Local residents are continuing their campaign to save the parcel of woods on the southern edge of the University of Maryland (UMD) campus. eir effort, which they call Save Guilford Woods, opposes the sale of the UMD-owned parcel to Gilbane Development for the company’s Western Gateway project. e sale would result in about
Over 150 volunteers from eight di erent organizations took to the city’s sidewalks, parks and trails on April 17 as part of College Park’s annual community cleanup.
“I’m hoping that the event, itself, will bring about a sense of community that’s been lost in the past year,” said Brook Biddulph. Biddulph is with the Hollywood PTA, which spearheaded the event.
umping sounds on a Saturday evening drew people from streets away to a neighbor’s front yard. at thumping? It was the rhythm of Taiko drumming, a traditional Japanese style, and it was emanating from a porch on Quebec Street. Setting up
lawn chairs, neighbors gathered to watch Mark Rooney, Kristen Koyama, Kota Mizutani and Erika Ninoyu as they lled the block with music.
Even as so many of us remain cautious and careful due to COVID-19, music lled the city during April’s Spring Porch Fling.
e event was sponsored by the College Park Arts Exchange
(CPAE) and featured live performances, line dancing and even painting. e goal of this event was to bring the community together, all the while maintaining safe social distancing.
“ ere’s something about the shared experience, not just seeing live music but sharing that with other people and being a part of an audience … it’s im-
portant for everyone’s collective mental health and soul,” Rooney said.
Rooney, a Taiko instructor and performer, has lived in College Park since 2013. He said that the pandemic has made it harder for him to connect to share his music with people, citing the lack of in-person events and
Last year exacted a price so dear that it de es description. As political acrimony and civil unrest rocked the nation, many of us lost faith in democracy itself. Individually and collectively, we shouldered unimaginable losses due to the pandemic: We lost jobs and homes, the opportunity to spend time with loved ones, chances to explore the world, both near and far. We reshaped familiar rou-
tines and repurposed kitchen tables into o ces and classrooms. Our days lost structure, and we often struggled to nd focus. And so many lost their lives –parents and children, family and friends, the old and the young –so many. In ways both small and large, exceedingly large, 2020 forever changed us – all of us. For all these losses and the challenges that still remain, 2020 also gave us something good, right here at home: the College Park Here & Now. Yes, we
launched a newspaper. At a time when the world is losing newspapers faster than delivery boys can ick them up the walk, we did this. Rumor has it that only a few new papers – perhaps two or three – got o the ground in the U.S. during 2020. We are honored to be part of that pack.
We are indebted to our writers – the residents, city o cials and journalism students at the University of Maryland who share their stories. Our contributors bring us more than the news;
they invite us to explore the city’s rich history and diverse neighborhoods, and meet the people who call College Park home. e paper simply would not exist, but for the energetic and dedicated teamwork our writers bring to these pages. We launched this paper at a time when the planet was struggling with conditions that pulled us apart. Our mission here was simple: We wanted to o er you connections — with ideas and events, with College Park’s history and its
culture. And just as we want to connect you with your community, we, here at the paper, want to connect with you, too. So don’t be a stranger, and do be in touch. And you can now stop by our new website and say hello: streetcarsuburbs.news.
Nancy Welch is associate editor of the College Park Here & Now.
With spring here and summer fast approaching, College Park’s two farmers markets are looking forward to the coming months. After a year full of pandemic-related restrictions, vendors and shoppers are hoping for a shopping season with fewer worries.
e College Park Farmer’s Market at Paint Branch Parkway (CPFMPBP) features vendors from Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. Phil Miller, of Miller Farms, in Clinton, is a regular; he has been pitching his tent at the market since it started in 1979. Miller Farms’ produce is a mainstay of the market, and their handmade ice cream is a stellar treat. is year, Walk A Mile Flower & Herb Farm, of Bowie, is also at the market, selling oregano, curry, sage, fresh owers and more.
Robyn Gaston, who volunteers to help organize the CPFMPBP, says that farmers markets are vital to independent vendors. She speaks from personal experience, as she is also a vendor at the mar-
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. streetcarsuburbs.news
ket, selling for her own business,
3 Peas Handmade Soap.
“A lot of vendors depend on events like this for their businesses, including myself,” said Gaston. “If it’s a way for people to pay their bills, it is signicantly important that ... [the
Managing Editor Mark Goodson mark@hyattsvillelife.com
Associate Editor Nancy Welch nancy@hyattsvillelife.com
Writers & Contributors Margaret Attridge, Dawn Budd, Sam Draddy, Eric Harkleroad, Kelly Livingston, Michael Kusie, Rachel Logan, Julia Nikhinson, D.W. Rowlands, Paul Ruffins, Kyle Russo, Shreya Vuttaluru, Emily Williams
Layout & Design Editor Ashley Perks
Web Editor Jessica Burshtynskyy
Advertising
advertising@hyattsvillelife.com
301.531.5234
market] happens every year.”
is is Gatson’s fourth season volunteering at the market; she coordinates all of the other vendors who participate.
Kute n Sweet Treats Gift Shop owner Tonya Hayes is at the market for a second year. Her
Advertising Sales Manager Chris Currie
Business Manager Catie Currie
Board of Directors
Joseph Gigliotti — President and General Counsel
Chris Currie — Vice President 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.
shop sells party decorations and favors to make any celebration fun and festive. After last year’s challenges, Hayes is optimistic about being back.
“Since a lot of people have been vaccinated this year, I would expect there to be a lot more tra c,” she said. “It’s an awesome market, everyone’s
friendly, and I really enjoyed myself. at’s why I am going back this year.”
Hollywood Farmers Market (HFM), located in the Hollywood Shopping Center, on Rhode Island Avenue, is “patiently waiting for permitting approval to open,” according to a post on their Facebook page.
Hollywood Farmers Market welcomes community groups and local business owners to the market, in addition to vendors, to connect with shoppers.
Members of the College Park City Council see farmers markets as essential to the community, especially given the challenges of the pandemic. Councilmember Kate Kennedy (District 1) shops regularly at the Hollywood Farmers Market, where she is always eager to meet other residents.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to hang out with people. It is going to be one of those places where people can gather safely outside,” said Kennedy. “ e idea that you are able to get food that is locally grown is important to me and to many others in the community as well.”
