By Mark Goodson
College Park’s Ledo Restaurant, better known as Ledo’s, closed permanently on Sunday, Nov. 22. e restaurant locked its doors two hours earlier than usual that day because they ran out of food, after three consecutive nights that saw carryout lines stretching around the block.
Several patrons on line spoke
By Rachel Logan
Dusk was falling outside the Berwyn Baptist Church in College Park, but spirits were not. It was Nov. 22 — nearly the last collection day for Operation Christmas Child — and this church was one of only four drop-o locations in the county. ree tables standing end-toend stretched from the church’s lobby to the sidewalk, where
By Gabriel PietrorazioThe National Invitation Tournament (NIT) provides a second chance for men’s college basketball teams that miss the NCAA Tournament to participate in a prestigious postseason event. When George Washington University (GW) played in the 2016 NIT, Mike Lonergan’s team made the most of it by winning it all. Lonergan now seeks the opportunity to coach again.
A few months after Lonergan guided GW to its only men’s basketball postseason championship, a Washington Post story, based largely on anonymous sources, claimed that he made a homophobic remark, and verbally and emotionally abused players. In September 2016, GW red Lonergan.
e former Maryland assistant (2004-05) has not coached since. is, despite his being the only coach in college basketball history to win the postseason NIT and the NCAA Division III national championship (2001), achievements which demonstrate his ability to succeed with or without coaching players on athletic scholarships. His combined career record at Catholic University, Vermont and GW is 474-226 (.677).
“Mike is a proven winner,” former Terrapin Coach Gary Williams said. “He was an outstanding assistant coach in his year at Maryland.”
I have known Lonergan for about 35 years. I’ve attended hundreds of his practices and games, was Catholic’s sports information director when we won the national crown and have coached at several of his
camps. I never once witnessed him abusing anyone.
Telling a player to get tough, be a man, is not abusive. It is a coach attempting to motivate someone to play better defense and grab more rebounds.
Isaiah Armwood, who helped lead GW’s Colonials to the 2014 NCAA Tournament after transferring from Villanova, told ESPN: “In my opinion, he did not demean players using inappropriate language whatsoever. He was a very hard-nosed and straightforward coach. Someone who a good player would love to play for.”
e Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg, writing the day after Lonergan’s ring, quoted three former players who supported their coach.
Maurice Creek, who transferred to GW from Indiana, said Lonergan “never crossed the line with any of the guys. … If a coach is too tough for you, then you don’t need to be playing college basketball. [His teams succeeded] because he expected the best out of all of us.”
e Lonergan I know graduated all of his players, and was a mentor and role model. One student-athlete, John Kopriva, followed Lonergan from Vermont to GW in 2011. He is now a medical doctor in training to become an orthopedic surgeon.
Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey said Lonergan is “the kind of coach you’d want your own son or daughter to play for.”
Lonergan’s undoing originated with former GW Athletic Director Patrick Nero’s interference in his program. Nero began by inviting an athlete to dinner and o ering him a key to his home. e player eventually told Lonergan that Nero was
Managing Editor Mark Goodson mark@hyattsvillelife.com
giving him money.
ese are NCAA violations. Lonergan was required to report the rule-breaking, or he would have been considered complicit in the wrongdoing.
In a well-researched Deadspin story from Nov. 2018, Dave McKenna detailed much of Nero’s improper behavior with student-athletes and recent graduates. Images showed Nero straddling a young man and making sexually inappropriate gestures.
When GW red Lonergan, it said it valued “inclusion and diversity.” So does the Lonergan I know. at’s why I can’t believe he made the homophobic remark that he was accused of. It was inconsistent with his character. (I had heard months before that the remark wasn’t even made by Lonergan, but by another sta member.)
Lonergan was taught by his parents to respect all people regardless of their sexual orientation. He recalled that his mother played on softball teams with several lesbian teammates when he was a child. is taught him that good people lead many di erent lives. He also attended a 2016 LGBTQ summit at the University of Maryland.
e most striking way Lonergan demonstrated his acceptance of the LGBTQ community was his recruitment of Derrick Gordon, the rst openly gay Division I men’s basketball player.
Gordon told McKenna he was leaning toward transferring from UMass to GW, until the Atlantic 10 Conference told him he’d have to sit out a year if he went to a league rival.
“Mike’s a great guy,” Gordon said. “I like the way he coaches
Advertising Sales Manager Chris Currie
and I wanted to play for him, and it sucks that he lost his job over being called homophobic. It doesn’t add up.”
e Washington Post suggested that having 13 players transfer away from GW during Lonergan’s ve-year tenure was evidence of his being overbearing. Heck, two teams in the Atlantic 10 had more players transfer out. e Post reported that the transfer rate in college basketball had more than doubled in the previous ve years to over 700 players. Most of the
departing players were not talented enough to play at GW. I hope a head coach or athletic director gives Lonergan an opportunity to coach again. He’s an excellent teacher, a tireless recruiter and an outstanding in-game tactician. He cares about all aspects of his players’ lives. e school that hires him will be glad it did.
Chris McManes (mick-maynz) is a local freelance sportswriter.
e Yarrow Civic Association (YCA) serves the neighborhood bordered by College Park Estates on the north, Old Calvert Road on the south, Edmonston Road on the east and Indian Creek on the west.
The YCA’s constitution includes this mission statement:
YCA had a relaunch picnic in September 2016, hosted by Shawn and Sharon Anderson. (I found videos from the event on Stephen Thomas’ YouTube channel. It looked like a lot of fun, and the frozen peanut butter pie makes me wish I were a member.)
A community newspaper chronicling the here and now of College Park.
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The College Park Here & Now is published monthly by Streetcar Suburbs Publishing., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Editors welcome reader input, tips, articles, letters, opinion pieces and photographs, which may be submitted using the mailing address above or the email addresses provided.
Associate Editor Nancy Welch nancy@hyattsvillelife.com
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Joseph Gigliotti — President and General Counsel
Chris Currie — Vice President Reva Harris — Treasurer Rosanna Landis Weaver, Gretchen Brodtman, Debra Franklin, T. Carter Ross, Emily Strab Mark Goodson — Ex Officio Kit Slack — Ex Officio Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. mail to every address in College Park. Additional copies are distributed to popular gathering spots around town. Total circulation is 9,600.
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“The Association is organized to promote community at the neighborhood level; sponsor community events; identify and discuss neighborhood issues, represent the neighborhood in the City of College Park business; advise the city on issues relevant to the neighborhood, connect residents with city resources, and encourage communication among members on matters of common concern.”
YCA’s current board members are Wendy Kelley, president: Stephen B. omas, vice president; Melissa Niswonger, treasurer; Tom Taraba, secretary; and Richard Snyder, memberat-large.
As Wendy Kelley stated, “promoting socialization in the neighborhood and holding the annual neighborhood party are the association’s main goals.”
Based on the videos, I’d say that they’re doing a great job of it.
And YCA’s proximity to College Park Estates and its civic association prompts cooperative events for the larger community, like this Halloween’s no-touch trickor-treat festivities.
