01-2022 College Park Here & Now

Let it snow

By Mark Goodson

According to the National Weather Service, more than 7 inches of snow fell in College Park beginning on Jan. 3. But it was the rain that fell earlier that morning, along with dropping temperatures through the day, that made this season’s first winter storm particularly treacherous and troublesome. As is the practice in many jurisdictions in the region, the College Park Department of Public Works (DPW) pre-treats roads with a brine solution when conditions allow. But on Jan. 3, plows were not dispatched until 6 a.m. — too late for brining, as the rain had turned to snow. As anyone who’s shoveled knows, that combination makes for the heavy wintry mix that’s common here — and for a lot of sore backs, as well. And when temperatures drop, as they did

First winter storms of 2022 hit region with snow, icy conditions Local volunteer groups band together to fight food insecurity

By Kylie Rau

Greater Riverdale Cares (GRC) and Route One Communities Care (ROCC) have partnered to address food insecurity in the region. As the COVID-19 pandemic has left families all over the world struggling to find sustenance, the

greater College Park community has not been spared.

These organizations have raised more than $325,000 since they launched their fundraising campaign during the 2020 holiday season. Their efforts are assisting hourly and self-employed workers, busi-

ness owners and unemployed residents throughout Prince George’s County.

Bonnie McClellan, an ROCC coordinator and volunteer, said that the organizations’ fundraising efforts aim to bring members of the community together while addressing some of the challenges businesses and families are facing.

“Our goal is to try to distribute 500 meals a week. We have a [lot] of restaurants that we

By Alexandra Radovic

Prince George’s County students are returning to the new semester virtually this month, due to the current surge of coronavirus cases in the county.

Chief Executive Officer Monica Goldson announced this transition in a recent press release:

“Virtual learning will continue Monday, January 3 through Friday, January 14. In-person learning will resume Tuesday, January 18, following the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.”

According to the press release, students in the K-6 virtual learning program will go back

Leaf blowers: nuisance or necessity?

By Nan Roche

This time of year is beautiful, as we enjoy the change of seasons, but a week ago, as I was recovering from surgery and trying to rest, I became aware of the droning background machine noise of leaf blowers. I tried to put it out of my mind, but the more I tried, the louder the sound seemed to become. I thought that it would probably be

short-lived, but it went on and on for well over an hour, nonstop, and just as it stopped, there were other blowers that started up. The din of highpitched machine whining was deafening. You’ve all heard it. Most of the time it drops into the background while we are busy, but if you stop what you’re doing, you’ll hear that din. We’re habituated to so many noises — the planes, freight trains, cars and sirens

Residents

that are the legacy of living in the city — but leaf blowers are the worst. Their noise is highpitched and, even if intermittent, impossible to ignore. Granted, we only hear leaf blowers about 6 weeks of the year, but must we put up with it? There is a device called a rake. It was patented, in 1874, by Edmund Brown. Rakes allow you to clear leaves selectively, leaving the rest to decompose in place. Leaf litter is

re ect

Three Februarys

By Robert Craig Baum

February 2020

Today I get to eat pizza in Manhattan. My God: yes! As I enter Penn Station from Seventh Avenue, I blast Sia’s remix of “Cheap Thrills” in my headphones. I imagine myself in an ensemble of dancers that spontaneously takes over the escalator, like Janet or Madonna or Michael or Kanye or Pink, or one of those new-fangled boy bands out of South Korea.

Then I imagine us dancing into the pizza joint I’ve gone to ever since I was a kid — same place I went when I taught at Fordham Lincoln Center in 2015. But,

Managing Editor Mark Goodson mark@hyattsvillelife.com

wait … record scratch, dancers disperse, headphones off. The place is gone. There’s been a renovation. Where’s the pizza? Then I notice how every fifth person is wearing a medical mask. Did I miss an announcement while playing out my music-video fantasy? Something isn’t right. Something is definitely not right. But what?

February 2021

You. Yes, you! Stand away with it!

The noise in my head is unbearable. The slow grip of paranoia is unlike anything I have ever experienced before. It’s not even reminiscent of growing up on Long Island during the Cold War 80s, right next to Manhattan, which might have been the target of a nuclear

Advertising Sales Manager Miranda Goodson

important mulch in our oakforested area; it adds nutrients back to the soil. You need only remove leaves from your grassy areas, perhaps around your annuals — leaf blowers strip away everything. Raking is inexpensive. A good rake that is ergonomic is easy to use, and there are health benefits to getting a little exercise. Plus, who doesn’t love the smell of fall leaves? For those of us who

attack back then. The “Star Trek” red-alert siren fades in and out as I make my way through College Park, wondering if this is it. The end. Not sure about vaccination availability or viability or reliability. And now Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” has replaced my Penn Station dance-track fantasy. I spend every day, all day, worried. Me. My wife. My kids. My friends around the country and the world. My production teams. All of us. It’s just too much.

Who’s it gonna be? You? Who’s going to give me COVID-19? Who? You, with the mask under your nose at CVS? How about you, standing inches behind me in line at Whole Foods? You are all going to kill me. You. Yes, you!

This was my brain for many too many months, the slow madness of simply not knowing and, of course, worrying like everyone, about misinformation and disinformation and truly evil people attempting to exploit all of us during a time when we desperately needed more calm and less hype.

aren’t able to rake, think about touching base with neighborhood youngsters or hiring a lawn service. Many local jurisdictions are banning blowers altogether. I would propose a limited-use plan first. Mondays between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., for example — but NOT on those weekends — let’s leave them sacrosanct.

Nan Roche has lived in College Park since 1983 and is a retired scientist, an artist and a poet.

February 2022

Over a million Americans, alone, may have died.

Robert Craig Baum created the Wisdom 1096 project five years ago, and the College Park Arts Exchange hosted the project this winter. When not curating nonfiction for the Here & Now, Baum is immersed in an array of creative productions and entrepreneurial ventures.

A more closely knit community

By Mary Anne Hakes

A nationally-recognized 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. streetcarsuburbs.news

Associate Editor Nancy Welch nancy@hyattsvillelife.com

Writers & Contributors Theodore Francis Baum, Robert Craig Baum, Meghan Curtis, Renee Domogauer, Maxine Gross, Mary Anne Hakes, Arun Ivatury, Michael Kusie, Pierce Panagakos, Alexandra Radovic, Kylie Rau, Nan Roche, D.W. Rowlands, Eva Sanchez

Layout & Design Editor Ashley Perks

Web Editor Jessica Burshtynskyy

Advertising

advertising@hyattsvillelife.com

301.531.5234

Business Manager Catie Currie

Board of Directors

Joseph Gigliotti — President & General Counsel

Chris Currie — Vice President Stephanie Stullich — Treasurer Rosanna Landis Weaver, Gretchen Brodtman, Debra Franklin, T. Carter Ross, Emily Strab, Reva Harris, Maxine Gross Mark Goodson — Ex Officio

Kit Slack — Ex Officio

Circulation:

As the vaccines were announced, my area experienced a sudden, a spontaneous, and deeply false sense of security. But when I venture out, my fear haunts me still. With one mistake, one missed droplet on the cereal box or produce or whatever I was wiping down before I trudged between my SUV and front stoop; with one sneeze into my own hand and one missed squirt-squirtsquirt-rub-rub-rub-rub-eachfinger-squirt- each-palm-rubup-up-up-up-the-arm (did I remember to say the whole Star Trek “Space, the final frontier” intro to myself while I scrubbed?) Me. Yes, me! Up against the wall. Paranoia. I caused this. I killed you. I brought it into my house. I infected my family. I killed them.

