Various new Maryland laws went into effect on Oct. 1, 2016. The most wellknown may be the Drunk Driving Reduction Act of 2016, also known as Noah’s Law, named after slain Montgomery County Police Officer Noah Leotta. Leotta, 24, was hit Dec. 3, 2015, by a car on Rockville Pike; he died a week later. The driver charged with fatally striking Leotta – while he was working as part of a holiday task force fighting drunk driving – pleaded guilty to a manslaughter charge

On May 19, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed SB 945, also known as Noah’s Law. The law requires the use of ignition interlocks for convicted drunk drivers; the devices prevent vehicles from starting when they detect a certain level of alcohol on the driver’s breath and require the driver to retest at random points while they are driving.

During the past five years, impaired drivers have accounted for roughly one-third of all roadway deaths in Maryland. Under Noah’s Law, drivers are required to participate in Maryland’s Ignition Interlock Program for the following convictions:

• Driving under the influence
• Driving while impaired while transporting a minor under the age of 16
• Driving while intoxicated with an initial breathalyzer test refusal
• Homicide or life-threatening injury by motor vehicle while DUI or DWI

Below are some of the other new laws, but this list is not all inclusive.

• Providing Alcohol to Underage Drinkers/Alex and Calvin’s Law (HB409): Following the death of Alex Murk and Calvin Li in a 2015 drunken-driving accident after a party in Montgomery County, this law prohibits people from allowing underage individuals to consume alcohol if they should have known those individuals would drive under the influence.
• Child Abuse and Neglect (SB310, HB245): Anyone involved in an investigation of child abuse or neglect must report suspicions of another individual knowingly failing to report child abuse to the appropriate board, agency, institution or facility.
• Criminal Law-Stalking (SB278/ HB155): This law expands the definition of stalker from inciting physical fears or threats to include causing emotional distress.
• Death or Injury by Vehicle (SB0160, HB157): The law increases penalties for offenders who commit vehicular manslaughter who have been convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol previously. Offenders can now face up to 15 years in prison and $15,000 in fines.

For more information about new laws that have recently gone into effect in Maryland, visit mgaleg.maryland.gov.

This article appeared in the November 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

Designed to provide financial support for specific programs, projects and events which improve residents’ quality of life by providing greater access and opportunities for participation in the arts and sciences, the City’s Community Quality of Life Grants program has completed its selection process for FY17. The Grants Review Committee recommended that eight organizations receive funding for their projects (listed here from highest amount awarded to lowest):

1. Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington ($10,000) This grant will enable ACSGW to offer a basic computer repair program at a reduced cost. Fifteen young people will be trained in ACSGW’s Basic Computer Repair Program. Participants will learn to disassemble, repair and reassemble computers.
2. Collaboration Council – African Arts Culture and Education Academy (ACE) Essex House Friday Program ($9,412) ACE is a 21st century community learning center project operating four days each week from Mondays to Thursdays at Essex House in Takoma Park, focusing on reading, language arts and African culture for students in first through fifth grades.
3. Artivate – Takoma Wings Academy ($9,000) Takoma Wings Academy is a three-week summer camp in which middle school boys and girls from low-income, immigrant families investigate the science and engineering of flight in nature, aviation, and space exploration as well as flight as a means of self-expression in the arts. 4. Docs In Progress ($8,238) Documentary Dialogues Takoma will harness the power of video technology to engage Takoma Park residents through screenings, discussions, and hands-on activities to explore how stories define us, express our values, relate our experiences in human dimensions and connect us with each other and the world around us.
4. Montgomery Housing Partnership – 7610 Maple Outdoor Mural ($6,500) MHP will facilitate the creation of an outdoor mural at its 7610 Maple apartment property. This 36-unit affordable housing property houses a total of 80 residents, including 27 children. Residents, in particular children ages 9-12 who participate in our site-based homework club, will play an active part in creating the mural.
5. Dance Exchange ($5,740) Dance Exchange sought support for a reboot of its youth programs for the 2016- 17 season, which include weekly classes for youth ages 8-18; a series of off-site youth classes held at the Takoma Park Recreation Center and the New Hampshire Avenue Recreation Center; an end of season performance called Youth Arts Night, and a week-long Teen Leadership Institute.
6. Takoma Ensemble – Takoma Ensemble Community Outreach Initiative ($5,740) The project is to directly provide tickets to low-income/underserved residents of Takoma Park for four concerts.
7. Community Bridges ($5,370) Community Bridges and Catylator propose a year-long program to bring middleschool-aged young women to Catylator Makerspace to help them develop more positive attitudes and confidence about STEM and stay engaged with STEM, so they may be better prepared to choose any career.

