InfoShare Newsletter - April 30, 2010

[Howard Hartman]

THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL PARK AND PLANNING COMMISSION PLANNING BOARD | DEPARTMENT OF PARKS | PLANNING DEPARTMENT April 30, 2010
In This Issue Brookside Gardens New Park Event Calendar Look for Us at These Events Plant a Tree This Spring Flea Market at Wheaton Regional Long Branch Sector Plan Input Sessions Vision of Wheaton Presentation Find a Conservation Easement Easily Tips to be an Effective Speaker Reducing our Footprint Video Neighborhood Walk-Abouts Get Involved in Planning Cable Show Encapsulates Monthly Planning Board Activities Park Permits Online A Gift of Green... Quick Links    Planning Board homepage Planning Department homepage Department of Parks homepage NEW! Parks Event CalendarPark Police homepage   Planning - Career Opportunities Parks - Career Opportunities   Watch us on County Cable Montgomery Channel 6 Parks Show Montgomery Plans Growing Right   Find archives of Info-Share and more at Connected Communities		Greetings! Below is a listing of upcoming events, programs and meetings as well as important announcements from The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in Montgomery County. Please pass the information along to others who may be interested.   Marcia Goldberg  Community Outreach and Media Relations Planning Board Meetings Agendas will be posted on our website for:    Thursday, May 6, 9 a.m. Park and Planning Headquarters 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD  20910   Thursday, May 13, 9 a.m. Park and Planning Headquarters 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD  20910     Everyone who speaks at a Planning Board meeting must register with the board assistant unless he or she has already signed up in advance using the agenda web page, which can occur only after the agenda is posted. Register at the meeting by submitting a yellow form available in the auditorium or a business card. We now stream the Planning Board meetings online. Watch live on our website or view later from our archives. Visit The Straight Line Our new blog, The Straight Line, offers Montgomery County's Planning Department's take on community design -- the buildings, streets and spaces that make up where we live, work and play. Our planners and architects look at building form, sustainability and energy use, and the just plain quirky. But we don't know it all. Come back often to check out our musings. And, by all means, set us straight. Was InfoShare Sent to You by a Friend?  Anyone with an email address can sign up to receive our weekly newsletter.
Wings of Fancy Live Butterfly Exhibit Begins; Brookside Gardens Delivers List of Activities in E-Newsletter Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue, Wheaton 301-962-1400 www.brooksidegardens.org   Saturday, May 1 through Sunday, September 19 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily $6 adults; $4 ages 3 -12; Frequent visitor pass available   The focus is on this year's Wings of Fancy will be butterflies in your backyard, and the host plants that local caterpillars need in order to survive.  Learn about the life cycle of these amazing creatures, and be surrounded by hundreds of North American, Costa Rican and Asian butterflies flying freely inside a the Conservatory.   Preview the new e-newsletter for Brookside Gardens and sign up to receive this valuable resource. Look for Us at These Events Walkabouts with Planning Director Rollin Stanley   Saturday, May 1, 10 a.m. Connecticut Avenue Estates, Wheaton Invitation from:  Connecticut Avenue Estates Civic Association Meeting place:  Playground across from the intersection of Bluhill Drive and Dalewood Drive   Friday, May 7, 8:30 a.m. Olney Route 108 Business Area Invitation from:  Greater Olney Civic Association, Greater Olney Civic Association, Olney Town Center Advisory Committee and Olney Chamber of Commerce Meeting Place:  Paula's Boutique; 108 between Spartan Road and Georgia Avenue   Friday, May 7, 1 p.m. Colesville Central Business District and the White Oak area Invitation from:East County Citizens Advisory Board Meeting Place:   Vidall Way at the Wendy's restaurant being constructed or the Giant Grocery Store.   Saturday, May 8, 10 a.m.  Four Corners, Silver Spring Invitation from: South Four Corners Citizens Association Meeting Place:  Woodmoor Pastry Shop at 10127 Colesville Road, Silver Spring   Saturday, May 8, Noon Glenmont Forest, Wheaton Invitation from:  Glenmont Forest Neighbors Citizens Association Meeting Place: intersection of Judson Road and Henderson Avenue Enjoy the Parks? Sign Up for the NEW Parks Event Calendar Parks Hosts Seventh Annual Archaeology Day Saturday, May 1, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Needwood Mansion, 6700 Needwood Road, Derwood  Archaeology Day features a public dig at Needwood Mansion with a Parks Archaeologist and archaeology program volunteers. The day's activities include tours of the Needwood Mansion, storytelling and old-time games and crafts. The cost is $8 per person and $15 per family. Bring a bag lunch and to wear digging clothes.    