The Lamplighter

The Lamplighter
The West Riding Citizens Association, PO Box 3901, Gaithersburg MD 20878
June, 2011
West Riding Summer Social
Thursday, June 30th
Diamond Farms Park
(located at entranceway of West Riding)
Backyard City Concert
Swingtopia
Swing & Jazz
7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Bring a Blanket or Lawn Chairs
Ice Cream Truck
Free Beach Balls for all the Kids!
Association Dues
West Riding
Treasurer’s Report
June 1, 2010 – May 31, 2011
The West Riding Citizens Association was formed in
1971 to promote the interests of families living in
West Riding. All West Riding residents are encouraged to join, and it only costs $10 a year to be a
member. Remember, the Association also gives our
community a voice with Gaithersburg City Council,
Montgomery County Council, and the Board of Education. Here is a tentative list of budget items for the
coming year:
Starting Balance …………………………….. $424.59
Income
Dues
$2,395.44
Backyard Concert Social (June 2011)
Newsletter Ads
250.00
Halloween Social (October 2011)
Directory Ads
550.00
Community Yard Sale (October 2011)
Total Income ………………………………. $3,195.44
Block Captain Appreciation (December 2011)
Expenses
Lamplighter Newsletters (Quarterly)
Annual Community Meeting (April 2012)
P.O. Box Rental
Bank Fees
38.45
Post Office Box Rental
72.00
Postage
Office Supplies
Newsletters (4)
Postage
160.00
1,178.15
Directory
As you can see, the Board of Directors are planning
an active year for the Association. But we need your
Spring Community Meeting
support! Just write a check to WRCA for the amount
Block Captains Appreciation
of $10. Place your check or cash in the stamped envelope provided and drop it in the mail.
Community Yard Sale
845.80
We would like all dues mailed by July 31st so we
can plan our budget accordingly.
4th of July Social
173.66
Halloween Social
341.13
National Night Out
Moms’ Group
134.00
127.20
205.20
14.99
176.78
Total Expense ……………………………... $3,467.36
Ending Balance ……………………………… $152.67
Last year 80% of residents
voluntarily paid their dues of $10.
Let’s match it again this year!
2
West Riding Real Estate
June 2008 - June 2011
Model
Type
Sold
Date
Original
Price
Sold
Price
Seller
Subsidy
Days on
Market
Split-Level*
Rambler
9/08
10/08
$439,900
$427,500
$290,000
$397,400
$0
$15,974
98
372
Split-Level
Split-Level
Rambler*
Split-Level
Split-Level
Colonial (KJ)
03/09
04/09
06/09
06/09
07/09
10/09
$439,900
$474,900
$419,500
$489,900
$439,900
$435,000
$410,000
$350,000
$380,000
$415,000
$400,000
$421,000
$0
$0
$0
$10,000
$8,000
$16,840
148
231
215
262
246
91
Colonial (KJ)
Rambler
Split-Level
Split-Level
Colonial (KJ)
Colonial (KJ)
Split-Level
Split-Level
Colonial (KJ)
01/10
03/10
04/10
04/10
04/10
05/10
05/10
08/10
10/10
$469,000
$375,000
$425,000
$419,900
$459,900
$460,000
$439,900
$449,900
$399,900
$425,000
$345,000
$405,000
$419,000
$430,000
$458,000
$436,000
$423,330
$385,000
$7,200
$10,500
$5,000
$550
$7,500
$10,000
$0
$8,466
$11,550
69
128
52
10
24
19
5
60
112
Colonial (KJ)
Split-Level**
Split-Level
Split-Level
Split-Level
02/11
03/11
04/11
05/11
TBD
$469,826
$420,000
$439,900
$479,900
$445,000
$460,000
$425,000
$440,000
$460,000
TBD
$13,800
$0
$10,000
$0
TBD
19
5
41
20
1
(A) - Annapolis
(KJ) - King James
* Foreclosure
** Short Sale
3
Gents Group
Moms Club
The Moms Club has been a wonderful success for the
women of West Riding. Now a new group has been
started for the men of West Riding. The group is
called the West Riding Gents and is open to all the
men in West Riding. This group meets for home improvement projects and social events.
If you are a West Riding mom with young children,
you are invited to join a fun and friendly Moms Club.