The City’s FY17 budget includes $60,000 for the Community Quality of Life Grants program. Requests for funding totaled $166,521. Look profiles of some of the grant recipients in future issues of the Takoma Park Newsletter.

This article appeared in the November 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

A brief ceremony was held last month to celebrate the dedication of “Dorothy’s Woods.” The woods on the City-owned parcel of the Washington-McLaughlin property were named for longtime Takoma Park resident and local historian, Dorothy Thomsen Barnes, by City Council Resolution 2016-37. At the dedication, Mayor Kate Stewart presented a copy of the resolution to Ms. Barnes.

The City purchased the land at a tax auction on Jan. 22, 2015. The Takoma Park community supported this action and made more than $53,000 in contributions towards its purchase. The property is home to a diversity of mature trees, birds and other wildlife as well as a natural spring. The preservation of this natural area is important to the community.

Residents requested that the parcel be named “Dorothy’s Woods” in recognition of the relationship between Dorothy Barnes, lifelong resident, local historian, and avid lover of nature, and the property that was behind the house she has lived in nearly all her life.

As per the City Council’s resolution, “naming the area as Dorothy’s Woods serves as recognition of the contributions that Dorothy has made to Takoma Park by telling our story and preserving our history, and moreover, the name will continue the lifelong association between Dorothy and the woods.” The resolution is available for review online at documents.takomaparkmd.gov/government/city-council/ resolutions/2016/resolution-2016-37.pdf.

This article appeared in the November 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

In a joint letter to Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett dated Oct. 25, Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart (on behalf of the City Council) and Erik Wangsness, president, Adventist Healthcare/Washington Adventist Hospital, conveyed their support for the construction of a Montgomery County Department of Recreation aquatics center on the Takoma Park campus of Washington Adventist Hospital. Their letter noted that “an aquatics center would be an asset to both the hospital and the community.”

It went on to make the case for locating the aquatics center in Takoma Park by highlighting several key fiscal and social issues. Here are some of the main points that were outlined:

• Small, standalone swimming pools are expensive to operate and do not meet the needs of a large, diverse population. In contrast, aquatics facilities have pools for several uses, including meeting therapeutic needs, recreational needs, exercise needs and providing space for competitive swimming.
• As Washington Adventist Hospital prepares to move its main hospital to White Oak, the City of Takoma Park and hospital leaders are looking at the current site for uses that complement the health services that will remain and, also importantly, improve the overall health and wellbeing of the community.
• An aquatics center in Takoma Park, on the edge of East Silver Spring, would provide an enormous community service. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), African-American children between the ages 5 and 14 are three times more likely to drown than white children. One of the factors the CDC points to for this disparity is the lack of access to swimming pools. For the young people who live in the Takoma Park/East Silver Spring community, especially young children of color and low-income residents, having a place close to where they live to learn water safety helps our community address these disparities and provides important life skills to our young people.

The letter concluded by stating that “The City and the Hospital wish to work with the Department of Recreation on evaluating the space needs for the aquatics facility, as well as determining the likely costs of development.” It also indicated that the two organizations want to request a General Assembly bond bill for the project and asked for the support of Leggett and the County Council. Both Dr. Weymouth Spence, president of Washington Adventist University, and Dr. Brad Stewart, vice-president and provost of Montgomery College, support this effort. To read the entire letter, visit takomaparkmd.gov/ news-alert/letter-from-city-council-and-wah-presidentregarding-aquatics-center.

This article appeared in the November 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Helen Lyons

Takoma Park is doing a comprehensive review of all of its parking practices in response to new development and changes in some of the parking pressures, as well as management in the City, says Erkin Ozberk, the City’s senior planner for Housing and Community Development.

“We’re taking a look at everything we do, and we’re trying to bring it up to speed and be more proactive,” Ozberk explained.

The study covers parking issues, including meters, handicap parking, residential parking permit (RPP) zones, commercial vehicle parking, parking “hot spots,” enforcement and City Code and regulations.

