A message from KHCA President Karen Cordry
STAY SAFE - STAY CONNECTED
As the COVID-19 lockdown moves into its second month, there is a lot for us all to process. The biggest change is how “social distancing” has been evolving. First, it was stay six feet apart, then it was stay home, and then it was “stay behind a mask.” Frankly, I’ve been amazed and impressed at how well all of us here in Maryland have been living up to what we’ve been asked to do.
And, I’ve also been amazed to realize that this economy really can turn on a dime and we can adapt on a moment’s notice to a work and home situation that we never imagined. Seeing how many of us can telework (even if it’s not always ideal) – and how fast we have all become experts on Zoom meetings – is also going to mean a lot of changes in the future. (We might conclude, for instance, that we might not need toll lanes on the Beltway if we keep working at home.)
But, it’s also clear that things are going to be changing again soon – whether or not we have turned the corner on this virus. (My favorite statistics site is Worldometers – it updates all during the day, it reports on every country and it lets you see results on a “per million” basis.) It’s one thing to know that the 1.1 million cases in the United States are almost a third of the world’s cases; it’s another thing to realize that those cases are occurring here with only about 5% of the world’s population.
What we can see is that the new daily numbers are relatively stable but they haven’t declined yet in any significant way. Even so, it’s clear that the lockdown will start to ease, if only because no country can keep huge chunks of the economy shutdown indefinitely. What the lockdown has done, though, is to buy us time – to slow the spread, to get healthcare and other essential workers the safety equipment they need, and to decide how the rest of us can interact until a full vaccine and treatments are available. No one can say how soon that will be, but we know we’re all in this together for the long haul.
So, what does that mean? First off, we should be talking about physical distancing, but keeping our social connections with each other. I just did a virtual birthday party last weekend and it was great – we may have to keep doing it next year! But, as we all start to reemerge, our old mantra of “Stay Home, Stay Safe” will have to change to “Stay Safe” and “Stay Connected.”
A big piece of that will be wearing masks for weeks and months into the future. So, let’s try to make them fun and be supportive! Fine someone local or on Etsy or elsewhere who’s making something that will be a hoot to look at and can help support someone trying to get by in this era. Or order from a site that will donate to those who need help. And, while you’re wearing your mask, remember to keep track of your own health and see someone if you start feeling bad in any way. Right now, confirmed death numbers compared to confirmed cases are about 5 to 6% in the U.S. – that’s undoubtedly far too high, perhaps by a factor of 10. That’s because there are a lot of people who don’t have obvious symptoms but who can still be infecting others so we all need to wear the masks. That way, we’ll all come out the other side with hopefully a lot closer connections to our neighbors.
STAY CONNECTED - WITH SPRING
As they say, April showers bring May flowers. Well, we certainly had showers this year. April started off pleasant and warm but as it moved along it turned cool and rainy. And, oh my, did it rain. The total of 6.3 inches this month was more than double the average for this month of 3.06 inches. It was the most since April 2014 (which had 6.47 inches as part of a very wet (in the form of snow) winter that year). It all started with April 13 – our warmest day at 81 degrees accompanied by 2.33 inches of rain (a record for that date). It then rained on 11 of the next 17 days and we got 1.1 inches on April 30 to cap out totals. And that made this the seventh wettest April going back to at least 1889! (Thanks to the Post for all of these weather facts.)
But, with all of that rain and hopefully warmed weather ahead, we should be looking out for some really spectacular May flowers. We’ve all been cooped up quite a bit so we haven’t had as much time as we’d like in our gardens, but now as we dig in (literally), let’s share your best photos with your neighbors. Please submit by clicking the button below. We’ll see about posting some of the best on the KHCA website and maybe even take vote for the best spring showing!
STAY CONNECTED – WITH VOTING
If you thought you remembered, that we normally have a primary at the end of April, you’re right! It was set for April 28, but was postponed to June 2 due to the COVIC-19 virus. Due to the ongoing effects of the virus, it will be run quite differently than in prior years (but, who knows, that may too be a preview of the future!). Anyone who has been an active voter in recent years will automatically be mailed a ballot with a return envelope with postage attached, so getting your ballot in will be about as simple as it can be. (Ballot will be going out this week so you should get yours very soon.) They must be postmarked by June 2, and there will be several sites at which ballots can be dropped off beginning May 21 through 8 pm on June 2, with the closest being at the Silver Spring Civic Building. Do it early to make sure there isn’t an issue. You will also be able to vote in person at the Civic Building on Election Day – but with all of the easy and safe alternatives, why would you want to?
The main website where you can check if you’re registered (and get registered if you aren’t), check that your address is correct, and get much more information is at the website for the Maryland State Board of Elections. Click on the Register to Vote tab if you need to make any corrections or update your address, etc. There won’t be separate early voting but with the Vote by Mail approach, everyone will get their ballot early and be able to return if and get your vote counted.
STAY CONNECTED – WITH THE CENSUS
The other big event this spring that has had to turn on a dime is the 2020 Census. I’m sure you’ve been seeing all the ads on TV about the need to make sure you respond on this. Normally, there would be mail and email, and then a massive door-to-door effort to try to make sure that literally everyone is counted. (One of my favorite cartoons when I used to work for the federal government was from the 1990 census I think – a census taker was trying to get the homeless couple to respond and Jake was somewhat irritable about being woken up, but the census take responded “You don’t understand, we’re from the government, there are forms!” And, since I had just been spending months trying to get my defendants to fill out the forms they were supposed to be answering, I deeply sympathized.
This year, the whole in-person effort may have to be curtailed or at least modified in many respects, so please make it easy on every everyone. If you haven’t responded yet, just go to the Census 2020 website. It only has to be done once for the household so put your best detail person on this. If you have neighbors who might be worried about the purpose of the census or whose English isn’t the best, please try to help them as well and encourage them to go to the website. (The questions themselves come in many languages.) The census affects how our Congressional representatives will be allocated for the next 20 years, how federal programs are staffed, how the budget is divided up and thousands of other decision points at every level of government, so please be part of this process!
— QUESTION FOR THE DAY —
There are a lot of development projects going on around KCHA (including the new Park and Planning Building which is almost done, the ongoing planning for the old Ambassador Hotel site on the other side of University Boulevard, and a virtual hearing on May 14 on what they are planning to do with Carroll Knolls Park (below Plyers Mill across Georgia from the big park and playground) which right now is pretty much just a big open field; you can go to Montgomeryplanningboard.org and get some more information). But, there aren’t a whole of big projects lot in KHCA proper because we’re pretty much built out. But, what I have seen is a number of project where someone ins taking our great sturdy small brick homes from the 50s or so and either building on big additions to them or, on a couple of occasions, replacing them altogether. So, what do people think? Are the big new houses a good diversification? Are they too much gentrification? Will they help everyone’s property values? Or push some folks out? Anyone have any thoughts on the trend? Let us know in the comments below – but keep it polite!
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MAY 11, 2020 – General Meeting, via Zoom 7:45-9:45 PM
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