This club keeps growing rapidly and currently has
over 50 moms who are members. The club’s activities
include: fun outings with their little ones, moms’ dinner out once a month and play dates. They also offer
each other a lot support whenever necessary. They
keep in touch with each other via an email and phone
list.
If you would like to join or have any questions, please
contact:
Bo Howell
701 Hope Lane
240-654-3243
west-riding-gents@googlegroups.com
For more information, please
contact:
Patty Markey
822 Diamond Drive
301-926-2642
tpmarkey@aol.com
West Riding Web Site & List Serve
www.westriding.org
Sign up on the Web Site:
West Riding Social Events
West Riding Meetings
West Riding Crime Updates
City of Gaithersburg Events
4
This Old House - Additions
Design Corner - Textures
Bob and Sharon Brady are the original owners of a
rambler on Hope Lane. They have fond memories of
raising their children in West Riding and love to entertain. They always convert their carport into a porch
during warmer weather, but wanted even more entertainment room.
This month was an especially fun one as I attended
twp Design Show Houses in the area among others
during the year. One of my favorites is the annual
Children’s Hospital Design Show House which was
in Northwest D.C. in a traditional English Tudor style
mansion. Overall, the designers did a fabulous job in
their respective rooms. A commonality among them
was the use of texture: texture in wall surfaces, paint
choices, hard floor surfaces, fabrics, rugs, window
treatments, and even bookcases with faux finishes.
They decided to expand their dining room by knocking out the wall into the carport. Their contractor did
a beautiful job of extending the hardwood floor and
added twelve recessed ceiling lights. Their dining
room is now a spacious 11’ x 12’ and they can still
I mentioned last quarter the colors that are prominent
park a car on the carport.
in design today and if you remember, they are generally mellow. By using softer colors, you can punch the But Bob and Sharon were not done there. They had a
interest up by adding texture to the many surfaces in lovely 12’ x 20’ porch addition constructed off the dina room. For example, one of my favorite rooms there ing room. This porch features a cathedral ceiling, two
was the library which incorporated traditional book- ceiling fans, and an Azek deck (which is made of recases full of volumes. But when you looked more
cycled grocery bags). Steps were added from the
closely at the wood, she used bead board on the back porch to the backyard and Bob had a spacious shed
vertical portion and whitewashed or glazed a linear
built under the dining room as well. Sharon says she
up and down pattern. This gave the new bookcase an enjoys drinking her cup of coffee on her new porch
“old” feel. The foyer and common areas were painted and gazing out onto the view of the trees, stream,
a flat, quieter color but overlaid with a shiny stenciled park and wildlife. It is truly a relaxing area to spend
emblem to give it a 3D feel. Another room I fully ap- time alone or with family and friends.
preciated for her quality was the nature-y Hideaway:
Bob and Sharon received construction bids from four
she used grassy wall covering throughout, even the
contractors and decided to use Talon Construction.
ceiling; bamboo roll shades; distressed sconces; texThe entire project took three months and there were
tured, nubby fabrics; velvet fabric; and a wool rug. It
four separate inspections along the way. I asked them
was beautiful to the eye and hand. The gentlemen’s
if the project was worth the cost and they both rebedroom was inspired by antique bird prints the deplied, “Yes!” However, Bob then smiled and said that
signer framed in all shapes and sizes to fill the walls.
the additions actually cost more than the original
He also used many textures such as a leather top table
price of the house!
on an antique metal base, zebra skin with leather trim
rug, a rustic desk, and plush fabrics on the bed. I
came away inspired by the use of textures.
Wherever I look I’m seeing the details even more and
especially in neutrals. I’m daring to use more in many
combinations – never too many in one space! Give it
a try.
Cindy Griffin, ASID
www.cmginteriordesign.com
West Riding Resident
5
Reporting to the Police
Diamond Farms Skate Spot
The effectiveness of the Gaithersburg and Montgomery County Police Department’s crime prevention effort is enhanced by active participation by its citizens.
By calling and reporting suspicious persons or activity, you not only aid the police departments by you
make the community a much safer place to live.
The skate spot at Diamond Farms Park has been a
huge hit. It is a very popular place for many children
and teens to gather and practice their skateboard
moves. There has been no additional vandalism at the
site over the last year and the City of Gaithersburg
has recently been landscaping the area.
Most times, citizens fail to call to the police because
they do not know what they are being on the lookout
for and at other times, citizens are hesitant to call in
fear of being labeled as a “nosy neighbor” or
“targeted” by those they are calling on.