Membership is free and open to any resident 18 or older. If you are a Yarrow resident and would like more information about the association, including notices about upcoming events, please email Wendy Kelley at wendybird85@ yahoo.com.
The College Park City Council amended and then unanimously approved the city’s 5-year strategic plan Nov. 17, after close to two hours of debate and deliberation.
City Manager Scott Somers, whose resignation will be effective Dec. 23, said that the plan’s 10 objectives and key results (OKRs) are intended to be aspirational.
“We are aiming [at high goals], and it’s ok if we don’t meet them,” Somers said. “What matters is that we are achieving great things.”
According to the council, the approved plan is aligned with College Park’s mission and vision, and will lead to both higher organizational performance and clear communication of the city’s priorities.
One specific section, OKR 9 — which addresses the city’s school system — was the center of debate for most of the discussion.
“It is very clear that one of the things holding our city back is the schools,” Somers said.
The strongest provisions of OKR 9 center on increasing high school graduation rates, raising awareness of and participation in learning opportunities, expanding parent participation, and improving the school system’s ratings.
Councilmember Robert Day (District 3) said that accessing data on reading and math, and individual school ratings will be crucial in understanding what creates the ratings.
“We should be looking at the county and state,” Day said. “We need data and need to
get up to speed to know what it will take to get an increase in rating.”
Councilmember John Rigg (District 3) cited structural issues impacting the city’s school system, including aging buildings and deficits in school funding.
“Funding isn’t everything, but when you’re 40% behind your neighbors, it’s a lot,” Rigg said. “Our ability to influence these issues is limited, but if we focus on one thing, we can make a change.”
The entire council agreed that raising awareness of programs and opportunities will be an essential part of the 5-year plan. The OKR aims to increase parent participation at the start of their children’s schooling.
The city would like to see a 50% increase in parent participation in elementary school PTAs.
“When you start parents in elementary schools, it goes a long way,” Day said.
Before the council moved to approve the measure, it opened up the meeting for public comment.
Mary King, a resident of College Park and former education committee member, said education is not what the city
government is all about.
“[The school system is] run by our county,” she said. “So I think you ought to stick with things you can actually do something about, and that, in itself, is an example for both the community and the schools to follow.”
The council passed all the OKRs, ending a process that included close to a dozen meetings with residents and an extensive community survey.
Rigg noted that councilmembers and city staff worked diligently on the plan, and summed up with these words: “These OKRs have been subject to a lot of blood, sweat and tears on behalf of your city councilmembers and our staff,” Rigg said. “If we achieve [these things], we will have done something really meaningful and really important for the City of College Park.”
“Funding isn’t everything, but when you’re 40% behind your neighbors, it’s a lot.”
John Rigg District 3 councilmember
Just a few blocks from the University of Maryland (UMD) campus is Lakeland, which was an established African American community for most of the 20th century. And now, with the work of the Lakeland Community Heritage Project, members of the community are preserving and sharing their stories.
On Nov. 19, more than 150 people participated in “ e Lakeland Spirit: rough Digital Footprints,” a virtual event honoring the community. e Lakeland Community Heritage Project partnered with the university’s Department of American Studies and the Maryland Institute for Technology in Humanities to put on the event.
Lakeland residents used historical documents and family records to tell their stories. Lakeland was established in 1890 and remained a largely African American community
until urban renewal displaced Lakeland families in the 1970s.
“I really would like for the heritage of Lakeland to be visible from the time someone enters until the time they leave,” panelist Violetta Sharps Jones said.
She has researched the genealogy of Lakeland families and studied the history of African Americans in the area. After documenting her own family tree, she began helping local families discover their histories by examining archives and cemetery records. As a fth-generation Lakelander, returning to the area has been emotional for Sharps Jones. She recalled a time not long ago when she and her sisters walked around Lake Artemesia and were saddened to see that so little remained from their childhood.
“It’s a shadow of its former self,” said Maxine Gross, who is president of the Lakeland Community Heritage Project. She has lived in Lakeland for most
of her life. When she was growing up, the community was tightknit and family-oriented. She grew up in a house her parents built on land given to them by her grandparents, who lived across the street. Her greatgrandparents lived a few houses away. Gross earned her bachelor’s degree in theatre from the University of Maryland and her master’s in human resources from Bowie State University.
Rev. Joanne Braxton, who was a panelist for the virtual event, is the great-granddaughter of one of Lakeland’s founders.
“I’m really from Lakeland,” said Braxton, who is a professor at the College of William and Mary. Braxton shared a photo of her brother’s co n being carried at his funeral in 1980. “We said he died of a broken heart, having given his last full measure of love to trying to save the Lakeland school and defend his community.”
e wreath on his co n was shaped like a broken heart.
Braxton’s brother Billy, who died at 43, worked diligently to help his community.
“No one who was present at that funeral that day failed to understand the connection between urban renewal and Billy’s broken heart,” Braxton said.
No matter where life has taken Gross, she has always found her way back to Lakeland.
“Few people who live in Lakeland [now] know about the past of Lakeland. ey don’t even really know it was an African American community.”
Gross and other Lakelanders launched the Lakeland Community Heritage Project more than a decade ago to raise local awareness. e nonpro t preserves the history of the African Americans who were — and still are — a part of the Lakeland community.
“We thought that the community story was an important one, not just for the people who lived in it, but also as an example or a way to understand life for African Americans in the region and also nationally,” Gross said.
e Maryland Institute for Technology in Humanities and the Lakeland Community Heritage Project have been working to create a virtual public archive to preserve the history of Lakeland and the families who lived there.
“We need to have more tangible evidence that these people came, and they stayed, and they created this wonderful community,” Sharps Jones said. “We cannot let them be forgotten.”
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“We thought that the community story was an important one, not just for the people who lived in it, but also as an example or a way to understand life for African Americans in the region and also nationally.”
MaxineGross
presidentof the Lakeland Community Heritage Project
Local businesses and organizations report di ering experiences with the city’s e orts to provide nancial assistance during the pandemic.
e City of College Park designated $1.5 million in assistance earlier this year to aid local businesses, nonpro t organizations and residents.
One million was allocated to the city’s Small Business Assistance Grants Program. Nonresidential businesses and nonpro ts with 25 full-time employees or fewer could apply if they met all other eligibility requirements.
Among the businesses that received funding was New York Deli.
Owner Ashleigh Williams said the restaurant received the maximum allocation of $15,000, which was provided in three monthly installments. Williams said she used the money to cover rent and utilities.
“Even though we do have a fair amount of foot tra c coming through all the time, and carryout and delivery, we still kind of need a supplemental amount to pay that overhead,” Williams said. “So [the city assistance] was a bit of a lifesaver.”
Williams said that she recently applied for assistance through the new Prince George’s County Restaurant Resiliency Fund.
e fund, which opened its application period on Nov. 13, provides up to $25,000 to restaurants in Prince George’s County that have been impacted by the pandemic.
Kim Studio, which o ers Tae Kwon Do and karate classes, applied for assistance and received about $3,000 from the city.
