GOCA: The Greater Olney Civic Association http://www.goca.org The Greater Olney Civic Association is an umbrella organization whose mission is to study, plan, coordinate and promote the overall civic, economic, ecological and cultural welfare of the community within the Olney Master Plan area. Olney is located in the north east portion of Montgomery County, Maryland, about 15 miles due north of Washington DC. Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:49:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 2013 List of Olney Day’s Winners! http://www.goca.org/2013/05/2013-list-of-olney-days-winners/ http://www.goca.org/2013/05/2013-list-of-olney-days-winners/#comments Sun, 26 May 2013 02:15:47 +0000 admin http://www.goca.org/?p=1905 Some of the winners were not there when winners were announced at the end of the Fun Fair and Fireworks at Olney Manor Park on Saturday and the Olney Days Parade.  Any of these prizes can be picked up at Fletcher’s BP Service Center in the Food Store any time after Friday, May 24th.  Just let the clerk(s) know that you are there to pick up an Olney Days trophy, and identify yourself, and what event you were in.  For additional information, contact, Helene Rosenheim, the 2013 Olney Days Coordinator at helene.rosenheim@verizon.net or 301 774-6774.

Click Here for a full list of the 2013 Olney Days Winners

]]> http://www.goca.org/2013/05/2013-list-of-olney-days-winners/feed/ 0 Olney Days is Coming http://www.goca.org/2013/04/olney-days-is-coming/ http://www.goca.org/2013/04/olney-days-is-coming/#comments Wed, 03 Apr 2013 16:24:29 +0000 mattz http://www.goca.org/?p=1877 Olney Days will be May 17 through May 19. See www.olneydays.org for the schedule of events, opportunities to volunteer, or to download a parade application.

]]> http://www.goca.org/2013/04/olney-days-is-coming/feed/ 0 GOCA Awards Ceremony http://www.goca.org/2013/03/goca-awards-ceremony/ http://www.goca.org/2013/03/goca-awards-ceremony/#comments Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:21:26 +0000 mattz http://www.goca.org/?p=1820 Congratulations to all of this year’s GOCA Award winners:

Contribution to the Community Award Winners:
Jackie and Danny Benn
The Olney Theatre
Dave Peers & Ariana Peers

Howard J. Garber Citizen of the Year:
Arnie Gordon

GOCA Worker of the Year:
Kathy Curtis

Ron Berger Heritage Award Winner:
Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd

Special President’s Award Winner:
Alden English
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]]> http://www.goca.org/2013/03/goca-awards-ceremony/feed/ 0 ECR:BFR Post Meeting Notes http://www.goca.org/2013/02/ecs_bfr-post-meeting-notes/ http://www.goca.org/2013/02/ecs_bfr-post-meeting-notes/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2013 04:16:49 +0000 mattz http://www.goca.org/?p=1805 At the February 12th meeting, there was a presentation and discussion regarding a road connection between Emory Church Road and Batchellors Forest Road through the proposed project on Trotter’s Glen Golf Course. Click here to see the presentation that includes input from those at the meeting.

]]> http://www.goca.org/2013/02/ecs_bfr-post-meeting-notes/feed/ 0 Nominations for GOCA Awards http://www.goca.org/2012/11/nominations-for-goca-awards/ http://www.goca.org/2012/11/nominations-for-goca-awards/#comments Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:22:03 +0000 mattz http://www.goca.org/?p=1735 The 2012 GOCA Awards Ceremony will be Sunday, March 3, 2013 at Longwood Recreation Center.  It is a great opportunity to recognize those who make Olney a great place to be.  For more information about the awards, click here.  To go directly to the nomination form, click here.

]]> http://www.goca.org/2012/11/nominations-for-goca-awards/feed/ 0 Dedication of the Ron Berger Playground http://www.goca.org/2012/08/dedication-of-the-ron-berger-playground/ http://www.goca.org/2012/08/dedication-of-the-ron-berger-playground/#comments Wed, 29 Aug 2012 02:41:11 +0000 mattz http://www.goca.org/?p=1683 All are invited to attend the dedication of the Norbeck Meadows Park Playground to the memory of the late Ron Berger.  The event will take place at the playground (entry off of George Washington Drive at Continental Drive) on Saturday afternoon, September 8th at 12:30 PM (Refreshments) and the program will begin at 1:00 PM. Please RSVP to nmcaprexy@aol.com or 301-570-0481.

