By Rachel Logan
When Amitava Banerjee arrived at Six Flags America on March 16, he was confused. He had signed up to get his first COVID-19 vaccine dose at the closest mass vaccination site, but the text confirmation didn’t mention that the site was drive-through only. He had arrived by Uber but approached the clinic on foot, and officials turned him away.
Playing during a pandemic has been unfamiliar territory for the University of Maryland women’s basketball team. But one thing was the same: The Terrapins had another terrific season.
Maryland finished 26-3, won its fifth Big 10 Tournament in the past seven years and advanced to its 10th straight NCAA Tournament.
By Kit Slack & Alyssa Kraus
In April, College Park students are returning to Hyattsville Middle School (HMS) and Cherokee Lane Elementary School (CLES) for the first time in over a year to participate in hybrid learning. But where those students will attend school in the fall
of 2021 is still being worked out, as of press time, according to several sources. Some suggest that the middle school students may be split between Thomas S. Stone Elementary in Mount Rainier and the Robert Goddard Montessori campus in Seabrook, while the elementary school students may go
to St. Mark Catholic Church on Adelphi Rd. Whatever the arrangements, they will be temporary. In the fall of 2023, the school district plans to open a brand new school building on the middle school site. The building will relieve overcrowding in area elementary and middle schools by accepting
more sixth graders and allowing enrollment to increase from 900 students to 1,200.
Jason Washington, director of public-private partnerships (P3) for county schools, through which HMS and five other county schools are being rebuilt, said he looks forward to the day when students get to school, see the brand new building and understand that their community invests in them because they matter. He emphasized that the developers will pay steep penalties if the building is delivered late.
The College Park City Council unanimously passed an amendment to the city charter on March 23 to allow the council to set the general election date. The date for the 2021 election has not yet been determined; when it is confirmed, the election will be held at the College Park Community Center from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The charter amendment allows the council to change the date of the election by March 31 in an election year, with the exception of this year, because the amendment will not go into effect until the beginning of May. The council has up until May 31 to set the date of the 2021 election.
If the council opts not to change the date of an election, the default date would be the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November. Several members of the council have expressed interest, however, in having elections take place on a Sunday. This suggestion aligns with the recommendation of the Board of Elections.
The amendment also moved up the deadlines to file for or withdraw from candidacy in an election, so as to allow enough time for ballots to move through the U.S. mail. In an effort to improve turnout, the council will also mail absentee ballot applications to all registered voters.
Councilmember Fazlul Kabir (District 1) suggested establishing Davis Hall as a second polling place. However, City Clerk Janeen Miller voiced budgetary and staff-related concerns with adding a second location, given the city would have to double the number of poll workers.
“When we discussed this … a
month ago, we felt at that time that the College Park Community Center was the largest space available, and that we could run a safer election out of that location,” Miller said.
Adam Rosenbaum, the university’s student liaison to the city council, was concerned that the single polling location at the College Park Community Center discouraged student involvement in the election, calling it a “barrier” to student residents in west and north College Park in a letter to the city. He also wrote that holding the election on a Sunday might not motivate students to turn out, particularly if no early voting days were also scheduled.
“In supporting our institution of representative democracy … I don’t understand why money, especially on such a small scale compared to the city’s entire budget, is a concern in limiting
accessibility to voting,” Rosenbaum said, on March 23.
In a letter to the council, Rosenbaum, along with the university’s Student Government Association President Dan Alpert, wrote that while offering Sunday voting was a step in the right direction, short-term residents, including students, might not be aware of an absentee ballot application that arrived by mail. The city mails absentee ballots only to voters who complete an application, which underscores the need for additional in-person voting locations, they wrote.
Councilmember Denise Mitchell (District 4) concurred with Miller, pointing out that there is still much uncertainty around what COVID-19 restrictions might look like in November, and that some residents might still be uncomfortable with voting in person, espe-
cially in a small space like Davis Hall.
“We need to go forward with what we already have as a plan and trust that the city staff and the Board of Elections will do what they need to do to make sure we get out the vote,” Mitchell said.
Councilmember John Rigg (District 3) noted that this election, in particular, would have many moving parts that were dependent on public health and operational concerns. The council had already discussed adding Davis Hall as a location at previous meetings, and decided against it.
“We just have to make the best call when we can and where we can,” Rigg said.
To vote by mail, residents must fill out an absentee ballot application. The application form is available on the College Park website (collegeparkmd.gov).
Dashing across Berwyn Neighborhood Park and searching for hidden treasures, children of all ages gleefully dove into the Berwyn Spring Egg Hunt. With over 150 colorful eggs and a table brimming with prizes, residents could celebrate the season together for the first time since the pandemic began last spring. This event, hosted by the Berwyn District Civic Association (BDCA) on April 3, was the first of its kind for the community. In the past, the City of College Park hosted an annual egg hunt, but due to COVID-19, the tradition was canceled this spring and last.
BDCA Social Committee Chair Mary Najmi said that when the
city’s egg hunt was cancelled, she was eager to create a safe alternative for her community.
“We just wanted to fill in that gap for the kids in Berwyn by hosting an event locally,” Najmi said. The event was structured so children in different age groups could hunt in separate areas at the same time. Volunteers at the park’s entrances directed children to their appropriate locations.
Unlike in traditional egg hunts, the hidden eggs were empty.
“This is really just because there were a lot of concerns about both food allergies and eggs being accidentally left behind and a dog finding it and eating something that they shouldn’t,” Najmi said.
wear a mask.
“We talked a lot about ways to keep people socially distanced,” Najmi said. “It’s an outside event, so we understand that COVID[-19] doesn’t usually spread as much outside, but we do want to be extra cautious, since this is our first in-person event in over a year now.”
Najmi hoped the egg hunt would increase civic engagement and community bonding.
“We’ve tried to do some online events, and there really just hasn’t been a ton of participation in those,” she said. “So we wanted to try something that was geared more toward kids and parents.”
Managing Editor Mark Goodson mark@hyattsvillelife.com
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A community newspaper chronicling the here and now of College Park.
Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781
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.
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Writers & Contributors Margaret Attridge, Jillian Diamond, Alyssa Kraus, Kelly Livingston, Rachel Logan, Julia Nikhinson, Eric Olson, Chris McManes, Ashley Rodriguez, Paul Ruffins, Kit Slack, Shreya Vuttaluru
Layout & Design Editor Ashley Perks
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Board of Directors
Joseph Gigliotti — President and General Counsel
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Stephanie Stullich — Treasurer Rosanna Landis Weaver, Gretchen Brodtman, Debra Franklin, T. Carter Ross, Emily Strab, Reva Harris 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. CPH&N is a member of the National Newspaper Association.