According to Peter Butler, president and CEO of the company, they used the money to cover rent.
“We went from 65 students down to 17 students when COVID hit, and we are struggling to make rent payments,” Butler said. “Typically [the volunteer instructors] have to put some of our own money in, anyway, but this has really helped us out.”
Butler said that as the money from the city runs out, the instructors will continue to supplement the studio with money from their own pockets to keep it running for as long as possible.
JULIA NIKHINSONomas Clements, Jr., owner of the Rita’s Italian Ice franchise in College Park, was still in the process of applying for aid from the city at press time.
After voluntarily closing in late March, due to the pandemic, Clements’ business remained shuttered until the end of May. “ ose are big sales months,” Clements said. “Typically, April and May are going to be $65,00075,000 a month [in sales].”
Other local businesses noted di erent experiences with the city’s assistance program.
Lisa Nash, owner of e Jerk Pit, stated in an email that her restaurant did not qualify for a city grant because it had received a grant from the county.
“ e county grant we received was helpful, but the application process was very long and tedious. We just applied for another county/state grant this
past week,” Nash wrote. “ e city grant would have been helpful.”
Some businesses opted not to apply for funding.
College Park Bicycle founder Larry Black wrote in an email, “We’d rather leave the funds for those more in need. We are working extra hours and using volunteer help.”
e city also allocated $100,000 in discretionary funding for nonpro ts that provide food assistance services. On May 26, the mayor and council approved $20,000 in funding for both Meals on Wheels and the College Park Community Food Bank.
Each program received $12,000 in emergency funding in April, as well.
Mark Garrett is pastor at Church of the Nazarene and president of the College Park Community Food Bank. He noted that the food bank increased its operations from monthly to weekly early in the pandemic.
“When the pandemic began, we realized that the need was increasing so greatly that we switched to every Saturday from 10 to 11,” he said.
Prior to the pandemic, the food bank served 100 to 150 families in a typical month. It now serves an average of 320
to 350 families — some 1,200 to 1,400 individuals — each week.
“It’s not just our church that is providing volunteers and the financial backing for the work that we do,” Garrett said. “It is the entire community. We have individuals. We have several other churches that give to us monthly. And even with that going on, that wasn’t enough. So when the city stepped in with this very large grant, it kind of saved our bacon.”
e food bank initially provided produce every week, but now provides it every other week. On alternating weeks, the food bank distributes nonperishable foods.
A separate partnership with the USDA previously provided the food bank with over 200 boxes of produce each week, but that program ended a couple of months ago. e food bank then started paying directly for produce, which was costing about $3,000 a week for 250 boxes.
“Even with that really generous grant from the city, we were burning through that money very quickly,” Garrett said.
In November, the city granted the organization another $20,000 to continue its current level of operations.
“ at’s going to sustain us for another couple months,” Garrett said.
e city’s small business grant program ended on Dec. 1, but many businesses remain in need of relief. What the city can and will do has yet to be determined.
College Park Academy (CPA), the city’s blended-learning public charter school, has a new executive director. The interim chair of the academy, Jennifer King Rice, Ph.D., announced that Sandy Abu-Arja, Ed.D., would assume the position on Oct. 8.
Abu-Arja was chosen by CPA’s board of directors following a year-long international search. In her announcement of the hire, King Rice noted the academy’s goal of identifying an executive director who could continue to expand opportunities for students at the relatively new school. King Rice wrote, “With high academic scores, more than 90 percent of our graduates moving on to colleges and universities, and an atmosphere of support and innovation for our students and parents, it was important to find an executive director who could build on our successes and expand the opportunities for our students.”
College Park Academy was established in 2013 with the mission of providing students a blended-learning educational model designed to prepare them for college while allowing them to earn up to 60 college credits by their high school graduation. The role of executive director is centered around strategic planning.
Abu-Arja is responsible for educational programming, professional development
for staff and community relations.
Abu-Arja’s educational and leadership philosophy lends itself to CPA’s flexible model. “I believe that specifically-designed support can make an exponential difference in a learner’s life: it can stretch a gifted and talented student to realize his potential, it can assist a struggling student to reach a milestone, or it can scaffold a student’s learning step-by-step until he is equipped to venture onto the next stage on his own,” she wrote.
Most recently, she has been working as an online instructor for Moreland University in its Master’s in Educational Leadership and Teacher Preparation Certificate Program. Prior to that, she lived in Jordan with her husband, a native Jordanian, and their three daughters. While there, she spent 17 years with the Amman Baccalaureate School (ABS) in both teaching and leadership positions.
In 2012, while working for ABS, AbuArja was invited to give a talk on education at TEDxRasAlEinSquare. During her talk, titled “Education Plus,” she said, “I strongly believe that we are all life-long learners and that every opportunity that we are given, whether it be good or it be bad, is a learning experience, and that we should take something away from it and grow.” In that same talk she described her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Bernice Johnson, who inspired Abu-Arja to become
a teacher. Abu-Arja said that Johnson made her feel “seen and heard.”
In an interview with the College Park Here & Now, Abu-Arja expressed admiration for CPA’s culture, which she described as collaborative and based on a growth mindset. She also talked about what she hopes to bring to the team.
“It’s ... working together as a community to ensure that we are unlocking the potential for everyone who’s contributing to it,” Abu-Arja said. “So it’s not like a top down, where we’re going to say these are the goals, everyone’s going to do it. ... How are we going to bring everyone’s talents out to ensure that everything is linked to teaching and learning? Everything goes back to what is that quality education that we’re providing our students to make sure that they’re collegeand career-ready.”
“She’s somebody that brings a lot of experience to our team and really, especially for our development as a school and for the students of Prince George’s County,” CPA Middle School Principal Steven Baker said. “We’re very, very excited about her coming on board to further develop our relationship with the University of Maryland, further develop our relationship with the City of College Park, and then she also brings a wealth of experience in professional development for teachers – so we’re really excited to tap into that as well.”
“It’s ... working together as a community to ensure that we are unlocking the potential for everyone who’s contributing to it.”
Sandy Abu-ArjaSandy Abu-Arja COURTESY OF BABEL STUDIOS
The City’s Annual Holiday Decorating Contest Runs December 5 through 20, 2020!
Love to decorate for the holidays?
Feel like Clark W. Griswold’s light display has nothing on yours? Have more inflatables outside than you can count? Well, get out all your bulbs, bows, deer and inflatable snow-globes, because the City’s Deck the City Holiday Decorating Contest will happen this December.
To see a list of past winning homes, please visit our event page at www. collegeparkmd.gov/deckthecity. The photo above features the 2018 Mayor’s Choice winner and the photo to the right is of a District 1 winning home.
This year’s contest is a bit different because of the pandemic. To ensure safe physical distancing, all entries must have photos of the decorations in order to be entered. Nominated homes will be posted on the City’s Facebook page. The photo with the most likes will be the online digital winner! More prizes and winners will be announced, including Mayor’s Choice.
Visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/ deckthecity to enter the contest. The contest runs Saturday,
December 5 through Sunday, December 20, 2020.
2020 CONTEST RULES
• Contest is open to residential addresses within the City of College Park only.
• Nominations will be accepted beginning at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, December 5, 2020
Each person can submit more than one entry for nomination.
• Go to www.collegeparkmd. gov/deckthecity to nominate your favorite homes!
• Email the information and the photos to events@ collegeparkmd.gov.
• Tag or Direct Message our
Facebook page with the information and photos.
• Submit all entries by 11:59 p.m. on December 20, 2020.
• Online voting on the City’s Facebook page is from December 21, 2020 through December 23, 2020. Winners will be announced on December 24, 2020.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the City has created programs to address resident, business, and non-profit organization needs.
Due to County regulations, the Programs end on December 15, 2020. All assistance program applications MUST be submitted to the City by close of business on December 10, 2020 in order to make the County’s deadline. Please make sure applications are complete for faster processing.
Contact the City’s Department of
Finance (finance@collegeparkmd. gov/240-487-3509) with questions.
The Council and staff have developed a plan with more than $1,500,000 in COVID-19 assistance to help those experiencing financial hardship during this difficult time. The goal of these programs and initiatives is to help our residents and businesses get back on their feet as the recovery process begins.
There are two programs that eligible College Park businesses can apply for: the Small Business Assistance Grants
Program and the Modified Business Assistance & Façade Improvement Program.
The purpose of the City’s Small Business Assistance Grants Program is to assist small businesses and non-profits with 50 or fewer full-time equivalents (FTEs), with direct economic support for costs of business interruption caused by: required closures, voluntary closures to promote social distancing, or decreased customer demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each business/owner can receive up to
Did you know that the City of College Park has designated $1,150,000 in COVID-19 assistance for small businesses and non-profits?
The City has two COVID-19 Business Assistance Programs: the Small Business Assistance Program and the Modified Business Assistance & Facade Improvement Program.
www.collegeparkmd.gov/covid19assistance
a maximum grant of $20,000 from this program.
The Modified Business Assistance & Façade Improvement program is similar to the existing program except that it does not require matching funds. For more information about these programs or to apply, please visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/ covid19assistance#businesses.
The City has also created a program to provide financial aid for residents in need. The purpose of the City’s Emergency Financial Aid to Residents Program is to provide financial assistance to families, senior citizens and other individuals who have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial assistance may be provided for eligible expenses such as rent/ mortgage payments to avoid eviction or foreclosure, unforeseen funeral costs, utility payments, and other emergency needs as deemed necessary.
Each eligible family/person can get up to a maximum of $8,000 per household for indirect payments to applicable payee (landlord, lender, Utility Company) and/or gift cards for eligible expenses from this program. For more information about this program or to apply, please visit www.collegeparkmd. gov/covid19assistance#residents.
The City of College Park has a earned a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2020 Municipal Equality Index (MEI) for the City’s commitment to the health, welfare, safety, equality and inclusiveness of its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community.
“The City of College Park aims to be a welcoming community for all, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity;” said Mayor Patrick L. Wojahn, “this rating by the Human Rights Campaign recognizes our true commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity.”
This is the first time that the City has earned a top score of 100. The
City’s Mayor, Council and staff have worked for several years to achieve this perfect rating, which is based on several factors including nondiscrimination laws, municipal workplace policies, City services and City leadership public position on equality.
The MEI analyzes and rates municipal laws, policies, and services based on their inclusiveness of the LGBTQ people who live and work there. Released on December 3, 2020, the ninth annual MEI scorecard rated a total of 506 cities on 49 different criteria in the United States.
The 2020 Municipal Equality Index report can be found at www.hrc. org/mei.
December is a wonderful time for as we celebrate various holidays, however certain aspects may be hazardous for our fourlegged friends. Keep watchful eye on our pets during this time so that they can enjoy the holidays as much as we do!
Here are a few tips for the upcoming holiday season:
1. Pets are often curious about ornaments that hang down from the tree. Consider hanging wooden, metal, or resin ornaments on the lower branches.
2. Holiday plants are beautiful but some like poinsettias can cause upset stomachs or more serious issues. Always read about the plants before you put them within your pet’s reach.
3. Tinsel and ribbons are very
interesting to cats and they love to chew them. If the cats eat them, they can get a blockage in their intestines.
4. Christmas trees can be dangerous if a cat climbs on it and it falls. Pine needles can also be “fun” for cats to eat but do not pass easily. Dogs may attempt to drink the tree’s water, so please do not put any additives in it.
5. Always watch to make sure that your pets do not chew lights and wires.
6. Alcohol and certain yummy holiday treats can be poisonous to pets. Be sure to keep an eye on your pets (and your holiday delicacies!).
With a little extra diligence and observation, we can keep the holidays happy for both two legged and four legged family members.
On November 13, 2020, the City of College Park announced the resignation of its City Manager Scott Somers effective December 23, 2020. Somers has been with the City for more than five years.
“This was a very difficult decision;” said City Manager Somers, “the past five years that I have worked for the City have been the most challenging and rewarding period of my career.”
During his tenure with the City, Somers has overseen the culmination of numerous City initiatives and projects including City Hall, the College Park Woods Pool property, the Calvert Road Elementary School project, the dog park, Hollywood Gateway Park, Trolley Trail completion, among others.
He has also improved and further developed City relations with the University of Maryland, which is showcased in the combined City Hall project expected to be completed next year.
Somers has accepted a position as CEO for Green Valley Recreation, Inc., a not-for-profit in southern Arizona that provides recreation, social, and leisure services for its members.
The following information is from the official report of the November 8, 2020 District 2 Special Election to fill the seat of former Councilmember P.J. Brennan.
Ron Cameau received 84 votes, Lindsay Dively received 25 votes and Llatetra Brown Esters received 173 votes. The total number of ballots cast in this election was 283. More information including the official report is available on the City’s website.
Llatetra Brown Esters will be sworn in on December 8, 2020 during the Mayor and Council Meeting. Mayor and Council Meeting Agenda and Zoom links are available at www.collegeparkmd.gov.
Prior to his position with the City, Somers served as County Manager of Clatsop County, Oregon and City Manager for Reedsport, Oregon.
The City intends to begin the search process for a new City Manager by the end of the year. An RFP will be issued soon for a firm to start a nationwide search for a replacement. It is the City’s goal to find and secure a new City Manager by spring of 2021. During this time, Assistant City Manager, Bill Gardiner will assume the role as Acting City Manager.
The City thanks Somers for his hard work, diligence, and dedication during his time with our City. The City wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
“Although Scott will be leaving us, his strong legacy as City Manager in College Park will endure well after he is gone;” said Mayor Patrick L. Wojahn, “Scott’s leadership enabled us to bring many key projects to fruition, including the new City Hall, and brought an increasing level of professionalization and diversity to our staff. The residents of College Park owe him a debt of gratitude, and we wish him well as he embarks on this new chapter.”
