05-2022 College Park Here & Now

Commission strives to bring justice to Lakeland

By Katharine Wilson

In February 2021, the College Park City Council established the Restorative Justice Steering Committee, which they tasked with laying the groundwork for a more permanent commission. The committee fulfilled its mission, and, in response, city councilmembers appointed 20 representatives during their April 5 worksession to serve on the newly established Restorative Justice Commission; each representative will serve a three-year term. The commission, which is planning to hold

Catherine

Kleeman

transforms arts center

By Taneen Momeni

As soon as you step off of the elevator at the Montpelier Arts Center, in Laurel, you’re greeted by a large colorful quilt with a pattern reminiscent of cicada wings, in a nod to Brood X’s emergence in 2021. As you step forward, smaller quilts in warm autumnal colors and adorned with stitches shaping leaves embrace you.

University welcomes community back to

By Michael Purdie

Funnel cakes and charred burgers. Families fishing foam turtles out of a fountain. Tents full of exhibits spread out on sun-drenched lawns. Seed-spitting competitions, farm animals, bee-box building demos. The University of Maryland’s (UMD) huge annual celebration, Maryland Day, was back in full force — and in person — after a two-year hiatus. The university hosted tens of thousands at the campus-wide celebration on April 30, a perfect spring day with not a cloud in the sky. And the university’s goals for the celebration

Day festival

were every bit as clear, as Cynthia Martinez, who spearheaded the months-long, campuswide planning for the event, explained.

“[Maryland Day] is a campus-wide open showcase of the work of our students, faculty, and staff, and more importantly, how this work impacts our local community, the state of Maryland, and the world,” she wrote. Martinez is senior director of brand marketing with the university’s Office of Marketing and Communication.

“The UMD community has the opportunity to learn and have fun while exploring other areas of campus and the event is a valuable tool

for prospective students and their families to explore our campus and get a taste of campus life by connecting with current students and faculty,” she added.

Maryland Day, the university’s signature annual event, is known for its large audiences; as many as 65,000 people take part in the festivities. This year, organizers divided the campus into five different areas, or neighborhoods — Terp Town Center, Ag Day Avenue, Science and Tech Way, Art and Design Place, and Sports and Rec Row — to showcase an extraordinary range of opportunities

Elijah Achu, with the dance group S.T.E.P.P., engages the audience during a Maryland Day mainstage performance. TANEEN MOMENI

Restoring the Old Parish House, brick by brick

By Kathy Bryant

“We want the Old Parish House to be a showpiece for the public,” said Robert Marsili, the city’s director of public works.

To achieve this ideal, the City of College Park has been extensively repairing and restoring the historic structure, at 4711 Knox Road, in the city’s Old Town neighborhood. The restoration has been ongoing for several years, with final work underway this spring.

Built in 1817, the Old Parish House was originally a barn serving the Calvert Mansion and is one of only two surviving outbuildings from the Riversdale Estate, which is also known as Baltimore House or Calvert Mansion, in Riverdale Park. The barn is believed to have had three iterations over its lifetime. According

to the late Bill Lescure, a descendant of the Calverts, who owned the estate, the barn was used to store tobacco at one time. The building is a single-story structure with a gable roof, segmentally arched windows and side walls supported by brick buttresses.

Now more than 200 years old, the building was in need of significant repairs, which were detailed in a 2016 report prepared by Thomas Taltavull, a principal with TJT Architects, in Laytonsville. The report estimated that the project could cost just under $150,000. “We worked hard to do this in a historically accurate way,” Marsili said, noting that the city also chose to use a local firm. The work is being done by Contracting Specialists Incorporated, on Berwyn Road.

The first phase of the project

Managing Editor Mark Goodson mark@hyattsvillelife.com

involved replacing the roof and ceilings. Taltavull’s report found that the trusses were sagging, causing the walls to bow. The building was closed to the public until roof repairs made it safe for use again.

During the second phase of the restoration, which began three years ago, contractors began repairing and replacing windows, with an eye to historical accuracy. “One window was replaced in the back kitchen with a more appropriate window,” Marsili noted. (The kitchen is the newer part of the building.) A total of 11 windows were repaired in 2018.

The third phase of repairs started in fall 2021 and are being made to the exterior masonry. This work has included removing paint, and cleaning, repairing and replacing bricks and mortar. A portion of the masonry work

Advertising Sales Manager

Miranda Goodson

was paid for with a preservation grant of $38,500 from the Maryland National-Capital Park and Planning Commission; this amount was included in the initial cost estimate.

“The masonry work in the old church portion had previous repairs done many, many years ago that did not match the original and mortar that wasn’t right that needed to be repaired and repointed,” Marsili said. A few bricks had deteriorated and had to be removed. Some of them couldn’t be reused, but, Marsili added, “We’re utilizing some of the bricks we removed. The replacement bricks are very special and historical; they’re a little larger than regular bricks.”

LimeWorks.us, a company based in Pennsylvania that specializes in historical renovations, is doing the masonry work. “They came down and did the analysis of the mortar,” Marsili said. “They provided us with a matched up composite.”

from Ella Calvert Campbell in 1889 as part of his larger plan to develop Old Town. Johnson named the subdivision College Park, according to an article about him in the Washington Star newspaper. The name Johnson chose was a fitting recognition of the Maryland Agricultural College (now the University of Maryland), located in the heart of the community.

Johnson deeded the building to a local congregation in 1892, and within a few years, it was under the auspices of the Episcopal church and was known as St. Andrew’s Chapel. When St. Andrew’s congregation moved to their new home on College Avenue, the building became its parish house.

I live on Columbia Avenue in a home that Johnson gave to his daughter Emily, who was my great-aunt. She married Warner T. L. Taliaferro at the Old Parish House in June, 1896. Theirs was the first wedding performed in the chapel.

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 Kathy Bryant, Renee Domogauer, Chris McManes, Taneen Momeni, Michael Purdie, Katharine Wilson.