After collecting their eggs, children gathered at a prize table in the park’s pavilion. For each egg they found, children could collect one prize — candy, stickers, stamps, bubbles and more — from the table.
Six golden eggs were scattered across the park, each one representing a larger prize, like a coloring book or a special toy. Children participating in the hunt were limited to just one golden egg each.
When deciding on pandemicrelated safety protocols for the egg hunt, Najmi said they followed Prince George’s County’s guidance, which allowed a maximum of 50 people at an outdoor gathering. Everyone over the age of two was required to
BDCA Director Kelly Jordan said that she was happy to bring parents and children together, since many residents have missed socializing with other community members.
“We’ve had so little of that in the last year,” she noted.
Jordan, a mother of four, said she was happy the egg hunt was a no-contact event. Given the large outdoor space, designated egghunting sections and the small number of children participating, she was comfortable having her children join the egg hunt.
“Now that the weather is better, we want to still be able to foster connection with our neighbors,” Jordan said. “[This is] a way to do that and have fun in the morning with the children as well.”
By Jillian Diamond
IonQ, a startup software company in College Park’s Discovery District, is set to go public soon; it is the first pure-play quantum computing company to do so. Quantum computing applies advanced physics to enhance computer capability.
Founded by University of Maryland (UMD) professor Christopher Monroe and Duke University professor Jungsang Kim in 2015, IonQ uses quantum computing techniques developed at both colleges for its systems. UMD, in particular, is a recognized leader in quantum research; the university has over 30 years’ experience in the field. This, combined with College Park’s proximity to other quantum research centers, including Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Science Foundation, makes the city a powerful hub for quantum computing.
“Growing roots in College Park was a natural fit,” said Monroe. Monroe currently serves as the company’s chief scientist. IonQ will be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol IONQ once its merger with dMY Technology Group III, a publicly traded acquisition company, is complete. The combined entity is currently valued at $2 billion, which ensures additional IonQ funding for future projects.
“Throughout human history, we have witnessed technological breakthroughs that dramatically transformed society,” the company said in a press release published on its website. “IonQ believes the twentyfirst century will be defined by quantum computing and that this technology will have an
even greater impact than classical computing had over the last 100 years.”
Quantum computing, which can be traced back to the 1980s, is based on complex technical processes that allow a computer to perform calculations well beyond the limits of a normal computer. “Comparing a quantum computer to a conventional (classical) computer is more radical than comparing an iPhone to an abacus,” Monroe noted. “The promise of quan-
tum computing is immense and has the potential to solve previously unaddressable challenges across industries including energy, drug discovery, finance, manufacturing, and more.”
IonQ has already developed the first and, to date, the only quantum computer that can be accessed on the cloud. The company hopes to develop more convenient quantum computers by 2023; this could pave the way for widespread use of quantum technology in the future.
The Discovery District, where IonQ is based, is an environment designed to foster scientific progress. The 150-acre research park houses more than 50 organizations, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the industry giant Raytheon. The Discovery District is young but is primed for an ambitious future.
“It’s exciting to be part of a growing community,” said Monroe. “You can feel it on the streets.”
IonQ is now recruiting locally and is focused on College Park’s economic development. That the young company is growing will likely benefit UMD’s computer science students and College Park residents alike.
“We are supporting a vision to make College Park the next Silicon Valley,” Monroe noted. IonQ’s quantum computing software is publicly available through Amazon Braket and Microsoft Azure.
By Eric Olson
In February, state and county elected officials joined the University of Maryland (UMD) and City of College Park in endorsing the University Community Vision 2030. This plan will update the University District Vision 2020, which was adopted 10 years ago. The new plan includes updated goals and strategies that will move College Park forward as a more thriving, equitable and sustainable community in the coming decade.
The plan was developed during a months-long process that took place at the city, university, county and state, levels. It included local officials as well as community and student leaders. The College Park City-University Partnership facilitated this process.
The updated plan builds on efforts that have been underway since 2011. Previous accomplishments include the founding of College Park Academy, establishment of a robust homeownership program, expansion of university policing and the student code of
conduct, the first phase of reconstruction along Baltimore Avenue, construction of the Purple Line light rail, and improvements to increase walkability.
As we approached the new plan, we identified four priorities: housing and development, transportation and mobility, public health and safety, and education. We will conduct our work with the goals of ensuring equity and increasing sustainability.
As an initial step in the process, we analyzed the goals established in the 2020 plan and found both successes and shortcomings. Our current report – and its data – can be found on the City-University Partnership’s website (collegeparkpartnership.org). Here are a few highlights from that data.
Local, independent businesses increased. College Park became a better environment for independent businesses between 2011 and 2019, with the number of local, independent businesses increasing from 63 percent to 67 percent. At least 52 new retail stores and restaurants opened during this time, with 75 to 90% of them being local
enterprises, not national chains. More graduate students and university faculty and staff now live in College Park. The number of graduate students living in the city increased from 18 to 23%. The percentage of university faculty and staff living in College Park increased from 4.5 to 5.3%.
Even as the number of apartments designated as student housing increased by 130%, the number of conversions from owner-occupied homes to rental houses increased slightly. In 2011, 71% of single-family homes were owner occupied; by 2019, that dropped to 68%. This is an area that we will focus on in the University Community Vision 2030. Public transportation usage declined, which is another area for improvement. Ridership on Metrorail, Metrobus, and Prince George’s County’s The Bus decreased significantly, systemwide. In College Park, Metro ridership dropped by 22%; ridership on The Bus dropped by 36%. These are pre-pandemic numbers, and some of the decline can likely be attributed to breakdowns due to
lack of maintenance, reductions in service due vehicles being out of circulation for repairs, and the popularity of ride-share services like Uber and Lyft. On a positive note, UM Shuttle ridership increased 11% over the same period.
Crime is lower than in much of the region. In terms of thefts, breaking and entering, assaults, and vandalism, College Park is doing better than Rockville, Takoma Park, Bethesda and Gaithersburg. When it comes to robberies, College Park is doing better than all these jurisdictions except Bethesda. Our rate for vehicle thefts is comparable to Gaithersburg and Takoma Park, but worse than Bethesda and Rockville; the stolen vehicles category includes scooters, though, of which College Park has many.
During the redevelopment surge in the city over the past decade, at least 25 buildings have been constructed or rehabilitated to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards (10 are LEED Gold; 15 are LEED Silver). According to a 2019 report by RENTCafé.com, this is the third best score in the nation, based on
LEED-certified units relative to population.
College Park Academy, founded through a partnership of the city, university, county and state in 2013, enjoys some of the highest test scores in the state and has a graduation rate greater than 95%, which is higher than Montgomery County schools — and all other Maryland schools.