At an April 6 meeting, the College Park City Council approved a memorandum of understanding that would expand the city’s support of HFM, including providing assistance with licensing, insurance and permitting.
e CPFMPBP is open Saturdays from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. until November 20; if you have questions about the market, email cpfmpaintbranch@gmail. com. e Hollywood Farmers Market hopes to reopen soon, with Saturday hours from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To receive the Hollywood Farmers Market’s newsletter, email hollywoodmarketcp@gmail.com.
Members of the College Park City Council see farmers markets as essential to the community, especially given the challenges of the pandemic.
A new high-rise development with retail, office and residential spaces is in preliminary planning stages, and, if approved by Prince George’s County Planning Board and the City of College Park, it will sit on what is currently a parking lot adjacent to The Hall CP restaurant and the Hotel at the University of Maryland. There have been plans to redevelop this space for decades, according Katie Gerbes, a manager with Terrapin Development Co. The project will serve as a gateway to the Discovery District, the university’s research park, most of which is located near the College Park Metro station.
The $300 million project is funded by Terrapin Development Co., a private real estate company owned partly by the University of Maryland (UMD) and by Philadelphia-based Brandywine Realty Trust. Terrapin Development Co. President Ken Ulman presented preliminary plans to the College Park City Council at the April 20 worksession.
Ulman described the current plan as including mostly research and office space, with some ground-floor retail. The project may also include a community center and market-rate housing.
“We see this as a place where the community, the city and the university come together at a very important intersection,” Ulman said. “We think that this parcel is really important to connect the energy from campus.”
The company will also be prioritizing pedestrian safety and ease of access. When the project is finished, it will be a block away from a Purple Line light rail stop. Mayor Patrick Wojahn expressed his support for the project, noting
that he would also like to see a more detailed plan to increase the tree canopy near the site.
Councilmember Fazlul Kabir (District 1) advocated for inclusion of amenities for College Park residents, some of whom expressed interest, starting a decade ago, in establishing a town center on the parcel.
“Many of our residents, especially longtime residents, desire to have something catering to [them],” Kabir said. “You do have some flexible options to incorporate some of the ideas.”
Some residents expressed concern about potential overdevelopment along Route 1. The 2019 College Park Community Survey, which polled 298 randomly selected households, reported that only 56% of residents ranked the quality of new development in College Park as good to excellent, down significantly from 73% ranking it that way in 2017.
Several developments are currently under construction along Route 1, including Tempo College Park (student housing), the new city hall, the Purple Line light rail and University of Maryland Public Policy building. Most of these projects have impacted traffic patterns.
Councilmember John Rigg (District 3), expressed interest in residential development that would cater to the city’s needs,
like market-rate housing for the 55-and-up population and affordable student housing.
“With regards to the residential structure itself … I’m supportive of a lot of things in that location,” Rigg said.
Terrapin will also seek LEED certification, which is a rating for green construction and design, and would implement stormwater management measures. Ulman stressed that the development would showcase the company’s commitment to
sustainability. Detailed studies on potential impacts to both traffic and the environment will also be conducted, Gerbes said.
“People think if there’s a building, then it’s not green, and that means it’s worse for the environment,” Gerbes said. “But really, we’re going to take a space that has no stormwater management, and we’re going to have to put it in.”
The ordinance was voted on after press time at the May 11 city council meeting.
Some residents have expressed concern about potential overdevelopment along Route 1.
All information is current as of May 9. Neighbors CONNECT. is grassroots volunteer organization promotes the health and wellbeing of seniors through acts of kindness, assistance with transportation and shopping, and by promoting social events. For more information, call 301.864.5267 or email connectporfavor@gmail. com.
Route 1 Corridor Conversations. Learn more about our local caterpillars and songbirds with science writer and College Park resident Rick Borchelt. May 22, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Register at hyattsvilleaginginplace.org/programs-and-activities/corridorconversations.
Support College Park’s Senior Citizens. Meals on Wheels College Park needs licensed drivers, and all are welcome to volunteer for exible slots on weekday mornings. Fill out an application at mealsonwheelsofcollegepark. org or call 202.669.6297.
College Park Community Library Book Club. e library’s book club meets on June 8 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. to discuss Caste: e Origins of our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson. For more information, email Carol Munn at donkinc@msn.com.
Virtual Book Club. e College Park Arts Exchange book club will discuss e Doctors Blackwell, by Janice Nimura, on May 18 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art, by Rebecca Wragg Sykes, on June 15 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join in by sending your RSVP to info@cpae.org.
OpenBarre. College Park’s tness studio is now o ering daily inperson classes and virtual classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For more information, go to openbarrestudios.com.
Numi Yoga. Daily livestreamed yoga sessions; outdoor classes meet Tuesdays at 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m., weather permitting. For more information and to register, visit numiyoga. com.
Virtual Farming Meetings: e University of Maryland Extension, Prince George’s County, o ers a variety of programs, including small farm basics. For more information, go to extension.umd.edu/ news-events/events.
Tour the College Park Airport Tarmac. You may have visited the College Park Aviation Museum or seen planes on the runway,
but have you toured the tarmac? Register for a guided tour of the tarmac at the world’s longest continuously running airport!
May 15 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. $13. Visit mncppc.org/Calendar. aspx?EID=16558.
Hot Air Balloon Design Challenge! Kids from 8 to 13 are invited to test their engineering skills and design a high- ying hot air balloon at the College Park Aviation Museum. May 15 from 11 a.m. to noon. Free with museum admission. To register, go to mncppc. org/Calendar.aspx?EID=16557.
Maryland’s Ballooning History. Did you know Maryland was the site of the rst hot air balloon ascent in America? e College Park Aviation Museum is hosting a free virtual lecture exploring the history of hot air ballooning on Wednesday, May 19 from noon to 1 p.m. Register at mncppc.org/ Calendar.aspx?EID=16559.
College Park Aviation Museum Homeschool Day. A day of outdoor activities focusing on the science and history of ying machines that are not planes. Come learn about balloons, zeppelins, helicopters, rockets and more! May 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit mncppc.org/Calendar. aspx?EID=16561 for more information.
Food Assistance Available. Help by Phone Ltd. operates food pantries across Prince George’s
County, with locations at Berwyn Presbetyrian Church, on Greenbelt Rd., and University Baptist Church, on Campus Dr. If you would like to schedule a pickup this week, call 301.699.9009, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Support Today’s Hair! A re 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 e orts at gofundme.com/f/help-pola-andsokha-endure-2021.
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-bystep instruction and dance along to soul, gospel and pop music. For more information, go to cpae.org.
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.
