Machine washing

• You can include your mask with your regular laundry.
• Use regular laundry detergent and the warmest appropriate water setting for the cloth used to make the mask.

Washing by hand

• Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
  • tablespoons (1/3rd cup) household bleach per gallon of room temperature water or
  • 4 teaspoons household bleach per quart of room temperature water
• Soak the mask in the bleach solution for 5 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly with cool or room temperature water.

Important Note: Check the label to see if your bleach is intended for disinfection. Some bleach products, such as those designed for safe use on colored clothing, may not be suitable for disinfection. Ensure the bleach product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser.

Using Dryer

• Use the highest heat setting and leave in the dryer until completely dry.

Air Drying

• Lay flat and allow to completely dry.
• If possible, place the mask in direct sunlight.

For more information on cloth masks, visit the CDC site.

—Ron Hardy, Emergency Preparedness Manager/Police Planning, City of Takoma Park

This article originally appeared in the September 2020 Takoma Park Newsletter.

So far, our youth have had to bear a much tougher year than what they’re typically accustomed to. With the curfew, the quarantine, the closing of businesses, parks and schools, the switch to online learning, not seeing or hanging out with friends, they’ve had to get used to many sudden changes. All this was done to slow the spread of COVID-19 with hopes that things would return to normal before summer.

Unfortunately, the spread of COVID-19 continued to increase, causing nationwide cancellations for summer programming and bringing more changes to an already confusing time for many children. Thankfully, the Takoma Park Recreation Department was able to bring a little bit of sunshine back to summer with Takoma REConnect, a virtual youth summer program.

The program consisted of two, forty-five-minute sessions (Ages 6–9 & Ages 10–12), twice a week, for a total of five weeks. With different weekly themes, such as Chef Cooking week and Dinosaur Week, staff and registered participants played games, created wonderful crafts, got moving with some exercise and even had special guests. It was a great and fun filled experience, allowing youth to safely REConnect with others in the community. A parent of one of our kids said, “My deepest gratitude to the team who is leading the REConnect program. My child loves to connect with you every call. Thanks for creating such a great and thoughtful program!”

While it seemed things were possibly returning to normal, with some businesses slowly phasing open, many were hoping to have children return to school. Montgomery County Public Schools decided to continue online learning until January 29, 2021 or until state and local health officials determine conditions in our county allow for students to return safely.

This means that children are still not yet able to return to the TP Community Center after school. So the year of change continues! Changes and adjustments are still consistently being made to properly follow health guidelines. We are happy to announce that starting October 2020, Takoma REConnect will continue as a monthly, virtual afterschool program.

Registration is required for each session. There will be similar elements of the summer Takoma REConnect with tons of new, fun and engaging activities. We’ll have special guests, make crafts, and play games, such as bingo and charades. We will use our creativity and imagination to create the best experience possible. Registration has already opened, and space is limited. If you have any questions regarding programs and classes, please contact us at recreation@takomparkmd.gov or 301- 891-7290.

This article originally appeared in the September 2020 Takoma Park Newsletter.

Maryland has adopted the “Massachusetts Self-Help Rule” that says you must assume responsibility for the care and preservation of your own property:

• This means that you can cut branches from a tree on your neighbor’s property that extends into your property.
• Always notify the tree owner first. However, you may not destroy the tree in the process, nor can you cut the tree down.
• Also, you must stop at the property line unless the neighbor has given you permission. It is best to have that permission in writing.

When a tree or its branches fall, it is considered an “Act of God,” unless the tree was known to be dead or hazardous:

• This means the portion of the tree and the damage from it that is on your property is your responsibility to clean up.
• The portion of the tree that ends up on a neighbor’s property and any damage to the neighbor’s properties is their responsibility.

Such accidents are normally covered by the affected owner’s home owner’s insurance and are usually resolved by reporting a claim. The exception to this general rule is that the owner of the property where the tree originated may be responsible for damage to a neighbor’s property if the owner knew, or had good reason to know, that the tree presented a danger.

The City of Takoma Park encourages neighbors to discuss tree issues long before tree failure becomes a problem and responsibility for any damage becomes part of the discussion. If your neighbor’s tree is hazardous, you have communicated that to your neighbor and your neighbor is not addressing the issue, then the City may step in and require the neighbor to have the hazard mitigated.