Draft Program:

12:30 PM Refreshments
Courtesy of the Norbeck Meadows Community Association (NMCA)
1:00 Welcome and Acknowledgments
Arnold Gordon, President, Norbeck Meadows Civic Association
Mary Bradford, Director of Parks
1:10 Remarks
Isiah Leggett, Montgomery County Executive
Marc Elrich, Councilman at Large
George Leventhal, Councilman at Large
Barbara Falcigno, President, Greater Olney Civic Association (GOCA)
Helene Rosenheim, Friend of Ron Berger
1:40 Presentation to the Family
Mary Bradford, Director of Parks
Harriet Berger – Acceptance of the Dedication and Unveiling of the Playground Sign
1:50 Closing Remarks and Appreciation,
Mary Bradford,Director of Parks
Arnold Gordon, President, NMCA
]]> http://www.goca.org/2012/08/dedication-of-the-ron-berger-playground/feed/ 0 OLNEY HOME FOR LIFE – VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES http://www.goca.org/2012/06/olney-home-for-life-%e2%80%93-volunteer-opportunities/ http://www.goca.org/2012/06/olney-home-for-life-%e2%80%93-volunteer-opportunities/#comments Sun, 10 Jun 2012 02:34:20 +0000 mattz http://www.goca.org/?p=1648 Olney Home for Life (OHFL) is a non-profit organization of Olney residents that is helping senior neighbors remain in their homes and in the Olney community, as they age. You may have read the article about OHFL in the Gazette on Feb. 1st.

 

We are neighbors helping neighbors

 

We need additional volunteers to provide transportation and other assistance to Olney/Brookeville seniors. To volunteer or receive information, or request services, please call 240-406-9209 or email info@OlneyHomeForLife.org.

Please visit our website at www.OlneyHomeForLife.org.

]]> http://www.goca.org/2012/06/olney-home-for-life-%e2%80%93-volunteer-opportunities/feed/ 0 2011 GOCA AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED AND NEW OFFICERS ELECTED http://www.goca.org/2012/02/2011-goca-awards-nominees-are-announced/ http://www.goca.org/2012/02/2011-goca-awards-nominees-are-announced/#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:46:14 +0000 mattz http://www.goca.org/?p=1530 We’re pleased to announce the winners of our 2011 GOCA Awards:

Joe Buffington, Dawn Cutright, and Olney Home for Life have been selected for our 2011 Contribution to the Community Award.
Paul Jarosinski has been selected as the 2011 Citizen of the Year.
Lori Goodwin has been selected as the 2011 GOCA Worker of the Year.
Helene Rosenheim has been selected as the 2011 Ron Berger Olney Heritage Award winner.

Barbara Falcigno was elected to serve as President at our February 14th meeting. John Webster was elected as Executive Vice President, Meg Pease Fye was elected as First Vice President, Kathy Curtis was elected as Second Vice President, Howard Grief was elected as Corresponding Secretary, Mark Hill was elected as Recording Secretary, and Ruth Laughner was elected as Treasurer.

Our award winners will be honored at our March 4th Awards Ceremony to be held at the Longwood Community Center. Our ceremony will take place from 2 to 4PM and all of Olney is invited to honor these deserving winners!

Congratulations to the 2011 GOCA Award winners and to our 2012-2013 Leadership Team.

]]> http://www.goca.org/2012/02/2011-goca-awards-nominees-are-announced/feed/ 0 OLNEY HOME FOR LIFE – READY TO SERVE! http://www.goca.org/2012/02/olney-home-for-life-ready-to-serve/ http://www.goca.org/2012/02/olney-home-for-life-ready-to-serve/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:34:24 +0000 mattz http://www.goca.org/?p=1516 If you didn’t see this story in the Wednesday , February 1st, Olney Gazette you missed something:http://www.gazette.net/article/20120201/NEWS/702019563/1095/new-service-offers-olney-seniors-a-free-ride&template=gazette

First introduced at our December 2010 meeting, Olney Home For Life has grown from a dream to a reality. Over the past year this dedicated group of volunteers has worked diligently to bring this effort to fruition. As we are all aware, Olney just like many communities has senior citizens who want to “age in place” but are no longer able to perform simple daily chores or drive. Olney Home For Life has been created to fill this void.