By Dawn Buddis month, we travel to the southern end of College Park to the Calvert Hills Citizens Association (CHCA). e neighborhood of Calvert Hills, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, consists of mostly singlefamily homes nestled in what the CHCA website (https://calverthills.weebly.com) describes as “a cohesive residential neighborhood.” Calvert Hills is located between the town of Riverdale Park, to the south, and Old Town College Park, to the north. Baltimore Avenue is the neighborhood’s western border, and the WMATA Metrorail/B&O Railroad right of way borders on the east.
According to Rose Greene Colby, president of the CHCA, the association meets quarterly. “We have a robust agenda,” she noted. CHCA is focused on community actions and has established a committee, the Green Team, to address environmental issues. e team will collaborate with Sustainable Maryland, a certi cation program which is funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. e association aims to encourage residents to plant trees and install rain gardens, and hopes to hold a recycling event to educate the community. CHCA is also focused on recreation ar-
eas in the neighborhood. Many residents — pedestrians, dog walkers, and scooter and bike riders — use the nearby trolley trail. e city manages some of the parks in the neighborhood, and others are managed by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. CHCA works with both entities to ensure that the parks have amenities to serve the multi-generational needs of the neighborhood.
Because construction and development in the city and on the University of Maryland campus often impact the neighborhood, CHCA works to engage with councilmembers and university leaders.
Residents connect through the CHCA’s email group to share information, from curb alerts and bird-watching tips to meeting schedules. In addition to Colby, the CHCA’s o cers are Dan Oates and Seth Statler, co-vice presidents; Stu Adams, secretary; and Sarah Lau, treasurer. e association meets quarterly, on the rst Wednesday of March, June, September and December. Membership is open to all residents of Calvert Hills ages 18 and over. e cost is $20 per household. To join, or if you have questions about CHCA, email the association at calverthillscitizensassn@gmail. com or Colby at rgreencolby@ gmail.com.
When College Park residents voted to incorporate in 1945, the town’s boundaries were significantly different than they are today. While the southern and eastern boundaries have not changed significantly in the last seventy-six years, the original northern boundary was Edgewood Road, and the original western boundary was along the western edge of the University of Maryland campus and Paint Branch.
The city’s first annexation — the northern portion of the Hollywood neighborhood between Edgewood Road and the Beltway — was approved by the Maryland General Assembly in 1953. Further annexations were more controversial, though, in part because of a major change in state law in the mid 1950s.
When College Park incorporated, the state constitution did not give municipalities home rule. Instead, their incorporation, as well as bond issues and any amendments to their charters — including annexations — had to be passed as bills by the General Assembly.
In 1953, a quarter of the
legislature’s total workload consisted of such bills. That year, the Maryland Municipal League — a nonprofit association maintained and controlled by city and town governments — began a push for an amendment to the state constitution that would allow such issues to be handled through local referenda rather than by the legislature.
Despite initial opposition from state legislators who were protective of their traditional prerogative to pass or reject bills related to municipalities in their counties, a bill calling for a referendum on a constitutional amendment allowing municipal home rule passed in March 1954.
The constitutional amendment referendum passed during the 1954 general election, and the governor signed the municipal home rule act in 1955. That act, in amended form, is still in force today.
The law allowed municipalities to annex land with the consent of 25% of the registered voters, or of the owners of 25% of the value of land in the area that was to be annexed. It also included a provision that essentially halted municipal incorporations in the state by giving county
governments a veto on new cities within their boundaries.
College Park made its first use of the new annexation procedure in 1956, with a referendum to annex the Sunnyside neighborhood between the Beltway and the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center.
While roughly 80% of the residents of the subdivision east of Rhode Island Avenue supported the annexation, business owners along Baltimore Avenue — which was the western boundary of the area to be annexed — opposed it.
Shortly after the Sunnyside annexation became effective, in December 1956, these business owners sued to reverse it, alleging that the municipal home rule act was unconstitutional and that the city’s decision to include their property — roughly two-thirds of the annexed land — was arbitrary and capricious.
The business owners argued that they would receive no city services, since Baltimore Avenue is a state road and since the city did not provide waste removal for businesses. The business owners further argued that they were only being
included in the annexation so the city could tax them. The lawsuit was dismissed in August 1957, and the entire area became part of College Park.
In the 1960s and ’70s, College Park successfully annexed several areas northwest of the city. College Park Woods was annexed in January 1960, along with the land that is home to the National Archives facility. Over the next two decades, the existing residential neighborhood of Crystal Springs was annexed as well.
College Park also made a failed attempt to annex a much larger area that would have nearly doubled the city’s size. In 1967, the city council passed a resolution to annex Paint Branch Park, nearly to the Montgomery County border, along much of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center; Patricia Court off Metzerott Road; and the Seven Springs apartment complex, which was under construction.
The annexation proposal was opposed by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (which owns
Paint Branch Park), the Department of Agriculture, residents of Beltsville (who feared it was a prelude to an attempt to annex their unincorporated community), the City of Greenbelt (which objected to the annexation of land east of the B&O — now Camden Line — railroad tracks) and the owners of the Seven Springs site.
In response to Greenbelt’s complaints, the city dropped the attempt to annex the eastern portion of the agricultural research site, and a lawsuit by the owners of the Seven Springs site led to the annexation being overturned on procedural grounds in May 1968. While Patricia Court was eventually annexed to the city, the rest of the area never was, despite a second attempt in 1971 to annex the same area (though excluding Seven Springs).
More recent annexations have been small and generally only covered single properties that were about to be developed. These annexations have occurred with the consent of the landowners, who sometimes obtained tax breaks in exchange. The College Park Marketplace strip mall was annexed in 1996, before the stores opened, and the Courtyards apartment site was annexed in 1997, while the apartments were being built. The area north of the Beltway and west of Baltimore Avenue was annexed in 2003, while the whole property was still owned by IKEA, and the site of the Domain College Park apartments was annexed prior to construction in 2010.
The City celebrated Arbor Day on April 30, 2021 by planting an evergreen tree in James Adams Park in Lakeland. Despite the promise of thunderstorms, wind gusts and rain, the joyful event continued unhindered by the weather.
As a Tree City USA community, the City hosts an annual Arbor Day event to reaffirm its commitment to planting trees and educating residents of their necessity and many benefits.
The evergreen planted in the park will function as a gathering place for the Lakeland community during the holiday season.