Great news! Since the City’s Food Scrap Drop-Off Program began in April 2019, 31 tons of food scraps have been diverted from the landfill!
Through this City service, residents can drop-off food scraps at three designated locations to be composted locally at the Prince George’s County Organics Compost facility. Our residents’ dedication to the program has shown that small changes can make a big impact!
Interested in participating? Getting started is really easy. First, separate the accepted food scrap items from other trash and place in either a
compostable bag (available the Department of Public Works for free) or in a container with a closed lid. Then once it gets full, bring the food scraps to the designated drop-off area at Davis Hall, the Old Town Playground and Community Garden, or during the Hollywood Farmers Market (when open).
There are still some 5-gallon food scrap buckets available for City residents who wish to participate; contact the Department of Public Works for details.
Videos, tips, and more information about the City’s Food Scrap DropOff program is available at www. collegeparkmd.gov/foodscraps.
Some Key Tips and Information to Be Prepared for Potential Winter Weather Events
The Department of Public Works plows and treats City maintained streets and City parking lots to clear snow and ice during winter storms. Public Works crews work around the clock during snow emergencies to clear the 51 miles of City streets.
These steps will be followed during a snow emergency:
• Snow removal equipment will be dispatched to predetermined routes when snow or ice is imminent. Depending upon the weather forecast, some streets may be pretreated with a brine solution. Salting operations may begin at the onset of precipitation, depending if streets have been pretreated or not.
• Snow removal routes are divided into primary and secondary streets. Primary streets will be treated and/ or cleared first, followed by secondary streets.
• When snow begins to accumulate to cover roadways, plowing operations will commence.
• Initially, one lane will be plowed on all streets to make passable. As conditions allow, all streets will then be widened and plowed curb to curb, where possible.
City parking lots will be plowed by pickup trucks equipped with plows and salt spreaders.
DRIVEWAYS
Crews following the City established snow plan work to clear travel lanes and move snow back as close to the curb as possible. This process takes multiple passes down the street over an extended period of time and snow will unavoidably accumulate in driveway entrances. Snow is not intentionally pushed into residential driveways.
Residents should be aware that the best way to avoid extra shoveling is to wait for City crews to finish clearing the streets before opening driveway entrances to avoid shoveling more than once. While clearing driveways, residents are encouraged to deposit snow to the right of the driveway (facing the street). Do not shovel snow back into the street after the snow plow has cleared it.
All fences and mailboxes abutting City streets should be constructed to withstand the force of snow pushed from the street by snow plows. The City is not responsible for replacing or repairing property damaged by snow or snow removal.
City staff will make every effort to maintain collection schedules, but may not be able to do so because of hazardous conditions.
Please check the City website at www.collegeparkmd.gov, City social media, call or email the Department of Public Works for changes to the collection schedule.
Vehicles parked on the street are the greatest obstacle for City plows clearing the streets.
The following are parking guidelines for City residents:
• Park off the street whenever possible to allow snow plows to clear snow to the curb.
• Park on the even side of the street if off-street parking is not available. Exception: if your address is odd-numbered and the area across from your house is undeveloped, park on the odd side of the street.
• Park as close to the curb as possible. Vehicles parked more than 12” from the curb may be ticketed or even towed, as this severely inhibits the passage of snow plow trucks.
Property owners, occupants, and merchants are reminded of the City requirement to remove accumulated snow and ice from all public walkways, driveways, parking lots, and other areas used by pedestrians or automobiles.
The City Code states that snow and ice be removed within the first twenty-four (24) hours after snowfall stops. Residents should work together to clear storm drains and make fire hydrants accessible to emergency crews.
The Department of Public Works is staffed around the clock during snow events; please call 240487-3590 or email publicworks@ collegeparkmd.gov with any questions or concerns.
You may also find updated information by visiting the City’s website at www.collegeparkmd. gov/notices, social media: facebook.com/collegeparkmd, twitter.com/collegepark_md or by signing up for emails via College Park Connected at www. collegeparkmd.gov/cpconnect.
You can check on the status of street plowing and traffic information at www.511portal. com/collegeparkmd.
The City does not treat the following streets. Please report potholes and other adverse road conditions (including snow/ice) to the appropriate agency:
State Highway Administration
301.776.7619
• Greenbelt Rd/MD 430
• Kenilworth Ave/MD 201
• Baltimore Ave/US Route 1
• University Blvd/MD 193
Prince George’s County
301.499.8520
• Rhode Island Ave, N of Greenbelt Rd
• Metzerott Rd
• Campus Dr East
All information is current as of December 6.
e editors would like to thank Route One Fun for help in compiling this College Park holiday shopping guide. For the full list of shops along the Route 1 Corridor, visit routeonefun.com.
Gift Card Drive. Contact Rev. Mark Garrett at collegeparknaz@ comcast.net to donate to the Church of the Nazarene’s holiday gift card giveaway. e drawing for the giveaway will take place on Dec. 19 at the College Park Community Food Bank.
Holiday Works-on-Paper Sale. Purchase a print, and you’ll also support Greater Riverdale Cares and Route 1 Communities Care. Every $10 you spend will buy a healthy meal for someone in need and help a local artist, too. To see the works for sale, visit go.dojiggy. io/grcrocc.
Christmas Trees. Trees to sparkle up your home at the Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department, 8811 60th Ave., and North Star Christmas Trees, 11120 Cherry Hill Rd., Beltsville.
Hair + Space Blowdry and Beauty Bar. Gifts for that special woman in your life! Everything hair-and-nails you could imagine, gift cards and more. For details, email info@hairandspace.com or call 240.764.8312.
Bananas Hair Salon. From a wash-and-go cut, to a blowout or creative color, Bananas will meet your cut and styling needs. For more information, visit bananashairsalon.com or call 301.277.4500.
Vigilante Co ee. From gift cards, to co ee subscriptions to grounds, Vigilante Co ee, with locations in College Park and Hyattsville, offers great gift selections. For more information, go to vigilanteco ee. com or call 301.200.3110.
College Park Bicycles & Proteus Bicycles. Visit one of College Park’s bicycle shops and give the gift of cycling! College Park Bicycles is at 7301 Baltimore Ave. (301.864.3211), and Proteus is in the Hollywood Shopping Center at 9827 Rhode Island Ave. (301.441.2928).
Stripe 3 Adidas. Shop College Park’s local Adidas store and receive a 20% discount with the code “strong”. For more information, go to stripe3.com or call 301.779.8833.
OpenBarre o ers virtual classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and outdoor classes Tuesdays, Wednesdays, ursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. For more information, go to openbarrestudios.com
Numi Yoga. Daily livestreamed yoga classes. Visit numiyoga.com for registration information and locations and times for outdoor classes which still meet, weather permitting.
Gentle and Advanced Chair Yoga. Online and outdoor yoga classes.No experience needed and rst class free. For more information and to register, email yogiamalie@gmail.com.
Friday Dance Workshops. Join instructor Karen Stewart, of Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers, every Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. for step-bystep instruction and dance along
to soul, gospel, and pop music. For more information, go to cpae.org.
