Northwood News ♦ April 2018

President’s Message

By Sharon Canavan

Recently I took a tour of the Washington National Opera studio in Takoma Park.  In one room a worker was dipping cloth into a huge dye vat, while in another area a group was busily working on elaborate masks and hats.  Seamstresses were working with expensive brocades that cost hundreds of dollars per yard, while row upon row of costumes hung in storage — and on the back wall there were enough shoes to make Imelda Marcos jealous.  The tour was an eye-opening peek into the unseen effort that goes into a stage production and gave me a greater appreciation for the hours and hours of invisible work that contribute to the success of a spectacular show.

Not to pat ourselves on the back with so much force that it would TKO Mike Tyson, but the NFCCA board and volunteers who work behind the scenes do a lot to make our community a better place to live.  This newsletter is delivered to your doorstep by volunteers.  Our above-and-beyond editor, Jacquie Bokow, has worked on the newsletter for 18 years; she also maintains the website, nfcca.org.

The dynamic duo of Jim Zepp and Carole Barth are a force to be reckoned with in civic activism.  Former NFCCA President and long-time board member Ed Levy keeps his finger on the pulse of local politics.  A relative newcomer to our community, Kevin Harris, has spent way too many evenings away from his young family attending Bus Rapid Transit meetings and he recently testified at a county council meeting to express concerns about a new study to look at placing BRT in the route 29 median, which could potentially disrupt traffic patterns in Four Corners (see his testimony).  Kevin has also been instrumental in making sure that the soccer field in our neighborhood park is being maintained (witness the field renewal efforts that are underway).  Laura Hussey made sure that the parks department tweaked drainage and improved trash removal.  Fiona Morrisey — with her raffles, quizzes, and Trader Joe treats — makes our membership meetings a bit more fun.

Then there is the quiet blocking and tackling that go into making an organization run smoothly and efficiently.  Sondra Katz, with a hefty assist from Linda Perlman, revised the NFCCA bylaws.  Currently, an effort is underway to develop an operating manual that will make it easier for current and future board members to keep NFCCA activities on track.  We are in the process of developing a Welcome Kit to help new members of our community settle in.  And soon you will be able to check on the website (by address) to see if your membership dues are current.

Looking forward, special thanks go to Samantha Jones for putting together the upcoming Candidates Forum; we have had an amazing response.  Ten of the 11 candidates who are running for District 19 delegate will join us on Wednesday, April 11th, at 7:30 p.m. in Forest Knolls Elementary School.  We are trying out a more interactive format and will be breaking up into smaller discussion groups.  Candidates will move from one group to the next, which will offer an opportunity to ask questions and get a better feel for the candidates’ positions on issues you care about than you might get from listening to speeches.

Sam has also played an instrumental role in building out and managing our social media presence.  To find out about the latest and greatest happenings in our neighborhood, you can now stay connected on the Friends of North Four Corners Park Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/NFCCAPark) or on Twitter @NFCCAMoCo.

Although the current board and our volunteers are active and engaged, there is a point where we reach our bandwidth.  At the last general membership meeting, a speaker from the Kemp Mill civic association asked if NFCCA would be interested in joining their Village to provide volunteer assistance to seniors in the community who need help with chores, errands, transportation, and medical appointments.  With the recent spate of car break-ins, we have been asked about organizing a Neighborhood Watch.  Others have expressed an interest in putting on more social activities like block parties or a creek cleanup at Northwest Branch.

We think all of these are fantastic ideas, but there are limits to what we as Board volunteers can accomplish.  That’s where you come in.  Attend our general membership meetings.  Help us establish our positions on important issues and our priorities for future projects.  Take some time to volunteer to help us make Northwood Four Corners an even more excellent community!   ■