The city’s Cultural Arts Director has asked artists to
submit application to design a piece of art for the
area. There is quite a few public art sculptures
throughout the city in several locations. The selection
committee will meet this month to pick 2 or 3 finalists
to design site-specific art for the
skate spot. Lori Turley, Pavilion
Drive, volunteered to serve on
this committee for West Riding.
We all look forward to seeing
the new landscaping and the
artwork selected!
There are two numbers to call to notify the police of
an incident and they are:
For Emergencies: 911
For Non-Emergencies: 301-279-8000
The best defense against crime is a good offense.
Please do not hesitate to contact the police whenever
you see suspicious activity in our community.
Entranceway Lights
Vandalism in West Riding
As you drive in and out of the community at night,
take a look at our entranceway lights. The light bulbs
in our little lanterns have been replaced with LED
lights, which are more energy efficient and last much
longer than incandescent or high pressure sodium
vapor light bulbs..
On a Saturday evening this spring, someone came
into the West Riding community and spray painted
several street signs and the announcement board at
our entranceway. The City of Gaithersburg was notified on Sunday morning about the signs. They
quickly came out and removed the paint from all the
signs.
The light bulb exchange was done at no charge by
West Riding resident, Andre Kaminski. Andre read
the article in the our March newsletter about the City
of Gaithersburg’s plans to replace the entranceway
light poles within the next year and start using LED
light bulbs. He offered to replace the light bulbs now
with LED lights, so residents could see what the new
lights would look like.
In addition, Paul Schimke repainted the announcement board a few weeks later. The person responsible
for this vandalism was never apprehended. It seems
that spray painting is on the rise in this area of
Gaithersburg. Please keep your eyes open and call the
police if you seen anything
suspicious. Thank you!
Andre is the owner of Go Green Lighting and has
done many jobs in the Washington, D.C. area. If you
would like more information about LED lighting,
please visit his company’s website:
www.gogreenlightingled.com
Thank you Andre and Go Green Lighting!
6
7
Certified Wildlife Habitat Program Got Bugs? Get Bats!
I recently had the pleasure of touring the backyard of
Bill and Gail Fallon on Jonker Court. It is a very beautiful and natural oasis in our community. I noticed a
small sign on their fence saying the yard was
“certified” and I wondered what it meant.
Bats are one of Maryland’s most valuable natural resources. However, they are also one of the most misunderstood and falsely accused of all creatures in the
animal kingdom. Movies often portray bats as bloodsucking, rabies-infested, vicious creatures that like to
fly into women’s hair. But contrary to popular folkThrough the National Wildlife Federation, you can
lore, all the bat species found in Maryland eat only
certify your garden for wildlife. By providing food,
insects. They do not suck blood and their rate of rawater, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their
bies is considered to be half of one percent in the
young, you not only help wildlife, but you also qualwild. Many more people die each year from bee
ify to become an official Certified Wildlife Habitat
stings or dog attacks than from rabies contracted from
and join the nearly 140,000 sites across the country.
a bat. Needless to say, the public health threat from
To certify your yard, you need to provide the follow- bats has been overestimated. Even so, bats are wild
animals and will bite when handled, so it is recoming:
mended not to pick
Food Sources: native plants, seed, fruits, nuts, berries
up bats whether
or nectar
alive or dead. Finally, bats do not
Water Sources: birdbath, pond, water garden or
fly into women’s
stream
hair and actually
Cover: thicket, rockpile or birdhouse
try to avoid human
contact.
Places to Raise Young: dense shrubs, vegetation,
nesting box or pond
Many people are wary of bats because of their looks
and erratic flight. Bats navigate by echolocation,
which is a means of bouncing sounds off of objects to
determine their size and location. In most cases, if a
bat flies near you, it is pursuing an insect that is flying
close by.
I imagine many yards in West Riding already meet all
the above criteria. If you are interested in more information on certification, please visit the National Wildlife Federation website:
www.nwf.orgf
Bats may not be considered one of the most attractive
creatures in the animal kingdom but they are an integral part of the food chain and also provide benefits
to humans.