These and other data points informed the development of the 2030 Vision, which can be found at collegeparkpartnership.org/universitycommunityvision2030. My next column will discuss initiatives that are included in our University Community Vision 2030, including neighborhood preservation, greater homeownership, a riverwalk, bike and pedestrian path planning, possible expansion of College Park Academy, marketing College Park, and more.
All information is current as of April 11.
April Porch Play! For a list of performers coming to your neighborhood from Friday, April 16 to Sunday, April 18, check out the College Park Arts Exchange calendar at cpae.org
Neighbors CONNECT. This grassroots volunteer organization promotes the health and well-being of seniors through acts of kindness, and assistance with transportation and shopping. For more information, call 301.864.5267 or email connectporfavor@gmail.com.
Route 1 Corridor Conversations. Celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday with a look into what goes into producing a theatre classic. Janet Griffin, former director of public programs for the Folger Theatre, discusses the theater’s 2008 production of Macbeth. April 24, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. hyattsvilleaginginplace. org/programs-and-activities/ corridor-conversations.
Help College Park’s Senior Citizens. Meals on Wheels College Park needs licensed drivers — all are welcome to volunteer for flexible slots on weekday mornings. Fill out an application at mealsonwheelsofcollegepark.org or call 202.669.6297.
College Park Community Library Book Club. The library’s book club meets on May 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. to discuss A Long Petal of the Sea, by Isabel Allende. For more information, email Carol Munn at donkinc@ msn.com.
Virtual Book Club. The College Park Arts Exchange book club will discuss The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilderson, on April 20 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The group will read The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine, by Janice P. Nimura, in May. For more information and to register, email info@ cpae.org.
Virtual Farming Meetings. The University of Maryland Extension, Prince George’s County is offering 4-H activity clubs and several online courses this spring, including small farm basics. For more information, go to extension.umd.edu.
Pollution Protection: Clear Our Air Challenge! At this College Park Aviation Museum virtual event, learn to create and test your own air filtration system on April 17, from 11 a.m. to
12 p.m. Cost is $3 for residents and $4 for non-residents. Register at mncppc.org/Calendar. aspx?EID=16465.
Impact of Animals on Aviation. The College Park Aviation Museum is hosting a free virtual event to present its latest exhibit, featuring College Park Airport’s own Aero the dog! April 28, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Register at mncppc.org/Calendar.aspx?EID=16471.
OpenBarre. College Park’s fitness studio offers virtual classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and outdoor classes
A fire has left College Park’s family-owned shop out of commission, but you can help owners Pola and Sokha survive this hardship. Schedule an at-home cut by texting Pola at 240.476.1620. You can also donate to their renovation efforts at gofundme. com/f/help-pola-and-sokhaendure-2021.
Saturday Tap Dance Workshops. Free virtual tap workshop with instructor Elizabeth Gardner every Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information and to register, email info@cpae.org.
Plein Air Workshop. Join artist Racquel Keller at Lake Artemesia on April 17 at 11 a.m. for a free art workshop sponsored by College Park Arts Exchange. Bring your own art supplies and a picnic lunch. For more information, email info@cpae.org.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, go to openbarrestudios.com.
Community Clean Up. Join members of the Hollywood PTA, the city council, Al-Huda Elementary School, UMD Community Engagement Group, the City of College Park’s Committee for a Better Environment and the Hollywood Community Garden Club and clean up the neighborhoods in North College Park on Saturday, April 17, starting at 9 a.m. RSVP for location sign-up at b.link/CPCommunityCleanUp.
Live Dance Fitness Classes. Join music theater dancer and choreographer Samantha Fitschen on Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:45 a.m. $5 fee. For more information, visit cpae.org.
Friday Dance Workshops. Join instructor Karen Stewart, of Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers, every Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. for step-by-step instruction and dance along to soul, gospel and pop music. For more information, go to cpae.org.
Food Assistance Available. Help by Phone Ltd. operates food pantries across Prince George’s County, with one located just off Route 1 at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Hyattsville. If you are in need of food assistance and would like to schedule a pickup this week, call 301.699.9009.
Numi Yoga. Daily livestreamed yoga sessions and outdoor classes, which meet on Tuesdays at 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., and Saturdays at 10 a.m., weather permitting. For more information and to register, visit numiyoga.com.
Smile Herb Shop Classes. Join a virtual class and explore the magic of healing herbs with experts at our own local shop. For a full list of classes and more information, go to smileherb. com.
Transportation for City Seniors Getting to COVID-19 Vaccination Appointments
Th e City of College Park Seniors Program offers curb-to-curb bus transportation to City residents aged 62 and older. A minimum two (2) business day notice is required. Please note that rides are provided as scheduling allows.
Priority is given for medical appointments and shopping within Prince George’s County, inside a seven mile radius of the City of College Park.
Drop off your items for recycling on April 10 and 24 between 7:30 a.m. and noon
The City’s Department of Public Works (9217 51st Avenue) will be open for City residents to dropoff bulky trash, white goods, electronics recycling, brush, and yard trim on Saturdays April 10 and 24, 2021 from 7:30 a.m. to noon.
City residency is required to participate (bring an ID), although anyone can buy compost or wood mulch during this event.
Residents can bring electronics (including TVs, phones, computers, phones, VCRs, etc.) for recycling.
Bricks, concrete, rock, hazardous materials such as shingles, propane tanks, etc. will not be accepted.
During the two clean-up day events, City residents may pick up one cubic yard of Smartleaf® screened compost for free. Limit
one cubic yard per resident; proof of residency required.
ACCEPTED ITEMS:
• Household batteries including rechargeable batteries such as Li-Ion, Ni-Cd, Ni-MH; Singleuse alkaline batteries such as AA, AAA, 9V, C, D, button cell, and lithium primary. No damaged batteries or automotive batteries can be accepted. Limit 12 batteries.
• Fluorescent light bulbs and tubes but they must be intact. Limit two tubes, and four bulbs.
• Block Styrofoam for recycling (coolers and large blocks of packing material). No packing peanuts, cups or plates.
See the City’s website for full event details and requirements. Visit www.collegeparkmd.gov for more information.
Extended boundary transportation service may be scheduled to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine, within Prince George’s County, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between the hours of 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. More limited service may be available for vaccines on Monday, Wednesday and Friday after 3:00 p.m.
Rides are subject to scheduling and capacity restrictions. Please call the City’s Seniors Program at 301-345-8100 to schedule or for more information.
For more information, please contact the City’s Seniors Program at seniors@collegeparkmd.gov or 301-345-8100.
The transportation options listed below are potential services that Seniors can use to get to their vaccine appointments or for other transportation needs.
The City of College Park is not associated with any of the listed options, nor does it endorse them. This section is for informational purposes only.
*CALL-A-CAB
Prince George’s County Call-a-Cab has reduced fare for County senior and disabled residents. A brief application form can be accessed at princegeorgescountymd.gov.
