By Sean Gossard

For Chelsea Ritter-Soronen and Chalk Riot, creating murals has always been about more than just the art. That’s why, when the pandemic was going into full swing and local businesses started taking major hits, she teamed with Takoma Park to find a way to help keep those businesses afloat.

“When we saw the closing of small businesses – especially those owned by immigrants and people of color – we wanted to do something to support them,” Ritter-Soronen said.

Takoma Park-based Ritter-Soronen and her team at Chalk Riotbegan making colorful murals in chalk in late March on walls and on sidewalks to bring attention to nearly 40 restaurants in Takoma Park.

“It was educational for a lot of people in recognizing that Takoma Park covers more area than people may be thinking,” she said. “We put a lot of energy and emphasis on the non-main street and Carroll Avenue establishments.”

For two months, Ritter-Soronen and her team of hired artists took to the streets painting words of safety and encouragement and urging people to shop local and support Takoma Park business in a very difficult time. “We just wanted to encourage residents to keep supporting their local businesses as much as possible,” Ritter-Soronen said. “We also did some on community safety and health. We had one on mask wearing when it was a new concept, and we did one in front of city hall that said ‘Small and Mighty.’ ”

And although the chalk eventually washed away, there are still pictures and social media posts helping them live on. “Chalk is a beautiful reminder that all things pass, and it could be a good thing that nothing lasts forever,” Ritter-Soronen said. “During production of our almost 50 pieces, I listened to stories of grief, joy, resilience, COVID, immigration, birth, death. Public art can connect people, and those connections can enhance community organizing happening in pushes for a better world.” Ritter-Soronen usually works with her Austin, Texas-based partner Liza Fishbone on commissioned murals and other pieces around the country.

Ritter-Soronen, who has a background in theater design and set painting, said she first got interested in chalk art while looking to engage her community in St. Louis. “We were interested in the push for public art locally, and we were looking for ways to engage with the community in an accessible and fun way. Chalk art was the way to do that,” she said.

Currently, Chalk Riot is creating a more permanent wall-hung mural that will be placed around Takoma Park once it’s finished. “It’s still visually tied to the original campaign, and it will be a sort of cap-stone to the Takoma Park business initiative we did,” she said. “The first place it will go is the Recreation Center since it currently isn’t open at the moment, and it will be a way to keep the place active.”

Chalk art has also recently seen a major spike in interest nationally with people creating their own art pieces in front of their homes showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement. “It’s really been relevant in the past few months especially with people putting down Black Lives Matter messages,” Ritter-Soronen said “You can’t even find chalk in stores anymore!”

The name Chalk Riot is an ode to those who used chalk art to spread messages on the women’s suffrage movement to raising awareness on the AIDS epidemic of the ’80s and ’90s. “Suffragettes would use chalk to communicate where meetings would be and relay messages to each other,” RitterSoronen said.

Chalk Riot is currently working to put together an online toolkit for people interested in using chalk art as a form of peaceful protest with basic how-to’s and information on chalk art’s history in activism.

Ritter-Soronen is especially grateful Takoma Park and the community took such a unique and artistic way to get the word out about businesses and safety: “It’s really encouraging that the city prioritized public art as a tool of communication and support during such a difficult time.” For more on Chalk Riot, visit chalkriotart.com or check them out on Instagram @chalkriot.

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

By Rick Henry

The “Jarboe Battalion,” an unofficial group of Takoma Park firefighters that has existed for more than 50 years and was once seven men strong, is now down to a lone member. But that member is a Chief, and he has no intention of letting the legacy end anytime soon.

“Once a Chief, always a Chief,” said Jimmy Jarboe, 80, as he led a reporter on a tour of the Takoma Park Fire Station on a recent Sunday morning.

He explained that although he retired as a professional firefighter in 1988, because of health issues, he served as volunteer chief for 12 years (he retired in 2008), and he is still referred to as Chief. He is not the only Jarboe to earn that moniker, but he is the last to hold it.

Jimmy Jarboe’s brother, Teddy, was also known as Chief, having served as a Career Fire Chief in Kensington and as a Deputy Fire Chief in Montgomery County, passed away suddenly in February (read his obituary in the April 2019 newsletter), leaving Jimmy as the last of a family that has served as firefighters in Takoma Park and Montgomery County since 1956. (Read the article on the “Family Tradition” in the November 2019 newsletter.)

It was Teddy who was the first Jarboe to join, volunteering at age 16 in 1956. Jimmy followed soon after, and they were quickly joined by three more brothers, their father and their uncle.

But it was Teddy who was the leader, and his sudden death hit Jimmy hard. “It was a shock,” said Jimmy. “He was my number one input and influence.”