Click on: Get-Outside
Click on: Outdoor-Activities
Click on: Garden-for-Wildlife
Click on: Certify-Your-Wildlife-Garden
Bats are the primary consumer of nighttime flying
insects. They eat hundreds of different insect pests,
including mosquitoes. Many of the pests that the agricultural community and general public try to control
with insecticides are eaten by bats. The insect eating
capabilities of bats are quite significant. One little
brown bat, which is a species common to Maryland,
can eat approximately 1,200 mosquito-size insects per
hour. A typical colony of 150 big brown bats, also
found in Maryland, can protect local farmers from the
costly attacks of 33 million root worms each summer.
Other insect pests on the bat’s menu including June
8
and cucumber beetles, stink bugs, leafhoppers, cutworm and corn ear worm moths. There are many
other insect species not listed here that bats eat every
night during the summer months of the year.
tax deductable).
Due to extremely challenging economic times, the
park needs our help more than ever. Since many of
you enjoy the use of this outstanding recreational
So the next time you are strolling around the commu- asset, I urge you to support it by becoming members
nity in the early evening, be sure to look up and see if of the Friends group. In addition to the satisfaction
the West Riding bats are doing their jobs!
of helping the park, with your donation you also
receive an invitation to our annual picnic that is catered by a well known local barbeque catering comFriends of Seneca Creek State Park pany. Again, I hope you can support the park by becoming a member of our community-focused, proacWalking, hiking, biking and boating; these are just
tive Friends group and, more importantly, get out
some of the activities offered by Seneca Creek State
and enjoy the tremendous natural resource that we
Park (SCSP). As many of you are no doubt aware,
have next door.
SCSP is a neighbor to West Riding and probably the
Please visit the park website:
park most used by many of our friends and
neighbors. It is a resource of natural beauty and abun- www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/central/
dant wildlife right in our own backyard, encompass- seneca.asp
ing 6300 acres that follow Seneca Creek for 14 miles.
For more about the many individual and family recSome of the most well known features of the park are reational opportunities it offers, go to the Friends
Clopper Lake and Seneca Greenway Trail, as well as a website:
large tire playground and a very well known disc golf
course. In addition, there are miles of hiking and bik- www.foscsp.com
ing trails (trail guides are available), including the
If you want to join now, just following the instrucwell known Schaeffer Farm Trail System. A relatively tions on the next page. Your membership is greatly
new change at the park is that dogs on a leash are
appreciated and we hope to see you at the picnic!
now welcome. The park is a wonderful place to take
Ken Grundy, FOSCSP President
your dog for a walk.
West Riding Resident
The park is run by the state of Maryland and has had
some lean economic times in the recent past. In the
mid 1990’s the state, the county, and many volunteers
started working together to create the Seneca Greenway Trail. This cooperative effort involved many different groups of people with a variety of interests in
the park. After the trail was nearly complete some of
the individuals, based on the extraordinary success of
the effort, decided that working together they could
assist the park in other ways. Under the leadership of
the late Bill Larson, the Friends of Seneca Creek State
Park was founded. Since that time the Friends group
has donated over $100,000.00 in goods and services to
the park. This was made possible by the many members of our organization, including West Riding residents, who have made the Friends group one of the
charities that they donate to annually (donations are
9
Let’s Talk Trash
Membership - FOSCSP
West Riding does not have a chosen trash hauler and
the City of Gaithersburg is not in the trash business.
That means we must each contract individually for
the removal of trash from our household. There are
several trash haulers in Montgomery County to
choose from, but here is information on three companies that are already servicing residents in our community.
Join the Friends of Seneca Creek State Park! Just pick
the type of membership that fits you best:
Student - $5.00
Associate - $10.00
Patron - $25.00
Family - $50.00
Life - $500.00 (one time)
Friends of Seneca Creek State Park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Provide your name, postal address, email address and type of membership. If you
join as a Family, please provide the names of everyone in the family.
B&B Trash Service
301-424-1427
Once a week pick-up - $13.85
Twice a week pick-up - $15.00
Trash tote rental - $3.00 per month
Make your check out to FOSCSP and mail to:
Titus Trash Service
301-428-8990
Once a week pick-up - $15.00
Twice a week pick-up - $21.00
Trash tote rental - $2 or $3.50 per month
FOSCSP
11950 Clopper Road
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Diamond Farms Stingrays Swim
Team
Summer is here! And that means it is swim team time
for all the kids. What a great way to stay in shape and
have a lot fun too. Children ages 5 and up are welcome to come check us out for competition swimming
and younger swimmers can come join our “PreTeam”!
We had a good year last your, but need a lot more
swimmers as we need to build teams for both “A”
and “B” events. Just ask your friends who participated last year - it was a blast for everyone!