Layout & Design Editors Ashley Perks, Valerie Morris

Web Editor

Jessica Burshtynskyy

Advertising advertising@hyattsvillelife.com

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Business Manager Catie Currie

Board of Directors

Joseph Gigliotti — President & General Counsel

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: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. mail to every address in College Park. Additional copies are distributed to popular

As of early April, masonry repairs are 85% complete, according to Marsili. “Now we’re having a discussion about whether to recoat the exterior walls with paint or leave the building as is, with the exposed brick,” Marsili said.

“Without the paint, the building looks like a very historical structure.” Marsili also noted that the brickwork needed specific protections. “The breathable sealant protects and coats the bricks. The brickwork needs to breathe,” he said.

My great-grandfather, John Oliver Johnson, bought the property

St Andrew’s has a stained glass window in the church’s foyer commemorating Johnson’s gift of the building. The Old Parish House served as headquarters of the College Park Woman’s Club from the late 1950s until the city purchased the building in 1998. The city now rents out the building as a public meeting place and for special events. One very special, very memorable event took place in 2017, when Mark and Leslie Montroll organized the 200th anniversary celebration of the city’s beloved treasure.

How fortunate am I to be a fourth-generation resident, able to walk to the site of my greataunt’s wedding? How fortunate are we to live in a city that cares enough to preserve the barn that once served the great Calvert mansion? If those bricks could talk, I’d imagine they’d share my gratitude.

Left: The Old Parish House, one of College Park’s favorite meeting halls, is undergoing a facelift.

Above: St. Andrew’s pays tribute to Johnson and the Old Parish House with this stained glass.

COURTESY OF KATHY BRYANT

COURTESY OF MARK MONTROLL

Video monitoring back in the budget

By Katharine Wilson

Representatives of the University of Maryland Police Department (UMPD) met with the city council on April 5 to discuss adding funding for live-video monitoring capacity to the fiscal 2023 budget. Live-monitored cameras are used to alert patrol officers to dangerous situations and potential crimes; the fiscal 2022 budget funded record-only cameras. Councilmembers approved funding live-monitoring cameras in the FY 2023 budget, so this program will again be up and running in portions of the city.

“The university leadership respectfully ask the city to reinstate the monitor and the live monitoring of the city’s closed circuit TV cameras,” said University of Maryland (UMD) Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer Carlo Colella.

Previously, UMPD live-monitored 21 cameras placed in areas of the city with high levels of student activity, with 18 cameras in the Old Town neighborhood and three on Baltimore Avenue. The 2023 budget includes funding for 22 live-monitored cameras in the city. The university also has some 500 live-monitored cameras on campus.

UMD students employed by the university’s Security Operations Center (SOC) help monitor on-campus cameras for the university’s police department. With funding reinstated, SOC employees will also monitor the cameras in the city, as they did previously.

According to Colella, approximately 70 part-time students work in the SOC alongside permanent staff members. The student employees are supervised by UMPD.

Without the live-monitoring service, cameras in the city’s areas with high student activity would be record-only, like cameras in the rest of the city. Recordings from such cameras are typically used by police investigators if a possible crime is suspected in an area.

Using live-monitored cameras will cost the city $592 per camera per month, compared to $88 for record-only cameras.

The live-monitoring program started in FY 2011, and the university footed the bill for this service, at no cost to the city, for three years. The city has reimbursed the university a cost-per-camera fee annually since FY 2014.

UMPD Chief David Mitchell discussed with the council the importance of these live-monitored cameras for crime prevention and community safety. Mitchell recounted an instance when an employee monitoring a camera spotted an individual who appeared to be about to jump off of a parking garage. The department successfully intervened.

University of Maryland

Police Chief David Mitchell discussed with the council the importance of these live-monitored cameras for crime prevention and community safety. Mitchell recounted an instance when an employee monitoring a camera spotted an individual who appeared to be about to jump off of a parking garage. The department successfully intervened.

“One of our major concerns is the increased call for service as well as mental health,” Mitchell said.

The council responded to Mitchell’s presentation. “Live-monitoring, in addition to police patrols and other safety precautions, can assist with a more proactive response to criminal and safety issues that arise,” Councilmember Llatera Brown Esters (District 2) noted.

Some councilmembers expressed concerns about the price of the program during the worksession, questioning if live-monitoring was more effective than hiring an additional patrol officer. They also expressed concern over the lack of data indicating effectiveness of livemonitoring in the city.

Councilmember John Rigg (District 3) suggested that businesses monitored by the cameras could be designated in a special tax district to help fund livemonitoring services. The council is expected to address this in an upcoming worksession.

“Even if only a handful of people avoid being beaten or robbed or worse as a result of this, I think it is money well spent,” said Councilmember Susan Whitney (District 2).

Block and Bridle shows lambs on Maryland Day

By Taneen Momeni

A chorus of bleats echoed through the farm at the University of Maryland (UMD) as lambs paraded to the Block and Bridle club’s livestock show on April 30. Visitors attending the university’s first Maryland Day celebration since 2019 crowded around a pen to get a good look at the 3-month-old lambs being readied for the competition by their student handlers.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic, students in the university’s Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR) and Animal Sciences programs were able to show the lambs, pigs and dairy heifers that live on campus.

Sarah Balcom, a principal lecturer with AGNR, explained that showcasing the lambs was only one part of a more complex equation. Although the lambs were most obviously being assessed, judges were more focused on evaluating the student handlers, who had been working with their lambs for three to four weeks before the

show to familiarize them with the feeling of having their heads held and their legs touched, and to being haltered and led.

Anthony Righter, emcee of the livestock show and a freshman at the university, confirmed Balcom’s thoughts about the competition. “It’s a showmanship show. The animals are not being judged, but the showman is being judged on how well they can show their animals. So

that’s how well they can control the animal, how well they can show the animal to the judge. And that’s what the judge is looking for,” he said. Winners of each group have a chance to show their skills more than once during additional rounds of judging.

The event brought a bit of drama when Milly, a feisty lamb with a plan of her own, escaped her handler’s grasp and dashed

around the pen. Sullivan Haine, Milly’s handler, sprung into action and snagged the escapee, albeit with a bit of help. Despite the lamb’s escapades, Haine and Milly won the entire livestock show, thanks, in large part, to their composure throughout the judging.