The program offers reduced fare of a $10.00 coupon purchase for $20.00 worth of coupons. Contact Call a Cab at 301-883-5656 for additional information. The College Park Seniors Program can mail you a copy of the application if desired, by calling 301-345-8100.
*CALL-A-BUS
Prince George’s County Call-a-Bus offers curb- to- curb transportation. Schedule reservations at 301499-8603 Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Hours of bus service are 8:30 a.m.3:30 p.m. Monday - Friday.
There is no fee for seniors.
*METRO ACCESS
Metro Access offers door to door transit service to qualifi ed persons. Request an application at wmata. com or ask the College Park Seniors Program 301-345-8100 to mail an application to your residence. The application must be completed by a health care professional certifying eligibility. Additional information can be obtained by contacting Metro Access at 301-562-5360.
*SILVER CAB
Dispatch Silver Cab taxi service at 301-577-2000.
*UBER
“Uber” arranges door-to-door rides at uber.com or by downloading the app on your mobile device.
*LYFT
Download the “Lyft” app for their ride-sharing program at lyft.com.
* e City of College Park is not responsible for or connected to these services
The FEMA Community Vaccination Center at the Greenbelt Metro Station is now open. If you would like a vaccine appointment at this site, please remember to preregister with the State at http:// onestop.md.gov/preregistration or call 1-855-634-6829.
As of April 6, all Marylanders 16 and older will be eligible for vaccination at Maryland’s mass vaccination sites. Pre-registration ensures you will be notified when you and your loved ones are able to make an appointment if you are eligible to receive a vaccine.
On April 12, all Marylanders 16 and older will be eligible for vaccination through all providers.
To preregister to get vaccinated at a mass vaccination site, visit http:// onestop.md.gov/preregistration.
COVID-19 vaccinations will be coordinated through Prince George’s County and the State of Maryland. The City of College Park will not be coordinating vaccination distribution. For more information on the County’s vaccination distribution plan, visit the County’s page at https:// www.princegeorgescountymd. gov/3730/COVID-19-Vaccination.
For more information on the State of Maryland’s vaccination distribution plan, visit the State’s page here.
Prince George’s County is currently in Phase 2B. Phase 2B includes:
• Residents 16 and older with medical conditions that increase their risk for severe COVID-19 illness.
• Residents 16 and older with disabilities who are receiving SSI or SSDI benefits, Maryland Medicaid EID individuals, Maryland Medicaid REM recipients, and Marylanders receiving TDAP benefits.
• Residents receiving long-term services and support through the state’s Medicaid waiver and state plan services.
How do I know if I am eligible to receive the vaccine?
Individuals who fall into the categories listed above for the current vaccine phase (Phase 2B), as well as for the previous phases (Phases 1A-2A), are eligible to receive the vaccine through the County at this time. All Marylanders ages 16 and over are eligible to receive the vaccine at a State-run mass vaccination site at this time
I’m eligible! How do I schedule an appointment to be vaccinated?
Individuals who live or work in Prince George’s County who are eligible for the vaccine are required to fill out a preregistration form that can be found on the County’s website here. As vaccine appointments become available, individuals who are eligible will receive an email from the Health Department with a link and instructions on how to make a vaccine appointment. COVID-19 vaccines are offered by appointment only.
I was eligible for a vaccine in a previous phase, but still have received the vaccine. What should I do?
Individuals who were eligible to receive vaccinations in previous phases and still have not received the vaccine should fill out the preregistration form as well.
I am not yet eligible to receive the vaccine, but plan to get vaccinated when I am eligible. What should I do?
Anyone who lives or works in Prince George’s County and is not yet eligible for the vaccine in the current phase should still fill out the pre-registration form. Based on your responses, you will be notified of eligibility when the County moves into future phases of vaccine distribution. As appointments become available, you will receive a link with instructions on how to schedule your vaccine appointment.
How do I find a vaccination clinic near me?
• The State of Maryland has a tool on its website to find the closest vaccination clinic near you.
• Prince George’s CountyOperated Clinics:
• Cedar Heights Community Center in
Seat Pleasant
• Cheverly Health Center in Cheverly
• Kentland Community Center in Landover
• Laurel-Beltsville
Senior Activity Center in Laurel
• Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Center in Fort Washington
• Sports and Learning Complex in Landover
• Vaccination Partners & StateOperated Clinics
• There are a number of vaccination sites available in Prince George’s County that are not operated by the County. We encourage you to sign up at these other sites to increase your options to receive a COVID-19 vaccine appointment.
• Additional Non CountyOperated Sites
• Maryland GoVAX COVID-19 Vaccine Statewide PreRegistration System
What should I bring to my vaccination appointment?
Your ID, Your insurance card (if
you have insurance). Insurance is not required to receive the vaccine.
Can I receive a vaccine if I do not have an appointment scheduled?
Prince George’s County is not accepting walk-ins for vaccinations at this time.
I am interested in learning more about the vaccine. Where can I do so?
For information on the vaccine, please visit the Prince George’s County website, as well as the State of Maryland’s website.
For all COVID-19 related City information, please visit the City’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage at www.collegeparkmd.gov/covid19. The website has information related to which essential local businesses remain open to the public, as well as other resources and information for residents and businesses.
Please sign up for the City’s emails (www.collegeparkmd. gov/cpconnect) and follow the City’s Facebook (www.fb.com/ collegeparkmd) and Twitter (@ collegepark_md) for the latest and most up-to-date City news.
Vacancies
Serve your community, lend your talents, and meet your neighbors...
Interested in volunteering on a City Advisory Board? The City currently has vacancies for eight City advisory boards/committees that span a variety of topics to benefit the quality of life of our residents.
More information about the City’s various boards and committees (including mission, purpose and activities) can be found at www. collegeparkmd.gov/boards.
Please complete and submit an application to jsmiller@ collegeparkmd.gov or to your City Council representative by May 28.
Applications are available at www. collegeparkmd.gov/boardapp.
The Mayor and Council will make appointments in June 2021.
For additional information regarding vacancies, please contact the City Clerk’s office at Cityclerkoffice@collegeparkmd. gov or your City Council representative.
The following advisory boards have vacancies:
• Advisory Planning Commission – Volunteers from District 2
• Animal Welfare Committee –Volunteers from District 2 or 4
• Committee for a Better Environment – Volunteer from District 4
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Tribute Committee –Volunteers from all districts
• Noise Control Board –Volunteer from District 2
• Recreation Board – Volunteers from any District
• College Park Seniors Committee - Volunteer from District 2
• Veterans Memorial Committee – Volunteers from any District
Tips to help facilitate the recovery of lost pets
Accidents can happen and one day, you might lose your pet. It is very stressful for you and your pet and knowing what to do will help you be reunited.
