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.

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

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

In order to coordinate this event, it is essential for volunteers to sign up in advance so that we can arrange for distribution of materials (bags, gloves) and assign specific areas to clean. Please email Dennis Twombly (Parks & Common Areas Liaison) to sign up, or call (301) 443-9334. In case of significant rain, we will re-schedule the event for the following day, Sunday, May 4. Any last-minute announcements will be posted on this OMCA web site (www.olneymill.net).

If you cannot participate this time, but want to sign up for our general volunteer list, send your name and email address to Dennis. We will notify you of any upcoming OMCA cleanup activities or other projects.

OMCA, GOCA, and everyone in our community will be most grateful for your help!

Dennis Twombly (OMCA) & Bob Beard (GOCA)

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

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 (click “Contact OMCA — Parks & Common Areas”) 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 (www.olneymill.net).

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!

BAD WEATHER (?) - the weather report is calling for variable early morning rain/snow but clearing by noon. If the rain is light, the egg hunt will proceed on schedule. A downpour means we will have to cancel the event. There will be NO raindate - sorry! The decision to cancel will be made by 11:00am - check back here at the web site for last-minute announcements. No updates means we’ll see you at the park!