Many of the pressures are particularly felt in Ward 1, where recent development in the Old Town area of Takoma Park is one factor that has contributed to increased traffic and demand for parking. “There are parking challenges in Montgomery College, Takoma Park Elementary School and at times around the Presbyterian church on Tulip Avenue,” said Councilmember Peter Kovar (Ward 1). “In Ward 1, just about every street and every block has a different parking issue of some concern, and it’s quite local in that sense, so we’re going to have to find a policy that works for the city but is also sensitive to the specific concerns that arise in these areas.”

Kovar is already seeking solutions across the DC boundary and hopes that the parking study will help in his efforts. “I’ve reached out to the city council member from Ward 4 of the District of Columbia,” Kovar said, “to talk about whether there are ways, through more collaboration between Takoma Park and the district, that we could get a better common approach to parking in Old Town.”

Laura Barclay, the executive director of the Old Takoma Business Association, said that people were concerned that maximum capacity was being reached in the commercial district, but that “based on studies during peak and nonpeak times, it’s been shown that there are definitely still spaces available.”

“That doesn’t minimize the fact that there are indeed pressure spots or areas that still have parking challenges, where parking isn’t readily available or easily noticeable,” Barclay added.

Her ideas for solutions include additional cross-jurisdictional signage and efforts online on behalf of businesses and the City to include more information about available parking on their websites. “We’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” Barclay said, “so it was good to see the study and get it all official.”

The study builds on survey results, community input and grant-funded research and mapping.

Residents completing the survey can check off which items being considered for review in the study they consider a priority, such as “supporting opportunities for car-share and ride-hailing” or “improvements to bike and pedestrian facilities.”

“There’s some tension between providing ample parking and providing alternatives to driving,” said Joe Edgell, the chair of the City’s Safe Roadways Committee. “One of the City Council’s directives when they set up the Safe Roadways Committee was to provide people alternatives to driving. If there are plenty of places to park, people will be encouraged to drive.”

Edgell pointed to the benefits of cutting back on car use. “It reduces pollution locally,” he said. “It’s far healthier to walk and bike than use your car, and it’s cheaper. It’s better for the environment; it’s better for the people. Communities are more livable if they have fewer cars. Study after study proves this.”

If is parking is readily available, Edgell said, people would have less incentive to not drive.

“If you want to get people out of their cars, you need to make it easier for them to not use their cars or harder for them to use the cars – one of the two. The City wants to be responsive to its voters. People want ample parking, but that has secondary effects. It’s good that we’re looking at this issue comprehensively, but the difficult decision is the one the City Council has to make: Okay, now what do we do with this data?”

Senior Planner Erkin Ozberk hopes to present the recommendations that come as a result of the parking study to the City Council in January. “Now is the time for folks to look at the information that’s been posted,” Ozberk said, “and let us know how they feel about it.”

To learn more about the parking study and submit their comments, residents can go to takomaparkmd.gov/parking-study.

This article appeared in the November 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Rick Henry

Upon visiting the Takoma Park Recreation Center on New Hampshire Avenue a couple of years ago, Priscilla Labovitz decided to exercise more than her body; she decided to exercise her organizing abilities.

“I saw it (the Center) for the first time when I went to take a Pilates class there, and I couldn’t believe how poor the facilities were, especially compared to the Community Center (on Maple Avenue),” she said. “I thought this inequity needed fixing, so I decided to do something.”

She joined the City’s Recreation Committee and researched information about the center and its administration. But the main result of Labovitz’s effort was the formulation of the Friends of the Takoma Park Recreation Center, a group dedicated to improving, advocating and developing programming for the center. The group held its initial meeting on Oct. 5, and Labovitz said approximately 25 people attended, including numerous youths from the community around the Rec Center, who came with enthusiasm and ideas for the facility.

“I was thrilled at the turnout and enthusiasm and the many ideas that members of the community had,” Labovitz said. “They have clearly been thinking about this and are ready to move.”

Those who attended the meeting are not the only ones who have been thinking about the Rec Center. Gregory Clark, director of recreation for the City, said that the New Hampshire Avenue facility is an important issue.

He said the City has completed two recreation studies in the past year, one to determine what type of programming and amenities residents would like to see for the facility and the other to determine the feasibility of acquiring the property, which is owned by the Maryland National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (MNCPPC), or building a new facility on other existing property owned by the city.