Waste Management
877-247-7815
Once a week pick-up - $22.50
Twice a week pick-up - $34.50
Trash tote rental - No charge
When you call for rates or service, please tell the business that you live in the City of Gaithersburg. Some
trash haulers give their customers a discount if they
live in the City of Gaithersburg.
Also, you can buy trash totes at Lowe’s or Home Deport and avoid paying a rental fee each month to the
trash hauler. Here are the prices obtained:
96 Gallon Trash Tote - $90.00
64 Gallon Trash Tote - $72.00
For more information, please contact either:
Donna Lentz
(donna.lentz@gmail.com) or
Barbara Jensen
(barbara.jensen2@verizon.net).
10
Diamond Elementary School
ing the traffic flow in front of the school. I agreed to
let West Riding residents know what we can do to
help ensure safety. In addition, I asked that the Diamond PTA also be involved in addressing this safety
concern.
Diamond Elementary School is located in the heart of
our community. It is a blessing to West Riding that
our children can walk to an elementary school with
such a wonderful reputation. I know that many,
many West Riding residents over the years have also So, what can we do as residents to ensure traffic
safety for everyone?
been very active in the school's PTA or volunteered in
the classroom.
Observe and drive the speed limit (25 MPH)
The one major drawback to Diamond Elementary
School is the lack of vehicle parking. The school was
built in 1974 and was designed for students to either
walk to the school or be driven by bus. However, over
the last 5 years there has been a dramatic increase in
the number of parents that are driving their children
to and from school.
Stop at all STOP signs
With the addition of more cars flowing through the
community, there has also been an increase in safety
issues during school opening and closing. I talked to
several West Riding residents and Diamond Elementary School parents over the last month and here is
what I was told:
Do not pull into residents' private driveways
Walk with your children to school versus driving
them. If driving is absolutely necessary, look into
carpooling.
Drop or pick-up children in the school parking lot
Do not park in front of residents' driveways
The Gaithersburg Police Department is helping us
address safety as well. The police are currently monitoring speed on Diamond Drive and I have asked for
police surveillance at the intersection of Cullinan
Drive and Marquis Drive during school opening time.
Cars driving in excess of 25 MPH through the community
If you have any suggestions on how to improve traffic
safety at the school, please let Principal Carol Lange
know. Her email address is:
carol_a_lange@mcpsmd.org
Cars failing to stop at the STOP signs
Cars turning around in residents' private driveways
Children exiting and entering cars in the middle of
Marquis Drive
With everyone working together as team, we can ensure the safety of all children and adults.
Children running across Marquis Drive to enter
parked cars
Cars parking in front of residents' driveways
Cars using the bus lane when children are exiting or
entering buses
A meeting was held in May with the school's Principal and Vice-Principal to discuss how we could be
proactive in addressing traffic safety concerns. With
me were two residents who live on Marquis Drive.
Everyone was very open and spoke candidly about
the issue and ways to ensure safety for everyone. The
school's administration agreed to continue monitor-
11
All in the Family
Pets Are Welcome
Pets are welcome in our community. However, pet
Receiving information about new West Riding residents reminded me of the number of related families owners need to be considerate of their neighbors. It is
required by City of Gaithersburg law to keep dogs
that live in West Riding. Did you know?
and cats on a leash at all times when off your property. It is also the law that you clean up after them
Billy Drengwitz (Diamond Drive) is the brother of
for public health reasons. A very convenient way to
Charlie Drengwitz (Jonker Count)
do so is by bringing along a supermarket plastic bag
Frank Cooley (Cullinan Drive) is the brother of
which you can use to “scoop your pets poop”, and
JoAnn Schimke (Tiffany Court)
then turn it outside-in and tie it up. There are also
several gadgets you can purchase at your local pet
Ken Grundy (Tiffany Court) is the son of Bernie and shop.
Linda Grundy (Cullinan Drive)
Pets do get bored,
Inside all day.
No one to see,
No one to play.
So do as you must,
December as in May.
Take them out for a stroll,
Let ‘em roll in the hay.
But please don’t forget,
To do your fair share.
“Scoop your pets poop!”
Your neighbors declare!
So get along with your pet,
With your neighbors do too!
Your children will thank you,
And so will their shoes.