“I didn’t really expect [to win]. My lamb got away from me, and I thought it was all over … [Dr. Monica VanKlompenburg] was coaching me from the sidelines, and she was, like, ‘Just keep your cool,’ and I think I did,” said Haine, who was participating in the event for the first time.

“This is my first time ever at a livestock show like this … It’s very nice to be out and around people again and be able to put on an event like this during COVID[-19]. I’m just excited to be here,” Haine added.

AGNR sponsors competitive showings not only to advance students’ experience, but also to educate the community about the university’s agricultural program and to highlight the fact that farm animals live on campus. Today’s University

of Maryland was chartered as the Maryland Agricultural College in 1856.

“[Livestock shows] are more for now, public education and a way to sort of celebrate the animals that we’ve raised. We really want people to come to the farm and learn about agriculture,” Balcom said. “So this is a really big opportunity to bring all these people in Maryland to a small but working farm and talk to them a little bit about where their food comes from, what our challenges and opportunities are, and just to have fun.”

“[Participating in Maryland Day] is amazing.” Righter said, noting that he sees the event as an opportunity for the community to explore the farm and learn about programs at UMD’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.“I hope that they learn more about how much the university cares about agriculture and the industry. I hope they take home also that the students are really involved here. It’s not just you come, and learn and leave; you come, you experience new experiences that you can take home, and maybe you’ll do it after graduation.”

Sullivan Haine and Milly (front) won the lamb competition. TANEEN MOMENI

Sonic Frontiers festival brings modular synth music to Brentwood Arts Exchange

By Michael Purdie

As a warm spring breeze blew through a large open door on April 23, a festive crowd in the main gallery of the Brentwood Arts Exchange exchanged greetings and toasted each other with drinks from Hyattsville’s popular Maryland Meadworks. Electronic music filtered through the space, enticing the crowd into a gallery filled with artwork and rows of seats.

As the crowd settled in, the lights dimmed and a myriad of colorful beams showered down on Heather Stebbins, the first of three featured performers at the Sonic Frontiers music festival, which also included a modular synth workshop and drop-in demos. The festival was organized by the DC Modular Collective and hosted by the Brentwood Arts Exchange, on Rhode Island Avenue in Brentwood.

“I would definitely consider this a success,” said Barry Schmetter, whose performance name is Resonant Space. “We welcome all artists to network with us, and it’s nice to see this community just hanging out and collaborating.”

Schmetter co-founded the DC Modular Collective with Aaron Mertes in 2017.

The DC Modular Collective is a community of individuals exploring modular synthesizers and connecting with fellow synth enthusiasts. “There really wasn’t a group that specifically was trying to get people together for modular synthesis to network,” Schmetter said, pointing to why he and Mertes established the collective.

The artists use modular

synthesizers to make electronic music by patching together unique modules of sound in a sequence. The resulting tones can range from melodic to chaotic.

“A module is breaking a synthesizer into pieces,” Schmetter explained. “You can compare it to a car: A module is like a piece of a car, like the brakes or the engine; it’s just a component. The beauty of modular synthesis is that you can create your own instrument.”

The feature performances of the night were by Stebbins, by a musician known as Atograph and by an artist who calls herself Tangent Universes, who was performing for a live audience for the first time. Resonant Space — Schmetter — controlled video displays on a large screen for each performer.

Stebbins, who has a background in music composition, is a fulltime professor of music and technology at George Washington University. She started exploring modular synth during the pandemic and is versed in the technical side of synth — the computer hardware and software that are integral to the art. “I kind of fell down the rabbit hole and really loved the way [working with synthesis hardware] bridged my interests in music technology and composition, but the more performative aspect,” she said, “It really allows me to play the kind of music I want to write for others.” Stebbins is teaching her first modular synth class this semester.

Between performances, the crowd gathered in the main gallery, where the arts exchange’s current exhibit, “Treehouse,” is installed. The piece, which combines natural and artificial

elements, invites visitors into a beautiful space to explore ways we can connect to nature and each other. Spontaneous performances and demos popped up at booths around the room; Mary-

land Meadworks and the collective each had an information booth in the gallery, as well.

“[Modular synths] really bridged my creativity of music with math and science,” said Ryan Dunn, one

of the drop-in performers. “There’s a thriving modular community in D.C., for sure, and it’s nice, especially coming out of COVID[-19], to have a sense of community.”

Patrick O’Brien, an expert synth artist, offered a workshop on a technique called generative patching, which basically sets a module to independently play a sequence of sounds for an extended period of time.

O’Brien watched a single YouTube video on modular synths about eight years ago and was immediately hooked. He went on to organize Modular on the Mall, a monthly concert series that takes place at the D.C. War Memorial on the National Mall. “Providing a space for people to play, that’s my contribution to the community,” he said. The next Modular on the Mall event will take place at noon on June 5.

The DC Modular Collective plans to host annual Sonic Frontiers music festivals each spring and fall. For more information about the collective, go to @dc_modular_collective on Instagram.

Jutta Brettschneider, MS OTR/L and GCFP Occupational Therapy and Feldenkrais

Tyler Charles makes adjustments during a demo at the Sonic Frontiers music festival. MICHAEL PURDIE

University of Maryland shelters Afghan refugees

By Michael Purdie

On April 5, the University of Maryland (UMD) announced that it would provide temporary housing to refugees from Afghanistan through a partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), in what would be an apparent first-of-its-kind approach for a public university. According to UMD Vice President of Student Affairs Dr. Patty Perillo, the university has provided housing to four families, with a reported total of about 35 individuals included.

The university’s announcement included UMD President Darryll Pines’ statement in support of the initiative: “The University of Maryland is part of a global community, and when we have the opportunity to support humanity, we embrace it. We look forward to providing on-campus housing and being good neighbors to Afghan families. They are U.S. allies who have braved a terrifying situation, and we are happy that we can offer them a

welcoming community as they seek permanent housing.”