As a retired senior in the community, it was easier for me to be shut in with my immunocompromised husband than it would have been for me to be working away from home (I used to work in a hospital), or juggling active children and their distance learning. Thank goodness for the internet’s many capabilities, which brought us food, medicines, opera, theater, concerts and Zoom meetings.

I volunteer on a number of boards and committees, and I’ve appreciated having that continued involvement and digital connections. I’ve had fun getting back into cooking — suddenly so much time to bake bread, make soups and try new recipes. I delivered some of my creations to neighbors’ front doors, where I could have a brief chat on the steps. In turn, my neighbors were very solicitous of me and my husband, offering to run errands, bring food or rake leaves. It was a kinder, gentler time, here in my community, since we understood that we were all in it together. We could decide what was

e Here & Now is ringing in the new year with re ections from residents. We would like to thank Robert Craig Baum, whose Wisdom 1096 project inspired us.

The SPACE expands and seeks partnerships

By Meghan Curtis

The SPACE Free Art For All, a nonprofit organization in Greenbelt, plans to open, this winter, an adjoining coffee and gift shop, the Third Space Lounge. In addition to being a gathering point, the lounge will offer specialty coffees by the bag and skateboarding supplies — custom skate decks, grip tape, trucks, wheels and bolts.

The SPACE, which opened in early 2018 as a pop-up shop, transformed into a nonprofit organization in May 2019 and provides free art supplies and creative activities to promote wellness to people young and old alike. The Third Space Lounge will be the organization’s first retail initiative, and all profits from sales at the lounge will support The SPACE and its mission.

Shaymar Higgs, founder and executive director of The SPACE, envisions the lounge as a what’s called a third space, an inviting alternative to home and work environments. Third spaces are “really important to communities because it gives everyone a sense of being and a sense of place and … that’s really important for … our own social development,” Higgs noted. He added that the lounge will be a place “where people can get caffeinated in West Greenbelt, because the only other place to get coffee is in East Greenbelt, and that’s at Starbucks.”

Third Space Lounge will carry coffees, including Kopi Luwak, from the Reveille Trading Company, which is based in Atlanta. Reveille is a forward-looking coffee company that seeks to further economic inclusivity and direct trade by partnering with small farmers and roasters.

Their Kopi Luwak, with its Indonesian roots, is made from coffee cherries that have been partially digested and then excreted by Asian palm civets.

In addition to the opening of the Third Space Lounge, Higgs is looking to expand The SPACE’s free book program into College Park.

Currently, The SPACE partners with the Greenbelt branch of the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System. The branch donated about 400 books suited to a broad range of readers, including multicultural, bilingual and early to sixth-grade level readers.

To accommodate some of the donated books, The SPACE redesigned and stocked book-

shelves for a satellite library in the Greenbelt Police Department’s lobby.

“We are looking to expand that project, kind of like the Little Free Library [book exchange program]” said Higgs, who also hopes to expand the free book program by installing stocked bookshelves in grocery stores and other high-traffic locations where people could browse and find a book to read.

Higgs believes in “taking it [the free book program] where the people are and not expecting them to come to you … give them books where they go anyway.”

Higgs hopes to bring bookshelves filled with books, magazines and art kits to interested businesses in College Park, as well. The library spaces operate on an honor system: People are welcome to take books and return them when they’ve finished reading.

Higgs anticipates launching this expansion with two or three free-book libraries to give the project wings.

For more information about The SPACE and Third Space Lounge, visit freeartforall.org. More on the Reveille Trading Company is at reveille.io.

The SPACE offers free arts programming and is expanding into retail this year. COURTESY OF SHAYMAR HIGGS

BACK IN THE DAY

When everything was just a walk away

By Renee Domogauer

My granddaughter loves to explore in my attic, especially my old camera collection, with its 8mm movie projectors and 35mm film cameras, in their little leather cases. But when she discovered the boxes of old clothing, we moved her fascination level even higher. She declared a pair of chunky 1980s platform shoes and a mini-skirt “amazing … so retro.”

“Oh yes, I bought those right here in lovely downtown College Park,” I explained. Her two-word reply, “no way,” wasn’t surprising. Newcomers to College Park probably don’t realize that, back in the day, it was once quite the shopping destination.

Don’t believe that you could find fashionable clothing in College Park? In the 80s, we had Powers and Goode, a real clothing store, and shoppers came from far and wide to check out its full line of quality, stylish men’s and women’s clothing. The preppy era of the early 1900s was seeing a revival then, with blazers and woolen sweaters, along with Oxford shirts and lots of plaid everywhere. We also had Bootlegger, a trendy shoe shop, and Bikini Splash, where you could have your bathing suit altered for a perfect fit. Rerun, a vintage clothing store, drew high school and university students who were looking for fun garments from their parents’ generation — and maybe even the odd lava lamp. The Cedar Post was another favorite among young shoppers, with its great array of Levi’s jeans and Western wear.

Michael Richards, who went to the University of Maryland (UMD) back then, remembers that the Post was the place to buy jeans; he remembers the great tuna sandwich he’d dig into at nearby Albrecht’s Pharmacy, too.

There was Paperworks, with its

friendly staff of UMD students helping shoppers find just the right gift for a sorority sister — balloons in a box, candles, stuffed animals, greeting cards — it was a one-stop shop for all ages. Some of us may remember the knitting and yarn shop, too; how different our needs and sensibilities must have been back then. And there’s more: College Park boasted a number of bookshops through the decades, too. Most memorable for me were the Little Professor, with its quirky, crowded aisles brimming with books, and the original Maryland Book Exchange, with its warren of rooms and quiet corners and full of packed shelves. Patrons could be found plopped down on the floor, poring over piles of art books or biographies, or the latest best seller. And there were still others: We once had a Crown Books (ok, it’s been said that they loved money more than books, but it was a bookstore!) and more recently, Vertigo Books, owned by Bridget Warren and Todd Stewart, a local University Park couple. Vertigo’s staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the store had a great children’s section, along with events for kids. And, though not in downtown College Park, the Old Bookstore, in nearby Riverdale, was an absolute favorite of usedbooks lovers. The shop opened in 1956 and for years and years was located in the funky, nowabandoned building along the tracks near the Riverdale Park Farmers Market. What a joy those shops brought to their patrons! The concept of books and coffee co-existing seemed just out of reach, but I always

remember fondly when, for a short time, we did have both, with Starbucks and Vertigo operating at the same time and in the same shopping center. I once overheard an amazed passerby say, “Imagine this, a coffee shop AND a bookstore in our little college town.”

And we once had our very own hardware store — yes, College Park Hardware was right in the heart of town. A quick walk from home, there were bins of nails and bolts, shelves of tools, and even a glass-cutting service. Oh, and let me not forget — free advice from friendly, knowledgeable employees, too. How spoiled we were!

I found University Boutique indispensable. The beautiful shop was chock-full of unique and artsy (yet affordable) jewelry and trinkets, scarves and candles. And like the hardware store, it was so close by that there was no need to run elsewhere. They saved the day for me every June, as I searched for yearend gifts for my high school student helpers.

