Olney Mill Community Association

Mill House Lighting: Sunday December 6, 2009,  7:00 – 9:00 p.m. 

Olney Mill residents young and old are invited to help celebrate one of Olney Mill’s oldest traditions… Come gather around the Mill House to feast on delicious cookies and warm drinks, enjoy holiday music and caroling, and start the holiday season off right ~ with friends and neighbors.  Santa Claus is scheduled to arrive via fire truck around 7:30 p.m. to meet with the children.  Santa makes sure to talk with every child before he leaves – so get your lists ready…

Those who are  planning to attend are asked not to park in front of the Mill House, as it is a “No Parking” zone and Santa’s arrival spot. Volunteers are needed to set up, serve refreshments, and clean up after the event, as well as help take down the lights after the holiday season.  Community Service Hours (SSL) are available to MS/HS student volunteers. Anyone wishing to help out should contact Dennis at (301) 570-0394 or datwombly@verizon.net.

See you all there !!

Join your Olney Mill neighbors to celebrate our nation’s independence!  

This year’s fun includes the Olney Community Band, Waterslides, Magician, Moonbounce, the “Mighty Water Balloon Toss,” and lots of great food! The picnic will be held in the northeastern-most area of the Olney Family Park between the two main ponds.  Details and map are included in the July Mill Stream. Given the limited parking, residents are asked to walk if at all possible. The park can be reached via sidewalks from Mt. Olney Lane, Falling Green, the Willow Grove parking lot, and Roseneath. Treadway Rd will be blocked off to allow parking for the Olney Orchestra, handicapped residents, and delivery trucks.  

The picnic will begin at 12:00 noon. We will be serving hamburgers, hot dogs, side-dishes, and drinks. There will be plenty of food, so there is no need to stand in line at 12:00 noon. The ice cream vendor will arrive after 1:00. Please only take one item per person so there is enough for everyone. 

The Olney Orchestra will begin playing patriotic music at 12:30.   This year, our 2009 scholarship winner, Jeremy Milliner, will be playing some of his own selections after 2:00.   Be sure to be there for the presentation of his award and to hear him play. Due to rains this week, some of the grassy areas are expected to be soggy. Residents are advised to wear suitable footwear (boots, flip-flops, sandals). Be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen to your children before they come to the picnic!

We need volunteers to help with a number of the activities. Students can earn SSL hours for their efforts!   Please see Maryland Lehmann or Dennis Twombly to see what things you can do.

We’re looking forward to a great day. Hope to see you there!

This coming Saturday, March 28, the Olney Mill Community Association (OMCA) will be sponsoring its 6th OMCA Spring Clean-up. Last year, nearly 70 volunteers collected litter, cans, bottles, and other items throughout our local parks. Maryland National Capital Parks & Planning (M-NCPPC) will provide permits, gloves, and trash bags, and they will give Student Service Learning (SSL) hour credits for our student volunteers. Remember, community service is an important factor in selecting our annual $1,000 OMCA scholarship winner!

We will meet at 9:00 am at three different staging areas: 1) the Olney Mill House on the corner of Olney Mill Rd and 108, 2) the Olney Family Park on Willow Grove, 3) The Olney Neighborhood Park on Charline Manor. You should wear jeans and long-sleeved shirts to avoid scratches from branches. Wear waterproof boots even if it’s clear because many of the grassy areas may be swampy. Be sure to bring a rain coat if the weather looks at all threatening. If it’s just drizzling lightly by 8:30 Saturday morning, we will go ahead that day as scheduled. The next day (Sunday) is the rain date. Any last minute announcements or postponements will be posted on our web site by 8:00 am on Saturday morning (www.olneymill.net).

After the Clean-up, we invite everyone to join us at the Oakley Cabin on Brookeville Rd (100 yds east of Grayheaven) for a pizza lunch, compliments of OMCA. I will need a count by about 11:00 of who will plans to join us there. Please call or send an email if you plan to attend so we can distribute the volunteers appropriately. At this point, it looks like we need more volunteers for the Charline Manor park group.

Dennis Twombly: (Office: 301-443-9334) or (Cell: 301-461-4357) or send email from this web site via “Contacts” (parks and common areas).

The annual Olney Mill Easter Egg hunt will be held Monday, April 13 in the Family Park.  The fun starts at Noon, so be sure to come to the Park a few minutes early.  And Parents:  Have those cameras ready!

The Family Park is the one with the ponds and has its main entrance on Willow Grove Road. In the event of rain, check back at this website for cancellation or postponement news.

The Olney Mill Scholarship Program recognizes and rewards an Olney Mill high school senior for outstanding achievement during his/her high school years (grades 9-12), with an emphasis on service in the Olney Mill and greater Olney community.

Award and Basis

The Board of Directors wishes to recognize an outstanding applicant with the $1,000 award. The Scholarship Committee will submit its recommendations from the field of applicants to the OMCA Board of Directors in a closed session. Should there be multiple applicants with equally strong achievements, the Board may choose to split the award accordingly.

Eligibility

Graduating high school seniors of OMCA families in good standing (dues current and no existing violations) are eligible. Immediate family members of the active OMCA Board, its officers or agents are not eligible.

Categories and Criteria

Scholarship decisions include three elements:

1. involvement with the Olney community, where Olney Mill is given greater consideration;
2. academic accomplishment; and
3. athletic or other extracurricular accomplishments.

Community Contribution

Involvement is “Support of the Olney Mill Community or the Olney area.” It is further demonstrated by sustained, positive contributions to the welfare of Olney Mill or the local community during the applicant’s high school years.

Application Guidelines

Applications must be postmarked prior to May 1, 2009, limited to two typed pages describing the applicant’s achievements, plus the verifying information, as required. The Scholarship Committee will process the applications and recommend awards to the Board.

Download the scholarship application.