The park was named in honor of long-time resident James Adams. Mr. Adams was an active member of the community, an avid gardener, and enthusiastic supporter of environmental issues. Mr. Adams was the President of
the Lakeland Civic Association for many years and worked in the Grounds department of the University of Maryland.
He worked on both University and City landscaping and gardening projects, including the College Park Veterans Memorial. His suggestions of flowers and their colors at the College Park Veterans Memorial are visible to this day.
Previously known as the Lakeland Pocket Park, the park was officially dedicated as James Adams Park by Council in 1995, with a ribbon cutting ceremony in 1996.
Brenda Alexander, Assistant Director of Administration of the City’s Department of Public Works, kicked off the City’s 2021 Arbor Day event and gave a history of the park and information about the tree.
Mayor Patrick L. Wojahn read the City’s Arbor Day proclamation
and gave remarks at the event. District 2 Councilmember Monroe Dennis also gave his remarks and invited Mrs. Elizabeth Adams, wife of the late James Adams, and her daughters to give a few words.
“May we plant today this tree and may it be a symbol to our commitment to revitalizing Lakeland and making the vision of Lakeland come true” said Maxine Gross, of the Lakeland Community Heritage Project, during her remarks.
In her thank you letter to the City (which can be read in the City’s May Municipal Scene), Mrs. Adams said
how her late husband “loved to beautify the University of Maryland and the City of College Park with viable trees, plants and flowers.”
Thank you to Mrs. Adams and her family, Robert Thurston and the Lakeland Civic Association, the City’s Tree and Landscape Board, and everyone who joined or participated in the event.
Natasha S. Hampton was appointed as the new City Manager and will begin her tenure on June 1, 2021.
The City of College Park’s Mayor and Council announced during the May 4 Council Meeting that Natasha S. Hampton has been selected as College Park’s new City Manager. Ms. Hampton’s tenure with the City starts on June 1, 2021. She will be the first woman and first person of color to serve as the City’s chief executive. “The City is very excited to bring Ms. Hampton aboard as our new City Manager” said Mayor Patrick L. Wojahn, “She is a highly regarded leader with a wealth of knowledge and passion for local government.”
Ms. Hampton comes to College Park with more than 23 years of management experience in municipal government. In her previous position as Assistant City Manager of the City of Rocky Mount, NC, Ms. Hampton guided several departments with more than 600 employees in total, and managed a budget exceeding $45 million. During her tenure she acquired additional funding for downtown revitalization, oversaw post construction and development of a $58 million sports and entertainment venue, and established a community wealth building program. Prior to her arrival at Rocky Mount, Ms. Hampton was an Assistant City Manager and Acting City Manager for the City of Miramar, FL. “Ms. Hampton’s excellent references and prominent voice on significant leadership issues were important factors in her selection by the Council. The Council looks forward to her applying this knowledge to advance the City of College Park” said Mayor Pro Tem Monroe Dennis.
Throughout her career, Ms. Hampton has held a wide range of positions in every sector of municipal government.
Ms. Hampton is a credentialed City Manager by the International City/ County Management Association (ICMA), a member of the National League of Cities (NLC), Women in Municipal Government (WIMG), and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators
(NFBPA). Ms. Hampton also serves on the board of the United Way Tar River, March of Dimes North Carolina, and Kiwanis Club of Rocky Mount. She received her master’s degree in public administration from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida and is a graduate of South Florida’s sole HBCU, Florida Memorial University. As a published author, Ms. Hampton uses her experience in government to encourage and empower women and men in the workplace, particularly in leadership positions.
“City staff are looking forward to Ms. Hampton’s leadership, ideas, and energy to successfully carry out the City’s vision” said Interim City Manager Bill Gardiner.
Ms. Hampton fills the position left vacant by previous City Manager Scott Somers who resigned in December 2020 to pursue a position in Arizona. Assistant City Manager Gardiner has served as Interim City Manager during this transition period.
“I am grateful to Mayor Wojahn and the City Council for the opportunity to join the dynamic City of College Park and I look forward to working collaboratively with Council, staff, residents and the business community,” said Ms. Hampton.
“Together, we will continue College Park’s approach as industry leaders in economic development, innovation, transformative public services, equitable and inclusive communities, and shared prosperity for all who live, work and play in our City.”
Applications due May 22, 2021 at 5:00 p.m.!
The City of College Park is moving forward with offering our annual summer camp scholarships. Youth (rising K-12) who reside in the City of College Park are eligible to apply.
Scholarships are granted up to a maximum of $400 per student. Students are eligible to receive a scholarship for one camp session only. Priority is given to youth who did not receive a City of College Park scholarship in previous years.
In prior years, the scholarship was for a University of Maryland (UMD) summer camp, only. Due to COVID 19 and State guidelines, UMD has modified their camp offerings with limited slots, camp options, and setting. Some camps are in-person
while others are virtual. For this reason, this year, we are extending use of our scholarship to include camps hosted by Prince George’s County Department of Parks & Recreation and Prince George’s Community College.
Scholarships may be used for both in person and virtual camp opportunities.
Applications are due by May 21, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Notifications will be sent on June 1, 2021.
To apply or for more information including camp links and FAQs, please visit our website at www.collegeparkmd. gov/2021youthcampscholarship.
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 June 7.
Applications are available at www. collegeparkmd.gov/boardapp.
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 Districts 2 and 3
• Airport Authority – Volunteer from District 3
• Animal Welfare Committee –Volunteers from Districts 1, 2 and 4
• Committee for a Better Environment – Volunteers from any District
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Tribute Committee –Volunteers from any District
• Noise Control Board –Volunteers from Districts 2 and 3
• Recreation Board –Volunteers from any District
• College Park Seniors Committee - Volunteers from any District
• Veterans Memorial Committee – Volunteers from any District
YOUR MISSION: Follow the clues with your team (aka family) to discover fun places and hidden surprises throughout the City!
City Elections will be held on Sunday, November 7, 2021; Read about the changes planned for this year’s election!
When: The City of College Park will hold its municipal election for the office of Mayor and all eight district Councilmembers on Sunday, November 7, 2021, from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the College Park Community Center. The Mayor and Council decided to hold the City’s General Election on Sunday this year in an effort to increase voter turnout. Voters who typically work Monday through Friday often find it hard to get to the polls on a weekday and may find a Sunday election more convenient.
Where: Rather than having multiple polling locations on Election Day, voters from all districts will vote at the College Park Community Center this year. The City is mindful of health concerns about group gatherings due to COVID, so for everyone’s safety, there will be only one polling location. The Community Center is large enough to keep voters and pollworkers safe and is centrally located in the City.