A tree whose trunk (even a small portion of the trunk) straddles the property line may be a shared tree, a shared responsibility, and therefore any cost for pruning, maintenance or removal would be a shared cost.

The City Code allows for the issuance of a notice of violation to the property owner requiring the hazardoustree issue to be addressed within a certain time frame. For those property owners who have limited income, the city has established an Emergency Tree Fund to assist with the costs of removal of a hazardous tree. Residents can apply for those funds by contacting urbanforestmanager@takomaparkmd.gov.

Reporting Problems

• If your tree is posing a threat to electrical lines or your house connection, contact PEPCO to get the issue addressed: https://bit.ly/3lQNe6j.
• If you want to report an unsafe tree condition on City property, contact the City’s Urban Forest Manager at urbanforestmanager@takomaparkmd.gov or 301-891-7612.
• After hours, contact the Takoma Park Police Department at 301-270-1100.
• To report tree issues on State roads such as Carroll, Ethan Allen, New Hampshire Philadelphia Ave, Piney Branch Rd, and University Blvd, contact the State Highway Administration at 410-582-5650 (District 3).

This article originally appeared in the September 2020 Takoma Park Newsletter.

1. The City will never know. The Housing Department gets calls all the time from tenants living in unlicensed basement apartments, whole houses, or even a few rooms within a larger unit. We also hear from City and County officials and other residents. These calls and complaints come to the City when your neighbors begin to see new people at your home, your tenants are noisy or disruptive, and/or there are maintenance issues at the property. The landlord doesn’t make repairs on time, doesn’t return the security deposit, or doesn’t provide proper notice for entry.
2. I’m a great landlord; that will never happen. Demonstrate that you are a great landlord by licensing your rental property. Completing the licensing program protects you and the health and safety of the tenant. Often, tenants do not know that they are renting an unlicensed property until they contact the housing department with a problem or a question. What starts as a good landlord and tenant relationship could end poorly. Landlords without rental licenses have no standing in court to proceed with an eviction and may unnecessarily expose themselves to liability because they have not had the rental property inspected before a tenant takes possession. Protect yourself and get a license.
3. The rental licensing process is way too complicated. The requirements for a rental housing license are completing an application, paying a licensing fee (this year it is $110 per unit), passing a lead risk inspection, a code-compliance inspection to make sure the property is up to health and safety standards, and a one-hour online course to acquaint you with local, County, and State laws regarding rental property. That’s it.
4. But the County permit process is the hard part, right? If you are licensing an apartment inside your residence or an addition to your residence, you do need to also apply to the County for permission for this Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU). The application process has been streamlined and the regulations eased to allow for many more ADUs than in the past.
5. The City or County will be at my property all the time. Renewal of a rental license requires a new code-compliance inspection. County inspectors conduct these inspections on behalf of the City. If your property is in good shape, this happens once every two years; otherwise it is an annual inspection. If you maintain your property and conduct your rental business properly, that’s it.
6. I’ll get hit with a big fine if I admit to having an unlicensed rental. Not if you get it licensed. If the City contacts you because the existence of the unlicensed rental has been flagged, you are given two weeks to submit the initial license application without penalty. If you voluntarily come forward and start the process, there is no penalty.
7. The City won’t let me charge what I want for rent. Takoma Park’s rent stabilization law does not apply to single family homes or ADUs. It does apply to individual condominium units and multiunit properties (two or more rental units), but you set the initial rent.

The truth: The Housing Department is here to help. If you want to learn more about licensing your rental property, start with our Rental Licensing web page. Go to www.takomaparkmd.gov and search on Rental Housing Licensing. Still have questions? Email Licensing Specialist Patti Mallin at pattim@takomaparkmd.gov or call 240-315-6721.

This article originally appeared in the September 2020 Takoma Park Newsletter.

Chief Antonio DeVaul of the Takoma Park Police Department announces that there are two vacancies on the Police Chief’s Advisory Board for individuals aged 16 to 21.

The board meets on the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Currently, the meetings take place over Zoom. In the future, they would take place at the Takoma Park Community Center. For information about the Board and its current members, visit takomaparkmd.gov/government/police/community-policing/chiefs-advisoryboard-members

If you are between the ages of 16 and 21, please submit a letter of interest to Cathy Plevy at cathyp@takomaparkmd.gov or mail to Chief Antonio DeVaul, 7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland 20912.

