Olney Mill Community Association

Montgomery County Council President Mike Knapp will be attending our OMCA Board meeting on Wednesday, September 10, 7:00 pm (Community Room, Buffington/ReMax Building, Olney). For many years, Mr. Knapp has assisted Olney Mill with a variety of problems and issues, including Verizon’s installation of fiber-optic cables, flooding from leaking or ruptured WSSC supply lines, and maintenance of M-NCPPC administered park areas. He has also been a big supporter of our OMCA clean-up activities.

Mr. Knapp will be on-hand to discuss any issues of concern to our Olney Mill residents. Reserve the date! This is your opportunity to meet and voice your opinions with one of the County’s most influential leaders. If possible, please let us know by e-mail if you will be attending. This will allow us to plan the evening’s schedule.

The following information has been extracted from a Montgomery County advisory on Hurricane Hanna, which arrives late Friday night (9/5) and reaches a peak mid-day Saturday (9/6). For more information, see http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/PIO/news/preparedness.asp

With Hurricane Hanna threatening areas along the East Coast, Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett has placed emergency workers on standby and is urging residents to prepare for the possibility of flooding and power outages. The County will communicate with the public through the news media, the County home page, and emails.

The effects of a hurricane or tropical storm can be far-reaching. Areas impacted directly by a hurricane or tropical storm can be affected by high winds and flooding, especially along waterways and in low-lying areas. Fringe areas of these storms are vulnerable to tornadoes and in-land flooding caused by heavy rain.

Hurricane Preparedness Tips

• Keep flashlights and battery-powered radios with extra batteries on hand, along with a basic first aid kit, emergency food and water, and a non-electric can opener.
• Listen to the radio or television for hurricane progress reports.
• Remove outdoor objects such as lawn furniture, toys and garden tools; or anchor objects that cannot be brought inside but that could be wind-tossed.
• Clean out gutters.
• Turn the refrigerator and freezer to the coldest setting in anticipation of a power outage. Open the door only when necessary and close quickly.
• Refrain from putting out trash cans the night before the regular pickup.

During Power Outages

• Avoid using candles for lighting. Use a battery-powered flashlight.
• Never use a candle when fueling equipment such as a kerosene heater or lantern, since the candle flame can ignite fumes from the fuel.

Flooding

• Store valuables and personal papers in a waterproof container; and avoid areas subject to flooding, including low spots, canals and streams. Do not attempt to drive over a flooded road – you can be stranded or trapped.

High Winds

• For downed trees on public property, residents should call the County’s Department of Transportation at 240-777-6000 during work hours (7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Monday–Friday). After hours calls should be directed to the Police non-emergency number at 301-279-8000. To report trees that have fallen on utility lines, contact the local utility companies. “Hot” wires or sparking wires, especially those across roadways, may be reported by calling 9-1-1.
• Trees that have fallen on private property are the responsibility of the property owner. The County’s Office of Consumer Protection advises homeowners to deal with established businesses only, and to call Consumer Protection first to check on a business complaint record. Consumer Protection can be reached at 240-777-3636.

Yes, there is a little rain as of 8:30 am Saturday morning. Nevertheless, we will hold the Yard Sale as scheduled. Larry Van Druff is already handing out red balloons at the Mill House. So plan to get just a little wet and we’ll hope for a good turnout today.

Urgent Notice for Olney Mill Residents: Sometime from April 28 to May 10, Montgomery County will be spraying insecticide to control gypsy moth caterpillars. The gypsy moth is the most serious pest of hardwood trees in Montgomery County and state wide. The caterpillars feed on the leaves, often causing defoliation that damages trees and sometimes causes trees to die. Only areas with high numbers of gypsy moths are being treated. The date of the application will depend on weather conditions. M-NCPPC plans to have staff in the Family Park to keep residents off the trails and out of the park during the spraying.