Former UMD athletes likely remember Stripe Three, which opened in the mid-80s and supplied equipment to many university teams, from lacrosse to fencing to rowing. And here’s the amazing thing: Unlike virtually all of the businesses I’ve mentioned, Stripe Three is still with us, meeting the sporting goods needs of residents and local athletes alike. With so many changes in the city’s retail landscape, we have to celebrate such a success.

I’m grateful to have lived in a time when shopping was about community and customers and service. That era may not have been as efficient as today’s soulless, on-line retail experience, but it had heart.

If you have memories to share of shopping, back then, contact me at ddomo@verizon.net.

Renee Domogauer has lived in Calvert Hills for 41 years. She is affectionately known by her neighbors as the mayor of Carleton Terrace.

PEXELS.COM

I’m grateful to have lived in a time when shopping was about community and customers and service.

That era may not have been as efficient as today’s soulless, on-line retail experience, but it had heart.

Renee Domogauer

New student apartments slated to open this summer

By Pierce Panagakos

As the University of Maryland (UMD) continues to grow, so does the need for student housing. Three new apartment buildings are set to open in August 2022, just in time for the fall semester. Two of them — The Nine and Tempo — are adjacent to the city’s Berwyn neighborhood, while the third, Aster, is close to Old Town. All three are on Baltimore Avenue. Tempo, The Nine and Aster will offer many amenities that other student apartment buildings in the city also provide, including a fitness center, ground level retail, a pool and dedicated work spaces.

Tempo, which is within walking distance of the UMD campus, will also offer some upscale amenities, including a multi-sport simulator, a podcast and video studio, and a rooftop oasis with firepits and TVs.

The Nine will offer a number of appealing amenities, as well, including a spa, a meditation garden, a 24/7 caffeine café, a fully equipped arcade, a putting range and an outdoor jumbotron for screening sporting events. The building, located behind The En-

clave apartments, is currently under construction.

Aster will offer a range of similar amenities, as well as a pet spa and a bike repair shop. The building is being constructed on a parcel that includes the lot where Plato’s Diner used to be; the ground level portion of the Aster that faces Route 1 will be leased to a specialty grocer.

The Hyattsville Wire reported that Trader Joe’s will occupy the space, but as of press time, neither Trader Joe’s nor KLBN, the development’s retail-space leasing agent, confirmed this detail.

Many students have high expectations for the new apartments.

James Baldo, a journalism major at UMD, predicted that they could become more popular than established apartments like Terrapin Row and Landmark.

“I think it’s a desired destination for a lot of upcoming seniors and even juniors. So in that regard, I think location is definitely going to be its selling point. … it’s a new building, and with that, I think the expectation is going to be that the facility itself is nicer than that of Landmark and T[errapin] Row, and even places like the Varsity, so I think its selling point, it’s

going to be that it’s new, and that it’s in a great spot,” he said.

Each development has launched an aggressive social media marketing campaign, which may be a factor driving students’ expectations, including give-aways attractive to students.

“Well, I mean, it definitely got

my interest ... I saw free Chipotle for a year ... and I was like, ‘Yeah, let me try to enter that contest.’

You know, I think that that’s a good marketing tool for them,” Baldo said.

Expectations are high for these new student apartment complexes complexes, which will add

to and reshape student housing options in the city.

More information about these developments is available on their respective websites: tempocollegepark.com, the9collegepark.com and astercollegepark.com.

The history of Branchville

By D.W. Rowlands

While much of College Park owes its current form to early suburban development along the Rhode Island Avenue streetcar line and the B&O Railroad Washington Branch (now MARC Camden Line), two of the city’s neighborhoods originated considerably earlier, starting in the 1890s.

In the first half of the 19th century, the southern portion of College Park consisted of several tracts of agricultural land belonging to the Calvert family, who lived in the Riversdale manor house, in what is now Riverdale Park. The earliest detailed map of the area, from 1861, shows a grist mill called Mowatt’s Mill, where Calvert Road crosses the Northeast Branch, and the College Lawn B&O railroad station, where Calvert Road crosses the tracks. However, the 1861 map does not show any roads north of Calvert Road, except for the Baltimore-Washington Turnpike (now Baltimore Avenue), until one gets to Beltsville, which was already a substantial community centered around the turnpike’s crossing of the B&O railroad tracks, just north of Powder Mill Road. (Old Baltimore Pike follows the original route of the turnpike today.) Only a handful of farmhouses, along with the Maryland Agricultural College (now the University of Maryland), which was founded in 1856, are shown in College Park.

In the decade that followed, a small rural community formed in the vicinity of what is now the section of Greenbelt Road between Baltimore Avenue and the Metro Green Line. A road appeared stretching east from the Baltimore-Washington Turnpike, roughly along the route of today’s Greenbelt Road, and a small village developed where the road crossed the B&O Railroad. A train station and a general store were located here, and, in 1867, a post office called Branchville opened at the general store. Although the name Branchville — the official name of the post office — has persisted until the present, for its first several decades of existence, it was often called Scagg’s Crossing, after the owner of the store, who served as postmaster.

The next map of the area,

Branchville was also home to the first church in

College Park,

the Haddaway Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1874 on Branchville Road, just east of the railroad tracks.

drawn in 1878, shows two small communities in what is now College Park. There are half a dozen houses clustered around the College Lawn station, where Calvert Road crosses the B&O tracks, as well as a post office and the Mowatt grist mill. The collection of houses in the vicinity of the Branchville post office, general store and rail station is larger, though. By 1878, Branchville included a “poudrette” (fertilizer made from human waste) factory, served by its own rail spur, located south of Branchville Road and between the B&O tracks and Indian Creek. Branchville was also home to the first church in College Park, the Haddaway Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church, built in 1874 on Branchville Road, just east of the railroad tracks. This building burned down in 1907, but the congregation still exists as the College Park United Methodist Church, now located on the corner of Rhode Island Avenue and Hollywood Road. Although Branchville seems to have had its origins as a rural, agricultural community, within a generation the area around the Branchville post office and train station had become more suburban. The land that became the neighborhood of Berwyn was subdivided in 1889 as a railroad suburb called Central Heights. Then, in 1900, the Rhode Island Avenue streetcar was extended into College Park, terminating in a loop in Branchville. The streetcar ran every half hour, and was substantially cheaper than the B&O Railroad, making the commute from Branchville into Washington affordable to more of the city’s workers.

COLLEGE PARK POST

ARPA Assistance Programs Applications Now Open

City Business & Non-Profit and Individual & Family Assistance Grants

The City has established two programs to assist businesses, non-profits, and residents address negative financial impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American Rescue Program Act (ARPA) has provided funds that the City is using for these and many other projects.

Each program is summarized below. The goal of these programs is to help our residents, businesses and non-profits get back on their feet and better prepared to be financially successful in the future.

For additional information, please visit collegeparkmd.gov/arpa. Have questions? Email arpa@ collegeparkmd.gov with questions for any of the City’s ARPA assistance programs.

2021 ARPA BUSINESS & NONPROFIT ASSISTANCE GRANT

PROGRAM

Grants up to $25,000 for Operating and Small Capital Expenditures

This program can provide eligible small businesses and non-profits with financial assistance for a wide range of operating expenses and capital investments, such as new equipment, website/ online shopping enhancements, façade improvements, and other costs associated with COVID-related business impacts.

Businesses and non-profits must have a physical presence in the City of College Park, employ 75 or fewer full-time (or equivalent) staff, and have been in operation as of November 1, 2021.

