What: HOT DANCE/COOL PLANET KHCA Legal Defense Fund Dance Party

When: Saturday, February 4th: 7:30pm - 11pm, Dancing starts about 8pm.

Where: Hot Dance/Cool Planet will be donating space and entertainment at Pathways Warehouse 9339 Fraser Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910. (Directions:http://www.pathwaysmagazineonline.com/Pathways%20Online/Directions.html)

Suggested Donations: $15 for adults. $5 for kids.

Beverages and Snacks

What: HOT DANCE/COOL PLANET KHCA Legal Defense Fund Dance Party

When: Saturday, February 4th: 7:30pm - 11pm, Dancing starts about 8pm.

Where: Hot Dance/Cool Planet will be donating space and entertainment at Pathways Warehouse 9339 Fraser Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910. (Directions:http://www.pathwaysmagazineonline.com/Pathways%20Online/Directions.html)

Suggested Donations: $15 for adults. $5 for kids.

Beverages and Snacks

RSVP to: lowrycath@comcast.net

http://www.kensingtonheightsmd.org/costco/index.html

to: lowrycath@comcast.net

http://www.kensingtonheightsmd.org/costco/index.html

It may be mid-winter, but 15 vendors will be participating in the Kensington Farmer’s Market on Feb. 4, including:

catering by anna saint john  - A wide variety of sauces, rubs, marinades, jams and soups made from farm fresh ingredients to complement all your farm market foods.  Fresh, locally made ravioli; frozen ready-to-bake biscuits; and stone ground corn grits, cornmeal and corn flour.  
Frankly...Pizza! will be at the market this Saturday with a meatball pizza; loaded with crushed meatballs and heavily topped with Romano cheese.
Mediterranean Treats: a wide variety of Gluten Free Treats, Vegan Treats, Figs, Olive Oil and Pecan Treats, All Almond Treats......
Oh! Pickles:   sours, half sours, kosher dill, and more…..
Rabbit Hill Farm:  apples, potatoes, honey, eggs and greens
Vera’s Bakery: Our Portuguese Sweet Bread makes the best French toast, along with our tasty scones, and pastries we will be selling the Brazilian Cheese Breads some hot and some in unbaked packs  for people to bake them at home.
Vigilante Coffee Co. is offering:  El Salvador Peaberry- This unique coffee will blow you away.  Smooth, balanced, and full bodied.  
 Walnut Hill Farm:  This week we will be running our ground beef special...buy 4 packs, get the 5th free.

One of our lovely Kensington Heights signs, at the corner of Drumm & University, was apparently hit by a vehicle — its right-hand "leg" is bashed in. Is there anyone out there in KH-land with the skills to fix it? This would be a great way to help your community so we don't have to hire someone to make the repairs.

If you think you can help, please contact Abigail Adelman, KHCA Beautification Committee chair, at AVTDesignGroup@erols.com.

UPDATE: Dept. of Permitting Services Responds to Costco Exemption Challenge

The Montgomery County Planning Department says that the Wheaton Sector Plan does not affect the determination of an exemption from submitting a Forest Conservation Plan, which Westfield obtained in 2010 for its Costco construction project.
http://wheaton-md.patch.com/articles/planning-department-responds-to-costco-exemption-challenge

 

Want to keep up with what’s going on in Kensington? The website http://www.explorekensington.com/events.php lists specials at local merchants, along with classes offered at such Kensington businesses as Golden Sound Studio, Weisler Glass Studio  and Allay Yoga. Also look for information at the Town of Kensington’s government website at http://www.tok.md.gov/.

The Kensington Arts Theatre is entering its 10th year and will be kicking off the season with “Sunday in the Park with George” on February 10th through March 3rd. For information please go to their website:  http://katonline.org/  or call 206.888.6642.

Are you a Montgomery County homeowner who pays too much in utility bills?  Is your home drafty?  Are you lacking insulation?  

You may be eligible for Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County, Maryland Inc's FREE Home Weatherization Services!  Applications are available online or you can 
Download the application  or visit 
www.habitat-mc.org/homeownership
Call 301-990-0014 ext. for more information.