According to Clark, MNCPPC owns the facility and leases it to Montgomery County, which then tasks the City with providing programming. “The first thing the City needs to do is to figure out whether to acquire the property,” he said. “If we don’t do that, there are limitations to what we can do because we don’t own the building,” Clark said.

Clark said that the results of the survey findings and a discussion about future steps for recreation in the City are on the agenda for the next City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 16, which will be held at the Recreation Center. No matter what the council decides, Clark says he welcomes the opportunity to work with the Friends.

“We (the City) have a lot of desire to improve that facility and better serve the residents, especially in that ward, and working with the Friends and the Recreation Committee will only improve whatever situation we have,” he said.

Takoma Park Recreation Supervisor Vince Cain, who is in charge of the facility, agrees. Cain attended the initial Friends meeting on Oct. 5 and came away impressed and energized. Given that the facility serves a lot of youth from the immediate area, he was especially pleased so many attended the event and provided input. “There were a lot of good ideas, especially from the kids in the community, focusing on new programming,” he said.

He said believes the work of the Friends and other recreation advocates will allow the New Hampshire Center to build on the programs that are already in place and “enhance the fitness and wellness of the residents of Takoma Park.”

“It’s always good to have extra resources and advocates,” he said, especially those like Labovitz.

This article appeared in the November 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Apryl Motley

If you were anywhere near 7071 Carroll Avenue on Sept. 25 around 4:30 p.m., you probably heard the kick-off block party for the Unity in the Community initiative before you saw it.

After brief remarks from Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart, the event co-organizers, and other public officials, community members were immediately engaged in a drum circle led by Katy Gaughan. They played a variety of hand-held “instruments” or cheered others on as they did.

Just a few feet away, some families explored the moon bounce with their little ones or got their faces painted by Karen Holiday. Others tie-dyed Unity in the Community t-shirts or enjoyed burgers grilled compliments of TPPD or sampled free cheesecake.

This scene was very different from the images of protests – and sometimes unrest – in Charlotte, North Carolina and Tulsa that had been broadcast into so many residents’ homes in the week leading up to the event. Unity in the Community organizers could not have anticipated, but only hoped, that this wouldn’t be the backdrop against which they kicked off their efforts.

Before beginning her remarks, Mayor Stewart asked the group assembled to observe a moment of silence to “reflect on the lives of those touched by violence, the lives lost too young, and those who run towards the danger” to keep communities safe. “There’s been a lot of pain and violence,” she said, “and we feel that frustration and anger here in Takoma Park.”

Stewart believes that community members engaging in conversations with one another, where they talk honestly and openly about their feelings, is critical to building better relationships. To that end, she challenged attendees to break out of their comfort zones and spend time talking with someone they didn’t know. “I am going to do it too,” Stewart emphasized. “I know this community came out today to build better relationships.”

“Talk to people, ask questions, and get to know each other,” encouraged Takoma Park Police Chief Alan Goldberg. “This is a unique experience in this community. And police officers are a part of the community, especially in Takoma Park.”

“This type of conversation where the police interact with the community is so critical,” said Maryland Delegate Will Smith during his remarks. “We have to get to know each other, so we can develop strong community bonds before a major incident happens. We can head this off.”

TPPD Captain Tyrone Collington echoed those sentiments. “I didn’t know what to expect,” he said, “but I was optimistic. It means a lot to see youth here. It’s important for the police and youth to engage in positive interactions with each other, so pat yourselves on the back for coming out.”

Meagan Murphy, co-owner of Capital City Cheesecake, which hosted the kickoff event, told attendees, “I stand here as a mom, and we’ve had to have a lot of difficult conversations at our house.” Murphy felt like there were many questions that she couldn’t answer alone and posed the question about what kinds of resources were available in Takoma Park one morning while making Mayor Stewart’s coffee. And the idea for Unity in Community evolved from that conversation.

“Communities can answer these questions together,” Murphy said. “We can participate in mending, healing, and strengthening our community. It’s not about picking sides.”

And with that, the drum beat began, symbolic of what happens when a community circles itself around an issue and decides to build stronger relationships.

This article appeared in the October 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Rick Henry

After 15 years of owning and operating a restaurant in Fairfax, Jimmy Lin was looking for a new concept and a new location. The result of his efforts, Sakura Teriyaki Corner, has given Takoma Park and Langley Park residents a great new dining option.