There are three things you can do NOW that will help if your pet is ever lost:
1. Have your pet microchipped. Remember to keep your information current with the microchip company including address, phone numbers and email addresses so you can be contacted if someone finds your pet.
2. Always have a current photo of your pet that will be of a quality you could print on flyers to post around the neighborhood.
3. Put a”flat” collar on your dog that has an ID tag with your phone number (s). The collar should be well fitting so your dog cannot slip out of it. Flat collars are usually made out of nylon. Choke/chain collars are not recommended for use all the time.
• It is not as safe for cats to have collars unless they are “breakaway” collars which break if the cat gets hung on something and tags can be dangerous for kitties. The best way to
protect your cat is with the microchip.
If your pet is lost, search your home and yard carefully looking under bushes and in closets.
Walk around your neighborhood, especially on the route you routinely walk your dog and call their name.
Slowly drive around your neighborhood stopping to ask neighbors if they have seen your pet.
Contact the following Animal Control Services:
• Contact the City’s Animal Control at (240)487-3575 or (240)375-3165.
• Prince George’s County Animal Management Division at 301-780-7200.
• You can also complete a lost animal report online by going to: https://www. princegeorgescountymd. gov/DocumentCenter/ View/145/Lost-andFound-Animal-ReportPDF?bidId=
Check the Prince George’s Lost Animal website each day.
Posting lost flyers on social media (like Facebook and Nextdoor) and in the designated spaces in your neighborhood can help alert neighbors of your lost furry family member.
When posting, it is important to post a good quality photo and your contact information. For printed flyers, use brightly colored paper to help bring attention. Include any key identifiers or markings or necessary information to help others when looking for the lost pet.
Put out a bowl of food (such as liverwurst or braunschweiger) along with a bowl of water on your porch or front yard.
Contact the City’s Animal Control Officer and Prince George’s County Animal Services.
If the animal appears scared or aggressive, do not approach. Note the date, time and exact location of where you saw the stray animal prior to calling.
Do not take the animal outside of the jurisdiction – it makes it harder to reunite.
From late May/early June through September, the City cooperates with the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) to identify and control mosquito populations with spraying and larvaciding.
More information can be found on our website at www.collegeparkmd. gov/pets#mosquito.
The MDA program consists of:
LARVICIDING
STANDING WATER:
Treatments are made monthly by MDA personnel to known areas of standing water to control mosquito larva that will prevent development into adult moquitoes.
MDA has designated Wednesday night for adult mosquito spraying the city (when thresholds are met). Spraying will only begin after dark and may continue until midnight or later. If you see a truck in your community spraying during the day, please note that it is not from the State of Maryland. As a precaution, MDA advises residents to bring in pets, stay inside their homes and close their windows while the spray truck is in the vicinity. Please remain in your home for at least 30 minutes after the truck has left. If there are people outside when the truck passes by, MDA will not spray and will not return that night. Spray applications are made by truckmounted ultra-low volume (ULV) sprayers.
The spray schedule shifts, and the frequency will be determined by surveillance data collected and complaints received. This means that your neighborhood may or may not be sprayed each week. In order for MDA personnel to spray, they will first survey the area of concern using traps and landing rate counts, (they may also request access to your property to place a trap for their survey). If mosquito count thresholds are met, they may make a control spray application in the neighborhood, but please be aware that they do not spray individual properties.
Residents can request exclusion from the adult spray program by completing this exemption form and returning it to: Program Supervisor, Mosquito Control Section, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401.
TAKE CONTROL OF MOSQUITOES IN YOUR YARD
It takes a community working together to control the mosquito population. Mosquitoes thrive in warm weather, but there are several things you can do to remove mosquito habitat from your yard.
• DUMP AND DRAIN: If it holds standing water for longer than a few days, flip it over or drain it out (tires, tarps, animal bowls, flower pots, toys, wading pools).
• DUNK: If you can’t dump it or drain it (birdbaths, fishponds) put mosquito dunks or mosquito torpedoes in the water. They kill the mosquito larva and do no harm to other species.
• SCREEN: Corrugated drainpipes are a mosquito breeding ground! Tie stretchable nylon (pantyhose) around the ends or replace with smooth PVC which doesn’t hold water.
• GAT MOSQUITO TRAPS: The City has a limited number of GAT Mosquito traps available to residents for $50.00. These traps are designed to attract and capture mosquitoes without harming birds and bees. They are used successfully throughout neighboring University Park. They work best if they are deployed two per yard. Purchase and pick up at the Department of Public Works; call or email for more information.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s website has a wealth of information on mosquito control, visit their website at https://mda.maryland.gov/plantspests/Pages/mosquito_control. aspx, or call them at 410-841-5870.
Follow the three D’s to keep mosquitoes away:
• Drain: Standing water attracts mosquitoes. Empty out any outside water containers near your home at least once per week
• Dress: Dark clothing attracts mosquitoes. Wear long sleeves, long pants, and lightcolored, loose-fitting clothing.
• Defend: Properly apply an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET, picaridin, IR 3535, or oil of lemon-eucalyptus.
Terrapin players, coaches and staff had to undergo daily antigen testing throughout the season. They played in front of few or no fans and had limited contact with people outside the team. They were, in essence, living in a bubble. When on the road in a normal year, they would typically eat team meals together, but they primarily ate in their individual rooms, instead.
Maryland head coach Brenda Frese admires how her squad handled the additional challenges.
“It will be a season that I’ll always remember,” said Frese, who led the Terps to the 2006 national championship. “Specifically with these student-athletes, the sacrifices, the commitment level, the discipline that they’ve had to have. Being tested six days a week, staying in their bubble all season long within their own team, just for us to have a season.
“It’s a special team that I’m always going to remember.”
The Terrapins ended the season No. 1 in the nation in points per game (90.8 ppg) and assist/turnover ratio (1.69). They scored 100+ points seven times. They were second nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (39.97). Katie Benzan made 50% of her 3-point attempts to lead the country.
Ashley Owusu averaged 17.3 ppg, along with 5.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. The Associated Press named her a third-team All-American.
Benzan (12.7 ppg) earned an honorable mention.
Owusu and Benzan were among six players to average in double figures. Diamond Miller led the scoring parade at a 17.9 clip. She was named Most Outstanding Player of the Big 10 Tournament. Chloe Bibby averaged 13.2 points. Mimi Collins chipped in 10.6 ppg and a teamhigh 6.2 rpg. Angel Reese (10 ppg) rounded out the top six.
Maryland captured the conference regular season title with a 17-1 record. It won each of its three league tournament games by double figures, including 104-84 over Iowa for the championship. ESPN, The Athletic and the AP named Frese National Coach of the Year.
