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The next KMCA General Meeting will be held on Monday September 19th, 2022 at 7:30 PM via Zoom. We will have guest speakers from Montgomery Parks and from the Silver Spring Village at the meeting.

The speakers from Parks and Planning will be talking about maintenance issues with the Kemp Mill Urban Park, the status of planned upgrades to playground equipment at that park, and plans for repaving the multi-use path in Sligo Creek Park behind the Kemp Mill Shopping Center. If you have specific questions or concerns about the Parks that you haven’t already communicated to the KMCA, please email Jonathan Aghion at vicepresident@kempmillcivic.org as soon as possible so he can relay your concerns to the Parks representatives and they can look into them before the meeting.

Doug Gaddis, the Executive Director of the Silver Spring Village will be talking about what that organization does to help residents age in place in our community. See https://www.silverspringvillage.org/ for more information.

We’ll also have some updates on the upcoming Kemp Mill Community Day which will be held at the Kemp Mill Shopping Center on Sunday October 2nd, 2022 from noon until 4 PM. The full agenda is below. A link to the meeting will be sent out to all members later this week. Since we sometimes have issues with emails getting bounced or sent to spam folders, if you are a KMCA member and haven’t received the meeting link by Sunday September 18th, please email president@kempmillcivic.org to request the link.

Agenda:

7:30 PM
– Call to order
– Adoption of agenda
– Approval of minutes of previous meeting
– Treasurer’s report (membership / balances)

7:35 PM
– Montgomery Parks presentation

8:15 PM
– Silver Spring Village Presentation

8:35 PM 
 – Community Day updates

8:45 PM
– Committee Reports

8:55 PM
– New Business / Announcements

9:00 PM
– Adjourn

KMCA Members,

The next KMCA general meeting will be held next week, on Monday September 13th at 7:30 PM and will be held virtually via Zoom. The meeting link will be available to KMCA members only and will be sent out later this week via email. If you are a current KMCA member, plan to attend the meeting, and haven’t received the meeting link by Saturday night, September 11th, please email me directly to request the link (president@kempmillcivic.org).

We will have a number of guest speakers joining us at the meeting. The full agenda is listed below. The two County Councilmembers have not yet confirmed their attendance, so the section of the agenda discussing Thrive Montgomery 2050 is tentative, pending confirmation from one or both of their offices.

Agenda
KCMA General Meeting
September 13, 2021, 7:30 PM
Meeting location: Virtual

Agenda:
7:30
– Call to order
– Adoption of agenda
– Approval of minutes of previous meeting
7:35
– Treasurer’s report (account balances, current membership)
– Other committee reports
7:40
– Recent crime trends and Q&A with MCPD (speaker: Ofc Katie Beard)
7:50
– SSCRC Food Pantry (speaker: Jennifer Renkema)
8:00
– Thrive Montgomery 2050 plan (Councilmembers Jawando and Navarro, invited)
8:25
– University Boulevard Shared Streets project (Gil Chlewicki, KMCA Transportation committee chair)
8:45
– New Business
– Announcements
8:50
– Adjourn

https://www.roads.maryland.gov/mdotsha/pages/pressreleasedetails.aspx?newsId=3920&PageId=818

(June 9, 2021) – The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is launching a pilot project allowing bicycles and vehicles to safely share 1.35 miles of MD 193 (University Boulevard) from Amherst Avenue to Arcola Avenue in Wheaton, Montgomery County. Beginning Friday, June 11, weather permitting, and continuing through late fall, this Multi-Modal Shared Streets Pilot Project includes new traffic patterns and temporarily repurposed lanes, providing opportunities for motorists and bicyclists to share access to and from commercial, residential and recreational centers in Wheaton.

The temporary pilot project for MD 193 (University Boulevard) is part of a county-wide initiative to enhance safety and mobility for all roadway users.