How: You may vote at the poll on Election Day or vote by absentee ballot. Many voters prefer the convenience of absentee voting, so we plan to mail applications for absentee ballots to all registered voters in September. Applications will also be available from our website and City offices. The
applications and ballots may be returned to a secure ballot drop box or through the US Mail.
Stay tuned for regular updates on the fall election in The Municipal Scene, the College Park Here and Now newspaper, and on our Website (www.collegeparkmd. gov/Election).
If you are already registered to vote with the Prince George’s County Board of Elections at your current City address, you are automatically registered to vote in the City Election. However, if you have moved or changed your name since the last election, you must update your Voter Registration. Voter registration is handled by the Prince George’s County Board of Elections. To check your registration status, call the Prince George’s County Board of Elections at 301-341-4300, or visit www.elections.state.md.us.
For more information about voting in the City, or running for office, please contact the City Clerk, Janeen S. Miller, at 240-487-3501 or jsmiller@collegeparkmd.gov, or the Chief of the Board of Election Supervisors, Jack Robson, at boeschief@collegeparkmd.gov.
Nominate a Well-Deserving Neighbor!
In February 2013, the College Park City Council established an award in recognition of Councilman John Edward “Jack” Perry.
Councilman Perry served on the College Park City Council from 1979 to 1983 and from 1989 to 2011, for a total of 26 years. From the time he moved to College Park’s Berwyn neighborhood in 1969, until his death in 2012, Jack was deeply committed to serving his community, which he demonstrated by spending many hours working to improve the quality of life for all who lived and worked in College Park. Through the years, he volunteered on numerous associations, boards, coalitions, task forces and committees at the neighborhood, city, county and state levels. This Award will recognize a member of the community who emulates Councilman Jack Perry’s legacy of public service.
Eligibility: To be eligible for the award, a person must be at least 18 years of age and a registered voter or legal resident of College Park.
Criteria: The Jack Perry award will recognize a College Park resident who has participated to an extraordinary degree in neighborhood, civic, or municipal affairs within the City in a manner that improves public spaces, fosters community cohesion, eradicates blight, informs discussion of public issues, provides leadership, and/ or furthers the best interests of the City as a whole.
Nominations: From May 15 to July 15 each year, any resident, neighborhood association or organization in the City may submit a nomination for the Jack Perry Award. Nominations must be submitted in writing to the City Clerk, City of College Park, 8400 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 375, College Park, MD, 20740, or by e-mail to cityclerkoffice@ collegeparkmd.gov no later than September 30, 2020. Nominations will be reviewed by a Committee that includes a member of the Perry family. This non-monetary award will be presented by the City Council in the fall.
May is Mental Health Awareness month. During this time, an emphasis is placed on fighting stigma, providing support, educating the public and advocating for policies that support people with mental illness and their families.
Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. This has been especially true over the last year as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused increased stress and anxiety for all of us.
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and
social well-being which all affect how we think, feel, and act especially in times of stress.
The City’s Department of Youth, Family and Senior Services partners with Children’s Mental Health Matters, a Maryland Public Awareness Campaign to help bring attention to children’s mental health.
Grief and Growth Gardens, a virtual family workshop, and Virtual Chalk Art Festival are scheduled this month. Visit the City’s website, and social for more information and other Mental Health Awareness Month items.
Volunteers worked safely at 10 di erent locations, allowing for ample social distancing, according to Biddulph. Each partnering organization recruited volunteers and donated supplies, including masks, gloves and trash bags.
“Everybody is advertising, everybody’s helping to spread the word, and everybody’s providing volunteers,” Biddulph said.
e Al-Huda School in College Park was one of the participating organizations. e school recruited around 40 volunteers, including parents and students who live outside the community, according to Shamila Hashim, who is the school’s technology coordinator.
“Close to 100 people wanted to register to volunteer for [the event]. And out of that, we had about 40 people from our school.” Hashim said. “Community service is a big factor that we actually really focus on for our students. We try to get children, especially students, motivated to do something like that, and being able to understand that you have to reach out to everyone.”
e Al-Huda School provided snacks and water for those participating in the cleanup, even though volunteers from the AlHuda School who observe Ramadan would not be eating or drinking.
City Councilmember Fazlul Kabir (District 1) and the University of Maryland’s (UMD) Of-
ce of Community Engagement also participated in the event, according to Biddulph.
Kabir noted that even as the pandemic slowed life down for many, it didn’t reduce trash in the city. “I still see lots of spots that will have trash,” he said. “People are still throwing trash in di erent places, di erent street corners, on the sides of the sidewalks, and so on … ankfully the [Hollywood]
PTA came forward, and they have been a very big help.”
According to Biddulph, the annual community cleanup was an event that allowed everyone to participate while staying
within safety guidelines. e community cleanup has been held annually for almost a decade, but organizers cancelled the event last year, due to safety concerns.
“We tried to organize it [last
year,] but because of COVID[-19] restrictions, we were discouraged by health o cials, just to not take the risk,” Kabir said.
According to Jose Cadiz, lead coordinator at the UMD O ce of
Community Engagement, Councilmember Kabir reached out to make sure that the event would adhere to CDC guidelines.
“Councilmember [Kabir] is one of the individuals that is kind of a connection between the university and the city,” he said. “ is particular event is really important, because it’s resident-led. Being a good neighbor has a lot to do with just understanding the needs of the community, and who’s better to know the needs of the community than the actual community … this cleanup allows for individuals to be safe, but also to engage in some neighborhood activities.” While in-person community events during the pandemic have been few and far between, the College Park Community Cleanup was able to bring residents together and revive their neighborhoods.
“We are a very diverse group of people in College Park, so no matter who you are, where you’re from, or whatever the case may be, if you see something in the community that you can help out with, be there to help us,” Hashim said.
The College Park Department of Public Works (DPW) concluded its year-long study on bulk trash collection at the end of February, and the city council is now evaluating imposing fees for collecting excess bulk trash.
In January 2020, the city council drafted a proposal and directed DPW to conduct the study so that a billing system could be fairly enforced. The council delayed imposing fees for excess bulk trash until completion of the study, which was conducted from March 1, 2020, to February 28, 2021, with a brief pause due to the pandemic.