The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new website, MyGreenMontgomery.org, that simplifies achieving “green” goals by providing information linking residents with local, state, federal and private incentives.  The website is an interactive community tool that will be evolving over time to highlight new programs, resources and information; provide a forum for a community conversation; and allow users to ask questions and share success stories.  The website will use social media to connect to local community groups and keep information current and responsive in real time. 
“Most people would prefer to make day-to-day choices that are best for the environment, but they may not know how to do that or think it is too difficult,” said Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection Director Bob Hoyt.  “That’s why a resource like MyGreenMontgomery.org is so important.  The website brings together, in one place, essential information to give residents the tools they need to make green changes in their everyday lives, sometimes in ways that will actually save them money, and presents it in a simple and fun way.” 
Residents who want to get started on a basic green project, such as changing appliance settings to be more energy efficient or do a complete green makeover, will get guidance from MyGreenMontgomery.org in the “Green Projects” section.  The section outlines projects in the following categories: Daily Choices, Energy, Lawn and Garden, Transportation and Water.  Each project is rated according to difficulty to implement, cost and green impact.  Project descriptions provide detailed information and resources,
such as tips and “How-to” videos, to help users complete the project.  Users can also create a Green Plan and track their progress. 
            The “Incentives and Programs” section lists rebates, tax credits, freebies and information to motivate residents to carry out their projects. 
Under “My Community,” residents can find local green resources, search for a contractor (such as an energy auditor), learn about upcoming events in the community, get involved in a local green group and read about a neighbor’s success story -- or post their own.  Residents or local groups organizing a green event can add it to the calendar. 
A “News and Features” section provides local “green-interest” stories and seasonal tips. Anyone in Montgomery County can contribute content to be considered for inclusion in the website.
MyGreenMontgomery.org was developed with funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.   Nana Design, a Montgomery County communications and marketing firm, developed the website and logo.  It is a certified small business that is located in the County’s Wheaton Innovation Center.
View the new website at http://mygreenmontgomery.org. 

It is with great sadness that we report, KHCA lost long-time member and co-chair of the Beautification Committee, Jane Folsom last week.  Jane was an energetic civic activist and community educator who made great contributions to KHCA and the larger community with her tireless spirit and passion for many worthy causes.   We take comfort knowing that she was surrounded by family and loved ones in her final moments. While Jane could never be replaced, we know that she inspired so many others in our community that her good works will carry on.  

A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 23, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at Hughes Methodist Church, 10700 Georgia Ave., in Wheaton.  

KHCA has 100 brand-new COSTCO - NO GAS lawn signs with stakes.  They are available for a suggested donation to KHCA of $10 per sign (to cover the production cost).  Pick one up and be the first on your block -- or the second, third, or fourth (the more, the merrier!) -- to display your support for KH neighbors whose homes will be adversely affected by the proposed Costco mega gas station if the County allows it to be built.  Contact April Gassler, 10911 Drumm Ave., 301-942-8599, Communications@KensingtonHeightsMD.org, to arrange to pick up your very own sign!

Click here to see the new approved Council districts for the County.

Apparently, Council districts must be redrawn whenever the population difference between the largest and smallest of the 5 districts reaches (or is greater than?) 10%.  That happened, so redistricting was mandated by law as a result.

Kensington Heights has been broken into two Council districts.  We have been in District 5 for many years, but will now be in District 4 (Drumm Ave. eastward) and District 1 (Drumm Ave. westward).  Click here to see the actual dividing lines, click here for the District 4 map and here for the District 1 map and blow the map up to 400% to see the individual KH roads (though sadly not named, you can make out most of the streets by their size and location).  These maps take a long time to load.

Because the dividing lines between districts are very thick, it is unclear which side of Drumm is in which district; we'll have to wait for clarity on that. We don't know when this change goes into effect.

Theft
Jan. 19, 8:09 a.m. and Jan. 11, 1:22 p.m.
3000 block of McComas Ave.

Theft from Vehicle
Jan. 10, 12:16 p.m.
3300 block of Decatur Ave.
Jan. 8, 3:41 a.m.
3500 block of Farragut Ave.