The project includes:

• Reducing the number of vehicular through-lanes on MD 193.
• Repurposing MD 193 travel lanes adjacent to the curbs for use by bicyclists.
• Modifying lane assignments to connect bicyclists to the MD 193 interim bike lanes.
• Adding flexible posts – or “vertical delineators” – to separate vehicle and bike lanes.
• Installing updated signage and striping.

Access to all businesses, driveways and bus stops will be maintained at all times during the pilot project. Bicyclists traveling along MD 193 should use the protected outside lanes. Pedestrians should use the existing sidewalk. All users share the responsibility to stay alert and undistracted on Maryland’s roadways.

At the conclusion of the pilot project, MDOT SHA will remove the flex posts and temporary line striping and restore the use of all lanes for vehicular traffic. MDOT SHA will then evaluate motorist, bicycle and pedestrian operations and safety to gauge the effectiveness of the pilot project.

MDOT SHA works hard to maintain safe traffic mobility in work zones for our crews as well as our customers. Drivers need to stay alert, focus on driving and, look for reduced speed limits as well as other driving pattern changes. Please drive like you work here and slow down in construction zones.

For a list of all major MDOT SHA projects, go to Project Portal. Visit our homepage at roads.maryland.gov. For a look at real-time traffic conditions, go to md511.maryland.gov.

Join us this Sunday for a day of community, food and family-friendly fun from noon-4pm at Kemp Mill Shopping Center.

This free community festival event will feature kids activities including a free bounce house, free face painting, free kids craft table, child fingerprinting, entertainment, kosher and non-kosher food, concessions and fun for all ages.

The following local business and artisans will be there to highlight the goods and services they have to offer the community.

The below information was provided by Brody Pest Control

Gnats

Fungus gnats are small, dark flies most often found collecting around windows during fall and winter. Fungus gnats can be found indoors infesting potting mixes used for houseplants or hopping across the soil surface. High organic matter plant mixtures and organic fertilizers, such as fish emulsion, encourage fungus gnat development.

Overwatering, a common problem during fall and winter, increases fungi and fungus gnat development. Fungus gnats can reproduce on indoor plants and cause little if any damage. They also occur outdoors where they breed in mushrooms and other decaying plant materials.

Pomace or Fruit Fly

Pomace or fruit flies are among the smallest flies found in homes. They usually are light brown and may be marked with bright red eyes. These small “fruit flies” most often are found hovering around overly ripe fruit. Fermenting materials, such as leftover beer or soft drinks, also are a favorite food. Populations tend to be greatest in late summer and early fall as they infest fruits during the harvest season.

Drain Fly

Drain flies, also known as moth flies, are occasional problems in homes. These small, moth-like flies sometimes emerge from drains of sinks, particularly in spring. Drain fly maggots develop by feeding on bacteria and organic materials that can colonize the linings of drains. Large numbers of the flies can be produced where there is a problem with broken or leaking drain pipes.

Tips to Control Flies in Home

• Clean areas where food residues may accumulate. Key locations include around kitchen equipment and fixtures and countertops that have a gap in between them. A steam cleaner may facilitate the cleaning process.
• Repair plumbing leaks promptly to prevent water accumulation.
• Clean up food and drink spills immediately.
• Rinse all beverage containers prior to placement in lined recycle bins. Do not store recycled containers for more than seven days.
• Inspect incoming fruit and vegetables for the presence of fruit flies. Over-ripe produce is most suspect and may be harboring eggs and larvae even if adults are not evident.
• Store fruit and vegetables in plastic bins in a cool storage room.
• Use trash bags for waste containers; empty and clean these bins weekly.
• Clean drains/traps and strainers at least twice per week to eliminate residues that encourage fly development.
• Place exterior trash cans, recycle bins and dumpsters away from building entrances.
• Use non-toxic fruit fly traps to capture adult fruit flies.
• Avoid overwatering potted plants; allow soil to dry between watering to prevent fungus gnat breeding.
• Use yellow sticky traps placed on a stake in plant pots to capture adult fungus gnats.