The concept he settled upon was a fast-casual version of the traditional Hibachi steakhouse restaurants, the ones where patrons sit around large grills and the cooks are as much performers as they are chefs. Lin’s idea was, as the expression goes, to deliver the steak – or chicken, or shrimp, or vegetables- without the sizzle of a big production and higher prices.

“Those restaurants are great the first few times or when you are with a big group, but after that you don’t necessarily want to go back and pay that kind of money,” said Lin, who runs Sakura with his wife Helen. “Not everybody wants a show all the time or to pay $30-40 per person.”

At Sakura Teriyaki, Hibachi platters run from $6.99 for vegetable to $12.99 for a combo of three toppings. Choices include chicken, steak, shrimp, salmon and various combinations.

Beyond the price difference, Lin also stresses the “fast-casual” component of the restaurant, noting that customers do not have to spend the same amount of time that they would at a traditional Hibachi restaurant, but can receive the same quality. It also provides an option for patrons to dine in or carry out.

As to his choice of location, Lin, who also owns and manages Panda of D.C., a Chinese restaurant in D.C., researched a number of locations but settled on the Takoma Park area because he had lived in the area approximately 15 years ago and liked it and thought the demographics would be good for this type of restaurant.

After deciding to open Sakura in Takoma Park, Lin said it took him about six months to find his current location. He finally decided on 6843 New Hampshire Avenue (in the shopping center anchored by Shopper’s Food Warehouse) because it was in an existing shopping center with parking.

Lin’s instincts may be proving correct. Since opening in late June, he said he has seen his customer traffic rise from 60-70 a day to 150-180 per day. “We are getting a lot of repeat customers,” he said.

One of those is Cora Green of Mount Rainier. Green, who works at the nearby America’s Best store, says she has come to the restaurant often since they have opened. “They have good customer service and the food is delicious and fresh,” she said. Green’s favorite entrée is the deep fried California roll.

Lin says that prior to opening Sakura he trained for several months with a chef friend in Pennsylvania and spent a lot of time perfecting the ingredient combinations in his dishes, giving special attention to the three special sauces he developed, a ginger dressing sauce, a spicy mayo sauce and a Yum Yum sauce.

Lin prides himself on the variety of entrees and the quality of ingredients. Besides the Hibachi meals, Sakura offers several Teriyaki dishes, Sushi and hand rolls, Bento boxes and Asian entrees and noodle dishes. Such fare certainly adds to the ever-growing options available on the New Ave.

Sakura Teriyaki Corner is open Monday – Thursday from 11 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.; FridaySaturday from 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. and Sunday from Noon- 10 p.m. Phone: 301-270-0800. Website: www. mysakurateriyaki.com

This article appeared in the October 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

How do you motivate all 17,000 citizens of Takoma Park to start practicing energy efficiency? Make a funny video to show them how (ridiculously) easy it is.

Gina Mathias, the City’s Sustainability Manager, asked Takoma Park-based Sister Eden Media to create a funny video to help spread the word about the Georgetown Energy Prize and the three easy steps everyone can take so that the City can win the $5 million.

Led by husband and wife team John Robinette and Lori Hill, Sister Eden Media creates how-to and satirical videos that show audiences how to take care of themselves and the planet. “When I was looking for ways to help spread the word about what we all need to do to win the Georgetown Energy Prize, I immediately thought of teaming with Sister Eden Media because their videos are so funny, but also have a great message,” Mathias said.

“Also, John and Lori live in the Long Branch-Sligo neighborhood of the City, which was the co-winner of the Neighborhood Energy Challenge,” she continued. “Lori was that neighborhood’s team leader for the Challenge, so they really understand the importance of this competition and the simple things we all can do to reduce our energy consumption and win the prize.”

The two-minute video, which is a satirical spoof of a dramatic movie trailer, features a determined Mayor Kate Stewart, a frustrated sustainability manager and a husband and a wife in conflict. Mystery and intrigue are also featured in scenes shot at Roscoe’s Neapolitan Pizzeria, Lee Jordan Field and other familiar spots around town.

The video, entitled “Help Takoma Park Win $5 Million,” can be viewed on the City’s web site or YouTube channel as well as on SisterEden.com or the Sister Eden Media YouTube channel. Be sure to watch it, and then share it with your neighbors, so Takoma Park can win $5 million.

For more information on the $5 Million competition go to takomaparkmd.gov/government/sustainability/georgetownuniversity-energy-prize-competition.

This article appeared in the October 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.