Certain age-restricted stores are excluded, and national franchises with local owners will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For additional details, as well as the application form and required documentation, please visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/ arpa#business.

2021 ARPA FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES

Grants up to $5,000 per applicant

The purpose of this program is to provide financial assistance to eligible College Park individuals and families who have a demonstrated financial hardship created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eligibility is determined by residency in the City of College Park and proof of need. Applicants are required to provide proof of residency, proof of hardship, and provide certain information/ documentation so the City’s review committee can ensure the request fulfills the program requirements.

The maximum financial assistance per applicant is $5,000 for eligible expenses (vendors will be paid directly). Assistance for groceries will be in the form of gift cards to College Park stores. Only one application per household.

For additional details, as well as the application form and required documentation for resident assistance, please visit www. collegeparkmd.gov/arpa#resident.

City Board & Committee Vacancies

Serve your community, lend your talents, and meet your neighbors. The following advisory boards have vacancies:

• Advisory Planning Commission

• Bee City USA

• Board of Election Supervisors

• Education Advisory Committee

• Tree and Landscape Board

Interested in volunteering?

Please complete and submit an application (available at collegeparkmd.gov/boardapp) to jsmiller@collegeparkmd.gov or to your City Council representative by January 17, 2022. The Mayor and Council will make appointments on January 25, 2022.

The City is currently seeking volunteers for:

ADVISORY PLANNING COMMISSION

Individuals interested in serving on the Advisory Planning Commission should have a Citywide perspective and interest in planning and housing issues; a track record of civic-mindedness from work on other City projects or committees and some knowledge of the planning and development process and related laws and procedures.

BEE CITY USA

Individuals interested in serving on Bee City must enhance community awareness of urban pollinators in the City of College Park. The Committee will follow the guidelines established by Bee City USA to maintain the City’s affiliation with this organization.

BOARD OF ELECTION SUPERVISORS

Individuals interested in serving on the Board of Election Supervisors should have interest and expertise in the overall process of local elections.

EDUCATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The purpose of the Education Advisory Committee is to support, strengthen and promote the schools that College Park students attend.

TREE AND LANDSCAPE BOARD

Individuals interested in serving on the Tree and Landscape Board should have interest and expertise in gardening, landscaping, surrounding environment, trees, and wildlife habitat.

For additional information on City advisory boards, please visit our website at www.collegeparkmd. gov.

Winter Tree Care

Tips to Take Care of Trees During Winter from the City’s Tree & Landscape Board

Winter is a great time time to prune deciduous trees. During the dormant or winter season, a tree without leaves allows an arborist to inspect the tree canopy for limb damage, and make recommendations for pruning or removal. The arborist will also inspect the structure of the tree and branches. Pruning may be recommended to increase airflow through the tree canopy to help prevent storm damage when leaves return on the tree. Trees that sustain damage from storms are more likely to be subjected to insect damage and disease pressure.

But before you do any pruning or tree work, the first step is to contact a certified arborist who is licensed in the State of Maryland, to perform the tree work.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the State agency that licenses

companies that perform various types of tree maintenance. You can find a list of tree companies licensed to perform tree maintenance in the State of Maryland here: dnrweb. dnr.state.md.us/forests/tree_ expert_search.asp.

Winter is also a good time to inspect trees for signs of disease or insect damage.

If the arborist identifies a pest presence, control measures may be recommended prior to leaf growth in the spring, or dormant pruning for certain species of trees, which are susceptible to insect vectored diseases. Insects that carry harmful tree diseases (i.e. Dutch Elm or Oak Wilt), are less active during cold winter weather, thereby enabling recommended pruning.

Dormant pruning will permit callous tissue to begin sealing the pruning cut before spring growth begins and insect pests become active. Some tree species that are pruned during the warmer months of the year may become susceptible to invasion of diseases or insect damage due to increased pest activity. This is because the sap on the freshly cut limbs and branches will attract insects such as beetles and emerald ash borers that are harmful to Oaks and Ash trees. Trees in the Rosaceae family such as pears, apples, shadbush, and hawthorns should also be pruned during the dormant season to help reduce the spread of bacterial fire blight disease.

If the arborist recommends a control treatment, only hire firms licensed in the State of Maryland to perform the pesticide applications. A list of companies who are licensed in the State of Maryland to perform pesticide applications can be found at egov.maryland. gov/mda/pesticides. Several tree care companies are licensed to both perform tree inspections and apply pesticides to treat identified conditions.

PUBLIC SAFETY Community Meetings

Every 2nd Monday of the Month 7:30 p.m. zoom.us/j/96168994626

Please join City Elected Officials, Police, Department of Public Services staff, and your neighbors from all around the City, for an informative monthly community meeting.

This meeting takes place every second Monday of the month via zoom.

This community meeting will discuss City-wide crime statistics, recent incidents of public interest, neighborhood watch tips, and special public safety related topics.

FY2023 PROPOSED BUDGET: Request for Resident Suggestions/ Recommendations

The Mayor & Council invite residents to submit suggestions/recommendations to City staff for the FY2023 Budget. Preparation is beginning on the Proposed Budget to be published in March 2022 for the City Council’s review and subsequent adoption.

We welcome suggestions or recommendations that will assist the City in fulfilling its mission – to provide excellent services, transparent and inclusive governance, and advocate for our residents to enhance the quality of life for our diverse community.

Deadline for submission is January 31, 2022.

Form Link: www.collegeparkmd.gov/fy2023proposedbudgetsuggestions

For more information: Contact the Department of Finance 240-487-3509 financedepartment@collegeparkmd.gov

RECYCLE CHRISTMAS TREE your

Christmas trees are collected by appointment only. Please remove ornaments, tinsel, and decorations. before placing at the curb. If using a plastic bag, please remove tree from bag. To schedule a collection call 240-487-3590 or email publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov.

Please remove all ornaments, tinsel, and decorations. No plastic bags.

Getting Ready for Winter

Some Key Tips and Information to Be Prepared for Potential Winter Weather Events

The Department of Public Works plows and treats City maintained streets and City parking lots to clear snow and ice during winter storms. Public Works crews work around the clock during snow emergencies to clear the 51 miles of City streets.

SNOW REMOVAL ACTIVITIES

These steps will be followed during a snow emergency:

• Snow removal equipment will be dispatched to predetermined routes when snow or ice is imminent. Depending upon the weather forecast, some streets may be pretreated with a brine solution. Salting operations may begin at the onset of precipitation, depending if streets have been pretreated or not.

• Snow removal routes are divided into primary and secondary streets. Primary streets will be treated and/ or cleared first, followed by secondary streets.

• When snow begins to accumulate to cover roadways, plowing operations will commence.

• Initially, one lane will be plowed on all streets to them make passable. As conditions allow, all streets will then be widened and plowed curb to curb, where possible.

City parking lots will be plowed by pickup trucks equipped with plows and salt spreaders.

DRIVEWAYS

Crews following the City established snow plan work to clear travel lanes and move snow back as close to the curb as possible. This process takes multiple passes down the street over an extended period of time and snow will unavoidably accumulate in driveway entrances. Snow is not intentionally pushed into residential driveways.

Residents should be aware that the best way to avoid extra shoveling is to wait for City crews to finish clearing the streets before opening driveway entrances to avoid shoveling more than once. While clearing driveways, residents are encouraged to deposit snow to the right of the driveway (facing the street). Do not shovel snow back into the street after the snow plow has cleared it.