UMD acted quickly as the refugee crisis in Afghanistan started to unfold in August, 2021. Perillo assembled a team to develop the university’s response and an action plan. The university’s willingness to accommodate refugees fleeing persecution marked a significant and novel choice. According to the university’s statement, the action was a first;

no other public university had made campus facilities available in this way before.

Perillo understood the complex circumstances that Afghan refugees faced and underscored that the university carefully and responsibly considered possible actions.

“These individuals are U.S. allies who have served honorably and at great personal risk to themselves alongside U.S. troops, diplomats, and other

government employees, such as interpreters, translators, cultural advisors, drivers, and more,” she stated. “These individuals and their families are eligible for resettlement in the U.S. through the federal Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program. The SIV gives those who worked with U.S. forces and personnel a legal path to safety if they now face the possibility of persecution and violence in Afghanistan because

of their support to U.S. efforts there. The families have completed extensive U.S. government processing including background checks, immigration paperwork, and medical screenings.”

IRC representatives and campus and community volunteers have been providing the families with a range of services to help them secure permanent housing and employment. A number of local businesses and university departments have been offering direct support to the families, as well, providing food and basic staples, and the university’s library system is collecting bilingual books for them.

“Our university’s strategic commitments include partnering with others – IRC and the U.S. Department of Education and others – to solve the grand challenges of our time,” Perillo wrote in an email. “This is clearly one of the grand challenges of our time. Our students will learn a lot as they live among these refugee partners.”

The university’s willingness to accommodate refugees fleeing persecution marked a significant and novel choice. According to the university’s statement, the action was a first; no other public university had made campus facilities available in this way before.

COLLEGE PARK POST

Taking Care of our Minds with Mindfulness and Self-Care Exercises and Tips, plus other Children’s Mental Health Resources

May 1 - 7, 2022 is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week in Maryland. is week, we will be talking about the importance of being healthy not just in our bodies, but also in our minds. is means doing things to help ourselves and others feel better when we are feeling scared, angry, sad, embarrassed, or stressed and doing things to take care of ourselves.

Brought to you by the City’s Department of Youth, Family, and Senior Services. e Department of Youth, Family and Senior Services serves families through quality culturally-responsive clinical services and communitybased programs that strengthen children’s well-being and family relationships.

For more information, please email families@collegeparkmd. gov or call 240.487.3550.

HOW TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS AS A FAMILY

With busy family schedules between work, school, and family life, it is often di cult to take a

break and check in with ourselves. Mindfulness is a practice that encourages people to be as present as possible, taking steps to slow down and notice what happening around us.

When practiced regularly, mindfulness can help reduce stress and anxiety. Below, we share a few tips on how to incorporate mindfulness into your family’s everyday lives.

• GET OUTSIDE! Going out into nature is a great way to practice mindfulness. Ask your child to try and use as many senses as they can to experience what is around them. Ask them: what do you smell? What types of sounds do you hear? What kinds of trees, owers, or animals do you see?

• BECOME EMOTIONALLY CURIOUS. Ask your child about the emotions they are feeling at any given moment. If your child is feeling angry, for example, ask what anger feels like in their body. What does anger feel like? Where do you feel it? Knowing words

for emotions and identifying how those feelings are felt in the body are important components of mindfulness.

• GIVE THANKS. Practicing gratitude is another way to practice mindfulness. At a shared meal, have the members of your family each talk about what they are grateful for that day.

• JUST BREATHE. One quick and easy way to regulate the body is to breathe. e 3-4-5 Breath is one that the whole family can practice together: breathe in for three seconds, hold breath for four seconds,

and breathe out for ve seconds.

RESOURCES

Looking for resources, tips and more information? Visit the City’s website (www.collegeparkmd. gov) under News for links and information for:

• 2022 Virtual Chalk Art Festival

• Children’s Mental Health Matters! Coloring Book

• Breathing Wands DIY Activity

• Coping Skills Cards and Bookmark Activity

• Self-Care for Families

• Virtual Calming Event and more!

All events are from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at City Hall Plaza (7401 Baltimore Avenue). Free Parking during the event will be available at the Downtown Parking Garage.

Details at www.collegeparkmd.gov.

5.13.22

Upcoming Friday Night LIVE Dates:

June 10 – College Park PRIDE

July 15 – Salsa and Fiesta

August 12 – Sing me the Blues

September 9 – Oktoberfest!

Upcoming City Events

RABIES & MICROCHIP CLINIC

Sun. May 15, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Davis Hall

e City’s Animal Control and Animal Welfare Committee are hosting a Rabies and Microchip Clinic for City pets on May 15, 2022 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Appointments are required - slots are individual, you can only register one animal per spot. Appointments are in 10 minute slots, and space is limited. All animals must be leashed or properly con ned to a carrier. No walk-ins. City residents must be able to provide proof of residence to obtain free services. Registeration and details here: https://may2022rabiesclinic. eventbrite.com.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE!

May 13, June 10, July 15, August 12, and September 9 6:30 to 8:30 pm City Hall Plaza

e City of College Park is hosting a series of concerts this summer and you are invited! Join us on the plaza at the new City Hall building on select Fridays for Friday Night LIVE! e events will feature a variety of musical genres and performers and will include something for everyone. ere will be children’s performers, activities and arts and crafts available for kids as well.

All concerts will be held at City Hall Plaza (7401 Baltimore Avenue) between May to September from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Free parking will be available at the Downtown College Park parking garage at the corner of Yale and Knox. Local food and beer will be available for purchase during the event!

BIKE TO WORK DAY

Friday, May 20, 6:30 am to 8:30 am City Hall Plaza

Bike to Work Day is an annual event held throughout the DC Metropolitan area to promote alternative commutes, environmental health, and bike safety in the community. Each year, the City’s pit stop attracts over 150 riders. is year’s event will be held on the morning of Friday, May 20. Bikers can join us at City Hall Plaza for a free t-shirt and refreshments before biking to work.

Register at: https://www. biketoworkmetrodc.org/register.

MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE

Monday, May 30, 11:00 am College Park Veterans Memorial

e City of College Park will hold its annual 2022 Memorial Day observance, Monday, May 30 at 11:00 a.m. at the College Park Veterans Memorial at the intersection of Rt. 1 and Greenbelt Rd. e program will include music, speakers, and wreath laying in tting tribute to the men and women who have served our country. Please bring pictures of your loved ones, veterans alive or passed to share on our Honors Table. Parking is available near Bowlero at 9021 Baltimore Ave. Sponsored by the City’s Veterans Memorial Committee.

PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNITY MEETINGS

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

Please join City Elected O cials, Police, the Department of Public Services, and neighbors from all around the City, for an informative monthly reoccurring meeting. is community meeting will discuss City-wide crime statistics, recent incidents of public interest, neighborhood watch tips, and special public safety related topics.

FOURTH OF JULY PARADE

Monday, July 4, 11:00 am Rhode Island Avenue ending at Duvall Field

CALL FOR ENTRIES!

Entries must be received by 4 p.m., Friday, June 24, 2022. Apply at: www.collegeparkmd.gov/ july4parade2022entries.

We’re having a parade and we need you! We are looking for marching bands, military units, classic/ custom vehicles, dogs/animals, equestrian groups, majorettes, re/police vehicles, cheerleading squads, groups, performers, motorized oats, clown/humorist entries, girl and boy scouts, and many others. Prizes will be awarded for the best entries in each category.

Have questions? Email events@ collegeparkmd.gov.

COLLEGE PARK DAY

Saturday, October 15, 12pm - 6pm College Park Aviation Museum

Save the Date! Details to come!

Apply to be on an Advisory Board!

Help Serve your Community!

Are you interested in serving on a City Advisory Board?

Serve your community, lend your talents, and meet your neighbors by applying to serve on a City advisory board:

• Advisory Planning Commission

• Airport Authority

• Animal Welfare Committee

• Bee City USA

• Board of Election Supervisors

• Committee for a Better Environment

• Education Advisory Committee

• Ethics Commission

• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Tribute Committee

• Noise Control Board

• City Events Advisory Board

• Seniors Committee

• Tree and Landscape Board

• Veterans Memorial Committee

More information about the committees and the application is available on our website at www. collegeparkmd.gov.

Interested in volunteering?

Please complete and submit an application to jsmiller@ collegeparkmd.gov by Wednesday, June 1, 2022.

e Mayor and Council will make appointments in June 2022 for three-year terms that will begin on July 1.

student rentals to drop off bulky trash, white goods, electronics recycling, brush, and yard trim In addition, we will accept a small number of light bulbs and tubes; household batteries; and block Styrofoam.

Items brought during cleanup event do not count toward your bulk trash numbers, and there is no fee for appliances or electronics.

You must be a resident of the City of College Park and bring an ID with city address or a copy of your current lease as proof of city residency to participate.

NOT ACCEPTED: Bricks, concrete, rock, hazardous materials such as shingles, propane tanks, car batteries, paint, etc.

Wood mulch will also be available, you don’t need to be a resident in order to purchase. Wood mulch is $12.00 per cubic yard. (Prices include tax). Smartleaf® compost is SOLD OUT!

THESE ITEMS WILL ALSO BE ACCEPTED DURING SPRING CLEANUP:

F Fluorescent l ght bulbs and tubes (small quantities) – must be intact. Includes LED lamps, U-shaped or circular fluorescent lamps, High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps, Ultra Violet (UV) lamps, Incandescent Bulbs, Halogen or Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL’s)

H Household batteries for recyc ng (small quantities). This includes rechargeable batteries such as Li-Ion, Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, Ni-Zn; Single-use alkaline batteries such as AA, AAA, 9V, C, D button cell, and lithium primary. No damaged batteries; no automotive batteries.

B Block Styrofoam for recycl ng (Only large Styrofoam blocks and foam coolers accepted. No peanuts, or foam containers).

ARPA Assistance Programs

City Business & Non-Pro t and Individual & Family Assistance Grants

business impacts.

City Announcements

More information: www.collegeparkmd.gov

COVID-19 AT-HOME TEST DISTRIBUTION

e City of College Park has been distributing more than 1,000 athome COVID-19 test kits to City residents.

If you are a City resident and would like a FREE COVID-19 AtHome Test Kit, you must ll out the reservation request form at https:// cityofcollegepark.formstack.com/ forms/covid19testkitrequest.

More details available on the City’s website and the form link above.

bulky items will only be scheduled for Friday, June 3, of this holiday week. You must call 240-4873590 or email publicworks@ collegeparkmd.gov to schedule a pickup before setting your items out to the curb.

THE CITY IS HIRING!

e City is Hiring! e City has several jobs available. Apply here: collegeparkmd.applicantpool. com/jobs.

ELECTRONICS DROP OFF LOCATION

e City has established two programs to assist businesses, non-pro ts, and residents address negative nancial impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). ARPA provides funding for many programs and services to residents and small businesses of College Park. e graph above illustrates some of the uses and positive impact of ARPA funding in our community.

e American Rescue Program Act (ARPA) has provided funds that the City is using for these and many other projects. Each program is summarized below. e goal of these programs is to help our residents, businesses and nonpro ts get back on their feet and better prepared to be nancially 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

is program can provide eligible small businesses and non-pro ts with nancial 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

Businesses and non-pro ts must have a physical presence in the City of College Park, employ 75 or fewer full-time (or equivalent) sta , 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

e purpose of this program is to provide nancial assistance to eligible College Park individuals and families who have a demonstrated nancial 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 ful lls the program requirements.

e maximum nancial 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 OFFICES CLOSED MEMORIAL DAY

All City of College Park o ces will be closed on Monday, May 30, 2022 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. Refuse and recycling will occur one day later than normal during this holiday week:

• Monday collections will occur Tuesday, May 31

• Tuesday collections will occur Wednesday, June 1

• Wednesday collections will occur ursday, June 2

Special collections for brush and

City residents can bring electronics for recycling to the drop o box near the entrance of the front doors to Davis Hall. No more than 3 items can be disposed of at no cost.

• Accepted: TVs, monitors, mouse pointers, keyboards, microwaves, gaming systems, computers, hard drives, cell phones, printers, laptops, surge protectors, copiers, fax machines, telephone systems, cable, circuit boards, and toner cartridges.