Frese explained how she tried to make this most unusual of seasons seem normal.
“We really spent a lot of time with our team,” Frese said. “Just
any time we could be together, whether it be a practice or the next game, just valuing the fact that we got another opportunity to play.”
Frese, who won her 500th game at Maryland, 95-73 at Nebraska, said practice was her team’s escape.
“I can’t say enough about these student-athletes,” she said. “The practice court is where they love to be. They would spend hours upon hours being on the
court. It was kind of that oasis, to be quite honest, away from their Zooms and their classes and in the apartments that they really spent a ton of time. They just loved being in [the] Xfinity [Center].”
The Terps enjoyed two long winning streaks, one of 10 games and one of 15. They won twice in the NCAA Tournament to get to the Sweet 16 before falling to Texas, 64-61. All this from a club that entered the
campaign with no returning starters.
Frese thinks the team’s overall inexperience in the NCAA playoffs might have played a role in the loss to Texas. (Last year’s tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus.)
“This is the first time for many of our kids,” she said. “When you look at our sophomore class [it was] going through the NCAA Tournament for the first time. All of this is just going to make us better.”
Despite not advancing further in the playoffs, Frese said she “couldn’t be more proud of this team. Obviously, only one team gets to win the [national championship]. We had really high goals, and rightly so. This team was so talented, but tonight we weren’t the better team for 40 minutes.
“That doesn’t diminish anything that [we] did all season long. They were a joy to coach. I can’t say enough, to be in a pandemic. There’s not another team that I would rather be able to coach throughout.”
Dan Muth, head of Hyattsville’s volunteer Education Facilities Task Force, wrote in an email, “It is wonderful that the community will be getting a new middle school.” He pointed out, however, that next year’s seventh and eight graders won’t benefit from it. “We need to make absolutely sure that we aren’t costing them a credible middle school experience in a rush to simply find a place to house them.”
As recently as late July, 2020, the school district had no public plan to move students offsite while the new building was under construction.
During a presentation at a December 8, 2020 PTSO meeting, the school community learned of a plan to split the students between two sites; some students would share space with the Robert Goddard Montessori specialty program in Seabrook, which has a history of sharing their facility. Other HMS students would go to a now-vacant elementary school in Bowie.
Meetings to discuss the details of that plan were postponed or cancelled until the second week of March, when the school district, through town hall invitations to the Montessori and middle school communities, announced a different plan: The Montessori school would move, permanently, to the empty elementary school in Bowie, vacating their school building so that HMS students could stay together, there, while their school was rebuilt.
Robert Goddard Montessori’s parent-teacher association launched a vigorous campaign against moving students to Bowie, citing longer commute times for young children and space constraints at the Bowie site. The campaign included nightly virtual community meetings and culminated in a rally on the afternoon of March 17.
At a virtual town hall that evening, county school administrators including Dr. Helen Coley, chief of school support and school leadership for the district, told the Montessori school community that the district’s decision to move the school was a result of the Montessori school community’s continued reluctance to share space with other schools and programs.
After Robert Goddard French Immersion School left the shared site in 2014, the Montessori school PTA had objected to Glenarden Woods Elementary School moving into its place. Several sources have told the College Park Here & Now that members of the Montessori PTA had been quietly organizing opposition to sharing space with HMS as well.
At a town hall for the middle school on March 18, and less than 24 hours after telling the Montessori community it would move to Seabrook, the school district returned to its prior plan to split HMS students and keep the Montessori school in its building.
Sixth graders and students in the arts program would go to the Montessori campus in Seabrook. Seventh and eighth graders not in the arts program would go to Bowie.
The middle school PTSO,
and similar organizations at four elementary schools that feed into the middle school, sent a joint statement of protest to the school district on March 23. The letter objected both to the commute times — some of which the school district forecast to be longer than an hour — and to the perceived preference given to the interests of students at Robert Goddard Montessori, a lottery-based specialty program school, over HMS, a Title I neighborhood school, where more than 70 percent of students qualify for free and reduced-price meals. The middle school PTSO followed up with a letter-writing campaign.
The school district did not reply to our request for comment on the status of the current swing space plan. Several sources suggested that it may still be in flux.
Another school serving College Park families, CLES is currently involved in a complicated
relocation process due to construction delays.
Prince George’s County has proposed relocating CLES students and staff to Middleton Valley Elementary School for the fall semester in order to move nearly 1,000 students from Adelphi Elementary School to the Cherokee Lane location. Middleton Valley, located in Temple Hills, is a 20mile commute from College Park.
During a listening session on March 28, CLES parents raised concerns over the proposed relocation.
“The construction was supposed to be done this past summer. It is not these kids’ fault, these families’ fault, that these delays are happening,” PTO member Lillian Garcia said. “I don’t think it is fair for the Cherokee Lane families to be moved to another location.”
PTO member Bianca Flores told representatives that parents were sent a survey that queried about relocation and offered two options: send the children to Middleton Valley or separate the students by grade among three schools.
To Flores, neither option is acceptable.
Parents also cited transportation as a large issue. Dilcia Flores said that she is uncomfortable with the thought of nearly 40 children on a bus together during the pandemic. She also doesn’t want her child traveling long distances, especially without a seatbelt.
Parents also underscored that if a child missed the bus, they would also miss the entire day of school if their family couldn’t drop the child off due to transportation issues.
PTO member Rebecca Renberg said that many parents do not rely on after-school care
because neighbors assist with walking children home. “If you look at the whole numbers of who would need before- and after-care, it would be big,” Renberg said.
CLES Principal Brian Galbraith said that there are currently 575 students enrolled at the school and that nearly half of the students take the bus.
“We are still short bus drivers … and we still have runs uncovered,” Galbraith said. “That could definitely cause some challenges.”
Prince George’s County Board of Education member David Murray (District 1) said he had not voted on the relocation proposal. In fact, Murray claimed that he hadn’t been invited to any meetings to discuss the issue.
“We are being purposefully cut out of this, because we are in favor of staying, and that wasn’t their plan,” Murray said.
Several parents also felt as if they had been excluded from the conversations involving their own children’s future.
“It was very much ‘We’re telling you all of this, and we’re not going to take comments,’” Renberg said.
Due to the uproar over Middleton Valley, State Senator Jim Rosapepe has been working with colleagues to find another option. College Park City Councilmembers Denise Mitchell and Maria Mackie, both of whom represent District 4, suggested that St. Mark Catholic Church could serve as a potential home for CLES students.
According to Rosapepe, there is currently an 80% chance that St. Mark’s will be used for CLES students.
“If St. Mark’s doesn’t come through, we’re a good way [away] from finding another solution,” Rosapepe said.