The board is briefed on all activities of the police department and brings issues and concerns to the chief’s attention. The board will be actively involved in the design and implementation of the future public safety model in Takoma Park. All applicants will be interviewed by the Chief of Police.

The City of Takoma Park is committed to serving all members of the Takoma Park community, irrespective of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or citizenship status. Chief DeVaul’s intent for the Advisory Board is that its members represent the diversity that makes our city a welcoming place to live and work.

We look forward to listening to and discussing youth concerns in our community.

This article originally appeared in the September 2020 Takoma Park Newsletter.

What are these fun activities popping up around town? It’s the Equity Walk!

Funded by a Community Change Grant from America Walks, Takoma Park’s Equity Walk is beginning to take shape.

With social distancing protocols in place, volunteers, like Diana McCown (pictured here), have started installing the stencils for the walk.

Soon TP residents will be able to walk the walk, talk the talk, while playing and learning about equity. For more information or to volunteer, contact Roz Grisy at planning@takomaparkmd.gov.

This article originally appeared in the September 2020 Takoma Park Newsletter.

By Taylor Dibbert

Wolfgang Mergner is a 2020 Montgomery Serves Award winner. He won the Neal Potter Path of Achievement Award. As noted on website for the award, honorees “have demonstrated remarkable commitment to direct volunteer service in our community, earning them Montgomery County’s highest recognition for volunteerism.”

Mergner has lived in Takoma Park since 1987. His deep and meaningful engagement with the community began almost immediately. “At that time, we had a lot of problems in our neighborhood … and crime, so we formed a neighborhood patrol with the help of the police,” he said. “We would walk every night in our neighborhood.”

Mergner subsequently worked with others and approached the Takoma Park City Council about creating a safety committee. He became the first member and then chair of the Public Safety Committee. The body was created in 1995. He chaired the committee from 1997 to 2001.

“Then emergency preparedness became an important thing; so the Emergency Preparedness Committee was formed,” he said. Mergner was a member of the committee from 2004 to 2011; he served as chair from 2008 to 2010.

Additionally, he was involved in creating the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). According to him, that CERT was very active for emergencies, including heavy weather like snow. “Residents of Takoma Park enrolled in this program for training and service in emergencies, such as shelter maintenance,” he said.

In 2002, Mergner became president of the Old Town Residents’ Association. He held the position for a few years. “It’s important to be organized and to represent your neighborhood,” he said of leading the organization.

Through the years, Mergner developed and maintained a keen interest in mediation. He joined the Takoma Park Mediation Program. He served as a board member from 2000 to 2004 and chaired the board in 2004. Mergner noted, “It’s very important to have mediation available in conflict resolution.” He was also a board member of the Montgomery County Conflict Resolution Center and copresident in 2010.

Mergner has extensive mediation experience. He spoke in detail about senior mediation. This interested him because he discovered that families were having so many fights over seniors, including matters pertaining to inheritance or discussing who would take care of seniors. “We saw mediation as a very good way of helping families come to an agreement as to how they handle these matters,” he said. And then his interest in seniors let him to his next big project.

“Pretty soon we discovered that seniors in Takoma Park needed more than mediation,” he said. “There were a lot of problems.” That was in 2011.

Mergner and others had seniors complete a questionnaire to better understand the group’s needs and desires. Transportation and access to doctors were big issues. “We decided to create a village,” he said. “In this case, a village means a grassroots organization that helps seniors live with dignity.” And the Village of Takoma Park was born. “We became and incorporated, non-profit organization in 2014,” he said. Mergner emphasized that creating and maintaining the village would not have been possible without significant and sustained volunteer support. Sandra Egan, Linda Carlson and Kathie Baker played big roles. From Mergner’s perspective, “these people need to be mentioned because they did extraordinary work.”

“Wolfgang’s a visionary,” Carlson said. “He had a vision for an organization built around the idea of neighbors helping neighbors, with a focus on seniors, and deserves enormous credit for the successful creation of the Village of Takoma Park, as does his wife Gertrud.”

Carlson, who has lived in Takoma Park since 1981 and been chair of the village’s communications committee since 2014, added that “[h]is gentle persistence, dedication to service, kind-heartedness, and firmness of purpose have been a real inspiration to many who have come to know him through his activities both with the village and in the broader community.”