FENCES & MAILBOXES

All fences and mailboxes abutting City streets should be constructed to withstand the force of snow pushed from the street by snow plows. The City is not responsible for replacing or repairing property damaged by snow or snow removal.

TRASH & RECYCLING

City staff will make every effort to maintain collection schedules, but may not be able to do so because of hazardous conditions.

Please check the City website at www.collegeparkmd.gov, City social media, call or email the Department of Public Works for changes to the collection schedule.

PARKING DURING SNOW EVENTS

Vehicles parked on the street are the greatest obstacle for City plows clearing the streets.

The following are parking guidelines for City residents:

• Park off the street whenever possible to allow snow plows to clear snow to the curb.

• Park on the even side of the street if off-street parking is not available. Exception: if your address is odd-numbered and the area across from your house is undeveloped, park on the odd side of the street.

• Park as close to the curb as possible. Vehicles parked more than 12” from the curb may be ticketed or even towed, as this severely inhibits the passage of snow plow trucks.

SIDEWALKS, STORM DRAINS & FIRE HYDRANTS

Property owners, occupants, and merchants are reminded of the City requirement to remove accumulated snow and ice from all public walkways, driveways, parking lots, and other areas used by pedestrians or automobiles.

The City Code states that snow and ice be removed within the first twenty-four (24) hours after snowfall stops. Residents should work together to clear storm drains and make fire hydrants accessible to emergency crews.

UPDATES DURING SNOW EVENTS

The Department of Public Works is staffed around the clock during snow events; please call 240487-3590 or email publicworks@ collegeparkmd.gov with any questions or concerns.

You may also find updated information by visiting the City’s website at www.collegeparkmd. gov/notices, social media: facebook.com/collegeparkmd, twitter.com/collegepark_md or by signing up for emails via College Park Connected at www. collegeparkmd.gov/cpconnect.

You can check on the status of street plowing and traffic information at https://citizeninsights.geotab. com/#/collegeparkmd.

COUNTY & STATE ROADS

The City does not treat the following streets. Please report potholes and other adverse road conditions (including snow/ice) to the appropriate agency:

State Highway Administration

301.776.7619

• Greenbelt Rd/MD 430

• Kenilworth Ave/MD 201

• Baltimore Ave/US Route 1

• University Blvd/MD 193

Prince George’s County 301.499.8520

• Rhode Island Ave, N of Greenbelt Rd

• Metzerott Rd

• Campus Dr East

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Diversity in Higher Education Workshop. The University of Maryland’s Department of English hosts a virtual discussion with Patricia Matthew, of Montclair State University, and Christy Pichichero, of George Mason University. Free. Tuesday, Feb. 1 from 3 to 4 p.m. For more information, email englweb@umd.edu

e Negro Intellectual and Her Crisis. University of Maryland professor Randy Ontiveros will facilitate a virtual discussion with Casey Patterson, a University of Maryland alum and a Ph.D. candidate at Stanford University. Free. Feb. 16 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, email clcs@umd. edu

Black History Month Art Workshop. Join Racquel Keller in a virtual workshop celebrating Black History Month and exploring the history of Black artists. Sponsored by the College Park Arts Exchange. Free. Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. For more information, go to cpae.org

e History of the Lakeland Community. Route 1 Corridor Conversations will explore the history of College Park’s historically Black community with members of the Lakeland Community Heritage Project. Free. Feb. 26 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Visit hyattsvilleaginginplace.org and click on Programs and Activities to register.

February at the Aviation Museum. Visit the College Park Aviation Museum on Saturdays in February for a series on the airport’s impact on Black history. Free with museum admission: adults $5, seniors $4, children $2; children 1 and under free. For more information contact Jamie Jones at jamie.jones@pgparks.com

SAVE THE DATE College Park Community Library Book Club. Discuss The Whistling Season, by Ivan Doig, on Jan. 11 and Band of Sisters, by Lauren Willig, on Feb. 8. The group meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the College Park Church of the Nazarene, 9704 Rhode Island Ave. For more information, email Carol Munn at donkinc@msn.com

Draw Like a Famous Artist Join Racquel Keller and explore the techniques of a new famous artist in each virtual workshop. Free. Jan. 15 and 29 and Feb. 12 and 26. from 10 to 11:30 a.m. For more information, go to cpae.org

Virtual Book Club. Need a creative outlet for all that quiet time at home? The College Park Arts Exchange invites you to discuss Eliza Griswold’s Amity and Prosperity on Jan. 18 and Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight, by Julia Sweig, on Feb. 15. From 7 to 8:30 p.m. Free. RSVP by emailing info@ cpae.org

Adult Creative Writing Class. Join local author Mary Amoto for a class on writing songs and poems for children. Four virtual sessions: Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. $40 for all four sessions. Register at cpae.org

Free Art Workshop. Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a virtual workshop hosted by the College Park Arts Exchange. Free. Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. For more information, go to cpae.org

Virtual Homeschool Club Maryland-National Park & Planning Commission hosts a science club for homeschooled students on Feb. 1 and 15. Ages 4-6 from 10 to 11 a.m.; Ages 7-9 from 1 to 2 p.m.; ages 10-14 from 2 to 4 p.m. $20. Register by Jan. 31 and pickup your

activity kit from Riverdale one week in advance to learn about amphibians in the month of February. Microsoft Teams, video camera and microphone required. Register by clicking Parks Direct at pgparks. com/185/Parks-Recreation

Virtual Make Your Own Valentine Workshop. Join Racquel Keller online to create your own Valentine’s Day gift. Free. Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. To register, email info@cpae.org

Guided Birding at Lake Artemesia. Resuming in February, the Prince George’s Audubon Society hosts guided birding tours around the lake, which is home to ducks, mergansers and other diving species, while sparrows and other wintering birds frequent the pollinator meadow. Tours start from the main gate, north of the lake. For more information, go to pgaudubon.org/events

ONGOING

Food Assistance Available. Help by Phone Ltd. operates food pantries across Prince George’s County, with locations at Berwyn Presbetyrian Church (Greenbelt Rd.), University Baptist Church (Campus Dr.), and Trinity Moravian Church (Good Luck Rd). 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.

Friday Dance Workshop. Join instructor Karen Stewart, of Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers, for step-by-step instruction and dance along to soul, gospel and pop music. Each Friday in January from 10 to 11 a.m. Register by emailing info@cpae.org

Wednesday Tap Dance Workshops. Free virtual tap workshop with instructor Elizabeth Gardner every Wednesday in January from 7 to 8 p.m. For more information and to register, email info@cpae.org

Su rage Exhibit at the University of Maryland. Visit the Hornbake Library Gallery any weekday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for a free exhibit exploring the history of voting rights in America. For additional information, email Laura Cleary at lclearlyumd.edu

Free Art Program. The College Park Community Library is holding a free arts program for neighbors to lead neighbors in a variety of arts and crafts activities. First Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, contact the library at colparklib@gmail. com

College Park Community Library Story Time. Story time with Micki Freeny. The library is located in the lower level of the College Park Church of the Nazarene, 9704 Rhode Island Ave. Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10:00 a.m.