Currently they are looking for volunteers to provide transportation and other assistance to Olney senior citizens. If you are interested in volunteering or if you know someone in need of their services, please call 240-406-9209 or email info@olneyhomeforlife.org

]]> http://www.goca.org/2012/02/olney-home-for-life-ready-to-serve/feed/ 0 SHA ADVISED ABOUT PROBLEMS AT GEORGIA & NORBECK http://www.goca.org/2011/12/goca-urges-residents-to-rally-on-may-18th/ http://www.goca.org/2011/12/goca-urges-residents-to-rally-on-may-18th/#comments Thu, 22 Dec 2011 06:46:32 +0000 mattz http://www.goca.org/?p=1246 The below letter has been delivered to the Maryland State Highway administration. We are requesting that all of our member Homeowners/Condominium/Citizens/Civic Associations read and endorse this letter. We would also request that all Presidents of our members associations send a similar message/letter to Maryland SHA. As everyone who attends our meetings is very well aware – the Route 97 (Georgia Avenue) and Route 28 (Norbeck Road) intersection was severely congested – it’s now become dangerous. As GOCA President, I have endorsed this letter only after very careful deliberation. Here is the letter sent December 20, 2011:

Mr. Cedric Ward, P.E.
Ass’t. District Engineer, District 3
State Highway Administration
Following up on our meetings, and voluminous correspondence with you and others at the SHA concerning the NB-L turn lanes at Norbeck and Georgia (MD 28/97), please be advised that we will make available to any one suffering an accident at this intersection due to the NB – L turn situation, or misplaced turn signs (SB and NB), the entire chain of our correspondence and transcripts of all meetings we have had with SHA representatives and elected officials re the 97/28 turn situation.  This is because we have observed and personally experienced motorists obviously frustrated by the NB-L turn long delays and backups who go out of the one left turn lane remaining and utilize the next (right) interior NB lane to turn.  Since we have repeatedly advised you of the perilous situation prevailing at that intersection, we believe that this situation and the state’s failure to remedy this traffic situation “suffers and permits” a dangerous condition and is negligence in the extreme. The information we can and will provide could be useful to plaintiffs in such litigation brought against the state and/or others to reimburse for damages suffered thereby. To ensure that motorists are advised of our position we will erect a sign on private property nearby notifying motorists of our position, will distribute flyers to motorists and pedestrians at that intersection, and will advise the membership of all of the GOCA organizations (representing approximately 30,000 households) by email chains, that this info will be made available to them in the event they are involved in accidents at that intersection.
Our members who are attorneys strongly advise that this message be brought to the attention of the State Attorney General so that he may best advise you of the State’s potential exposure to liability for damages as a result of this continued negligence.
Frankly we are initiating this action to prevent more accidents, and ensure that persons who suffer losses or injury as a result of the dangerous situation created at this intersection know of the fact that they may seek recourse against the state.  We have tolerated this dangerous situation long enough and believe that courts and juries will not look kindly on a defendant litigant that refuses to remedy a dangerous situation when repeatedly advised, in detail, concerning same.
If you need further information as to our position, or wish to discuss this further with us, please let me know and we would be pleased to discuss this with the SHA and/or the Attorney General’s office.
Arnold Gordon
President, Norbeck Meadows Civic Association
Matt Zaborsky,
President, Greater Olney Civic Association
Paul Jarosinski
President, Cherrywood Homeowners Association

This was posted in May of this year:

Montgomery County Councilmembers Nancy Navarro, Craig Rice, Marc Elrich, Roger Berliner, and Hans Riemer have requested Maryland SHA to restore the 2nd left turn lane from Maryland 97 North (Georgia Avenue) onto Maryland 28 West (Norbeck Road). Here is their letter:

LETTER TO PEDERSEN

Letter to SHA – Georgia and Norbeck ICC interchange left turn lane

We thank them for their support and will await a favorable reply from Maryland SHA!

Our May 18th Rally was held in response to the numerous complaints from Olney residents regarding the intersection of Georgia Avenue (Route 97) and Norbeck Road (Route 28). As everyone is aware who commutes along this route, the intersection has been altered by Maryland State Highway Administration. We’ve asked the SHA to restore an additional left turn lane onto Norbeck Road going west, as it was prior to the opening of the ICC, per this link: TrafficAlertforI-370andMD97MD28 – - - Note the lane configuration shown by Maryland SHA on page 2. Here is a video taken the time of our rally:

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=204_1305769232

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