• Not Accepted: Light bulbs (CFL or Tubes) or batteries of any kind.

Planting Trees

More information: www.collegeparkmd.gov/trees

Trees provide many bene ts such as reduction of cooling and heating costs, interception of rainwater, increasing property values and improving air quality. e City o ers a few ways to help. More information (along with all applications and forms) is available at www.collegeparkmd.gov/trees.

• e City is gauging interest in a potentially new tree planting program for residents. If you are interested in having a tree planted on your property by a contractor, please complete the interest form on the City website in the trees section. When lling out the form, select Tree Planting on residential property or contact horticulturist@collegeparkmd. gov.

• REQUESTS FOR STREET

TREES: e City has a program that provides for street tree planting in the right-ofway area, which includes

the grass strip between the curb and sidewalk. College Park residents interested in requesting a tree can contact Brenda Alexander at 240487-3590 or balexander@ collegeparkmd.gov. e location will be inspected to determine if it is suitable.

• TREE CANOPY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (TCEP): City of College Park property owners can apply for reimbursement of up to $150.00 annually, for approved tree(s) planted on their residential lot. e completed application should be sent to horticulturist@collegeparkmd. gov for review and approval.

TREE MAINTENANCE: e City is responsible for tree maintenance in the rights-of-way, City maintained buildings and parks, and on public property. Trees on private property are the responsibility of the property owner.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

SAVE THE DATE

College Park Community Library Book Group. Discuss e Spinsters Fortune, by Mary Kendall, on May 10 and e Ofce of Historical Corrections, by Danielle Evans, on June 9. The group meets on the lower level of the College Park Church of the Nazarene, 9704 Rhode Island Ave. For more information, email Carol Munn at donkinc@ msn.com

Paint Night at STAMP. Paint your night away at the University of Maryland’s STAMP Student Union! Instructors and supplies on hand. Free. May 12 from 6 to 8 p.m. Register at stamp.umd.edu/StudioA Classes

King Lear. Maryland Shakespeare Players present King Lear at the University of Maryland’s The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. Free, reservations not required. May 13 and 14 at 7 p.m. and May 15 at 4 p.m.

Berwyn Community Yard

Sale. May 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pick up a map of sales in the neighborhood at Jack Perry Plaza (4915 Berwyn Rd.) that morning. Berwyn residents can register their sale by emailing president@myberwyn.org

Free Youth Sports & Tennis Festival. Junior Tennis Champions Center at 5200 Campus Dr. will offer free sports, food, prizes and more fun on May 14 from 3 to 5 p.m. To register, go to jtcc.org/outreach/ tennis-festivals/

Earn Your Wings. Calling all scouts! Receive a College Park Aviation Museum patch by testing your engineering skills, learning the parts of a plane and flying in a simulator. May 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. $5 per

Child. 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Dr. For more information and to register, email Jamie Jones at jamie.jones@pgparks.com

Prince George’s Philharmonic. Visit The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland for the final concert in the 56th season of the Prince George’s Philharmonic. General admission $30; $25 for anyone 62 and older; $10 for students with student ID; under 18 free. May 15 at 3:30 p.m. For tickets, go to theclarice.umd. edu/event-details/98803

College Park Aviation Museum Airmail Tour. Discover how airmail got off the ground in College Park. Free with museum admission: adults $5, seniors $4, children $2 (1 and under free).

May 21 and 22 from 1 to 2 p.m.

1985 Corporal Frank Scott Dr. For more information, contact Kimberly Schwartz, kimberly. schwartz@pgparks.com

National Orchestral Institute and Festival. Visit The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland to experience John Morris Russell’s cinematic music. Pay what you wish; minimum $5. May 28 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, go to theclarice.umd.edu/eventdetails/95403

Afternoon Aviators. Explore the multidisciplinary field of aviation at the College Park Aviation Museum. May 28 from 1 to 2 p.m. Free with museum admission: adults $5, seniors $4, children $2 (1 and under free).

1985 Corporal Frank Scott Dr. For more information email Trenda Davidson at trenda. davidson@pgparks.com

Spring Harvest. Visit the College Park Farmers Market at Paint Branch Parkway on May 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a free tutorial on planting and eating

spring fruits and vegetables. 5211 Campus Dr. Register at web1.myvscloud.com/wbwsc/ mdpgparkswt.wsc and enter code YCSD-SPEC-GA-20220514

Virtual Book Club. The College Park Arts Exchange invites you to discuss Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age, by Annalee Newitz, on May 17 and e Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR, by Lisa Napol, on June 21. Free. 7 to 8:30 p.m. RSVP by emailing info@cpae.org

JTCC Champion Celebration. College Park’s own Junior Tennis Championship Center will join GEICO, Sandy Spring Bank and the Bisnow family in honoring International Tennis Hall of Famer Tracy Austin and Tennis Channel CEO Ken Solomon at the Columbia Country Club on May 19. Open to the public; 6:45 p.m. Purchase tickets at jtcc. org/gala

Learn Brazilian Samba. Workshops on Brazilian drumming and dance, brought to you by the College Park Arts Exchange. May 21 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Old Parish House, 4711 Knox Rd. Free. For more information, email info@cpae.org

Hunt, Gather and Make. Route 1 Corridor Conversations will host multi-disciplinary artist Racquel Keller in a conversation about using everyday items and your own imagination to create art. Free. May 21 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. To snag an inspiring supplies list and register, go to hyattsvilleaginginplace.org and click on Programs and Activities.

College Park Céilí. EducArte hosts College Park Céilí, an Irish social gathering filled with traditional music and dance. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Free. May 28 at 7 p.m. at the Old Parish House, 4711 Knox Rd.

ESL Classes Available. Participants will study reading, writing, and speaking in English. Free. Attend first class to register and discuss schedule on June 7 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Lower level of the College Park Church of the Nazarene, 9704 Rhode Island Ave.

