not believe that consultation occurred in the latest Facilities Master Plan process. The Council shares its concerns about the development of the master plan in the letter addressed to the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

Excerpt from the full letter to the Maryland Higher Education Commission:

The Takoma Park-Silver Spring campus of Montgomery College is an important part of the Takoma Park community, both as an educational institution and as part of our physical landscape.

Because changes to the Montgomery College campus can have significant impacts on the greater Takoma Park community, it is important that the College, in its role as a neighbor, work with the residents and local jurisdictions in developing a long range vision of the campus,

View the full letter to the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

Thursday, February 18, 7:00 PM at Historic Takoma

Have a laundry list of energy-efficiency improvements? Not sure what improvements are worth the investment? Bring your energy audit reports, contractor proposals, and toughest energy efficiency questions for a second opinion without the sales pressure. Takoma Park Sustainability Manager, Gina Mathias, will be available from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm to review contractor recommendations and answer questions. Resource lists will be available for questions about contractors, rebates, appliances, and more. Gina can also help with your Green Home Certification applications and rebate applications. The Neighborhood Energy Challenge ends in March and rebate money is quickly being claimed, so now is the time to plan what energy efficiency improvements you will make! RSVP is not necessary, but very helpful: GinaM@takomaparkmd.gov; If you think your audit report/question/proposal may require research please email Gina ahead of the event.

Takoma Park Residents are invited to the 2016 annual Safe Grow event, Switching to Organic Lawn Care Methods!

2016 Safe Grow Lawn Care Event

Switching to Organic Lawn Care Methods

Tuesday, March 1, 2016
7:00-9:00 PM
Takoma Park Community Center – Sam Abbot Citizens’ Center
Auditorium

Come and join local lawn care expert Zack Kline from A.I.R. Lawn Care and get tips on transitioning from traditional lawn care to organic methods. Homeowners attending the event will receive a free soil test and an opportunity to receive a free lawn care consultation from A.I.R. Lawn Care!

Ten homeowners will be selected from the pool of applications for a free lawn care consultation. Applicants demonstrating serious lawn care issues will be selected.

Apply for the free lawn care consultation in advance on the Lawn Care Assistance Program page.

Check out the Safe Grow section of this website to learn more about the Safe Grow Act.

Visit the Community Conversations page for more event details & documents.

You are invited to join the City Council for a Community Conversation on Affordable Housing on Saturday, February 6th from 9:30 AM-1:15 PM.

Community Conversation on Affordable Housing

Saturday, February 6
9:30 AM-1:15 PM
Takoma Park Community Center – Sam Abbot Citizens’ Center

The meeting, the first in a series of Community Conversations on various topics, will provide an opportunity to learn and engage in a discussion about the City’s approach to housing, current trends at the local and state level, and some new ideas for addressing the issue of affordable housing in Takoma Park. In addition to City Council, subject matter experts from City staff and national and community organizations will be present to share information, respond to questions, and participate in the conversation.

The meeting will take place at the Takoma Park Community Center – Sam Abbott Citizens’  Center located at 7500 Maple Avenue.

This event has been rescheduled for February 23rd, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, in the Azalea Room.

You are invited to a free social event with music and delicious refreshments!

Celebration of Takoma Park Elders

Tuesday, January 26
Tuesday, February 23
10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Takoma Park Community Center – Sam Abbot Citizens’ Center
Azalea Room

It’s a fun opportunity to connect with other city residents, and learn about what is going on in the city and how we can support one another with living well.

Feel free to bring your music CD.  We will play it at the event!  For more information contact Karen Maricheau at 301-891-7232 or lifelong@takomaparkmd.gov.

Check out the Lifelong Takoma section of our website for more info (including volunteer opportunities) on the Lifelong Takoma program!

Event brought to you by Lifelong Takoma and the Village of Takoma Park.

The City of Takoma Park is saddened to learn of the death of former Mayor Stephen Joseph Del Giudice.

Mr. Del Giudice was Mayor of the City of Takoma Park from November 1985  to November 1990 when he resigned to be sworn in as a Prince George’s County Councilmember, where he served for 8 years.

From  Mr. Del Giudice’s obituary:

Stephen Joseph Del Giudice, former local official, lost his year-long battle to leukemia.  Mr. Del Giudice originally from Providence RI, current resident of Washington DC, passed in his home surrounded by his family in the early morning hours of December 17, 2015.  Mr. Del Giudice is survived by his wife Sheila Driscoll, his children Cara Lingle and Nicholas Del Giudice, his son-in-law Bryan Lingle, his grandchildren Colton and Grayson Lingle and his brothers, Peter, Dante, Michael and Joseph Del Giudice.  Family and friends will be received on Friday, December 18th , 2015 at Cunningham Turch Funeral Home at 811 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314 from 6pm to 8pm.  A celebration of life ceremony is to take place on Sunday, January 10th, 2016 at Maggiano’s in Chevy Chase from 12 noon to 3pm at 5333 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington DC 20015.

On December 2, 2015, the City of Takoma Park and two area hospitals filed their “exceptions” to the Maryland Health Care Commissioner Frances P. Phillips’s recommendation (with conditions) that Washington Adventist Hospital be allowed to move most of its operations out of Takoma Park.

Information on the Commissioner’s Recommended Decision can be found here.

The Takoma Park Exceptions Submission from the City of Takoma Park expresses its appreciation of the first recommended condition, which is to have the hospital open an urgent care center on the Takoma Park campus coinciding with the closure of the acute care hospital, and requiring that the center must be open every day of the year, 24 hours a day. The City’s submission expresses concern about the loss of emergency services at the Takoma Park campus, and urges consideration of a Freestanding Medical Facility (stand-alone emergency department) as a way to ensure that needed health services remain in Takoma Park.

Holy Cross Hospital and MedStar Montgomery General Hospital each also filed exceptions to the Commissioner’s Recommended Decision. The document filed by Holy Cross Hospital also encourages approving a Freestanding Medical Facility for the Takoma Park campus. Links to the filed exceptions documents:

• Holy Cross Hospital
• MedStar Montgomery General Hospital

Responses to the exceptions submissions are due by 4:30 PM on December 10. An Exceptions Hearing before the Maryland Health Care Commission will take place at 1 pm on December 17. The City of Takoma Park will ask to speak at the Exceptions Hearing. After the hearing, the full Maryland Health Care Commission is expected to take final action on the Certificate of Need request by Washington Adventist Hospital.

For more information, contact:

Suzanne Ludlow
City Manager
Email: SuzanneL@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone: 301-891-7229

The City of Takoma Park’s all inclusive City Guide is the best way to learn about all the great Winter 2016 classes available and events happening in Takoma Park from January to March. Sports, arts, library events, classes, and concerts… it’s all in the City Guide! Find your copy of the Guide in the December issue of the Takoma Park Newsletter, at either the Recreation Center or Community Center or here (hyperlink to City Guide page).  Registration for the Recreation Department’s programs begins Tuesday, December 15 at 8:30 AM, both online or in-person.

The guide is available on the City Guide page and will be in the December 2015 newsletter.