Free Produce Delivery Every ird ursday. Email contact information (your name, street address, email and phone) by the third Monday of the month to receive fresh produce three days later. Pickups between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at a central location. Brought to you by Community Connect Calvert Hills. For more information, call 301.864.5267 or email connectporfavor@gmail.com

Free Lyft Rides with Medicare. Community Connect Calvert Hills would like residents to know that you can contact your health care provider or contact Medicare with your Medicare card and receive a free Lyft ride to medical appointments. For assistance with this or if you have any questions call 301.864.5267 or email communityconnectvalverthills@ gmail.com

Support College Park’s Senior Citizens. Meals on Wheels College Park needs licensed drivers, and all are welcome to volunteer for flexible slots on weekday mornings. Fill out an application at mealsonwheelsofcollegepark. org or call 202.669.6297.

Meeting Space Available. Tired of crocheting alone? Need a place to gather to draft your fantasy baseball team? The College Park Community Library has space available on the 3rd and 4th Tuesdays of each month, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. For more information contact the library at colparklib@gmail.com

e Hall CP. Was your New Year’s resolution to get out of the house more? The Hall CP is right down the road and home to open mic nights, wine-down Wednesdays, live music concerts and more! For the latest information, go to thehallcp.com/events

Garden Prep Courses. The University of Maryland Extension, Prince George’s County, offers a virtual and in-person programs about seasonal topics and also a comprehensive master gardener course. For more information, go to extension. umd.edu/news-events/events

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to in-person instruction on Jan. 31.

Returning to online learning, a mode in which many students use Chromebook computers provided by the county, raises a number of issues — not all of them about juggling home and work and school and childcare logistics. Some parents are concerned that Chromebooks may offer too many distractions to meet the standards of in-person instruction.

“When we were remote all last year, the Chromebooks were essential,” said Amanda Souna, whose second-grader attends Hollywood Elementary. “Most of my issues [are] with the apps, and that students are becoming very dependent on the apps and the typing, as opposed to just having the Zoom meetings, than doing old-fashioned learning.”

Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) began distributing Chromebooks in 2014 to ensure that all students in the system will have access to a computer. When the pandemic hit, PGCPS began offering Wi-Fi to students who didn’t already have access to it, too.

“Prince George’s County Public Schools recognizes that access to the internet is a matter of student equity. Today’s instruction is dependent on it,” said Meghan Gebreselassie, the school system’s director of communications.

PGCPS has a system in place to monitor students’ internet use.

“We make every effort to ensure access to age-appropriate websites; our web-filtering solution utilizes intelligent decryption technology to inspect internet traffic to apply preset filters based on a student’s school type — elementary, middle and high school,” Gebreselassie noted.

“We rely on a comprehensive web-filtering solution from ContentKeeper Technologies to help ensure student internet safety and manage student internet access,” she added.

(Andrew Zuckerman, PGCPS chief information and technology officer, was not available for a comment.)

At the Dec. 7 College Park City Council meeting, councilmembers expressed concern about Chromebook use, noting issues about internet access and uneven replacement of broken devices.

“I’ve heard rumblings from several concerned parents that there are many computers that are not working and that the school board is not responding. I don’t want to see students go without the resources they need,” said Councilmember Denise Mitchell (District 4).

Souna said that the Chrome-

book shortage hit home, noting that she had to switch her secondgrader between an old old laptop and a tablet early on in the pandemic She commended teachers for conducting informative and engaging Zoom meetings with the class, though she noted that students can easily be distracted by games and browsing.

“Now that [my son] is older, and now that he’s seeing his friends go on YouTube, it’s become more of an issue to where he has this thing now with all of these distractions. There’s no blocking the video games,” she said.

But according to a May 2020 email to parents from the office of Dr. Anna Santiago-Addis, principal of César Chávez Dual Spanish Immersion School, in Chillum, schools do have some leverage when it comes to monitoring what students are looking at during class time.

“We’ve implemented GoGuardian across our district to monitor students’ online activity when logged into Google Chrome with their PGCPS information. The school’s principal, or a leader designated by the principal, will be able to review student activity and address inappropriate actions,” the letter noted.

The letter specifies that GoGuardian only monitors students’ online activity from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays, and then only if they are logged into their Chromebooks with their PGCPS account. The letter also provides directions for

parents so they can ensure that students are logged in correctly.

Nancy Washington, a former teacher and mother of two PGCPS students, was enthusiastic about the free technical resources provided by the school system.

clear that she can only use her school computer for school things,” Washington said.

In addition to observing that their kids can get distracted while using their Chromebooks, some parents have reported that their kids are more absorbed in them than in other activities that were previously appealing.

“My child is on a screen a lot,” noted Meghan Simpson, a member of the Hollywood Elementary PTA, who’s child is a second grader at the school. “Screens are now his go-to, rather than looking at a book, playing with Legos, drawing, going outside. … They are the norm.”

Simpson noted, though, that some of the games and apps preinstalled on Chromebooks can help with learning.

“A good amount of my child’s curriculum seems to entail districtapproved apps,” Simpson wrote. “They offer an element of gamification that can be fun for kids. … They also provide constant feedback and encouragement.”

Simpson acknowledged that some Chromebook learning tools may be frustrating and difficult to master, particularly for younger students.

“For instance, a simple math lesson might ask a child to solve 10 plus two,” she said, “to do this, the child must drag 10 red icons to and two blue icons to certain places, using the mousepad or touch screen, to show that 10 plus two equals 12. Or kids might need to use the mousepad or screen to write … which feels unnatural,” Simpson said, adding, “It seems to me that kids might be better off using a pencil and paper for many tasks in school.”

“The teachers have been great in providing resources on how to use the technology,” Washington said. “I would tell parents to utilize the resources the school gives you.”

One free resource she pointed to was Remind, which offers free tutoring to students countywide.

Washington’s son is an eighth grader at Greenbelt Middle School, and her daughter is a fifth grader at Dora Kennedy French Immersion School, also in Greenbelt. She noted that her kids are not fans of virtual learning and said that their focus is better when they are in the classroom and can interact with teachers and classmates. Washington also said that her daughter has sometimes strayed from her virtual classroom, an issue that the school has flagged.

“We’ve had to make it very

Souna shared a similar concern. “I just think it’s gone too far,” she said. “I get the feeling that they’re not doing enough handwritten work. My son is only in the second grade, he needs to be practicing his handwriting and written expression, and instead they are doing typing.”

Souna noted, too, that her son’s in-person classroom experience is heavily influenced by technology, and she pointed out that students are allowed to use their Chromebooks during indoor recess and at after-school care.

“What’s been disappointing is that they’re still using the Chromebooks a lot, even though they’re in-person,” she said, adding, “I just wish they would just leave them at the school. I want the kids to be able to put them aside for part of the day, it’s like this new attachment. I know I have trouble resisting my phone and the temptation to check emails. If I’m an adult, and I have trouble, you can’t expect a child to handle that.”

Amanda Souna's son (top), a student at Hollywood Elementary, and Nancy Washington's daughter, who goes to Dora Kennedy French Immersion School, participating in virtual learning from home.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMANDA SOUNA / NANCY WASHINGTON

Some parents are concerned that Chromebooks may offer too many distractions to meet the standards of in-person instruction.

important, reflect on thoughts, clean out closets, write in journals, do yoga and spend more time outdoors with nature.

My husband died in June, and I couldn’t have asked for a better blessing than to be able to spend every hour of every day with him, till the end. That’s a gift that I treasure, despite these uncertain times. It really taught me to live in the moment and to be grateful for what I have.