Draw Like a Famous Artist. Join artist Racquel Keller and explore the techniques of a famous artist in this free virtual workshop sponsored by the College Park Arts Exchange. Dec. 19 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Visit cpae.org for more information.
Saturday Tap Dance Workshops. Free virtual tap workshop with instructor Elizabeth Gardner every Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Email info@cpae.org for more information and to register.
Belly Dance Livestream. Join the College Park Arts Exchange for a free virtual dance concert on Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Visit cpae.org for more information.
Smile Herb Shop Classes. Join a virtual class and explore the magic of healing herbs! For a full list of classes and more information, go to smileherb.com.
College Park Community Library Book Club. e library’s book club meets on Jan. 12 from
7 to 8:30 p.m. to discuss e Murmur of Bees by So a Segovia. Email Carol Munn at donkinc@ msn.com for more information.
Virtual Book Club. e College Park Arts Exchange book club will discuss e Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country, by Helen Russell on Dec. 15 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Email info@cpae.org for more information and to register.
e College Park Here & Now is proud to be your local news outlet. You hear from us every month — we send you a lot of words — and now we want to hear from you! We’re inviting you to participate in a community art project — an art installation lled with the words of College Park residents. So tell us, What’s important to you, here & now? Interpret this question any way you wish — no word limit, and you can submit as many responses as you’d like.Email your responses to LaurenRosh54@gmail.com.
This holiday season, lots of our neighbors in College Park need our help. We hope you will join us in donating money and time to organizations like those listed on the right. Merry (and safe) Christmas and happy new year!
– Jim, Joseline, Ben, and Mary
to the College Park Here & Now about their fond memories of Ledo’s.
“It’s sad,” said Sedaria Jackson, who described coming to Ledo’s as a family tradition. Jackson had to leave the line on Saturday without her pizzas, but returned Sunday and waited two hours to place her order and another hour to pick it up.
Zakia Boston was taking pizza home to her 96-year-old grandmother. “ is is a family memory for us,” she said. When she was young, Boston’s father took her to Ledo’s every Friday night.
“It’s just another thing in 2020, you know?” said Sarah Starrett, adding, “We’ve been coming here for 30 years.” She said that she was heartbroken about the closing.
Vittorio Lara used to live in Trinidad and Tobago. When he moved to the United States, he lived next door to the original Ledo’s in Adelphi. “It’s the best pizza in the world,” Lara said, adding, “We saw the owners over time. ey’re wonderful.”
No one we spoke to was upset about the wait time. Instead, people were upset that they were waiting at Ledo’s for the nal time.
Ledo Pizza System Inc.’s pizzas are served now at 106 locations, but the College Park restaurant, which has been considered the franchise’s agship since Tommy Marcos Jr. moved it to the city in 2010, remains a fan favorite.
Tommy Marcos Sr. and Bob Beall founded Ledo Restaurant in 1955. Marcos Sr. stuck with the original restaurant in Adelphi when his partners began franchising the pizza in 1989.
According to a city press release, Chesapeake Hospitality, of Greenbelt, will open a new Ledo franchise in College Park in 2021.
e closing of Ledo Restaurant marks the end of an era, as those who waited hours for one nal meal can attest.
The sale was in the works before the novel coronavirus pandemic. Sources said that employees were told that their last day would be March 30 of this year. But negotiations for the sale fell through. Sources also told the Here & Now that Uber Eats and DoorDash provided employees with tablets to help them process sales during the summer, when continued restrictions due to the pandemic hampered business.
While the restaurant was negotiating with other buyers, employees were told on Oct.
26 they could no longer use the tablets to sell Ledo Pizza System Inc.’s pizza. Sources told the Here & Now that the franchise would not allow Ledo Restaurant to sell its pizzas through a third party.
e next week, Ledo’s cut its carryout sta . “People kept asking why they can’t carry out pizza,” said one employee.
According to the Washington Post, Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and the Rolling Stones were all patrons, as were Yogi Berra and Johnny Unitas.
e Oprah Winfrey Show lmed an episode at Ledo’s Adelphi location.
But the College Park location did not boast signed portraits of rock stars or celebrities on its walls. Instead, it boasted its ties to local sports.
“President Reagan could have showed up and they would have saved Morgan’s table,” said longtime patron Pete Strickland. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Morgan Wootten and his sta ate at Ledo’s after virtually every game.
“Wherever we played that night, we headed to Ledo’s af-
terward,” said Strickland, who coached with Wootten at DeMatha before his long collegiate coaching career.
According to tradition, once Wootten took his red air pen and turned over his placement, it was all business. “ at’s when the wives would roll their eyes and head for the exit,” said Strickland. “It was strictly basketball for two or three hours after that.”
Exactly how many of Wootten’s 1,274 wins began on the back of a Ledo’s placement?
“It didn’t matter if we beat the team by 50,” Strickland said. “ at was the routine.”
Dan Hewins credits those placemat sessions as the spark of his lifelong career in basketball coaching.
Hewins, who met his wife at Ledo’s, brought his freshman team there for an end-of-theyear meal. He remembers legendary Terp head coach Lefty Driesell walking in and asking Hewin’s high school freshman players if any of them could play defense. “Did you see how bad we were last night?” Hewins remembered Driesell as
saying.
Hewins recalled when Wootten’s sta was left with a bar tab from all the visitors who celebrated and left early. “Coaches aren’t paid that great,” Hewins said. ey were short on cash that night. “Morgan just said, ‘put it on my tab.’”
“Tommy and his dad, they were always around,” said Strickland when asked what it
was that made the restaurants so special. “ at and the pastry our crust,” he added.
e comfortable atmosphere at Ledo’s continued into its nal days.
“It’s a great place to work,” said Cindy McManes, who waited tables for the last 3 years of Ledo’s operation. “ eir rules are simple and realistic,” she said, adding, “You got a table, and you were free to make that table yours. You could be yourself.”
Her husband Chris and their children Kasey, Ally and Tyler all worked at the College Park restaurant.
Cindy’s daughter Kasey recalled business really picking up on Friday, Nov. 20, after the city syndicated its press release about the closing. “ e cheese delivery was late that day,” she said. “It was awful timing. But we got on track pretty quick.”
When asked how the restaurant was able to withstand the two-hour lines that nal weekend, Kasey said, “It’s just an easy place to work. Nice people.”
ere is hope for those who missed Ledo’s nal weekend. Gabe Hiatt of DC.Eater.com reported that Marcos Jr. plans on consulting with buyer Chesapeake Hospitality to make sure the beloved pizza stays the same.
Those interviewed disagreed about whether it was the pizza recipes or the ovens that made the College Park Ledo’s pizza superior, but there was one thing everybody agreed on: There is nothing like the original.