As flooding becomes a more persistent problem in many regions, and here in College Park, particularly in downstream areas like Calvert Hills, the city’s residents are paying the price for an outdated system that can’t accommodate more frequent and severe storms. Much of the city’s stormwater management infrastructure predates current county and state stormwater management requirements.
Many residents are vocal about the impacts of flooding, and especially about the resulting sewage backflows. As previously reported by College Park Here & Now, local utility company WSSC Water has been engaging with the city for months on how to best address backflow issues. At a March 29 meeting, WSSC representatives said that they’re looking into a range of short-term solutions, including backwater valve installations for select homes, as they search for a long-term solution.
The most recent severe flooding in the city occurred on September 10, when about 4.5 inches of rain fell over two and a half hours. According to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, about 4.9 inches of rain over a 24-hour period is considered a 10-year storm. The same amount falling in two and a half hours is considered a 100- or 200-year storm.
State and county guidelines stipulate that a stormwater management system should be able to accommodate precipitation from a 10-year storm.
Representatives from the county, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and engineering consul-
tants from RK&K Civil Engineering held a public meeting on October 21 to provide an update on the Calvert Hills Drainage Improvement project.
“We have to understand and appreciate the fact that the majority of the storm rain infrastructure built within that area of the county predated current design standards, and it is undersize, as is most of the case with the inner beltway communities,” MDE Division Associate Director Jeff DeHan said at the meeting. “The majority of all of the storm drain infrastructure in that area of the county was designed and implemented probably over 40 to 45 years ago, and it was designed to address and meet capacities at that time. Impervious areas have increased over the years, which increased the amount of runoff.”
“There’s a significant amount of development happening upstream of the Calvert Hills and Old Town communities. And I think a lot of it is excellent in terms of improving stormwater management,” structural engineer and certified floodplain manager Stuart Adams said, adding “but I’m an advocate that we can’t just go with what the minimum requirements of the county are.”
The Calvert Hills Drainage Improvement project is based on a study of the College Park system that was conducted more than a
decade ago.
The current plan will update the system to existing standards and does not factor in the prospect of more frequent and intense storms.
“It’s not an inexpensive project. It will roughly cost about $10 million, but at the end of the day, it will not solve ... everything the community is interested in being solved, because it was designed to get the system up to the 10-year standard,” Prince George’s County Councilmember Dannielle Glaros (District 3) said.
Some city residents and local officials maintain that efforts to get the city’s system up to current standards aren’t sufficient to handle an increasing problem.
“Our real concern is that development is going to put us in a situation like Ellicott City, where they’re going to be like, ‘Oh, well, yeah, we tried.’” College Park resident Aaron Springer said. “Accountability is a very difficult thing for everybody here, because there’s so many bureaucratic layers where everybody can sort of pass the buck.”
Guilford Run, a creek flowing into the Anacostia River watershed, is of particular concern.
Much of the land around Guilford Run, Guilford Woods, is owned by the University of Maryland (UMD). Because the university is a state institution, land
owned by the university is regulated by the MDE.
According to the MDE Office of Communications, state and federal projects in Maryland are reviewed by the department’s Sediment and Stormwater Plan Review Division. The office noted, however, that sometimes private entities or local governments may be responsible for regulating developments on state lands.
“Approval authority depends on the developer, not the property owner, and therefore these projects would be reviewed by the local jurisdiction, such as Prince George’s County,” MDE Office of Communications Deputy Director Jay Apperson wrote in an email. “Such an example would be one of the privately developed hotels on the UMD campus.”
The university is currently in the process of selling land in the Guilford Woods area to a private company, Gilbane Development, for a project known as Western Gateway.
In a statement provided to the College Park Here & Now, the university’s Office of Strategic Communication said that the 300-unit apartment complex, a “transitoriented development project,” will expand housing options for graduate students.
The Western Gateway proposal has not yet been submitted for review to the Prince George’s Coun-
ty Planning Board. The proposal will be subject to public hearings during which residents can express their views on the project.
Many residents have already spoken out against the sale to Gilbane Development. There is even an online petition circulating called Save Guilford Woods.
“The neighborhood has spoken for well over ten years. We’ve requested that [the University of Maryland] sequester more of their runoff. They’ve done some, but they’ve not done enough,” Springer said.
According to the university, the project’s current design will leave approximately 31 of the 40 acres of forested land along the stream as a buffer between Guilford Run, the stream coursing through Guilford Woods, and the surrounding neighborhood.
“We have engaged the campus and local community, hearing support for the project as well as some concerns, including those around stormwater management and trees,” the UMD Office of Strategic Communication wrote in their statement.
With several agencies regulating the issue in the city, stormwater management will be an ongoing and complex problem. Residents are encouraged to continue to voice their concerns as opportunities to engage with developers and regulating officials arise.
For the many College Park residents and workers who have relied upon Metrobus and Metrorail throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, service was something of a roller coaster in 2021, ridden under the threat of lost bus service and the potential closure of College Park-U of MD Metro Station. Starting in spring 2020, ridership fell drastically due to pandemic shutdowns, even as remaining riders gained the benefit of a quiet environment and permanent seat privileges for their backpacks and purses. But Valentine’s Day 2020 brought an abrupt turn. WMATA announced that, as part of a revised operating budget, trains would run at the same frequency at all times, thus eliminating extra trains at rush hour. Headways were also reduced, down to one train every 12 minutes at stations served by a single line. Despite this reduced service, inflated rush hour fares remained unchanged. The big hill of this coaster arose on February 22 of this year, when WMATA opened a public comment period for their 2022 operating budget, which included drastic proposals to mitigate a projected shortfall. Twenty-two stations, including College Park’s, were slated for complete closure. The proposed budget also called for consolidating bus lines, turning Metro’s Yellow Line back at Mt. Vernon Square, closing Metrorail at 9 p.m. instead of
11 p.m. and giving all lines 30-minute headways, which would result in stations with multiple lines seeing trains every 15 minutes. The one pleasant proposal was a reduction in parking fees. And the public did comment. Between an online survey and a series of public hearings, more than 18,000 individuals provided feedback by March 10, according to a WMATA press release issued on that date. (The College Park City Council provided additional input, agreeing on March 2 to draft a letter to WMATA about the service cuts.) In that March 10 press release, Metro Board of Directors
Chair Paul C. Smedberg noted the responses and cited the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 as the key to averting service cuts and layoffs. It remains to be seen if every shortfall will be covered, but there is evidence that things are looking up. On March 11, WMATA announced the return of previously-curtailed Metrobus service, citing a gradual increase in ridership over the course of the pandemic, thanks to essential workers relying on public transportation. (Over the previous month leading up to the March 11 announcement, Metrobus ridership averaged 143,000 trips on weekdays, about 40% of pre-pandemic levels, and 83,000 trips on weekends, about 50% of pre-pandemic levels.) This year’s roller coaster has a lot of track left, but perhaps the worst spirals and loops are over as we cruise toward 2022.