Mergner served as president of the Village of Takoma Park for four years and retired in 2015. He’s most proud of the way that the village has grown. It now has about 250 members. At any given point, there are about 75 volunteers. (The membership number includes both volunteers and those who are being served.)

When it came to helping seniors, Mergner mentioned that his wife Gertrud was an enthusiastic supporter of the idea. She indicated that she would help him if he went down that path. “That was a very strong motivator,” he recalled.

Egan, who has lived in Takoma Park for nearly 39 years, believes the Village of Takoma would not be happening if it weren’t for the commitment that Mergner and his wife had to seniors. Egan currently serves as volunteer coordinator for the village, a position she’s held since 2014.

Professionally, Mergner was a medical doctor and an academic. He retired as professor emeritus from the University of Maryland in 1998. He earned his doctorate at Duke University. He was a pathologist and researcher in heart disease.

Mergner is staying busy. He took a course at the Takoma Park Community Center on memoir writing and is currently working on a book: “There are many people like me who suddenly discovered they have a past.”

“I had a very traumatic life, from being born in Africa, coming to Germany and having to adjust to Germany society,” Mergner said. He alluded to his experiences during World War II. He moved from Tanzania to Germany in 1940, when he was seven years old. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1964. “There are a lot of things to talk about,” he said. “Once you start writing things down, many, many things come to your memory.”

Mergner has seen and done so much. He has lived a full, meaningful life and contributed a lot to the Takoma Park community. And yet, he strikes you as someone who still has a lot more to give.

This article originally appeared in the August 2020 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter.  See the full newsletter here. 

Editor’s Note: This the second of a series of articles reflecting on death and grief that will run under the thematic heading, “So Many Memories.” With many people in the Takoma Park Community experiencing the loss of friends and loved ones, we decided to provide a forum for thought leaders in the community to offer their reflections on grieving and loss. If you have questions or would like to contribute, please email me at tpnewseditor@takomaparkmd.gov. —Apryl Motley

A Reflection on Grief

By John Robinette 

Five hundred words on coping with grief. That is the assignment.

Impossible.

There are no words, let alone five hundred, or five million for that matter, that can do it. That is the thing. Some of you have experienced grief. Gut-wrenching, nauseating, confusing, searing grief. Maybe you are experiencing it right now, and reading this is an act of courage no one can comprehend; the words blurring and dancing about on the page through tears and feverlike hallucinations. Others of you have borne witness to a friend or loved-one navigating the tumult and delirium of a full-on bout of the condition. Helpless you are to their helplessness – wondering what magic you can conjure from Earth or the Gods or the wind to ease their pain even a nanometer. And if it is a child’s grief, you’d happily hand over a limb or two as sacrifice if given even a probability of success.

There are those who speak knowingly of the stages of grief. Some offer insights on how long before you get on with life. Some invoke a deity’s plan in hopes of comfort. Or you may have your own ways to cope, like turning to drugs or alcohol like I did when my wife died suddenly at age 42. And do you want to know a secret? It works. At least scotch worked for me. For a while. And then it stopped working.

There are other things that help. Being with people helped me cope. So did being alone. Physical exercise was important as was sleep. My grief made me nauseous, and I barely ate for two weeks and lost 15 pounds. There are some who eat for comfort and gain 15 pounds.

I no longer subscribe to a specific faith. I lean Buddhist or Unitarian-Universalist. But for my money the wisdom in Ecclesiastes is hard to beat:

For there is an appointed time for everything. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.

There was grief in the Old Testament. Lots. They got it – the cyclical and transient nature of life. Strange comfort comes with the awareness of our own short lives and that all things, even my grief, will come to pass. And dancing? I added that. My late wife loved to dance, and whether in ecstatic joy or ecstatic misery, dancing is proper therapy.

I’m afraid I have no list of 7 items or 9 tips, for coping. I’m sorry about that. What I can say is this: Be yourself. Don’t let anyone say you are grieving wrong. The proper amount of time is the amount of time it takes. Ask for help; there is no shame in it. Get plenty of rest and exercise. Eat healthy food, and go easy on the liquor and drugs. There are people who love you.

Remember that.

You can do this.

John Robinette is a father and husband, re-married after the sudden death of his wife in 2010. In John’s book, Never Stop Dancing: A Memoir, which he wrote with close friend and co-author Robert Jacoby, such issues as male friendship in our modern era, how we look at life differently in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, and how we understand the concepts of love, God, and religion in our lives are explored. The book is based on John and Robert’s conversations during the year after John’s wife Amy died.