Tommy Marcos Sr. on Nov. 22, the last day Ledo’s was open for business. JULIA NIKHINSON
By Eric Olson
One of the goals of the College Park City-University Partnership is to increase homeownership within the city and encourage people who work in our community to also put down roots here. Because of one local family’s efforts, College Park has a brand new street dedicated to this same mission.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with Bob Kidwell, who has led this effort for his family, for at least six years. He has pursued this worthwhile project with dedication, even as he’s faced numerous hurdles over the years. Kidwell persisted because his family wanted to do the right thing for the community — and because they love their hometown, College Park.
Because of the Kidwell family’s work, College Park now has a new street, Howard Lane. The street was named, at the Kidwells’ request, for Howard University, one of 37 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the country. Of all the College Park streets named for colleges and universities, this is the first named for an HBCU. Until 2016, it was called Randolph-Macon Avenue and was what’s called a paper street as it it only existed on paper, an 1890 plat map. Howard Lane is located in College Park’s Old Town neighborhood, within the block bounded by Rhode Island, College, Dartmouth and Norwich avenues.
About fifteen years ago, the Kidwells started thinking about
what to do with a parcel of land in Old Town, College Park that was part of Bob Kidwell’s mother’s estate. The family had lived in the neighborhood since the 1920s; Knox Road was named for his mother’s family. The parcel of land that the Kidwells
were thinking about had originally been the family’s World War II victory garden. For 70 years, the Kidwells maintained that large vegetable garden, even as College Park grew up around it.
Bob graduated from the Uni-
versity of Maryland in 1969. As his siblings and cousins grew up, they moved to other communities in the area. The family considered putting the parcel up for sale — that would have been the quick and easy solution. Plenty of developers had contacted them who would have built cheaply, developers who had no allegiance to the neighborhood. Then Bob’s daughter and her family built a home adjacent to the site. This re-engaged the Kidwell family with College Park, and they started to think about the neighborhood more deliberately.
Kidwell understood that the community was seeking to create more balance between the number of homes that were owned and those that were rented, and he approached city staff and elected officials with what he saw as challenges. First, a road would need to be built through the site, which would be no small feat. The city applied for community development block grant funding to help construct the road, with the understanding that Kidwell would pay the city back for road costs out of proceeds from the sale of the homes. As Kidwell and his siblings rejected outside investors’ offers, they engaged David Kacar of Classic Design + Build to create custom built houses for the site’s homebuyers. Because the homes would be in the city’s Old Town Historic District, they would have to
meet specific design standards, and construction would require special permitting. The houses would carry a 10-year owneroccupied covenant to create stability on the block.
I met Bob in about 2014, when he was first seeking support for the project. Over the following six years, the project was hit with many delays, and there was financial risk. Because the houses would be custom-built, a buyer had to be secured for each lot before any work could be done. There have been ups and downs through the years, but the Kidwell family stuck with the project.
One by one, contracts on every lot were executed, site work was done, foundations were poured and each house emerged as its own unique presence on Howard Lane. Moving vans have arrived, and families have settled in. The last home was purchased by a professor’s family, with assistance from the partnership’s homeownership program, and is under construction, and the block of seven homes is nearly complete.
Thanks to Bob Kidwell and his family for sticking with their vision, Howard Lane has made College Park a better place to live.
Something about this summer didn’t feel the same to Robinne Gray. Songbirds didn’t flock to the feeders surrounding her home in Berwyn Heights. The tall trees that had attracted her to the neighborhood, in the first place, began to disappear.
“Over the past couple of years, a few of our neighbors have removed large trees from their yards,” Gray said.
volunteers retrieved donations curbside. Youth volunteer Rachel Maturi, who had come with a two-family group when doors opened at 3 p.m., called out, “We’re going to need the trolley cart!”
Church member and volunteer Sandy Kiernan took stock of the delivery, clipboard in hand. When the car trunk opened, revealing more than 100 shoeboxes and plastic tubs, she exclaimed, “Praise the Lord! We are definitely going to need the cart!”
Maturi, Kiernan and a host of other volunteers were organizing toys, school supplies and personal care items for Samaritan’s Purse, a 50-year-old nonprofit organization that spearheads Operation Christmas Child and provides aid to children in more than 100 countries throughout the world.
“People pack more boxes in a pandemic — they give more,” Kiernan said.
Berwyn Baptist has had to revise their traditional celebrations this season. The church’s services were entirely virtual for four months over the summer, but inperson services resumed in June. Prince George’s County capped religious gatherings at 25% ca-
pacity on Nov. 15, and Gov. Larry Hogan set the statewide cap at 50% on Nov. 20. Berwyn Baptist, typically at 10% capacity, didn’t have to change their procedures to fit the restrictions.
Church members have collected donations for Samaritan’s Purse for years, but it’s one of the few Christmas activities still in the works this year. The traditional Christmas musical has been canceled, as has the annual hanging of the greens to decorate the sanctuary. The church wasn’t able to host Thanksgiving dinner, and there won’t be a cookie social.
Like Berwyn Baptist, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is not letting limitations on gatherings stop the celebration of the season. Rev. Tim Johnson said that he has plans for a larger Christmas Eve, but still within the capacity restrictions.
“Indoors, we’re limited to 30 people — outdoors, we can accommodate a lot more,” he said.
Johnson hopes to hold a socially distanced service early on Christmas Eve, weather permitting. He aims to light the night with lanterns, luminaries and campfires. “We want as much light as possible,” he said, adding, “There’s some sadness that we’re not in the church, but we appreciate being together. Jesus was born in a barn, not in a
beautiful stone church.”
Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Johnson is grateful that he can continue to serve his fellow worshippers. Reflecting on these unprecedented times, he said, “We do what we can with what we have.”
Down the road in Hyattsville, Crossover Church now directs members to its sister location in Odenton, where in-person services are still being held. Visitors undergo a temperature scan and health screening before entering the building.
The Hyattsville location’s main holiday outreach is usually a feefree Christmas boutique where underprivileged families can register to search the church for free gifts and clothing. With the building now closed, Crossover came up with a creative way to carry on the tradition.
Associate Rev. Deborah Evans said, “This year, we’ll have the Christmas store on wheels.”
Participants will drive up on Dec. 12 and pop their trunk to receive bags of gifts, clothes and goods from a local food pantry.
“We’ll make it festive from the outside,” Evans said. The church building, with its stone bricks and a tower, is akin to a castle already.
“We’re so thrilled, so blessed that we’re able to do it this year,” she said.
“This summer and fall, we’ve noticed fewer birds at our feeders, and wondered if the reduced tree canopy could be the reason. … As [the trees] eventually die off, the neighborhood looks more barren and plain,” she said. “Large trees are a benefit to the whole community, for beauty and for other reasons,” she continued. “Cutting them down should not be taken lightly. … We need better public awareness and appreciation of the importance of trees.”
Jim Meyer, a College Park resident and a member of the city’s Tree & Landscape Board (TLB), shares Gray’s concerns about the importance of sustaining trees.
“I think that landlords currently have a significant incentive to cut down trees as a way of reducing property maintenance,” Meyer explained. “If the status quo continues, eventually the city will be pretty bare, [which] will reduce the amount of heat, air pollution and noise absorbed by trees, and increase the amounts experienced by residents.”