Mary Anne Hakesis, a retired nurse, is an active participant with the University Park Women’s Club and the Campus Club. She also serves as co-chair of the city’s Senior Advisory Committee and is currently working to make College Park a designated AARP Livable Community.

The best and the worst of it

By Maxine Gross

When I was invited by the Here & Now to reflect on the pandemic, I immediately thought of a famous line: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” In March 2020, I was a healthy, active retiree; I traveled on a whim and devoted my time to community work. Then life came to a screeching halt.

Being a person who can’t sit still, I was determined to do all I could to use the time as productively as I could, and I wanted to jump right back in when life returned to normal. Home life took on a pattern of morning exercise, networking and conferring on Zoom, doing research, writing, delivering presentations — even attending church online on Sundays. The truth is, I was busier than before. Everyone knows you can fit in more virtual activities than physical ones. No travel time required.

Isolated in our homes, we watched our nation and the world begin to glimpse the injustices that have always been a part of this nation’s story and finally recognize the dignity of African Americans. These two critical themes were embraced by our local leaders when, in June 2020, they passed Resolution 20-R016 in support of Black lives. Like so many others, our city leaders realized that they had failed to connect the concepts and practices of racial injustice to their own lives and institutions. The story of Lakeland (that story we had been telling for nearly two decades) clearly showed that the city had the responsibility to right its own wrongs and play a role in the achievement of racial

justice. It was truly the best of times when our mayor and city council passed this resolution to “…apologize for our City’s past history of oppression” and”… aggressively seek opportunities for restorative justice.” I thought I was, indeed, seeing the best of times. That soon changed. What should have been a minor medical episode for me turned into major surgery and a permanent lifestyle change. While the city explored the meanings of racial justice through a series of forums, I recovered. Just as the restorative justice steering committee started work, creating an opportunity to build a critical step towards racial justice on at least a local scale, the cosmos had a bigger challenge in store for me, but something I was completely unprepared for: the illness of a dear one.

It hit hard and fast and ugly. Life grew very narrow, with all my time and energy going toward her care and only a small window for other things. In the months that followed, my dear one’s life drew smaller, and she lived more and more in a different place. The day came when she drew her last breath. A few weeks later, in the closing days of 2021, our city adopted a new resolution establishing a restorative justice com-

mission. With the understanding of the fleeting and fragile nature of life, let us work to realize the promise of a better future. May 2022 simply be the best of times.

Maxine Gross is chair of the Lakeland Community Heritage Project. She is also on ther board of Streetcar Suburbs Publishing, which publishes the Here & Now

Math and masks

By Theodore Francis Baum

The timeline we’re living in currently doesn’t exactly feel real, and the reminders we have are both disconcerting and, at moments, weirdly normal.

In mathematics, some patterns are described as intersections of a geometrical cone: One angle is a circle, another an ellipse. Sometimes there’s an intersectional cut revealing a pattern that helps us see what’s actually going on, even as it may still be a bit mysterious.

And now we are in this moment, which we’re trying to understand but which is also kind of mysterious. We walk

ilization with the wherewithal to rapidly produce a life-saving vaccine lacked the will to adopt and share it widely, allowing a deadly disease to fester? Will they wonder why human beings, facing an existential threat to their planet, dithered for the sake of profit and convenience?

Will they question why people in the world’s foremost democratic societies sacrificed communal well-being at the altar of an impoverished notion of freedom? Will they puzzle over how people with deeply-held beliefs in charity and kindness could close their country’s door to others in need?

We humans are a bundle of contradictions, and here in our country — with extremes of both stratospheric wealth and grinding poverty, technological wizardry and willful ignorance — we see perhaps the most dramatic contradictions of all.

I think that at their root, our contradictions flow from the ever-present and very human tension between pursuing one’s own wants and pursuing what benefits us all. In today’s age, an unruly Greek chorus stokes these fires by encouraging an I-me-mine mentality and dividing us from each other based on manufactured or trivial distinctions. In this environment one can feel our shared commitment to the common good waning.

around with our masks hugging and sucking on our faces like scenes from the movie “Alien.” It’s all become so normal, until we realize why we’re wearing them. These are not normal times; they are hard for many of us, and what’s inside can be elusive, like the inside of a cone.

Theodore Francis Baum, a resident of the city’s Calvert Hills neighborhood, is a freshman at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where he’s majoring in physics and math. In January 2019, he co-produced and performed lead guitar in the College Park Arts Exchange’s community concert, “Dark Side of the Moon.”

A delicate balance

By Arun Ivatury

In the past year — as the pandemic continued to rage, as our planet neared its point-ofno-return, as democracy hung in the balance, as refugees of a hazardous and unequal world migrated in search of safety and security — I have sometimes imagined future historians looking back on 2021.

Will it bewilder them that a civ-

But I am not without hope. By the time you read this, a rocket with Earth’s most technologically advanced telescope will be en route to its final destination: Lagrange 2, one of five points where the gravitational pulls of the Earth and the Sun balance out, making it a perfect spot from which to peer out into the universe and send findings back home.

Might the discovery of other habitable worlds remind us of the preciousness of our own?

If we found reason to truly consider our place in the universe, we might reflect on our responsibility to each other and the common fate we inevitably share. Perhaps in 2022 we will find the Lagrange point of our own natures, where we balance our own desires with what we know all beings - and Earth itself - need and deserve, thus generating a dynamic harmony that transforms the world.

Imagine how the historians of the future would marvel.

Resident Arun Ivatury helps lead international organizing campaigns for the Service Employees International Union and in his spare time embarks on musical and other assorted adventures with many talented friends and neighbors.

PEXELS.COM

“Might the discovery of other habitable worlds remind us of the preciousness of our own? If we found reason to truly consider our place in the universe, we might reflect on our responsibility to each other and the common fate we inevitably share.”

Arun Ivatury

OpenBarre. Yoga, ballet positions and Pilates combined in low-impact classes, with first class free to new members. Register at openbarrestudios. com

COLLEGE PARK

CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS

Yarrow Civic Association. Membership is free. For more information, email Wendy Kelley at wendybird85@yahoo. com

College Park Estates Civic Association. For more information, email Ray Ranker at rayranker@gmail.com

West College Park Citizens Association. Membership is open to all residents of West College Park over age 18. For more information, email Suchitra Balachandran at cp_woods@yahoo.com

Berwyn District Civic Association. The BDCA’s monthly meeting will be on Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and on each third Thursday of the month after that. To register, email president@myberwyn.org

North College Park Community Association. The next meeting will be on Nov. 11 at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be both virtual and in-person at 5051 Branchville Rd. For more information, email

ncpcivic@gmail.com or go to myncpca.org

Lakeland Civic Association. For meeting and registration information, email lakelandcivic@gmail.com

Old Town College Park Civic Association. For more information and to add your name to the listserv, email Kathy Bryant at kdbryant20740@ gmail.com

Calvert Hills Citizens Association. For more information, go to calverthills.weebly.com or email the board at calverthillscitizensassn@ gmail.com

use — mostly small, locally owned restaurants in the communities along Route 1 or close to Route 1 — restaurants that we felt might be in jeopardy of having to close during the pandemic if they did not get some support,” McClellan said.

“We thought for a while that, with the pandemic ratcheting down in the spring and the summer, that maybe there wouldn’t be as great [a] need but that wasn’t true at all, because still most people weren’t back in their jobs, and restaurants were dealing with past rent bills and other debt.”