According to an ordinance proposed back in 2020, owner-occupied singlefamily homes would be eligible for four free bulk trash collections per year, with an annual limit of 20 items. Renteroccupied properties that pay for city trash services would also have four free collections, with a 29-item annual limit. The proposed ordinance stipulates that a $20 per-item fee would be assessed for collections above these maximums.
Public Works Director Robert Marsili reported results of the study to the city council on April 6. Almost 39% of households in the city requested a bulk trash pickup; of these collections, only 3.5% would have been charged a fee under the ordinance. There were 2,886 pickups in total, and households that requested pickups received a statement indicating the fee structure that would have been in effect if the ordinance had already been passed.
FROM PAGE 1
concerts.
“The inability to connect to an audience directly … it sort of takes your breath out of you,” Rooney said. “It really is defeating.” But participating in CPAE events this past year has helped him build connections within the community, and for that he’s grateful.
Guitarist Dominic Elliott echoed Rooney’s thoughts, emphasizing that music brings people together. Elliott plays
Marsili noted that the purpose of this ordinance would be to divert materials from the landfill and encourage residents to implement sustainable practices.
“We want to invite residents to recycle and reuse and to try to start the behavior change, with regards to just dumping
the guitar, both acoustic and electric, and lives in the District, though he grew up in neighboring Hyattsville. When CPAE Director Melissa Sites reached out to artists in an email, Elliott jumped at the opportunity. He wanted to do what he could to help out the community.
“Playing this event, it’s great for people to know that live music still exists,” Elliott said.
Rich MacKenzie also performed during Porch Spring Fling, and said that having local artists come together and offer the event was important for the
tons of items out on the street,” Marsili said. “We can donate a lot of these items to places that may need these things.”
City Councilmember Robert Day (District 3) commended DPW on their data collection and suggested that a one-page flyer detailing information about recycling and
community. MacKenzie, who also goes by the stage name Shoemaker Levy, makes dream pop and shoegaze music, both of which feature reverb guitar over programmed drumbeats and keyboards.
MacKenzie went a step further and asked his neighbor Joseph Hoffman to create a short film to project onto him while he played during the event. Hoffman created a video of a pinball machine that looked like a lightning storm that matched MacKenzie’s beat.
MacKenzie said that while he was a bit nervous to perform live, the audience’s reaction boosted his confidence.
“If there are other musicians out there that maybe feel the same way I do, and they’re nervous to do this, I would say just do it,” he said. You just never know what kind of music your neighbors like.”
Aeryn Goldstein and Ananth Batni, members of the pop punk band Professor Goldstein,
trash might be helpful for residents.
Councilmember Monroe Dennis (District 2) noted that some residents were throwing out items that could be recyclable, potentially because they lacked information about how to recycle.
“We’re doing a cultural change, and we have to be mindful of what it is we want to divert from the landfill, in terms of these bulk items,” Dennis said. “We have to continue to inform our residents.”
In response to a question from Councilmember John Rigg (District 3) about how item counts would be done, Marsili also talked about the process of resolving disputes between residents and trash collectors.
“Our assistant director Frank Pacifico verifies all of those photographs … and make[s] sure that they are correct,” Marsili said. “He goes through those with a fine-tooth comb, and we always err on the side of the resident.”
Councilmember Fazlul Kabir (District 1) also voiced support for increased and improved messaging and education. Kabir noted that not all residents who discard more than 20 bulky items were necessarily abusing the system. He pointed to situations that could produce a good deal of trash, like an elderly person moving out of their home or an unforeseen death in a family.
Mayor Patrick Wojahn also raised the possibility of waiving fees during times of hardship, suggesting that assessing fees might not always be applicable or appropriate. Other councilmembers agreed, appearing to support granting of waivers under certain circumstances.
“There are a lot of incidents … where people really get hit and caught off guard,” Day said. “It would add insult to injury to come back and tell a resident that they have to pay for … something as simple as trash.”
The public hearing on this ordinance will be held on May 25 at 7:30 p.m.
said that performing for the first time in six months was admittedly weird. But having an audience engage with their music — and even having a few run off to dance in a socially distanced manner — turned out to be a lot of fun, they said.
“There really is nothing like going and seeing a performer face-
to-face,” Goldstein said. “You don’t get that energy — and you don’t get that energy back from the audience — when you’re doing stuff virtually.”
If you’d like to host or add your own music to Porch Play events, contact the College Park Arts Exchange at info@cpae.org.
By Rachel Logan
Hill City is not the rst church
Danny Chung has planted — but it is the rst for which he is setting down roots and pastoring, himself. Church planting establishes a new congregation of worshippers, not necessarily a new building.
e edgling congregation held its rst public service on Easter Sunday in Berwyn Baptist’s sanctuary. e church had been set to launch in September 2020, but the pandemic forced Chung to postpone the opening.
In the meantime, about 30 congregants gathered virtually every other week and, occasionally, in person at Acredale Community Park, o of Metzerott Road. ose gatherings allowed them to bond as a community and foster a church culture.
“What we will do, up until June, is a series of stand-alone sermons that talk primarily on who is Christ, our identity in Christ, our calling as Christians,” Chung said. After June, the leadership team will start focusing on expositional preaching, telling the story of God by examining historical and grammatical contexts in the Bible.
Worship at Hill City will include both hymns and contemporary songs, and communion will be o ered each Sunday, Chung said. And he isn’t working alone; Mark Kang serves as director of operations, and Justin Jung is a pastoral intern. Chung said that he wants to reach the University of Maryland campus with Hill City’s ministry, since the university is “a huge kind of fortress” of people within College Park. More than that, though, he says he wants to be thorough and creative in reaching the city’s nonstudent population.
“For over a decade, you’ve seen growth in the overall populace because of livability, commuting, public transit — all that stu ,” Chung said, adding that his approach to ministry is multi-faceted. “We want to be intergenerational. We want to be multi-ethnic or multiracial.”
Chung is a second-generation Korean American who grew up in a Korean-majority Christian church in Gaithersburg. While working toward his master’s of divinity in Philadelphia, he attended and then was called to serve as a pastoral assistant in a predominantly Black congregation near Temple University.
“Being really a minority among minorities within the Black community really reshaped [for me] what it means to love people who have a di erent history, di erent tradition, di erent historical backdrop when it comes to even faith,” he said.
After four years in Philadelphia, Chung was called to help plant a church in Brooklyn.
He and the lead planter spent a year planning that church, Epiphany Fellowship, before Chung moved to New York City, in the summer of 2015, to put the plan in motion. But he then moved back to Maryland in the beginning of 2016, after pastoral di erences between the two prompted him to pursue a separate path.