Dina Marraffa (Diamond Drive) is the daughter of
Henry Marraffa (Keystone Drive)
Rhea Bowen (Tiffany Court) is the daughter of Betty
Ring (Hope Court)
Andrea Nazarian (Diamond Drive) is the daughter of
Andrew and Margie Lunday (Diamond Drive)
Scott Taggart (Marquis Drive) is the son of Donna
Marraffa (Keystone Drive)
Heather Locraft (Crystal Court) is the daughter of
Gene and Stephanie Healy (Keystone Court)
Kerri Kaminski (Keystone Drive) is the daughter of
Linda Gardner (Cullinan Drive)
Sam Western (Tiffany Court) is the daughter of Judy
Johnson (Tiffany Drive)
.
12
FiOS is Here!
Pepco Upgrades
FiOS is now available in West Riding. If you would
like to check and see if it is available at your home
and the price to convert, please go to the Verizon
website:
Pepco will be upgrading the underground electric
primary/service system in our community. This will
entail placing or replacing new cable by directional
drilling or trenching while maintaining existing services.
www.verizon.com/fiostv
R.B. Hinkle Construction is the subcontractor for
Pepco and will be performing the replacement and
restoration work in our community.
Click on: About FiOS
Click on: Check Availability
If your residence has an invisible dog fence, sprinkler
system or any private utilities that are not located by
“Miss Utility”, they would appreciate a call to set up a
meeting so you can show them where the utilities are
located. Be advised that any private utility that is not
located that become damage in any way is the homeowner’s responsibility.
Convenient Bus Services
Should you have any questions regarding the construction phase of this project, please contact the superintendent:
Rick Brown
703-728-2266
703-430-0200
R.B. Hinkle Construction would like to thank everyone in advance for your patience and cooperation
during the construction process:
R.B. Hinkle Construction, Inc.
P.O. Box 1153
Ashburn, VA 20146
703-430-0200
Gaithersburg - BWI Airport
This bus goes to BWI Airport from the Park & Ride
Lot at Route 124 and I-270 fourteen times a day at the
price of $5 per person, one way. The bus leaves every
hour between 4 a.m. and 5 p.m. east bound; and every
hour 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 p.m. west bound. The bus
stops at several Park & Ride Lots as well as the Shady
Grove Metro Station and ends up at the BWI Marc/
Amtrak Station in an hour and ten minutes. It is provided by Maryland Transit Administration.
Universities at Shady Grove - UMCP
This bus shuttles between the Universities at Shady
Grove and University of Maryland at College Park.
Parking at USG is free and the shuttle bus is free.
However, this bus can only be used by UMCP faculty,
staff and students. The bus only runs when fall and
spring semester classes are in session. The first bus
run to UMCP is at 7:30 a.m. and the last bus returns at
4:50 p.m. The bus runs only on weekdays and it takes
about one hour.
Nina Liakos
West Riding Resident
13
City of Gaithersburg Happenings
West Riding Community Inspection
During the first week of May, an inspector from the
Neighborhood Services Department conducted a
curbside inspection of our homes. The inspector was
looking for violations of city code, including the condition of the following items:
Mayor and Council Compensation
The Mayor and Council voted in August 2007 to create a new committee that will meet every four years
to review and determine their monetary compensation. The committee is made up of three citizens and includes West Riding resident, Ty
Larson. The current compensation for the
Mayor and Council is:
Exterior Dwelling Structure
Accessory Structures
Exterior Yard Areas
Mayor — $19,500 a year
Council — $16,000 a year
After the inspection, 52 letters were mailed out to
West Riding residents with a deadline to make the
necessary repairs. Apparently, peeling paint was the
number one violation noted. If you have any questions about this program, please contact Emily Rainone, City of Gaithersburg, 301-258-6340.
Thank You Public Works & Engineering
Our community is very fortunate to receive such
great support from the various City of Gaithersburg
Departments. This includes the departments of:
Animal Control
Neighborhood Services
Parks & Recreation
Fourth of July Celebration
Planning & Code
The City of Gaithersburg will sponsor a celebration at Police
Public Information
the Montgomery County Fairgrounds on July 4th.