Yoga in the Parks. Free yoga sessions at Lake Artemesia every Saturday this summer, starting on June 11. Hour-long sessions start at 9:15 a.m. (meet near the restrooms). For more information, including registration details, email wellness@ pgparks.com

Fathers Day at Riversdale. Celebrate dads on Fathers Day, June 19, at the Riversdale House Museum! Kitchen Guild members will cook hearty meals and regale visitors with stories of fathers who lived there. Sessions at 1:30 and 3:00 p.m. For more information, call 301.864.0420 or email riversdale@pgparks. com

ONGOING

College Park Farmers Market at Paint Branch Parkway. Farm stands, local vendors and more. Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 5211 Campus Dr.

Senior Golf League. Tee off every Monday (except federal

holidays), with fellow seniors at the Paint Branch Golf Complex. Ages 50 and up. $25 cash to play. 8:30 a.m. sign in and 9:00 a.m. start. 4690 University Blvd. To register, email Ray Prather at laurelduo@msn.com or Joe Corson at jocorson@aol.com

e Hall CP. Open mic nights, wine-down Wednesdays, live music concerts and more! For the latest information, go to thehallcp.com/events

Hollywood Farmers Market. Local food vendors Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the Hollywood Shopping Center.

College Park Community Library Story Time. Story time with Micki Freeny every Wednesday from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. If weather permits, gather on the church’s front lawn. The library is located in the lower level of the College Park Church of the Nazarene, 9704 Rhode Island Ave.

Catherine Kleeman’s Yard Art Exhibit. Montpelier Arts Center presents the work of Catherine Kleeman, who finds inspiration in the natural world of her backyard. Free. Mondays through Saturdays until May 22. The center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 9652 Muirkirk Rd., Laurel. Questions? Call 301.377.7817

Free Football Skills Clinic. The Mount Rainier Nature Center offers free football skills clinics through the month of May. Ages 12-17. Free. Sundays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. 4701 41st Pl., Mount Rainier. To register email mtrainiernaturecenter@ pgparks.com

and achievements at UMD. The neighborhoods were full of fun: pep bands, cheerleaders, games and prizes. And full of food, too. Lots of food.

“Maryland day is one of the most fun days on campus,” said UMD senior Riya Chaudhry, who assisted turtle-fishing families. “This Maryland day, the sun was out and the weather was gorgeous. Being in the fountain, at the center of the mall, there was tons of celebratory energy and excitement from all the kids, parents, and students who were walking around. As a volunteer this year, I felt I truly got to engage with the event and showcase all the Maryland pride I’ve developed over the past four years.”

Crowds gathered around the barn on Ag Day Avenue for livestock shows and to tour the farm. (Some adventurous souls even explored the inside of a cow’s stomach!) Enthusiastic crowds flocked to plant giveaways a Maryland Day tradition. Science and Tech Way showcased the university’s comprehensive computer science offerings and a variety of STEM demonstrations. And all that

food? How about making ice cream with liquid nitrogen?

The Sports and Rec Row neighborhood attracted a huge crowd to the university’s stadium for the Terrapin’s annual Red-White Spring Game. Right next door, staff with UMD’s Student and Community Development Programs (SCDP) office hosted tours of a new residence hall. Maura Canavan,

Fashion Boutique

Website: www.HouseofVida.com

Phone: 240-582-5816

WhatsApp: 240-521-8751

Email: Manager@HouseofVida.com

a program assistant with SCDP, gave tours to more than 1,000 current and prospective students and alumni. She reported that she enjoyed “show[ing] off the benefits of on-campus living from an academic perspective.” In addition to offering fun and food, Maryland Day organizers clearly aimed to attract students to the university’s exceptional offerings.

The Arts and Design Place neighborhood featured live music, dance, theater performances and a hands-on art workshop at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Maryland Day was canceled in 2020, due to the pandemic, and a scaled-down event was held virtually in 2021 to celebrate UMD President Darryll Pines’ inauguration. This year’s event was ush-

ered in with a huge, collective sigh of relief as fans of the festival flooded back to campus. Canavan summed up the day’s success: “It was great to see everyone come together and represent themselves in the best way possible.” And the crowd put their best way front and center throughout the campus, throughout the day, with their Maryland pride on full display.

Fountain fun at the Maryland Day celebration on April 30.

TANEEN MOMENI

Nick Cross, former Maryland star, drafted by Colts

By Chris McManes

In less than seven years, Nick Cross transformed himself from football novice to NFL Draft pick.

Cross, who left the University of Maryland after three seasons, was a third-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts in late April. Indianapolis moved up in the draft to select the 6-foot-1, 212-pound safety.

“It’s a great overall organization with good structure and stability,” said Cross, a St. Jerome Academy and DeMatha Catholic High School graduate. “I feel like it’s a good place to be.”

As a junior for the Terrapins last season, Cross had 67 tackles (3.5 for loss), three sacks, two forced fumbles, four pass breakups and three interceptions. He was for a third time named honorable mention AllBig 10. In Maryland’s Pinstripe Bowl victory, his strip sack led to a touchdown by fellow DeMatha alum Greg Rose.

The numbers that really caught the attention of NFL personnel were the ones Cross recorded at the NFL Scouting Combine. He posted a 37-inch vertical jump, a 130-inch broad jump and ran the 40-yard dash in a blistering 4.34 seconds. It was the fastest time among safeties.

Cross, who’s only 20 years old, also ran track at DeMatha and Maryland.

“He’s a fantastic athlete,” said NFL analyst and former pro personnel director Louis Riddick during the draft. “He can make plays on the ball.”

The Colts’ head coach is former Buffalo Bills and Maryland quarterback Frank Reich. Among Cross’ fellow safeties is Rodney McLeod, a 2008 DeMatha graduate who played on the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2017 Super Bowl championship team.

Cross first met McLeod when he attended McLeod’s football camp in the summer of 2015.

“He’s someone I look up to, who came from DeMatha and

shadow. With her mastery in this piece, Kleeman certainly met her goal.

got the job done,” said Cross, who after wearing number 3 at Maryland will don his high school number (20) with Indy.