By the end of 2016, Chung was an established member of the Well Community Church in Silver Spring, which he described as a “church-planting church.” He connected with the lead pastor, Matt Klinger, and became a pastoral assistant for a year and a half at the Well. Chung then began networking through o cial church-planting channels, and Hill City be-
gan to take shape.
Klingler said that his church uses its own funds from congregant donations to help support planted churches for three years, after which they are expected to become self-sucient.
“In the beginning of a church plant, you know, your main costs are the pastor salary, renting the space for worship gatherings, using funds to bless and serve the community — those kinds of things — creating print material, running a website,” he said. Klinger noted that, with the aid, a planted church is considered autonomous from day one.
e Well also helped build the initial congregation at Hill City; of the church’s 30 pre-launch members, about half were transplants from the Well. According to Chung, the other half came from established churches in the area “to say, ‘Hey, we believe in what you’re doing. We want to be part of it. So how can we be part of this initiative to see that Hill City exists?’”
e last piece of Chung’s puzzle was landing on a location.
“We were just making cold calls throughout College Park, di erent churches, industrial spaces, schools, and the Lord provided an opportunity to really build a partnership with Berwyn Baptist where, yes, it’s a rental agreement, but it’s not just ‘hey, here’s a check. Let us use your space.’ It really is a kind of missional agreement to say, ‘the reason why we want to do this is because we believe that
God has and will do something in College Park and bring revival to the city.’”
Sandy Kiernan, who is part of Berwyn Baptist’s leadership team, said that they tested Hill City’s doctrine before allowing the edgling church to use the building. She added that having a new congregation in the area is ultimately a good thing.
“ e whole point is to achieve salvation for all men,” Kiernan said. “If our congregants feel more con dent going to the later service, that’s alright. ey’re going to get the truth.”
Kiernan recalled how one Sunday, when she was nishing up some work after Berwyn Baptist’s service, she walked to the lobby to see Hill City’s banners.
“It was pretty neat. So with this agreement, we feel like they will be working together with us to serve the College Park community, to lead people to Christ and to give them a place to go for Bible interpretation and growth.”
Chung said that he’s glad for the connection. “What our biggest hope, our vision really, is to see revival in our lifetime. We want to see a city transformed through the gospel, and you can’t do that alone as a church.”
Whether it’s from skirting the line of cars making a left turn on Route 1 or seeing their distinctive red logo, you probably know about the College Park Car Wash.
“[ e carwash] is made for a whole lot of fun and di erent people coming to [it], all sorts of di erent cars and people from di erent places; it’s really been great,” said Ben DuGo , vice president of the company.
Ben and his father, Dave DuGo , president and owner of the College Park Car Wash, have run the company since 1995. e business has been in College Park location since the 1960s, when Dave’s grandfather, Jacob Holms, opened up a gas station with a two-bay carwash.
“ e gas station was in the modern style of a gas station, with four islands in the front for gas, and a long island in the back for diesel. We sold a lot of diesel. And there were two self-service carwashes. at was here in 1995, when I tore that down and built the carwash that we have today, which is an eight-bay carwash: six self-serve bays, and two automatic bays,” said Dave DuGo .
Holms emigrated from Russia and eventually landed in Washington, D.C., peddling gas in streets and farmers markets. Eventually, he rented land on Route 1 and built a gas station.
“Route 1 at that time was the only [local] truck route. He had a gas station in Hyattsville, one in College Park and one in Laurel,” said Dave DuGo .
After about 20 years, the family transitioned the business from a gas station with a couple of wash bays to a carwash, exclusively, due to tra c and environmental issues.
“In the ‘80s and ‘90s, we were doing a lot
of environmental remediation, and we were spending a lot of money rebuilding the gas station that we had,” said Dave DuGo .
e College Park Car Wash is environmentally friendly, according to Dave DuGo , because the water used in the self-service bays is captured and ltered before it reaches the sewer system.
e carwash is also water-e cient, using around 15 gallons of water per wash in the self-service stations. e automatic carwashes also use reclaimed water, according to Dave DuGo . Although the carwash is engineered for e ciency, the customer experience is not sacri ced.
“[We try to] deliver a very high level of service … we want things to work. When you put your coins in or swipe your credit card, we want the soap to come out with a lot of soapiness to it, a lot of foam and bubbles. We choose products that have fragrance [because] it stimulates the customer to enjoy the process,” he said.
e process of washing your car and the e ect afterward, according to Ben DuGo , is one of the reasons the College Park Car Wash has stayed open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Most people can spend ve to ten dollars to keep up their cars — it’s a big pride thing. It’s also an investment, keep up the car so it doesn’t deteriorate. You can’t buy a carwash on Amazon, so we’re always going
to have some sort of place in the world,” he said.
e College Park Car Wash paused their services in March, shortly after Gov. Hogan ordered businesses to close. e College Park location, as well as the newly opened Beltsville location, then reopened the automatic washes in May and the self-service bays in June, according to Dave DuGo .
e carwash is the busiest during warm days and following a large weather event, including snow and rainstorms. To help customers avoid those long lines at the entrance, the College Park Car Wash has added live camera feeds to their website so drivers can see how crowded it is before they head over.
“We work really hard to help direct people, get them into line and ask how we can help them. We have a lot of regulars who know what to do; they know how to get to where they want to go,” Ben DuGo noted.
You don’t have to be a regular at the carwash to have a positive experience. While there are several options to choose from for each wash, there are always people around to help out.
“Periodically we will have a customer come in and … they’ve got that lost look in their eye, and we’re so happy to help them out … we love doing it,” Ben DuGo said.
nine acres of forest being cleared for 81 townhouses and the 300unit graduate student housing project. UMD hails the project as “transit-oriented development,” due to its proximity to the incoming Purple Line light rail.
The Maryland chapter of the Sierra Club and the Anacostia Watershed Society support the effort to save Guilford Woods. Residents are circulating a petition, which has about 1,400 signatures as of press time.
Petitioners argue that the plan for Western Gateway does not represent the smart growth that Gilbane claims. They also say that the development would run counter to the university’s stated goals of sustainability.
“The preponderance of meetings about this project were all the same. They sold [the University on] the benefits of having a new development proximate to transportation. They wave the banner of smart growth, not really understanding that smart growth also means preserving amenities that are accessible by good public transit,” longtime resident and architect Marc Simon said. “The graduate student housing should be built. It should be built somewhere else.”