Breaking and Entering
10800 Block of Torrance Dr.
Reported 9:01 a.m. Dec. 15

3600 Block of Decatur Ave.
Reported 12:20 p.m. Dec. 18

Theft
3000 Block of McComas Ave.
Reported 8:07 p.m. Dec. 9

Assault
3300 Block Plyers Mill (at Drumm)
Reported 7:20 p.m. Dec. 13

Wheaton Meeting on Public Safety Issues

KHCA was represented by resident Tom Stanton at a meeting on December 4 about the recent carjackings at Westfield Wheaton (perpetrated, it appears, by a single individual).Here is Tom's report:

Cmdr. Damskey of the 4th District briefed the group. Matt Barry (general manager of the Mall) and others up the chain of command from Westfield also briefed the group. Ana Lopez van Balen (director of the Mid-County Services Center) was there, as well as my counterpart from Rockville. The rest were Council folks, including Council Pres. Valerie Ervin.

The key takeaway is that Wheaton suffers a perception problem. Our crime rate is no worse than other localities, but when a crime of opportunity like the kidnappings, or any crime for that matter, occurs in Wheaton, the community gets the "here they go again" treatment in the press. That aside, I am impressed that the police and the private Westfield security are doing their jobs properly regarding security.

Questions or comments? Contact Tom at thomasrstanton@gmail.com.

Maryland drivers can add three emergency contacts to their driver's license so police will know who to call if an accident occurs. The emergency contact information is stored electronically on an individual's driver's license and will be available only to authorized law enforcement personnel. The information can be added online -- in less than 10 minutes -- by going to MVA's website at www.mva.maryland.gov, clicking "On-line Transactions," then clicking "More" and then, "Emergency Contacts."

The Department of Finance has prepared a few basic questions and answers to help clarify property tax issues for residents.

Q.My tax increased more than inflation. I thought the County Charter said that property taxes cannot increase more than inflation.

A. Montgomery County's Charter Limit on property taxes requires that total property tax revenues from all properties cannot increase more than the rate of inflation and the value of new construction. Although the average tax bill increases at the rate of inflation, some properties may increase less than inflation, while others increase more than inflation, depending on assessment cycles, assessment amount, when properties were purchased, homestead credit and other credits.

Q.Why was there a 4-cent increase per $100 of assessed value this year?

A.This year, there was an option to either reduce the County rebate (officially called the income tax offset credit) from last year's $692 or raise the tax rate to increase revenues to the Charter Limit. The County chose a combination of a smaller rate increase and keeping the credit at last year's amount since that would limit a significant tax increase for lower- and middle-valued properties.

Q. My assessment went down, but my tax bill increased more than 10%. Why?

A. If your property increased a lot in value several years ago, you would have benefitted from the homestead credit which caps growth in taxable assessment to 10% per year. During those years, you did not pay property taxes on the homestead credit amount. If the new "reduced" assessment this year is higher than last year's taxable assessment, the base still went up. For example, say last year's assessment was $600,000 and there was a $100,000 homestead credit. That meant the taxable assessment was $500,000 and it was used to compute the property tax. If your new assessment this year is $550,000 (down from $600,000), that is still above last year's taxable assessment allowing the base to grow the full 10% to $550,000 (i.e., $500,000 plus 10% = $550,000).

Q.Why is my assessment much higher than what houses sell for in my area?

A. The State of Maryland assesses each property every three years, with increases phased in over three years. A decline is reflected immediately in the first year of the triennial cycle. The State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) conducts the assessments and handles the appeals. The local SDAT office is in Rockville and they can be reached at 240-314-4510. If you believe the assessed value is too high, call for more information or file an appeal with SDAT to start the appeals process. Montgomery County has nothing to do with property tax assessments. That is solely the responsibility of the State of Maryland.

Q. I am a senior citizen and am struggling with paying my property taxes. Is there a program that might help?

A. Depending on your income compared to the amount of the tax bill, there may be tax relief available through three different programs: the State Homeowners Property Tax Credit (HOTC), County Supplemental Tax Credit and County Senior Credit (if 70 years or older). SDAT administers these credits and reviews applications for eligibility. The good thing is that you file only one application with SDAT, and they will automatically review eligibility for all three programs. They can be contacted at 800-944-7403 (toll-free). Also, although the filing deadline is generally September 1, SDAT just extended the filing deadline to October 31, 2011. If you are approved for one or all of these credits, it would adjust this year's tax bill.