Teddy’s background as a longtime firefighter and fire safety educator profoundly shaped Jimmy’s work as a community fire safety advocate, a role he has embraced as a volunteer since his retirement as a professional firefighter. In this role, he attends community events and festivals, speaks at schools and generally takes every opportunity he can to educate the community about fire safety.

It is an important role, and one that only adds to an impressive legacy, said Darrell Hout, Montgomery County Fire Rescue Service Captain, Station Commander, assigned to the Takoma Park station. “He has been doing education and outreach for decades,” Hout said of Jimmy Jarboe. He was one of the originators of the smoke detector program here in Takoma Park.

“His heart has always been in it,” Hout said. And it still is.

On that recent Sunday morning, Jimmy eagerly cornered Hout to propose a new idea for reaching out to the community. And, of course, Jimmy volunteered to be the person to implement it. Which begs the question, “Does he see a time when he will give up volunteering?”

“My wife just asked me if I’ll ever stop,” he said, chuckling. “I’ve been around the firehouse a long time. I rode the trucks for 50 years, and now I really like working with the community and educating the public about fire safety.

“Plus, it’s helping people, it’s saving lives, and being around the station and the people is fun.”

In other words, the Jarboe legacy seems destined to live on. For that, we in the Takoma Park community can all be thankful.

This article appeared in the May 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Jan van Zutphen, Urban Forest Manager

Trees are a great resource for a community. The environmental and social benefits trees provide are significant. However, trees need to be maintained to provide those benefits in a safe manner. Large trees located near, for example, buildings, roads and playgrounds need to be monitored regularly to ensure any dying branches, structural problems or insect/disease issues get identified and addressed. Tree hazards can be easily overlooked by the untrained eye. In our busy lives, few of us spend much time looking up into the tree canopy of the trees in our yard. A large tree branch can weigh several hundred pounds, and if it fails, can cause extensive property damage and severe injury or even death.

Preventing Tree (limb) Failure

Tree or tree limb failure is usually preventable. It is recommended that trees, especially large trees, be inspected by a Licensed Tree Expert (LTE) every two to three years. These regular inspections by a trained professional can identify structural issues, dead or dying branches or tree illness and disease. Typically, it does not cost anything to have a LTE visit a property and inspect trees.

If a more detailed inspection is recommended, a tree care company will provide an estimate of the cost for those services. It is recommended that you contact several tree care companies and have their LTEs visit the property and provide recommendations and quotes for any needed tree work. Be sure that the tree care company you hire is licensed by the State of Maryland and insured. It is also beneficial to develop a long-term relationship with an LTE who will become familiar with your trees and their health over time.

Determining the likelihood of tree failure requires a significant level of experience and knowledge about how trees grow, how they fail and what characteristics make a tree “risky.” Assessing tree risk requires special training and experience, and LTEs are specifically knowledgeable in determining the structural integrity of a tree and the risk it may present. While there are self-surveys of trees that property owners can conduct to determine obvious issues, there is no substitute for a professional assessment of the health of a tree.

Following City and State Regulations

When you have any tree work done on your property make sure you adhere to the City’s tree regulations, which can be found on the City’s website at takomaparkmd.gov/services/permits/treepermits. The removal of any tree 7’ 5/8” in diameter or greater requires a tree removal permit or waiver. The pruning of more than 5 percent of the live canopy of a tree 7 5/8” in diameter or greater requires the submission of a tree impact assessment. An emergency tree removal waiver will be issued to a property owner if a tree is highly hazardous, poses an immediate threat to people and property and the hazard cannot be mitigated through pruning or other tree maintenance.

What about my neighbor’s trees? 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 extend 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 to do otherwise, and 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 property, is his/her 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. A tree whose trunk (even a small portion of the trunk) straddles the property line may be a shared tree, and therefore, any cost for pruning, maintenance or removal would be a shared cost.

Working Together on Safety

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.

As the City’s Urban Forest Manager (UFM), my focus is primarily on City trees and inspecting trees on private property related to review of permit applications for tree removal or tree protection. However, when a tree on private property is hazardous and I become aware of it either by noticing it myself or being notified by someone else, then I notify the property owner of the hazard and their responsibility. The City Code allows for the issuance of a notice of violation to the property owner requiring that the hazardous tree issue 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 through the UFM.

In closing, I hope you will be able to join us for the Tree Canopy Assessment Seminar taking place on March 23.