Public Works & Engineering
Gates open at 5 p.m. and there will be a two-hour
concert by the Appaloosa starting at 7 p.m. The excit- However, the one department that really makes our
ing fireworks display launches at dusk
community so special is the Department of Public
(approximately 9:25 p.m.) Attendees are welcome to
Works & Engineering. I just cannot say enough good
bring their own food and blankets to enjoy a picnic
things about these staff members who are in our comduring the event. Food will be sold at the celebration. munity on a weekly basis. They are responsible for:
For safety reasons, the following are strictly prohibMowing our court islands and entranceway
ited: alcoholic beverages, glass containers, rollerblades, skates, bikes, pets and fireworks of any kind. Maintaining the entranceway flowerbeds
Street Tree Planting & Maintenance
Monthly Bulk Pick-Up
Weekly Recycling Pick-Up
Leave Pick-Up
Street Light Maintenance
Road Maintenance & Sweeping
Sidewalk Maintenance
Snow Removal
Please take a moment to send a Thank You to this
department in the next few weeks. They really deserve our thanks and would love to hear from you!
Jim Arnoult, Director of Public Works & Engineering
jarnoult@gaithersburgmd.gov
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Bulk Pickup Program
General Information:
The bulk pickup program is intended to provide City residents an opportunity to remove large
items from their household which private refuge companies will not accept. The City provides bulk
pickup collection to residents of single family homes and townhome communities. The scheduled
pickup time is 7 a.m. on the first recycling day (Friday) of every month. If the scheduled pickup day
falls on a holiday, the pickup will occur on the same weekday the following week.
Guidelines:
Items must be separated from household trash.
Items must be clearly marked “Bulk Pick Up” and placed out not more than 24 hours prior to
the scheduled pickup.
Items must be placed behind curb, clear of utility poles, cars, trees, and other obstructions.
All containers holding debris will also be removed.
Acceptable Items:
Furniture, box springs, mattresses, appliances, bicycles, and other large items which private refuge
companies will not accept.
Unacceptable Items:
Household trash
Items placed in plastic bags or unmarked containers.
Items or debris resulting from work performed by a hired contractor.
*Oil, paint, gasoline, car batteries and other explosive or hazardous materials.
*Tires
* For information on how to dispose of these materials call: 301-590-0046.
More Information:
For more information please contact The Department of Public Works and Engineering at:
301-258-6370.
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Vacation Tips
Diamond Farms Pool
Quince Orchard Boulevard
Townhouse Community Pool
Open 7 Days a Week
Swim Team & Baby Pool
Before you leave for your summer vacation, remember to:
Pull all drapes and close blinds tightly.
Water Park at Summit Hall Farm
Route 355 (behind Gaithersburg High School)
City Pool
Open 7 Days a Week
Baby Pool, Slides, Playground, Volleyball, Snack Bar
Secure locks on all doors and windows.
Install photoelectric cells on exterior lights.
Connect interior lights to automatic timers. Time
them to turn on and off through the evening.
Install timers on your television and radios to turn
on and off all day. Be sure the volume is loud
enough to be heard from outside.
Have a trusted friend or neighbor pick up your
mail and newspaper.
Other ways to create the illusion that someone is
home:
Have a neighbor park in your driveway.
Have a neighbor mow your lawn.
Have a neighbor set our the trash.
Maryland State Parks
Did you know there are 36 State Parks in Maryland
and that we live within 5 minutes of one? Seneca
Creek State Park is located just off of Clopper Road
(just past Saint Rose Church). Activities at the park
include: boating, fishing, picnicking, biking, hiking,
bird watching, jogging, dog walking and playgrounds
for children. The fee for entering the park between
Memorial Weekend and Labor Day Weekend is:
Weekdays - Free
Weekends & Holidays - Small Fee
Let’s Go Swimming!
Congratulations Seniors
There are several area pools you can join if you want
to take the kids swimming (or work on your tan).
They are:
Best wishes and good luck to all our West Riding high
school and college graduates.
Quince Orchard Swim & Tennis Club
Quince Orchard Road & Longdraft Road
Private Pool
Open 7 Days a Week
Swim Team & Baby Pool
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Neighbors in the News
Please welcome Judy Johnson to 764 Tiffany Drive.
Judy recently moved here from Chevy Chase and
works at as an Independent Floral Designer for
Please welcome Rick and Chris Chimera to 5 Key
weddings, parties and events. She enjoys nature,
stone Court. The Chimeras moved here from Arizona with their 3 year old son, Joseph. Rick works in animals, flowers, and music (sings in the Washingthe software industry and Chris is a funeral director ton Chorus). Judy’s daughter, Samantha Western,
and housewife. They look forward to being active in lives on Tiffany Court. Welcome!
the community!