Banerjee, an international grad assistant at the University of Maryland (UMD), spent 20 minutes messaging Uber drivers. Several declined to give him a ride, but one kindly agreed to take Banerjee through the clinic, wait with him as nurses monitored for a reaction and drive him back to the Metro — all for a discount price.
One Berwyn Heights resident spent weeks searching, without luck, for an appointment for her daughter, who has a developmental disability and became eligible for vaccination in midJanuary under Phase 1B. The resident and her husband are both over 65 and qualified under Phase 1C. She said that they had no trouble finding appointments for themselves, but few providers specified disability as an eligibility status for vaccination.
Officials from the Arc of Prince George’s County provided vaccinations for all three on March 10. The Arc is a service organization serving individuals with disabilities and provides support from birth to adulthood, according to Rob Malone.
Malone, executive director of the Arc, said that the state offered the organization enough doses to fully vaccinate 1,500 people. Malone said that 60% of those who registered for vaccinations with the Arc are county residents, and 60% are Black. He suggested that some people may be overwhelmed by the possibly crowded or overstimulating circumstances at some vaccination sites.
“I think the target population that we got to cover was a group [that needed support],” said Malone. He noted that once the Arc finishes their last round of appointments, they “will retire this location … and hand the baton to other agencies who might want to host something like this.”
Gov. Larry Hogan lifted some restrictions March 12, giving the state’s counties the option to open many businesses to 100% capacity, but with social distancing and masking restrictions in effect. Due to the rate of positive cases in Prince George’s County, though, County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has kept eateries, shops, gyms and churches at 50%
capacity, still an increase over the previous 35% limit.
According to data provided by the Centers for Disease Control on April 8, approximately 22.5% of Marylanders had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
All Marylanders 16 and older became eligible on April 12 to receive shots from any vaccination provider in the state. Individuals who are 16 or 17 years old are eligible to receive only the Pfizer vaccine, which is the only vaccine that has been tested and approved for this age group.
The exponential increase in demand for vaccinations has been met with strong efforts to increase availability and simplify the registration process to be vaccinated at state and county sites.
A number of mass vaccination sites are open across the state, including the Six Flags center and similar sites in Baltimore, at the Montgomery College Germantown campus, on the Eastern Shore, in Southern Maryland and in Hagerstown. A FEMAmanaged site opened on April 7 at the Greenbelt Metro station, the first such site to open in the country. Sites will also be opening in Frederick, Anne Arundel, Harford and Howard counties in the coming weeks. Information about the mass vaccination sites can be found at the state’s website (coronavirus.maryland.gov).
Marylanders can preregister for appointments at the staterun sites at onestop.md.gov/ preregistration. Preregistered individuals are contacted by email, text or phone to sched-
ule appointments as openings become available. The number of available appointments is based on vaccine allocations from the federal government.
All Marylanders 16 or older can also schedule vaccination appointments online with private providers, including participating pharmacies, medical clinics and hospitals. The state-run website (coronavirus.maryland. gov) has a search tool that lists providers and includes links to each provider’s online appointment scheduling forms. Facebook hosts a group, Maryland Vaccine Hunters, which offers a wealth of information and resources to help people schedule vaccination appointments, as well. The Facebook group relies
on crowdsourcing to post current information about appointments that open up throughout the state. (To locate and then join this group, type “Maryland Vaccine Hunters” into the Facebook search bar.)
The University of Maryland has recently received allocations of about 2,000 vaccine doses, total. Vaccinations were first offered to university staff who work on campus on a daily basis, including staff who conduct COVID-19 tests. Doses were then offered to students by appointment only. “You really have some tight windows, and you need to make sure you’re deploying all of it,” said Ken Ulman, member of the board of directors at the College Park City-University Partner-
ship. The university will receive additional doses of vaccine in the coming weeks to ensure that individuals who have received a first dose will also receive a second.
We all can step up and do our part to protect ourselves, our friends and families, and our greater community — and the vaccines are safe, highly effective and free. Thousands of local, state and federal officials are promoting vaccinations, including Maryland Sen. Jim Rosapepe, whose message is loud and clear:
“Talk to your friends, talk to your family … what we’ve seen is more people seeing their friends get vaccinated and doing fine — it’s encouraging [countless other] people to get vaccinated.”
- Masonry and concrete repair
The University of Maryland’s (UMD) School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies is getting a major technological upgrade, thanks to a generous gift from mathematics Professor Emeritus Michael Brin and his wife, Eugenia, and the Brin Family Foundation. The $9 million donation will establish the Maya Brin Institute for New Performance. The funding will also create new faculty and graduate assistant positions and will be used to improve technology and upgrades to support the new technology, according to Maura Keefe, director of the School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.
“This is a way of bringing our campus together with our strengths in science and technology, and our strengths in arts and creativity, as a way to engage our entire community,” said Bonnie Thornton Dill,
dean of the College of Arts and Humanities.
While the upgrades will primarily benefit students who are enrolled in classes and who are theater and dance majors, members of the greater community will also experience the benefits of new technologies during performances.
“A lot of people in the school have been working hard, especially recently, to bring technology to life through innovative productions,” wrote UMD theater major Virginia Coldren in an email. “I hope that they can bring some new classes, professors, and resources that can really expand our learning as Theatre students … we definitely need updates in our studios to be able to work with the rapidly changing technology of today.”
According to Keefe, upgrades will include classroom and studio renovations. Instructional technology, improved lighting and projectors will be installed this summer.
“The new technology will allow us to continue our efforts to stream out to the community, certainly in College Park, but also around the world. [We want to] bring people into the Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts and see what it’s like to be in a live performance that’s mediated by technology, right there in the audience,” Keefe said. “It is a fantastic gift in support of exploration and research, and
the donor … really values that exploration and research in the arts are a necessary and critical part of a research-run institution,” she added.
The Maya Brin Institute for New Performance is named in honor of Michael Brin’s mother, who loved dance and was a lecturer in the Russian Studies program at the university, according to Thornton Dill. Brin previously supported a lectureship in Russian stud-
ies in honor of his mother, as well as an endowment gift in the form of a named professorship in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies.
“Innovation, creation, and creativity are things that are really seen as hallmarks of this university, and those things are also very much at the heart of the arts. As we are looking at developing a vision of the arts for the future, what has really become very apparent is that new creativity in the arts will expand and include technological approaches and solutions, create new technology and use existing technology in new ways,” Thornton Dill noted.
The Brin Family Foundation’s gift advances a UMD initiative, Fearless Ideas: The Campaign for Maryland, which has funded projects including the Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering and the newly renovated Cole Field House.
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