Tree Canopy Assessment Seminar:

Takoma Park Tree Canopy Assessment Seminar
Presented by Noah Ahles, University of Vermont

Saturday, March 23, 2019

• Morning session will present findings on the current status of the City’s tree canopy using 2018 LiDAR data.
• The morning session will be a general overview, the afternoon session will be a focused discussion with members of the Tree Commission and Committee on The Environment

• Afternoon session will be a planning discussion about establishing a Citywide tree canopy goal and implementation plan.

This article appeared in the March 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Ellen Robbins

People frequently ask library staff about the status of the library’s plans for renovation and expansion. While there has not yet been any construction, the reality is that in the past two years, we have made considerable progress. We have a signed contract with our architect. We were successful in acquiring Capital Grant Funding through the State. The City Council also approved borrowing to complete the project through the State Infrastructure Loan Program. Schematic design is in progress, and a site survey and an engineering study were completed in 2018.

Library staff have worked hard to weed collections and prepare for moving materials out of our 64 year-old building. And library patrons continue to express enthusiasm for the Library project.

Inevitably, development and engineering questions come to light in the examination of a built environment, and indeed light was shed by the 2018 engineering report. The engineers concluded that the City needed a new flood plain delineation study to determine if the current flood wall (which was planned to be incorporated into the expanded library building) was adequate. While a flood plain study was done in 2002, hydrology improved significantly in the ensuing 16 years, and it made sense to conduct the new study.

As the saying goes, measure twice and cut once. A preliminary report was concluded in August of 2018 and submitted to the County’s Department of Permitting Services for review. Based on the conclusions of the new flood plain study, it was determined that a higher elevation for the Library would be required. The architect has submitted design options for a library building that would meet the elevation criteria based on the new information, but would preserve the same footprint. The new design options are all predicated on constructing a new library building on the existing site, as an alternative to changing the parking lot elevation relative to the Library, which we understand would be a significantly costlier option.

The flood plain study is important in advancing the City’s goals in other ways. The effect of climate change on the water table, as well as the flood plain, makes the recent delineation study a foresighted and practical necessity as the City plans the future purposes and locations of its facilities.

Immediate next steps for the library renovation project include consideration of the new concept designs. Because they don’t depend on modification of antiquated systems or constraints in the deployment of existing resources they offer new opportunities to imaginatively recreate and enliven existing space.

We are eager for things to progress now that we know what we need to do in response to the flood plain study. We look forward to sharing new information as it becomes available and to continued public discussion as the library project continues.

The architect will make a presentation to the City Council on March 20.

This article appeared in the March 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

Bob Mondello, NPR senior arts critic, will be the featured speaker at the Friends of Takoma Park Maryland Library annual meeting on Monday evening, March 25 at the library.

He has been reviewing movies and covering the arts at NPR News for more than three decades. By his count, he watches at least 300 films annually and critiques the most interesting for All Things Considered, the network’s award-winning news program. He also was a theater critic for Washington City Paper for many years. Among his many other notable accomplishments: “American Stages,” an eight-part series on the regional theater movement that he conceived and co-produced at NPR.

Mondello grew up in Bethesda, attended Walt Whitman High School and went to the University of Maryland. He now lives in Takoma, DC with his husband, poet and teacher Carlos Schroder.

Everyone is welcome at the free event, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served.

There will be a brief FTPML membership meeting and board elections afterward. Seven seats on the Friends’ board of directors are up for election. Five are for two-year terms, and two are for one-year terms. Three incumbents are running for two-year terms: Anand Parikh, Claudine Schweber and Walter Mulbry. Mulbry also is running for reelection as treasurer.

Any FTPML members interested in running for the board should contact the FTPML nominating committee at ftpmlnominatingcommittee@gmail.com. Nominations also will be taken from the floor. Not a member? You can join by visiting the Friends’ website at ftpml.org.

—Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library

This article appeared in the March 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Sean Gossard

From lost dogs and advice on handymen to tips on composting and local political debate, the Between the Creeks Listserv has been trying to connect communities’ in Takoma Park.

The Listserv — an electronic mailing system in which subscribers can post topics of their choosing and spark discussions with other members — mostly serves members of Ward 5 between Takoma Park and Silver Spring (between Sligo and Long Branch creeks) and is looking to bolster its numbers to fuel further discussion and a sense of community.

Keith Berner, who works in tech support and strategy, moderates the Between the Creeks Listserv, which began as an active neighborhood association.

“At the time [in the early 2000s] we held one meeting and a bunch of us showed up and really nothing else happened except I took over the Listserv,” Berner said.

After a few years, the Listserv began to shrink until only a few users in Silver Spring were active on it. “Over a period of time, I felt we needed greater geographic area and diversity,” Berner said.

