Change Driven by Students

(Click on the image for Hannah Natanson's Washington Post article)

 “Our history is full of change-makers like Barbara Johns . . . their stories are a vital part of the Virginia story, and yet those stories have often gone untold,” Northam said before commending the children for their advocacy. “Meeting students like you is one of the best parts of my job.”

Flooding and Drainage Issues Discussed at South County Community Roundtable

(Click on the image for the DPIE briefing)

A video clip of the Zoom meeting is here.

The K-8 School Will Be Uphill from this Home and Will Remove a "Sponge" that Helps to Keep this Flooding from Being Even Worse

(Click on the image for a short video clip of the flooding)

Environmental Forum - Feb 13, 3:30-5:30 pm

(Click on the image to register)

• Hosted by Council Member Tom Dernoga
• Join County Environmental organizations to learn about and discuss important issues for 2021. Be prepared to advocate for our environment with County, State and municipal officials. 
• Over 100 people attended last year's "in-person" event, and this year's virtual event promises to be even bigger and better! 
• Advance registration is required!
• Program Includes:

1. Success Fighting County Power Plants: Caryl Alexander, Clean Air Prince George's
2. County Climate Action Commission Update: Dawn Hawkins-Nixon, P.E., Depart. of the Environment
3. Clean Energy Schools: Joe Jakuta, Climate Parents
4. Stronger Forest Conservation Requirements: Ben Alexandro, Maryland League of Conservation Voters
5. Joint Base Andrews Contaminates Prince George's County with PFAs: Patrick Elder, Military Poisons
6. SCMaglev is not solution for Prince George's County or Maryland: Sam Droege, MCRT and Dan Woomer, CATS 
7. There will also be some brief explanation of important environmental bills in the Maryland General Assembly.

 

Tantallon/Ft. Washington K-8 School Discussion - Monday, January 11

(Click on the image for video of the discussion)

New K-8 School Will Be Very Close to and Higher than Existing Flooding on Swan Creek Road

(Click on the image for the video)

If you are interested in the approval process for this project:

• Register as a Person of Interest at http://www.mncppcapps.org/planning/Person_of_Record/default.cfm Use Mandatory Referral MR-2036F.
• Since the case hasn't as yet been filed, the hearing date hasn't been set.
• Per http://www.mncppc.org/544/Mandatory-Referral “Mandatory Referral is a review process through which all public sector development projects (from federal, state, and local governments) and public and private utilities are referred to the Planning Board for review. Because the Planning Board's decision and recommendations are advisory only, an applicant may overrule the Planning Board's disapproval and proceed with the proposed project. However, Planning Board recommendations can improve a project, and submitting agencies often adopt them.”

Prince George's County 2020 Snow Summit

(Click on the image for the presentation)

Southern K-8 School Construction Site Logistics

Click here for a video of the Town Hall

(Click on the image for the full presentation)

 

Conservancy of Broad Creek - message from the President

What’s Really in Your Bottled Water?

(Click on the image for the Consumer Reports' article)

• CR recently tested 47 bottled waters, including 35 noncarbonated and 12 carbonated ones. For each product, we tested two to four samples. The tests focused on four heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury), plus 30 PFAS chemicals, which pose special concerns because they can linger in the environment almost indefinitely.
• Consumer Reports found toxic PFAS chemicals in several popular water brands, especially carbonated ones.

K-8 Townhall Webinar - Jan 21st

(Click on the image to register)

 

Meals by Mama Lois at National Golf Club

 Click here for The National Golf Club website

 

Water & Sewer Line Warranties

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

• Bottom line: Even if you own a house for decades, your odds of having a catastrophic water- or sewer-line failure are quite low.
• While They Seem Affordable, These Plans Are Wildly Overpriced
• Claims data from an interoffice memo obtained by Checkbook regarding the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s partnership with HomeServe indicated that only 4,450 exterior water and sewer claims were made from the 126,207 plans purchased during the program’s first two-and-a-half years, an annualized incidence rate of 1.4 percent.
• During HomeServe’s partnership with WSSC, claims for sewer line repairs also averaged just $580; the average was $1,565 for water line claims.
• The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority evaluated these programs and decided not to participate because the plans were “not in the best interest” of customers.

Tributaries of Swan Creek

(Click on an image to make it larger)

From the DoE Clean Water Map

How to Improve Your Balance So You Don't Fall This Winter

(Click on the image for Elizabeth Yuko's report in Lifehacker)

• The key, according to Locker, is to use your own body weight, bending your knee and ankle, and transferring your weight from your back leg to your front leg—the same type of balance required for ice skating or paddle boarding.
• One way to practice doing this is to get used to walking on uneven surfaces. While there are other health benefits from hitting the pavement, assuming that the sidewalk is relatively smooth, it doesn’t pose a challenge to your postural muscles. Walking on uneven surfaces—like outdoor trails, or other places where you really have to pay attention to where and how you’re walking—on the other hand, engages your postural muscles and over time, helps improve your balance and stability.

Passing of Dr. Joe Weller

 Dear Neighbors,

We are sad to report the passing of Joe Weller, husband of Tantallon Newsletter Editor Rosemary Weller. The Wellers are longtime residents of Tartan Lane and staunch supporters of our community. Joe's many friends will sorely miss him. Please keep Rosemary and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

From the Kalas website:

Dr. Joseph Forrest Weller, 81, of Ft. Washington, MD died on December 30, 2020. Born on April 21, 1939 in Louisville, KY to the late Joseph Y. Weller and Alice Reardon Weller. Joe is survived by his wife of 56 years, Rosemary Doheny Weller, his son Michael Weller, daughter-in-law Sara Levin Weller, granddaughter Ilana Weller, two brothers-in-law, Frank P. Doheny, Jr. of Louisville, and Edward J. Doheny of Washington, DC, and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. His younger brother, William predeceased him.

Dr. Weller earned a B.S. degree from Xavier University, a Master’s degree from American University, and a Ph.D. from American University. His professional career spanned nearly 40 years at the US Naval Research Lab where he was a Senior Research Physicist. In retirement, Dr. Weller was active in his community citizens association, Ft. Washington Community Chorus, and served as a math tutor to middle school students at The Washington Jesuit Academy.

Due to the pandemic, a Funeral Mass will be limited to immediate family members with burial to follow at Resurrection Cemetery. Friends may pay their respects to the family at Kalas Funeral Home, 6160 Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill, MD 20745 between 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, January 3.

In lieu of flowers, a contribution may be made to The Washington Jesuit Academy, 900 Varnum St. NE, Washington, DC 20017.

Impact of the New K-8 School on Fort Washington Communities

 

Christmas 2020 in Tantallon

 Merry Christmas!

What is the Comprehensive School Boundary Initiative?

The Comprehensive School Boundary Initiative will provide an impartial analysis of current school boundaries, feeder patterns and program locations and to develop, with community input, scenarios for adjustments in order to populate new and expanded school facilities and balance facility utilization throughout the County.

The public meeting for us (Southern Region) will be on January 7, 2021.

Click here for more information and to register to attend the meeting.

Update: Swan Creek Drainage Improvements - Public Meeting #2

• Per Charlie Griffith (DPW&T): The blue lines are the existing storm drains, orange/peach color are proposed storm drains. The gray lines are existing contours (elevations) and the black bolder lines are proposed contours (elevations). The grading is to direct flow efficiently to the inlets and hopefully help the property owners with site issues.
• Click here for a recording of Public Meeting #2. If you are asked for a passcode, use wJ*N%7+q