Volume 12
Issue 9
December 2019
Long Branch Business League
Business League Appeals to County for Street Improvements As the County’s annual budgeting process gets under way, the Long Branch Business League is reaching out to the county’s political leadership to lobby for street improvements. Despite undoubted improvements in recent years to the commercial area — big festivals, new signage, public art and murals — Long Branch’s business district faces multiple challenges. Areas along Piney Branch Road are overgrown with weeds. Street trees are often in poor condition — or missing altogether. And that’s far from a complete list. In a letter to the County Council, the Business League has outlined its priorities for street-scape improvements: • • •
improvements at a January 2019 forum attended by County Executive Marc Elrich. According to Business League president Carlos Perozo, the increasing tempo of Purple Line construction adds urgency to this improvement request. “Once traffic lanes on Piney Branch Road get reduced to just two, the business community is going to really feel the crunch; I hope it doesn’t get as bad as University Blvd.,” Perozo told the Newsletter. Councilmember Tom Hucker has responded favorably to the request and has pledged to attend the upcoming Business League meeting (see details below). Hucker is the County Council representative for District 5, which includes Long Branch.
Installing healthy trees and new landscaping Replacing unsafe street lights Improving sidewalks with brick or similar attractive materials
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As noted in the February 2019 Newsletter, Business League officers Carlos Perozo (ZP Tax) and Eddy Campos (Veronica’s Café) lobbied for similar
Long Branch Business League December Meeting Wednesday, Dec. 4, 10 a.m. — 11:30 a.m. El Golfo Restaurant 8739 Flower Ave., Silver Spring
Santa Claus, carolers, cookies, all coming to Long Branch on Dec. 14. See back page for details.
DiscoverLongBranch.com Events December S’mores Party Saturday, Dec. 7 | 2 - 4 p.m. Flower Avenue Urban Park
Profile of Long Branch Community Organizer Job Title: Community organizer. Years on the job: Since 1986.
Best job ever: The one I have now with CHEER. Everyone in the organization really cares about what we do. We find out from the community what their vision is, and then we help them attain that vision. There are a lot of opportunities for me to contribute to that approach.
Montgomery Parks will provide a roaring campfire, the ingredients to make a s'more, and an opportunity to share community time! Bring your partner, spouse, kids, friends and neighbors and experience a sweet afternoon in the park.
Birthplace: Columbia, Md.
Santa in the Park
Current home: Silver Spring, near Long Branch.
Saturday, Dec. 14 | 2 - 4 pm
Daily habits: I try to find some time to play music every day.
Flower Ave. Urban Park (alternate site if bad weather is El Gavilan Restaurant, 8805 Flower) Enjoy free hot chocolate, free local cookies (from Giant and Arbol de Pan bakery), serenaded by Christmas and other holiday classics from a professional choir. Party favors for all children. Sponsored by Long Branch Business League.
John Brill
Childhood memory: Our house in Columbia, Md., had a huge side-yard and all our friends would come over and play all kinds of fun games until dark. We would play spud, hide and seek, variations on football – and we made up our own games too. There’d usually be fifteen people there, almost every day. I still love that, bringing lots of people together. That’s why I love my job.
Person you would most like to meet: Mahatma Gandhi. Favorite app: Google map. Favorite movie: Being John Malkovich. Favorite music: Split Enz, classic Indie Rock, funk.
Icy Outside? Keep Your Sidewalks Safe! Both the rules of customer care and County law require business owners to clear snow from their public sidewalks within 24 hours of the end of a snowstorm. Residents are also asked to be good neighbors by doing the same, and also helping out those who may not be physically able to do so. In case of power outage, call Pepco at 877-737-2662, or BG&E at 877-778-2222.
Favorite book: Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain.
Favorite vacation spot: Any mountain anywhere. Guilty pleasure: Junk food: potato chips, brownies, candy bars … Family: Married, two children. Bucket list: Africa -- the motherland; especially Ethiopia. Hobbies: Playing music, sewing, all outdoor activities (camping, hiking ...). Startling fact: After getting my B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and my M.A. in Public Administration, I worked for several years at the headquarters of the Army Corps of Engineers. I was part of a management structure there that was sort of like an internal think tank.
Long Branch Business News, Paul Grenier, Editor 301-812-4141 pgrenier@MHPartners.org