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Button Up - Winter is Coming

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§ Button Up - Winter is Coming
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By Ann Ferguson

Everyone agrees we have had a rare summer for the Washington Metropolitan Area. There was no unrelenting period of days when the temperature nudged the 100 degree mark with hot and muggy nights and outdoor activity was to be avoided.

That leads us to wonder what the winter will bring us--a gentle touch or an onslaught of harsh weather with ice and snow and freezing rain. The Hagerstown Almanac predicts some heavy snowfalls and their record of accuracy is pretty impressive.

Residents can begin preparations for winter now while the temperatures are still pleasant for outdoor work. Unpainted surfaces on your home or outbuildings worsen under the freeze/thaw seesaw of winter weather. Scraping those areas and sealing them with paint will protect them from further decay that you will have to face in the spring.

Another sometimes neglected area that impacts your home are clogged rain gutters that then force undirected water to find its way into the seams of your home or through its foundation. Also, fresh caulking on windows and doors will keep out the wind and rain that can damage your home and raise your heating bills.

Other ways you can prepare include setting aside a supply of water in recycled containers, putting a bag of kitty litter in your trunk to use for traction under your car wheels and making sure your flashlights have fresh batteries.

Also, residents with fireplaces or wood burners can find a supply of firewood available for the taking in the area near the Public Works building.

Montgomery County residents suffered through a power outage last winter that went on for a week. The harsh reality was that even in upscale homes these families were faced with the need to supply basic needs for daily living.

A little preparation can make a difference.

Thanks to the Riverdale Woman's Club

At their September meeting, officers of the Riverdale Woman's Club announced their intention to make a $5,000 donation to the town to be used to purchase a conference table for the newly constructed conference room.

Organized in 1921, the Riverdale Woman's Club has provided service and funding to town activities through the years. In its 89-year history, the Club has supported the Riverdale Fire Department, the Riverdale Elementary PTA, the Riversdale Historical Society and special projects of the Mayor and Council. In recent years the Club supported the 75th anniversary clock project in Town Center, paid for purchase of an emergency generator for the Public Works Department and made a donation towards construction of the Veterans Monument.

We express our sincere gratitude to the Riverdale Woman's Club for their generous support.

Town Hall Renovation Update

Drywall partitions, electrical and duct work, ceiling casements for indirect lighting, and the conduits for installation of the television cable have been completed in the town hall. Installation of ceiling tiles at a lower level than formerly existed in the meeting room, application of fabric panels on the walls and laying of floor tiles remain to be completed.

New cable equipment, supplied by Comcast, will be installed in the video room. Construction of a video room will allow all equipment used to operate the cable channel for regular notices and for live broadcasts to be centralized.

A primary goal in design of the new meeting room, along with installation of new cable equipment, was to improve sound quality for broadcast of meetings. The high ceilings, cinder block walls and old equipment resulted in an extremely poor sound transmission.

The contractor, Santos Construction, expects to complete the project by mid-October.

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