So Berner merged another existing Listserv with Between the Creeks to create a larger online community in the area. The Listserv now has around 75 active members, making several posts a week. That’s far fewer than the Takoma Listserv, which has nearly 3,000 users but focuses on a much larger portion of the region.

“What I simply would like to do is get more people to join, so there can be a variety of conversations,” Berner said. There are around 1,000 people in the Between the Creeks area, so Berner says there is plenty of room to grow.

Berner also likes to keep discussions open to a variety of topics, not just the hyper-local ones other Listservs may have. “I found most Listervs to be too limiting,” Berner said.

“Most were trying to find a handyman or borrow sugar, but I wanted one to be able to talk about the issues of the day.” Berner said Between the Creeks is a safe and open space for larger national conversations, as long as there are no ad hominem or other personal attacks on users.

Still, topics tend to trend light, with the most active user — a Silver Spring resident — posting most frequently about bluegrass and other concerts.

Berner now hopes to grow the Listserv to get more people in undeserved communities involved. “I’ve seen that poorer communities are less likely to engage than more affluent white members,” Berner said. “And renters are also less likely to participate than those that own homes.”

If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Between the Creeks Listserv, send an email with your name and address to TKPK@KBerner.us. You can join even without living in the designated area that it serves.

This article appeared in the March 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

Women of the World
Opening Reception
March 14, 7 p.m.
Takoma Park Community Center
7500 Maple Avenue

Free event

Across the centuries in countries spanning the globe, women often have been denigrated and at home. They also are embroiled in political battles over control of their own bodies, but progress is happening as more women are elected to political office and sexual harassment is confronted by the #MeToo movement.

Women of the World, a new group exhibition at the Takoma Park Community Center, explores the inspiring power and ongoing struggles of women around the world. The exhibition, which celebrates Women’s History Month, features artwork by Sobia Ahmad, Maysoon al Gburi, Olivia Tripp Morrow, Elayna Speight and Evans Thorne. The show will be on view until May 8. Born and raised in Pakistan, Ahmad moved to the United States when she was 14 years old, becoming an immigrant straddling two vastly different cultures on opposite sides of the world. Her video installations and mixed-media work grapple with the nuances and complexities of national identity, notions of home, cultural memory and gender issues.

Gburi was born in Iraq and lived through the hardships of multiple wars before moving to the DC area where she is the associate director at Dara Global Arts Gallery. The richness of Mesopotamian history coupled with the dire outcomes of war influence her work. She seeks to reflect compassion for women who struggle to survive the barbarian acts of war, which men often inflict upon women.

Morrow will create a site-specific installation suspended 30 feet in the air from cables in the Takoma Park Community Center atrium. The installation titled Stretch is comprised of clothing and undergarments donated by women, which have been deconstructed into strips of fabric that are intricately woven, wrapped, stretched and layered over armatures of chicken wire. By re-contextualizing the personal histories associated with the clothing, Morrow hopes viewers will be inspired to reflect upon the legacy of the women in their lives and past generations.

As an artist and graphic designer born and raised in Maryland, Speight’s watercolor and metallic ink work is inspired by the strength, vulnerability, royalty, joy and magic of black women. Her recent series titled Her Crown and Glory shows positive images of black women, featuring their various skin tones and natural hair styles (their crowning glory). She wants to instill confidence and self-respect for black women, who often are oppressed or misunderstood.

After growing up in Trinidad, Thorne moved to the DC area to study art. His paintings explore his cultural roots in the Caribbean with scenes of folk dances and portraits of multiple generations of women in families.

This article appeared in the March 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

The City of Takoma Park offers a myriad of opportunities to volunteer. Whether it is for a special event (Monster Bash, Celebrate Takoma, etc.), sports (Winter Basketball, Futsal, etc.), senior programs (Fitness, Art, etc.), or for SSL hours, the City of Takoma Park is the place to be for volunteering. Volunteering makes a difference in the lives of others, and you will also benefit in a number of ways. From lowering stress to boosting self-confidence, volunteering offers many health benefits—especially for retirees. Some of the benefits of volunteering are:

1. Decreasing the risk of depression.
   Volunteering increases social interaction and helps build a support system based on common commitment and interests—both of which have been shown to decrease depression.
2. Enjoying a sense of purpose and fulfillment—and increase your self-confidence while you’re at it!
3. Staying physically and mentally active. Volunteer activities get you moving and thinking at the same time.
4. Reducing stress levels. By savoring your time spent in service to others, you’ll feel a sense of meaning and appreciation—both given and received—which can be calming.
5. Experiencing “The Happiness Effect.” The feeling you get after a vigorous workout is the same feeling you get after volunteering. Helping others has that exact same effect—so the more you volunteer, the happier you become!

