Button offers instant gratification for those plagued by airplane noise

(Click on the image for Lori Aratani's Washington Post report)

• "Barbara Deckert has a new weapon in the war against airplane noise — and she’s not afraid to use it.
  Every time a plane flies over her suburban Maryland home, rattling her windows and setting her teeth on edge, she presses a small white button and feels a tiny sense of triumph.
  That’s because with one click, Deckert has done what could have taken her hours to do a few months ago — she has filed a noise complaint with officials at the Maryland Aviation Administration.
  Thanks to the ingenuity of a software engineer from Southern California, Deckert and hundreds of others with similar beefs, and the Airnoise button, have an easy way to register their annoyance with the jets that fly over their homes.
  “It’s a fabulous tool,” Deckert said. “Clicking that button is really psychologically satisfying.”"
• A Tantallon neighbor who has one of these buttons notes, "Others in this area who are bothered by the airplane traffic might be interested."

Meet the members of the Prince George’s County Council

(Click in the image for Rachel Chason's Washington Post report)

The Washington Post asked every council member: What’s your priority for 2019? What’s the biggest problem in Prince George’s, and what are you doing to fix it? What’s your favorite spot or thing to do in your district?

Not a Surprise: At Many Stores, the Sale Price Isn't Special

(Click on the image for the Washington Consumers' Checkbook report)

"Checkbook tracked prices of big-ticket items sold at major retailers for 10 months and found disturbing pricing policies at 17 of the 19 we studied. At these stores, many sale prices—even those that advertise big savings—are bogus discounts, with the same price called a sale price more than half the time. And at some stores the fake sales never end: For several chains Checkbook found most items we tracked were offered at a false discount every week or almost every week we checked. In other words, the "regular price" listed on all those price tags is seldom, if ever, actually the price customers pay."

Tired of Looking at Eyesores Like This? Here's What to Do:

From IHHAAC:

The problem is two-fold. For some communities with no overhead wires, the issue is the
boxes in many yards that become unsightly and hazardous. For those communities with
overhead wires, the issue is the left-over wires and conduits left hanging and askew. In
researching the issue, here is what we learned.

• The Cable Commission meets monthly at 6 pm in Largo. (Apparently the meetings seldom last longer than an hour.)
• There are five Commissioners. Some changes may be made during 2019 since the Commissioners’ terms coincide with the County Executive’s term. The meetings are streamed live and archived on the Prince George’s County Community You Tube channel.
• The staff maintains the records and files the complaints with the companies.
• The email to be used is: CableCommission@co.pg.md.us
• The Cable Coordinator is Ms. Gina Okolo.
• There is no specific complaint form to file. However, the staff suggests when possible, we submit the following information:

1. A picture of the issue,
2. The specific address of the issue,
3. The pole number if there is one, and
4. If the issue is a new one, the date the work was done.
5. If there are several problems, they should be submitted together.
6. The cable companies will then determine which of them is responsible.
7. They are required to report back to the Cable Commission, who will provide feedback to the complainant.

Please Recycle Your Christmas Tree

State report: Marylanders overpaying by nearly $55 million for electricity, gas from using third-party suppliers

(Click on the image for Ethan McLeod's Baltimore Fishbowl report)

• We’re nearly two decades out from the moment Maryland lawmakers decided to deregulate the state’s energy markets in hopes of boosting competition and driving down prices for consumers. A first-of-its-kind, state-commissioned report confirms what some observers already figured: Many Marylanders are getting swindled on their rates by third-party suppliers.
• The report, published this week by the Maryland Office of People’s Counsel, concludes that based on the advertised rates of third-party electricity and gas suppliers—ones that aren’t the main provider for a coverage area, such as BGE here in Central Maryland, or Pepco in the D.C. area—consumers are paying roughly $54.9 million more for their energy than if they simply went with their assigned utility’s supply.
• That loss comprises $34.1 million in residential electricity expenses, and $20.7 million in residential gas expenses. Broken down among the 438,020 households who’ve signed up with third-party suppliers, that translates to about $169.38 per year.

Keep Henry & Patti in your prayers

From Trish Appelle Gallahan:

Patti [Horak] called and shared the sad news that Henry [Woltman] is failing and Hospice is being called to help.  He has had two episodes that required ambulances to the ER.  The doctors reminded Patti that this is terminal and that she needs to get Hospice in to help.  The last resort meds & chemo are being stopped.  She is emotionally drained as she prepares for the worse.  This month would be their wedding anniversary.  She knows you care and said I could share this news.
Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Love to each of you,
Trish

P.S.  Pass this to those that love them.

Hogan Aide Defends Stadium Maneuver as Criticism Mounts

(Click on the image for Bruce DePuyt's Maryland Matters report)

• A spokeswoman for Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R) said he has met with Washington Redskins owner Daniel Snyder at least twice to discuss Oxon Cove, a 300-acre parcel just inside the Capital Beltway near MGM National Harbor, and currently the site of a park and farming museum.
  “This is a major economic development project for the state,” said Amelia Chasse, Hogan’s communications director. “We think it’s a terrific site.”
• “I feel pissed off — and you can print it that way,” said state Sen.-elect Obie Patterson (D), who represented the Oxon Hill area on the County Council for eight years. “I’m sitting here — I’ve been in this area, in this county, since 1971. And I know Gov. Hogan is the governor, but we have a responsibility, too.”
• State Del. Jay Walker (D), who also represents the area, said a new stadium would be a burden on the community.
  “With transportation issues that we’re still trying to get fixed to this day, you almost have to say ‘what’s the transportation plan?’” Walker said.
• Community activist Sarah Cavett, a former member of the Prince George’s County planning board member, agrees. “If you’re talking a domed stadium, surface parking, you’re right on the [Potomac] River, there would be so much impervious surface, I think that would have a terrible deteriorating effect on the Potomac, on our entire area.”
  “Do I think it’s the best place for stadium?” Cavett added. “No, I don’t.”
• Monique Anderson-Walker (D), who succeeded Patterson on the County Council last week, remembers playing at Oxon Cove as a child.
  “I think it’s a great location for development,” she said. “I don’t know if a stadium alone is the way to go. I’d like to see diversified uses there, mixed uses. But that’s something that the people would have to determine that they want. The people should definitely have a say in how it happens and what they need.”

Useful Information from the Dec 6 Community Partners Meeting

(Click on the image for the briefing)

• Tips on Winter conditions: page 7
• Call-A-Bus improved service: pages 10-14
• Nuisance Abatement Board process: pages 22-27
• Administrative Hearing Process (speeding up compliance with property standards: pages 28-25
• Department of Environment (reduced cost for pets adoptions): pages 39-56

Medical Alert Devices - The Best Way To Get Help?

(Click on the image for the Washington Consumers' report)

• Today more than 3 million (mostly senior) customers own these gadgets, and many models can use cell signals to communicate. They cost about $11 to $52 a month.
• How to find the best one? We’ll get to that. More important is to ask if a medical alert device is the best tool for the job of calling 911 for help. Most of them are not, and our tests of several different models found many companies actually delay emergency response, not facilitate it.
• See Susan Hogan's News4 report, "Some Medical Alert Devices May Actually Delay Response".

Our Local History - If You Are Curious, There's a Lot to Know

These books are available from:

• "Harmony Hall and the Silesia Community" - Carol Tilch, 301-292-3148, ctutt8@verizon.net
• "Along the Potomac Shore in Prince George's County" - Judy Meade, 301-292-9386, meaderj@msn.com
• "Accokeek (Images of America)" - Amazon Books