Text Box: AROUND TOWN Text Box: PARK NEWS Many of the plans for Glen Echo Park are on hold until congress authorizes funds for the new year, Site Manager Kym Elder told the Glen Echo Town Council last month.. She said that the National Park Service, along with other governmental agencies, may not be authorized funds until early summer. For this reason, the demolition of the maintenance shed which was damaged by fire is planned to be put out for bids but may be delayed in its completion. The restoration of the trolley car at the front of the park has also come to an abrupt halt because of budget considerations, she said. Because the trolley car is not the same type as was used on the old Glen Echo trolley line, its wheel base does not fit on the old tracks. The park, in conjunction with WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) was planning to replace it with a wheel base that fits. Ms. Elder also discussed the painting of the newly-reconstructed Yellow Barn, which is now very yellow. She said the color is in accordance with the historical record and old photos of the barn. --Phyllis Daen Text Box: CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS The Glen Echo Town Council holds regular monthly meetings on the second Monday of the month at 8:00 p.m. at the Glen Echo Town Hall. Meetings of the town council are open to the public. Any citizen may request to be placed on the agenda of a town council meeting. Such requests should be made to the mayor as far in advance of the meeting as possible so that the item of business can be placed on the prepared agenda. However, the mayor may use her discretion regarding last minute requests. Having been granted a place on the agenda, the citizen may state his/her business or concern to the council, reply to questions, and make additional comments when acknowledged by the mayor. Others present may participate in the discussion upon raising their hands and being acknowledged by the mayor. Any member of the council may request that an item of business be discussed in Executive Session (secret session). If such a session is held, the subject matter must be confined to personnel matters, bids and contracts while pending and other items that have been specified under the state’s “sunshine” provisions. The reason for the Executive Session must be stated at the next regular meeting. Minutes of all town council meetings are on file at the town hall and available on the town website, www.glenecho.org. Any citizen of Glen Echo may petition the town council to hold a town meeting for the purpose of discussing major issues relevant to the well being of the community providing that the majority of the council support such action or the request is made by at least 10 members of the community. Text Box: PARK SEEKS ARTISTS TO RENT STUDIO SPACE The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, Inc. requests expressions of interest from visual artists and non-profit visual arts organizations to join the Park’s Resident Artists and to lease, for one to three years, starting on July 1, 2007, studio space in the recently rebuilt Yellow Barn building. Written notification of interest from individuals/groups should be received in the Partnership office no later than Friday, February 23, 2007. Respondents to this request may then be asked to respond to a formal Request for Proposal (RFP). Further details about Glen Echo Park, its resident artists and this REOI can be found at www.glenechopark.org <http://www.glenechopark.org> . If you need more information on this please contact Meredith Forster at 301.634.2223 or email Arianne Burtaine, aburtaine@glenechopark.org. Text Box: HISTORIC REMNANTS FOUND IN YELLOW BARN DEMOLITION Glen Echo Park Site Manager Kym Elder told the town council last month that she noted that during demolition of the former Yellow Barn building remnants of a former Chautauqua building were unearthed. The National Park Service required the contractors to preserve a significant portion of those findings and redesign the new building to provide a trap door in the public space of the building so that visitors would have an opportunity to view these remains and learn more about preservation of historic structures. Ms. Elder also noted a preservation feature known as ghosting --where the impression from the original roofing of a former building that was adjacent to the Chautauqua tower was left exposed. The purpose was sharing with the general public the concept of preservation and interpreting its significance to today's and future generations. This feature is also in a public area of the new Yellow Barn--located on the 2nd floor of the building. The contractors are expected to complete some final items and turn the property back over to NPS and the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture prior to the end of January. GEPPAC will publicly announce the grand re-opening of the building in the very near future.