Residents claim that the university did not explore alternatives before accepting Gilbane’s proposal and that the Western Gateway could be built elsewhere. They also contend that the project will only marginally address the need for affordable student housing and that its environmental costs outweigh other benefits.
“The economic fundamentals that made this project make so much sense – and for the University of Maryland to take advantage of the situation to be able to deliver affordable graduate housing at no cost to the university – doesn’t exist in other locations because you don’t have that same kind of formula at play,” said Brad Frome, consultant with the firm Perry, White, Ross and Jacobson said. His firm is consulting for Gilbane Development on the Western Gateway project.
The project has been in the works for about four years. Gilbane Senior Vice President Russ Broderick, Sr. said that the developer has held over 25 community meetings that have led to “substantial design changes.”
“It’s a balance,” Frome said. “As part of the project, we’re going to preserve trees on site. … And [Gilbane is] going to plant new trees that get bonded, overseen by horticulturalists, to make sure that this forest takes root. It’s not in the same location, but as opposed to the eight acres of
for what they consider to be inaccurate and misleading claims about the woods. UMD Geographical Sciences professor Dr. Stephen Prince shared a document with the College Park Here & Now in which he responded to some of these claims. One point he shared was about the forest not being considered old growth.
“Hardly any old growth forest remains in Maryland,” Prince wrote. “If only old growth is worth preserving, effectively all Maryland’s woods and forests are not worth preservation. Young, regrown forest (such as Guilford Woods) performs many of the ecological services provided by those established over longer periods.”
In an effort to have their concerns heard, residents and local environmentalists toured the woods on April 23 with Maryland State Senator Paul Pinsky (District 22).
“We have to strike a balance between preserving the environment and controlled, smart growth. … And I believe in having intense development around metro stations where there’s mass transit,” Pinsky told the Here & Now. “I am not supportive at the moment of having the development of private townhouses in Guilford Woods.
I think it’s a bad trade off.”
Pinsky said that he is sympathetic to the need for affordable graduate housing, but the particulars of this deal give him
pause. “Building 80-plus townhouses as a reward for belowmarket graduate housing just seems to be a stretch,” Pinsky said. “So, the more I understand it, the parameters of it, the more I question it. And I’ll share that with [UMD] President Pines when I talk to him.”
Members of the Save Guilford Woods effort have also been trying to get their message to Pines, urging him not to sell the land to Gilbane.
“This is just one small piece of the Gilbane Development,” Fountain said. “I think that they can afford to let this site go and let the community keep this resource and find other places for this development that don’t take away irreplaceable woods.”
mostly invasive species, they’re going to plant 10 acres of trees that’s going to become a forest.”
“You can’t just replace a forest,” said resident Lily Fountain.
“You can’t just buy a new forest. Urban forests like [Guilford Woods] just don’t exist anymore. And they have to be preserved wherever they are.”
Some residents have been monitoring the Gilbane website
“We have to strike a balance between preserving the environment and controlled, smart growth. I am not supportive at the moment of having the development of private townhouses in Guilford Woods. I think it’s a bad trade off.”Maryland State Senator Paul Pinsky (District
22)
Fran Wong always dreamed of owning her own hair salon. For her daughter, Brittany, hair wasn’t always at the top of her list.
“Hair has not always been my plan A,” Brittany Wong said. “It actually was my plan B.”
But with time, a legion of local supporters and, more recently, a pandemic, the 54-year-old mother and 27-year-old daughter duo’s dreams aligned.
Now, they own Heritage Bloom Salon in College Park, a small studio devoted to luxury care. From cutting, to coloring to waxing, Brittany and Fran Wong dedicate themselves to the loyal clientele they’ve amassed over the years and the legacy they hope to build.
Brittany and Fran Wong are no strangers to the salon industry; combined, Brittany Wong said, they have over 30 years of experience.
Back at her old salon, Fran Wong was in charge of 12 hair stylists, and she supervised retail. It only made sense, then, for her to take her experience and start her own salon with her daughter.
“I kind of had an idea of learn-
ing how to be management,” Fran Wong said, “and that’s what made me look into, like, we can do this.”
Heritage Bloom Salon opened its doors in October 2020, during a peak of the coronavirus pandemic that had already caused so many small businesses to fall by the wayside — including Mynd Spa and Salon, previously known as The Red Door, where Brittany and Fran Wong had been working.
The company filed for bankruptcy in March 2020. With that, the two felt a push to go off on their own.
“We didn’t have a choice but to change to adapt to this new normal,” Brittany Wong said.
But what really pushed the duo was their clients. Over the years, they’ve developed relationships with people from Hyattsville, College Park and beyond, Brittany Wong said. They utilized the University Park Listserv, an email group and hub for community news, to expand their reach.
“I built the relationships. I built a following. I built the reputation,”
Brittany Wong said.
As a way to retain those relationships and make some money
over the summer of 2020, the two offered coronavirus-safe appointments at clients’ houses, usually outside on a deck or patio, Brittany Wong said.
Enough clients started urging the mother-daughter duo to start their own salon that they decided it was worth it. Their clients’ belief in them inspired the duo to finally take that leap of faith.
For Fran Wong, it was also about providing the best service to those close to her.
“My guests are like my family,”
she said.
The pandemic changed the course of Fran Wong’s life and brought her family closer together, she said. If not for COVID-19, it might have taken her and her daughter a few more years to open their own salon.
“I think it made us be able to start our dream a little earlier,” Fran said.
But starting a business during a pandemic is not without its challenges. Walk-in appointments at the studio have been rare, and
many older clients are still nervous to be indoors, according to Brittany.
To amend this, the duo has continued to offer at-home appointments to their customers. This kind of one-on-one care actually became standard practice for them; even in the studio, they still only care for one client at a time.
“As soon as they walk in the door,” Fran Wong said, “I want them to feel like they’re the only one that is on this earth.”
This is something that the Wongs hope to keep up, even after the pandemic.
For Fran Wong, starting a business as a family means passing down the work she’s done her whole life. It brings tears to her eyes, she said, to think about how she’s built such a place with her daughter.
“I’m very fortunate to have such a beautiful person to own a business with,” she said.
Now, about five months after their grand opening, the two are still devoted to growing their brand and their legacy. It’s all in the name, Brittany Wong said. Heritage: passing down knowledge and experience through generations. Bloom: growing into bigger and better things.
“We have a dream,” Fran Wong said, “and I am just so lucky.”