An example of this is Alice Sims, who teaches art classes for the City of Takoma Park Recreation Department. Alice volunteers her time with the 55+ program. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the 55+ program and dedicated to providing opportunities for seniors to be creative in the arts. Alice makes it possible for seniors to participate in a variety of free arts and crafts workshops, such as basket weaving and painting silk scarves at the Takoma Park Community Center.

Her latest endeavor was the “Empty Bowls” project. Alice worked with the youth in the after care programs at both the Community Center and the Recreation Center locations, as well as the teen program, to make bowls to help bring awareness of hunger in our society. Alice helped the youth paint and glaze the bowls and talked to them about the importance of giving back. Alice said, “I find working on these volunteer opportunities rewarding. After the completion of a project, I feel so overcome with joy.”

Get ready to start experiencing the joys and health benefits of volunteering for yourself. Try volunteering at summer camps, coaching a sport or exploring other ideas. Get active now! Come to Takoma Park and enjoy the opportunities to volunteer. Contact us at 301-891-7290 or search for an activity at  www.montgomeryserves.org

Our upcoming Special Events are: 

• Egg Hunt, April 20
• Celebrate Takoma, May 18

This article appeared in the March 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Rick Henry

When launching a new restaurant there are many – perhaps too many – factors to consider. Demographics, building availability, and market saturation are among the criteria owners take into account in deciding whether to open in a particular city or location.

However, for Carolina McCandless and David Perez, family and fate were the ultimate deciding factors that led them to open their restaurant, Cielo Rojo (Red Sky), at 7056 Carroll Avenue in Takoma Park.

It was family that drew the couple to Takoma Park, or in McCandless’ case, back to Takoma Park. She grew up in the area, and her parents have owned and operated the clothing store Amano on Carroll Avenue for more than 20 years.

But she had been living in San Francisco for the past 12 years, and in 2012 she met Perez at an organic vegan Mexican restaurant. They became a couple and then worked together at a catering company. After giving birth to daughter in 2017, the couple decided they could no longer afford to live in San Francisco and elected to move back to the area and open their own restaurant. The question was “where?”

That’s when fate took over. “We had just decided to move back east, and two days later, my father told me that the Subway sandwich shop (down the street from his store) was up for lease,” said McCandless. “He said, ‘I know this is a crazy idea, but the location couldn’t be more perfect for your idea of a Mexican restaurant.’”

Intrigued by the idea, but not willing to commit to that location immediately, the couple checked some other open spots in the area, but ultimately decided that that location and size was perfect for a first restaurant.

“I knew the Takoma Park community very well from growing up working at Amano, and I felt it would be a great fit for our concept,” McCandless said. From that moment of decision last June, it was a quick sprint to the restaurant’s grand opening in late January. Here again, family comes into play. “My father helped build the restaurant and helped with my concept,” McCandless said. “For instance, I bought tiles from Mexico and designed the look of the tables in the restaurant, and he actually built the tile tabletops.”

Equally important to McCandless was her mother caring for the couple’s daughter during the long hours of prep for the opening. And as long-term Takoma Park business owners, the parents provided invaluable advice. “The guidance they gave was to keep prices reasonable so that it could be tailored to the diversity of people living in Takoma Park,” McCandless said.

That advice seems to have worked well so far, as the restaurant has been busy since its opening, drawing enthusiastic patrons, such as Carissa Marks and Jessica Carter. The pair, who work nearby, are frequent lunchtime customers and big fans. When asked how many times they have eaten at Cielo Rojo, Marks laughed and simply said, “Lots.” “We are both vegan, and the food is so flavorful. You don’t feel that you are missing out on anything at all,” said Carter, citing her favorite dishes, gorditas (organic potato and corn masa patties) and drunken mushroom tacos.

While it serves an array of vegan entrees that satisfy Marks and Carter, Cielo Rojo offers a full menu of meat, pork, chicken and fish entrees as well. Options include small plates of tacos or quesilladas to larger more ambitious full entrees of rockfish, enchiladas and posole (hominy stew).

The unifying thread is a commitment to sourcing as much local and organic food as possible, (100% organic non-GMO corn tortillas and hormone-free and humanely raised meats, for example) and the well-honed skills of chef Perez, a native of Mexico City, who has been cooking in the United States since he immigrated at age 17.

McCandless said that the restaurant has enjoyed a great response so far, even if it has tested the staff and the restaurant’s capacity. “We did not anticipate being so busy when we first opened, and it’s taken a lot of work to keep up with demand,” she said. “We are learning a lot as we go.”

For menu and hours of operation, visit www.cielo-rojo.com.

This article appeared in the March 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.