This article originally appeared in the August 2020 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter.  See the full newsletter here. 

By Rick Henry

The first two years of Takoma Park Police Chief Antonio DeVaul’s tenure – from January, 2018 to January, 2020 – were full of change, for him and the department he leads. New initiatives, new approaches, and new personnel practices were undertaken and implemented, as DeVaul repositioned and repurposed the department.

But the six months since that anniversary have made those two years of change pale in comparison. Coronavirus, public quarantines, and the “Black Lives Matter,” and “Defund the Police” movements have roiled the country and strained the relationship between communities and police.

In a phone interview (Friday, July 17), Chief DeVaul discussed how he and the Takoma Park Police Department are adjusting to the new challenges and shared why he believes the changes that took place during the first two years of his tenure have left the department well-aligned with the current environment.

Q: First, how are you personally doing during this difficult time?

A: Well, it’s a challenging time, but for me it has been a good opportunity to reflect both personally and professionally.

Personally, it has allowed me extra time to bond with my wife and kids so that has been good.

Professionally, there has been a reckoning with police across the country that is overdue and warranted, and I have had time to re-examine the functions of our police department to make sure we are taking advantage of the opportunity to affect change.

And I believe that whether it’s hiring, use of force, or the relationship between the police and the community, we are consistent with the kind of progressive policing policies that people are now advocating.

Q: Could you expand on that?

A: Let’s take recruiting and hiring. Since I have been chief, we have focused on recruiting a diverse workforce. We have hired more than 20 officers in the past two years, and 15–16 of them represent (gender, racial) minority groups. We have officers that speak Spanish, Amharic, Greek and Russian.

We are also focused on hiring people who want to be police officers for the right reasons. It’s not about how many pushups someone can do; it’s about how well a person can engage with the community. When I came here there was a focus on rewarding enforcement. We’ve changed that to rewarding community contacts – for instance, how many “Coffee with a Cop,” or “Youth Explorers” programs someone participated in. We want to practice positive policing and only issue citations for violations that mean something.

Another area where our policies line up with the reform movement is in trying to take a holistic and proactive approach to public safety, which means having mental health professionals and housing professionals work in tandem with officers to provide services and identify problems before they escalate.

Q: How has the current climate affected the morale and direction of the department?

A: It has been a positive force. As I said, we already had a lot of progressive policies in place, including many recommended as part of the #8CANTWAIT campaign (eight recommendations for reducing the harm caused by police in the short-term, launched by the police reform advocacy group Campaign Zero).

There has been an outcry to review how we do law enforcement in this country and here in Takoma Park. People are more inquisitive. That being said, we (the department) have been very open to citizen input. For example, we have revamped the Citizen’s Advisory Board. We have residents on the board who were selected because they may have been skeptical of police or they may have alternative views. They participated in a complete review of all of our general orders.

Q: One area where the citizens’ have spoken up recently is in petitioning for the elimination of the K-9 force (after a December 2018 incident where a dog viciously attacked a citizen.) What are your thoughts on that issue?

A: I am aware of the petition and right now we are evaluating all of our units, including the K-9 unit, to determine if they are best suited for the city. When I first got here, we had three K-9 units; now we just have one. We did have a horrific incident in 2018, but that is the only one of its kind involving Takoma Park in more than 30 years of the program. I don’t want to make a knee-jerk decision without conducting an educated, calculated review, including considering the racial equity impact of having a K- 9 unit.

Q: Amid all the call for police reform, there has been an uptick in crime in a lot of jurisdictions recently, including Takoma Park, to what do you attribute that?

A: I wish we (in law enforcement) could put a finger on the pulse of what is going on, but I think there is a national narrative related to the times. If people don’t have jobs, housing, access to mental health, crime can rise. Here in Takoma Park, we are seeing an uptick, but fortunately, not of the same type of violent crime that other jurisdictions are seeing.

Q: Any final comments you would like to make?

A: The most important thing we can do in this moment is to acknowledge the role race plays in law enforcement and society. To that end, I believe we have developed a strong relationship with our AfricanAmerican and Latino communities, especially the youth. As I said, I believe a holistic approach to policing and public safety is the right one, and I believe that is consistent with what we are doing here in the City.

This article originally appeared in the August 2020 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter.  See the full newsletter here.