From Dec. 4 through Jan. 8, GRC and ROCC volunteers partnered with Central Kenilworth Avenue Community Redevelopment Corporation (CKAR) and conducted a holiday art sale. Twenty-one artists contributed a total of 43 pieces to the sale, and proceeds supported residents in need, local restaurants and the artists themselves

“But also it gives us an opportunity to give visibility to local artists … You’ll notice that [every artist] has a little biography or talks about themselves. In some cases, they will give contact information, so if you see an artist you like, you could actually contact them and see if they have anything else that you like,” McClellan said.

“It’s just kind of a win-win all around for everybody — the artists, the community and the restaurants,” she added.

According to GRC and ROCC, some 39% of residents in the area served by these organizations experience food insecurity. In a move that supports both small businesses and the community, these organizations purchase cooked meals from restaurants and distribute them to local residents. McClellan explained that they have been purchasing 500 meals a week at around ten dollars a meal, an allocation of about $5,000 per week to

participating restaurants. About a dozen local restaurants are currently participating in the program, which has distributed more than 26,000 meals since April 2020.

“There are other groups that are distributing food, like Meals on Wheels and the College Park Community Food Bank, but … we are the only people buying meals from restaurants and putting them out. That distinguishes us,” McClellan said.

The pandemic has seen a 400% increase in the number of families in the D.C. region seeking food. As of October 2021, the unemployment rate in Prince George’s County was 6.4 percent, the 4th highest of Maryland’s 23 counties. And food insecurity is not solely a problem for the unemployed. Forty-four percent of employed residents had difficulty paying for housing, utilities, food and health care even before the pandemic.

Meal distribution sites include St. Mark’s Food Pantry, St. Jerome Catholic Church, Attick Towers Apartments, and Oak Ridge Apartments. United Methodist Church of College Park works with Al Huda to offer meals at the church that comply with Islam’s halal traditions. Parkview Garden Apartments is another halal-compliant meal distribution site.

To make a tax deductible donation to the program, go to ckarcdc.org or feedrouteone.org

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“Once More With Feeling,” by Sherrill A. Chase, was one of 43 pieces in a holiday art sale to support the cause — and the artists, too. COURTESY OF MICHAEL STEWART

Roughly 39% of residents in the area served by these organizations experience food insecurity.

on Jan. 4, that heavy wintry mix turns into ice.

Traffic came to a standstill on Interstate 95 in Northern Virginia on Jan. 3. As was widely reported, it took crews more than 24 hours to clear the road of ice and snow so traffic could move again. No significant backups occurred in or around College Park. In fact, residents weighed in favorably about the city’s efforts to clear streets. “Truthfully, I take them [DPW crews] for granted,” wrote longtime resident Dawn Budd, in an email, adding, “I don’t doubt the roads will be cleared of snow quickly (oftentimes my side road is better than Rhode Island Avenue between Paducah and Sunnyside).” Editor’s note: That stretch of Rhode Island Avenue is in Beltsville.

Cindy de Sales said that snow removal was not great in the rural Pennsylvania of her childhood. So when she moved to College Park and encountered her first snow event here 26 years ago, she stockpiled supplies, preparing to be homebound for days. “Was I surprised when the streets were being treated before the snow started falling and 2 or 3 times during the storm,” she wrote in an email. “From that point on, I would brag about our snow crew anytime someone would mention their snowy streets. They work hard, get the job done, and all my interactions with them have been positive. They’re rock stars and should be commended,” she added.

In addition to plowing, city crews dispersed 75 tons of roadway salt. They wrapped up work at 8 p.m. on the evening of Jan. 4 and resumed at 5 a.m. the next morning. Overnight temperatures had plummeted to 13 degrees.

According to the city, branches

fell on city streets in 10 locations, and residents reported many downed Comcast or Verizon lines.

The City of College Park does not treat and plow several main thoroughfares, including Baltimore Avenue, Greenbelt Road, University Boulevard, and Kenilworth Avenue — all four are maintained by the State Highway Administration. Prince George’s County is responsible for clearing certain streets in College Park, as well, such as Metzerott Road and Rhode Island Avenue north of Greenbelt Road.

Prince George’s County closed schools on Jan. 3 and 4, giving

snow days to students who otherwise would have been participating in virtual learning. As the first full week of January rolled around, the streets were quiet. Flying sleds and snow balls accounted for most of the noise in neighborhoods around town, and four-legged friends had a snow day, too.

The Here & Now sought several interviews with DPW staff as we were developing this story. We were granted just one, with director Robert Marsili, who was too busy preparing for the Jan. 7 snowstorm to speak with us.

CARTOON BY MICHAEL KUSIE

Top: Pete Griffith’s cat Bowie pondering the snow in Hollywood. Bottom: Jessie and Stu Adams’ dog Callie enjoyed romping in the snow. PHOTOS COURTESY OF PETE GRIFFITH AND JESSIE ADAMS

Meet Marden Timen, College Park Bicycles’ new owner

By Eva Sanchez

Marden Timen didn’t ever expect to have the keys to College Park Bicycles in hand. The 27-year-old polyglot loved riding bikes for recreation, but he never thought that they would become the center of his career — or that he would one day become the owner of a bike shop. “It’s interesting; working with bikes is always interesting,” said Timen. “I like to come here [to the shop]. If I don’t come here one day, I feel like I lose something.”

Timen is Uyghur Muslim and was born and raised in Western China. His life experiences have motivated him to work hard.

In 2015, Timen came to the U.S. on a student visa and began studying marketing at Montana State University. Timen speaks many languages, including Turkish, Malay, Uzbek, Uyghur and Chinese. In 2016, Timen began learning English.

“Right after I graduated college, I tried to find jobs. And then there’s my English. It’s not

easy for me,” Timen noted. “I tried so hard to find a job for a couple of months and, like, the pandemic come in, and then there’s no jobs.”

So Timen turned to biking, his childhood interest. “I see that bikes are hard to find, and I start to buy used bikes and sell them and import some, and that’s how I started,” he said. Timen started selling bicycles a year ago.

One day a postal worker came into Timen’s warehouse and told him that long-time College Park Bicycles owner Larry Black was retiring.

“I talked with Larry, and he liked me, and I liked him,” Timen said. The transition of ownership from Black to Timen was smooth — so smooth, in fact, that the two still work closely together. Black, a longtime bike enthusiast, has generously shared his knowledge with Timen, and Timen, who started his own brand, ARMDEN sports, has given Black some of his bicycles.

Timen is eager to improve college students’ access to bikes. “I know the college

students are looking for, literal, you know, low price and quality bikes. So that’s what our main target market will be,” said Timen.

Timen is keenly aware of the environmental advantages of cycling — conventional bicycles offer zero-emission transportation. But environmental issues can be at play when choosing a bike to buy.

Timen noted that inexpensive bikes may not last long and sometimes cannot be repaired — and tossing that bike and buying a new one has consequences. “Your intention is to protect the environment, but you’re hurting the environment, because that bike will not work after one year or two years, and you’re throwing it to the trash,” said Timen.

Timen is passionate about bikes, and it shows; his dedication to the customers and his curiosity for the sport carries on the Larry Black tradition of excellence at the shop. “It’s not just a bike, you know — it’s art,” he said, looking around at all the bikes on display at College Park Bicycles.

Marden Timen is the new owner of College Park Bicycles. EVA SANCHEZ