The insecticide B.t. will be applied by a helicopter flying approximately 50 feet above tree top level. Applications will begin at dawn and continue as long as weather conditions are favorable for spraying. Application to a specific area is usually completed in 15-30 minutes. The spray dries on leaves in approximately 30 minutes. The spray contains the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.). To be effective, B.t. must be eaten as the caterpillar feeds on leaves. There is no evidence that the use of B.t. poses any risk to humans, domestic animals, or the environment. A good source of information about the insecticide is available on the internet at http://ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet.

Please avoid touching the wet leaves
Be aware of & avoid the helicopters

For more information about the Gypsy Moth Suppression Program, please see the website: Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, Gypsy Moth Suppression Program: Daytime phone (240) 777-7700; 24-hour hotline (240) 777-7788. E-mail: AskDEP@montgomerycountymd.gov

Olney Mill Volunteers,

The weather services are predicting rain starting at 5:00 pm on Friday evening and continuing throughout the day Saturday. We are therefore postponing the OMCA Spring Cleanup to the following day, SUNDAY, April 6, from 8:30 until noon. Other than the change in date, all of the activities will be as described below, including the pizza lunch at Oakley Cabin. Sunday is expected to be clear all day, but be sure to wear boots because the fields will probably be muddy!

Hope to see you all Sunday,

Dennis Twombly

This coming Saturday, April 5, the Olney Mill Community Association (OMCA) will be sponsoring its 5th OMCA Spring Clean-up. Bring your families and friends to join us for our annual celebration of Earth Day! Last year, nearly 70 volunteers collected litter, cans, bottles, and other items throughout our local parks and along roads and trails. Maryland National Capital Parks & Planning (M-NCPPC) will provide gloves and trash bags, and they will give Student Service Learning (SSL) hour credits for student volunteers. 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.

We will meet at 8:30 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. We need 2-3 people helping at the Mill House location. The rest should go either to the Family Park or Charline Manor Park where much larger areas need to be covered.

Be sure to bring a rain coat if the weather looks at all threatening. You should also 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. We will be asking for a few adventurous individuals to collect trash from the stream-beds and ponds. If you are interested, dress accordingly and please let us know if you can do this when you arrive at the staging area.

Please pass the word to anyone you think might be able to participate, even if they are not Olney Mill residents. The more people who join us, the more we can accomplish! Please contact Dennis Twombly by phone (office, 301-443-9334; cell, 301-461-4357) or by email if you plan to attend so we can distribute the volunteers appropriately. Sunday is our official “rain date”. If it’s just drizzling lightly by 8:30 Saturday morning, we will go ahead that day as scheduled. Any last minute announcements or postponements will be posted to the web sited by 8:00 am on Saturday morning.

We hope you can join us for this worthwhile and enjoyable experience. Please write down the above contact numbers so you call us about any last-minute changes.

See you Saturday!

The Olney Mill Community Association Board announces the launch of the new OMCA website:

olneymill.net

The new website will be the Community Bulletin Board for upcoming activities and the primary means of contacting the OMCA Board regarding Community concerns.

See this space for upcoming events. View Color Versions of The Millstream! And check this website for photos of our community events!

Seasons Greetings! Our annual Tree Lighting will be held at the Olney Mill House this Sunday, December 2, starting at 7:00 pm. Note that the Mill Stream mistakenly listed the event as being on December 1. It will be on Sunday, as usual. We are hoping for a Special Visitor to arrive at 7:30 (don’t tell your kids, but bring your cameras)! We will be serving hot chocolate, apple cider, cookies, and a few other treats, compliments of OMCA. The Cub Scouts will be tending the bonfire outside the Mill House. As with last year, we will hand out tickets to see Santa. There will be 6 groups of tickets (A-F), and one ticket will be given to each family. Pick yours up when you arrive. When your group letter is called, you can join the line. We are doing this so parents can visit with other Olney Mill residents and kids can run around and stay warm rather than spending the evening in line. Those who don’t get tickets will go last, but everyone will definitely have a chance to visit with Santa.

The Children’s Holiday Party will be at Belmont Elementary on Saturday, December 1. Set up will start at 12:00 noon.

We urgently need parent volunteers to help with both of these events. Please call Dennis Twombly at (301) 570-0394 or (301) 461-4357.

See you this weekend!