Want to know what's going on in the Parks? Check out the all-new Montgomery Parks Event Calendar! Receive a customized email every week listing activities of your interest including family and outdoor events, festivals, and more. Rethink Montgomery Speaker Series Continues May 6 Thursday, May 6, 7:30 p.m. Park and Planning Headquarters 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring   ReThink Culture   Montgomery County is home to an extraordinary number of cultures, and each community creates its own way to connect. Join Reemberto Rodriguez, director of the Silver Spring Regional Center, Megan Moriarty of IMPACT Silver Spring, Rassa Davoodpour, an Iranian community leader, and Tebabu Assefa, an Ethiopian community leader and activist, as we discuss the way people act and think about their community, and what that means for planners and planning.   The 2010 Montgomery County Planning Department speaker series, Rethink Montgomery, presents ways to connect culture, health, food, knowledge, ecology, economy, local infrastructure, resources, and energy. Join us for our community discussions every Thursday, April 8 to June 3.  Plant A Tree With a Little Help From Us Spring is a great time to plant a tree. Our Leaves for Neighborhoods program features a $25 coupon valid for trees worth $75 or more at participating county nurseries. The coupon is available online and at selected area nurseries, Park and Planning headquarters and county park sites.  Flea Market in the Park Back in Business 2nd & 4th Saturdays at Wheaton Outdoor Rink Buy or sell treasures at Flea Market in the Park, located at the Wheaton Outdoor Rink, right next to the dog park.    NEXT DATE: Saturday, May 8. Vendors, register for a spot (just $25) at ParkPASS.org. New Opportunities for Input on the Long Branch Sector Plan Sector Plan office hours Tuesday, May 11, 6 to 8 p.m. Drop by the Long Branch Library to talk with staff about your ideas for the plan. Take this opportunity to help develop the Long Branch Sector Plan. Future Vision of Wheaton Presentation May 19 Wednesday, May 19, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) Gilchrist Center, 11319 Elkin Street, Wheaton   Planners preparing a new vision for the future of Wheaton will present their recommendations and ideas to the community on Wednesday, May 19. Residents, property owners, developers and anyone interested in downtown Wheaton should attend the forum, which will preview recommendations for the proposed Wheaton Sector Plan before planners present to the Planning Board later this spring. Find a Forest Conservation Easement Do you have a forest conservation easement on or near your property? Easements protect forests on private land by limiting certain activities, part of the Planning Board's emphasis on forest conservation. Now you can locate easement areas using our online tool. Tips to be an Effective Speaker before the Board Interested in plans for your area? The Planning Board appreciates hearing from you. To give the best testimony, browse our testifying tips. Reducing Our Footprint View the 2009-2011 Montgomery County growth policy video, Reducing our Footprint. The 4½-minute video, which won a platinum Ava award, provides an overview of the concepts presented in the Planning Board draft of the 2009-2011 Growth Policy. Ava awards recognize outstanding work by creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, direction, shooting and editing of audio/visual materials and programs.  Planning Director Rollin Stanley, Staff Offer Neighborhood Walkabouts Invite County Planning Director Rollin Stanley and selected staff on a tour of your neighborhood as part of our new walkabouts exploring design, diversity, connections, and the environment in your part of Montgomery County. Here's your opportunity to:   Tell us about your community Highlight community strengths and weaknesses Identify issues Learn more about planning initiatives   Request your tour. Learn How to Get Involved in Montgomery County Planning To increase resident involvement in the planning process, the Planning Board, in concert with County Cable Montgomery, has produced a CD that reviews the many ways county residents can have a voice in planning their communities. The episode won a "gold" Ava award from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. Request a free copy of How to get Involved in Montgomery County Planning. Monthly Cable Shows Feature Planning Board Activities  Learn more about Planning Board activities each month on our cable program, Growing Right. In partnership with County Cable Montgomery, we launched Growing Right to highlight the Planning Board's main actions in a news show format. Learn more about development applications, parks initiatives and county-wide planning studies. The lively show includes interviews with board members and planners as well as onsite location shots. Other CCM-produced educational programs about parks and plannning include The Parks Show and Montgomery Plans. Park Permits Website Faster and Easier! www.ParkPermits.org has a new look with new features. Now park users can find, check the availability of, reserve and pay to permit popular park facilities such as picnic shelters, campsites, park activity buildings and others with ease. The recently upgraded Park Permits website offers park users 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week access. A Gift of Green: Trees, Benches and Other Amenities Friends and family members can be honored by having a tree planted or a bench or picnic area installed in a Montgomery County Park. This gift keeps on giving! For more information and suggestions, visit GreenGifts.  For information on planning your gift, contact Tin-Mala in the Grants and Donations Program at 301-650-5676.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission | 8787 Georgia Ave | Silver Spring | MD | 20910