He said the University of Maryland would like to remove 14 of the 18 trees on the golf course. “It would make the golf course obsolete in a few years and open to further development,” Meyer said.
According to a survey Meyer participated in, just shy of 58% of the city’s residents think tree loss is a problem.
After Pepco was bought by the giant conglomerate Excellon, the utility company accelerated its tree pruning and removal work in the area.
“I went out with the dogs one day and found four crews working,” Meyer said. “So I used Nextdoor under ’trees’ and asked ‘what is happening’ and ‘can we stop them from clear cutting College Park?’”
Meyer said that outraged neighbors held an emergency meeting, which led to a temporary halt in cutting. The same meeting prompted Meyer to join the TLB.
The Urban Tree Canopy Forum, hosted by the TLB, debated the same issue at a virtual meeting on Nov. 18.
“Our proposal to protect our city’s tree canopy is really only one part of the larger picture,” Rashawna Alfred, chair of the Tree and Landscape Board, said during the meeting. “In order to make a change and restore [the canopy], it’s going to take a coordinated effort between residents, home owners and developers, along with city government, county government and state officials.”
The goal of the Urban Forest Protection Plan, proposed by the TLB, is to preserve trees that are large, mature and healthy, and to encourage residents to replace trees that have been removed. Residents can qualify for up to $250 in reimbursements each year for tree replacement.
The board’s proposed plan focuses on large trees on private property. During the forum, members of the board recommended that permits be required before trees could be removed and proposed fining people who have trees removed without first obtaining a permit.
The city council will review the board’s recommendations in coming weeks.
It usually takes about an hour and a half one way for Frank to get to the Greenbelt Station, where he gets off and then walks almost a mile to the church, but Yates excitedly explained that his trip took only 45 minutes.
The food bank has been operating for 12 years, serving College Park and its neighboring communities. As food insecurity has increased because of COVID-19, the nonprofit has moved from monthly to weekly distributions, serving more than 1,000 people every month.
But need in the community fluctuates, and has been trending up through the fall. In October, the food bank served about 4,000 individuals, and continued to provide 10-pound boxes filled with seasonal foods. But it is hard-pressed to keep up with demand.
“As soon as those boxes are gone, that’s all we can do,” said Mark Garrett, senior pastor at the Church of the Nazarene.
Garrett noted that the food bank pays more than $3,000 to order the boxes from Hungry Harvest, a local company that sources produce from farms and wholesalers, and repackages food for delivery.
“We have never had a shortage of volunteers, and to be honest, we very rarely had a shortage of finances. As the need has increased, so has the financial giving for the College Park Community Food Bank,” Garrett explained.
Evan Lutz, Hungry Harvest co-founder and CEO, came up with the idea to sell leftover harvested goods while studying at the University of Maryland. Hungry Harvest, which is headquartered in Baltimore, has 65 employees scattered across nine states.
Due to the expense, CPCFB includes produce from Hungry Harvest in its distribution only twice a month.
“We’d love to do it every week, but there’s just no way,” Garrett said.
The CPCFB also encountered complications in trying to reach its goal of distributing 300 turkeys this Thanksgiving. In the basement of the church, the food pantry designated a cooler
to collect donated turkeys.
The church handed out 175 turkeys and 600 pounds worth of turkey burgers, in the days leading up to Thanksgiving.
Garrett acknowledged that they wouldn’t have enough, though, to address the need in College Park.
With food distributions scheduled every weekend now, instead of once a month, vehicles are filling the roads, which creates a degree of strain for some residents in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Garrett mentioned that traffic managers are stationed at each of the corners to “keep the residents from getting too angry.”
“It’s enough to make anybody upset if you do that every Saturday, right? If I lived in this neighborhood, I would feel the same way,” Garrett admitted. “So we try to do the best that we can to get along with our neighbors.”
The food bank has found an ally in Mayor Patrick Wojahn, whom Garrett considers to be “our best supporter as far as public officials” go.
He told the Here & Now that Wojahn and David Kolesar, his husband, personally contributed several turkeys ahead of the holiday.
Earlier this year, CPCFB and Meals on Wheels each received $20,000 in assistance, as well as an additional disbursement of $12,000, each, in emergency funding from the city.
“There’s not been any additional federal relief coming in … yet,” Wojahn told the College Park Here & Now
Without the support of a second federal relief package, CPCFB could struggle to keep up with the growing food insecurity in the area.
In September’s edition of the Here & Now, Wojahn published an editorial in which he urged the public to support the city’s food-giving initiatives. Even now, a few months later, Wojahn said that his message of charity “obviously still stands,” especially as the winter holiday season is in full swing.
“People have been very generous over the past several months, but we need to keep that generosity up, because the situation isn’t getting easier for folks,” Wojahn noted.
Branching
and Perennials
- Lawn Cutting, Aerating and Fertilizing
- Grading and Drainage Projects
- Storm Cleanup and Debris Hauling
- Patios, walkways and walls
- Masonry and concrete repair
By Emily Williams
On a sunny autumn day in College Park, University of Maryland (UMD) students and city residents volunteered their time during the ninth annual Good Neighbor Day, which was held on Nov. 7. The day of service was hosted by the university, the City of College Park and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
Gloria Aparicio Blackwell, UMD’s director of community engagement, said that the day is an opportunity for UMD students to volunteer, and for students and the community to get to know each other better.
“This is something that we have been very excited to continue doing,” she said. “It’s needed.”
Good Neighbor Day is typically held in the spring, but due to the pandemic, this year’s event was moved to November.
Organizers adapted to coronavirus restrictions by following a hybrid model. Volunteers could attend virtual workshops or participate in person in projects. The virtual workshops covered topics such as social justice, mental health and financial literacy.
The in-person projects included a food drive, held at Ikea, to support the College Park Community Food Bank and the university’s Campus Pantry, which works to alleviate food insecurity among students and university staff.
There were also community cleanups, including one at Lake Artemesia, where volunteers planted trees and removed invasive plants.
Organizers recognized that offering both virtual and inperson options might encourage community participation and also meet social needs that have deepened during the pandemic. Jose Cadiz, the lead coordinator for the university’s
Office of Community Engagement, underscored these dual goals.
“We felt like our office really needed to mobilize something in our community,” he said.
In order to follow COVID-19
guidelines, the number of volunteers had to be capped this year. Projects like the cleanup at Lake Artemesia would typically draw as many as 150 volunteers, said Golshan Jalali, media and digital commu-
nications director for UMD’s Office of Community Engagement. This year saw 112 volunteers, total, at in-person events. Volunteers participating in virtual events brought the combined total to 373.
While Good Neighbor Day has become an established and important tradition for the city, this year’s event also met challenges brought about by the pandemic.
“People are looking for meaningful things, and perhaps this could be another way for them to feel that they are contributing to the good of the community,” Blackwell said.
Next year will mark the community’s tenth Good Neighbor Day, and hopes are already high that conditions will be far more favorable.
“This relationship between the university and the town continues to grow and continues to get to that level that we all become one,” noted Blackwell.