Best wishes to Tom Moreland, Tiffany Drive, on his
Congratulations to Dr. David Chase, a 14 year resi- recent retirement from the federal government. To
dent of Crystal Court. Dr. Chase announces his re- celebrate, he and his wife will visit Alaska for two
tirement from Montgomery County Public Schools week. Congratulations Tom!
concluding a career of 40 years of service to students
in four schools during his tenure. He most recently
taught and was 6th Grade Team Leader at Cabin
John Middle School in Potomac. Dr. Chase looks forward to a time of personal renewal and continued
service to the community.
Kudos to the Rebecca & Charlie Drengwitz, Shane
& Karen Rogers, and Bo & Rachel Howell. These
couples have been working very hard on the landscaping around Diamond Elementary School. They
have pulled out weeds, trimmed up the bushes, dug
out old plantings, laid 40 bags of mulch, and put in
the new foundation plants and annuals. In addition,
Best wishes to Mike and Bunny Lanahan on their
new venture. The Lanahans recently sold their home Charlie and Shane have been working throughout
the past couple of years to get the edging and tree
on Marquis Drive and are moving to North Myrtle
trimming under control as well. Karen says some
Beach in South Carolina. Mike and Bunny lived in
neighbors came by while they were working to let
West Riding for 36 years!
them know how much they appreciate all of the
Carmen Castro-Conroy, Diamond Drive, was relandscaping at the school and that it really helps the
cently on Channel 8 news for her work at Housing
neighborhood look nicer.
Initiative Partnership. She is a certified housing
counselor in Germantown working for a HUD apClassified Ads
proved agency providing free foreclosure prevention services. Keep up the good work Carmen!
All West Riding residents are eligible to submit clasCondolences to the friends, family and neighbors of
sified ads to The Lamplighter. The prices are:
Arlyn Baumgarten, Diamond Drive. Aryln passed
away in March after a battle with cancer. She was an Business Card:
$ 5.00
original owner and always attended our community 1/4 Page:
$15.00
meetings with her husband, Paul. We will all miss
1/2 Page:
$25.00
her.
Full Page:
$50.00
Congratulations to East Kimberly Drive residents
Make your check payable to WRCA and send to the
Lonnie and Shannon Glerum on the birth of their
P.O. Box on the first page. The next issue of The
daughter, Veronica Jane. Veronica was born on May Lamplighter will be published in September.
1st and weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces. Shannon says
she is very sweet and joins their other children, Ivan
and Gwen.
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United States Flag Retirement
Mothers Day Out
Do you have old flags that you don’t know what to
do with? As a service to the community, Boy Scout
Troop 1097 will be properly retiring United States
flags that are no longer serviceable or needed on
June 16th. If you have any flags which should be
retired, please drop them off by June 15th to Paul
Schimke at 734 Tiffany Court.
Gaithersburg First Baptist Church
Fall Program 2011
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
4 Hours Long
Richard Prescott
Our fall program has openings for infants 6
months up to four years old. If interested,
please contact:
Certified Apple Specialist
Home Networking & Internet
Some PC-Mac Integration
Director Carolyn Bass
cbass@fbcgaithersburg.org
301-840-5817 Home
240-447-4614 Mobile
*Special on-site discount for West Riding residents!
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GO GREEN Lighting
The only lighting that saves energy
P. O. Box 39 Boyds, MD 20841 301-880-0549 www.gogreenlightingled.com
Cut your electrical lighting bill by 90% by simply switching your light bulbs to L.E.D. (an average of $108.00 monthly savings).
Ask us how we can help you to reduce your electrical lighting bill by 15% (an estimated $45.00
per month), when combined you will be saving 50% a month.
Our complete heavy up includes new meter, 200amp, panel box, main breaker, 2 ground rods 6
feet apart, follow new electrical code with inspector approval for only $1,600
Ask us for a free electrical and lighting consultation by calling 301-880-0549
Andre Kaminski, Owner and West Riding Resident
Andy Werner, Jr.
Associate Broker
Your neighbor AND your Realtor,
proudly serving West Riding since 1996.
“Don’t Make A Move Without Me!”
Direct: 301-721-0000
Home: 301-947-5303
Broker: 301-258-7757
Fax:
301-921-2653
andy@andywerner.com
andywerner.com
6 Montgomery Village Ave., Gaithersburg, MD 20879
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