Cross transferred to St. Jerome Academy for eighth grade in 2014. That winter, he helped lead the Jaguars basketball team to another CYO Mid-Atlantic City Championship. His first experience in organized football came on DeMatha’s 2015 freshman team. He played varsity the next season and contributed to the Stags’ titlewinning squad. He started his final two years and as a senior was named All-American.

Cross learned his football fundamentals at DeMatha, particularly under head coach Elijah Brooks, defensive coordinator Deno Campbell and defensive backs coaches Vance Robbs and Josh Wilson. (Brooks is now the Terps’ running backs coach.)

“They helped start my football career and really put me on pace to have a lot of success,” Cross said. “They helped me

develop my football knowledge and football IQ.”

Cross is two semesters shy of graduating with a finance degree. He plans to return to Maryland during the offseason because he wants to graduate from the Robert H. Smith School of Business.

“It’s definitely important,” he said. “I told my parents that I would come back and finish. A college degree is something no one can take away from you and something I can add to my arsenal.”

Cross said Joe Sego, his coach at St. Jerome, was one of the first people to instill in him the idea that he could play in the NFL, “even before I started playing football.”

“After we won the city championship, I told Coach Sego I wanted him to be part of my life, part of my journey,” he said. “We have a great bond. I talk to him about a lot of things. I look to him as a mentor, a brother, an uncle. I’ve really been appreciative of having him in my life.

I’m super grateful for it.”

Cross is the first St. Jerome graduate to be chosen in the NFL Draft. The school has produced NBA players Victor Oladipo, Marcus Derrickson, Jeff Dowtin and Quinn Cook. Sego also coached former Miami Dolphins Pro Bowler Cam Wake at St. Mark.

“From the day I met him, Nick had a laser focus rarely seen in someone so young,” Sego said. “Decked out in Redskins gear, he’d talk about his love of [the late] Sean Taylor and his dream to play in the NFL. His work ethic and commitment to improving in basketball and then football was almost an addiction.

“I simply supported his goals and talked about Cam, Victor and Quinn’s success. I never questioned his abilities and always reinforced the attainability of his dreams.”

Chris McManes (mick-maynz) covers Terrapin sports for the College Park Here & Now

Catherine Kleeman has filled the gallery with more than 20 pieces of artwork depicting elements of her own backyard.

“Every piece is a reflection of some event or presence in my yard,” Kleeman wrote in an email.

The artist began making quilts in the 1980s, initially giving them as gifts: “I have always been a hand crafter. Embroidery, knitting, painting, macrame - I have worked with my hands since I was a child.”

Kleeman devoted 10 months to creating quilts for the exhibit. While she was not sure which one took her the longest, she did find certain pieces particularly challenging.

“Some were more difficult to execute because I had to figure out how to achieve my vision for the piece,” she wrote. “As an example, Blood Moon is the partial eclipse of the moon we had last November. Trying to get the reddish color of the moon and also get a representation of what the surface of the moon looks like took me several tries.”

Kleeman’s gorgeous “Blood Moon” quilt features an iridescent partial circle — the shadowed portion of eclipsed moon — depicted in bold reds, oranges and yellows, with swirling stitches texturing the surface. A bright white sliver of visible moon peeks out from behind the

Four of Kleeman’s quilts — “Snow Days,” “Fall Colors,” “Pond #3” and “Signs of Spring” — represent the seasons. Each has unique combinations of colors and stitching evoking the time of year. Kleeman incorporated symbols, including zodiac signs, in these quilts.

“I haven’t used zodiac symbols in the past, but I may in the future,” Kleeman wrote. “I often use symbols such as Xs, or Os, or hash marks or some other type of mark — this is just mark making for design elements. The zodiac signs I used are easily rendered in fabric and also in the quilting design. No deep hidden meaning, they just happened to fit the idea.”

While Kleeman deliberately incorporated the zodiac signs, she noted that some elements in her art were not as calculated.

“I found it interesting that the quilts quite naturally fell into seasonal groups. It was not intentional, but since I made them over the period of nearly a year, it makes sense that I would have been influenced by my surroundings,” she wrote.

Kleeman said that she does not have a favorite piece.

“I like different pieces for different reasons. Sunflowers make me happy. The design for the Elephant Ear was challenging. The colors of Snow Days are not colors I use very often.”

Although there were many quilts of varying sizes and with varying designs, only one of the quilts, “Deer Lettuce,” featured text — noting, appropriately, a recipe for deer repellent.

“I don’t put text in my quilts very often, at least not like this. I did this piece to make a record of this recipe because I am often asked for it by friends who have deer who eat their plants. The postcard I made for the show uses the image of that quilt, and so I am hoping that they keep it for reference (and so have a reminder of my quilt),” Kleeman wrote.

Kleeman’s art was chosen as part of a juried competition, according to Alan Ernstein, the technical director at the arts

center.

“The jury process is just a couple of weeks. … We have a jury who spends a week or two deciding which are their choices, and then we invite the artists for specific periods … When they’re scheduled to bring the artwork in, I have a week to put it up on the wall and light it. Then they run for two months,” he said.

Entering the competition was a first for Kleeman, and she submitted entirely new pieces. “For this show, my proposal involved my making all new work,” she noted.

Both Ernstein and Kleeman emphasized the importance of offering the community a broad range of art and media through the center’s exhibits.

“We’re trying to attract as many different parts of the community as we can … We hope to have as many different kinds of things as we can so that people can come in every two months and see something that is a different way to express themselves,” Ernstein said.

“I hope the community understands the concept that quilts are more than just utilitarian objects. They deserve a place on the wall in art galleries alongside all the other forms of art,” Kleeman said. “Quilts and other textiles have primarily been the work of women and have frequently been relegated to second class positions. I hope that my work and the work of my peers can be given their due.”

“Blood Moon” (left) and other Kleeman works on display at the Montpelier Arts Center. TANEEN MOMENI

CALENDAR

FROM PAGE 7

its first meeting in May, will strive to restore and preserve Lakeland, the city’s historically Black community.

Restorative justice is a broad concept describing a process through which crimes — against individuals, communities, and even societies — are examined and addressed, with remedy as the optimal outcome. In essence, a restorative justice process creates a framework for wrongdoers to correct what they have done. The city’s decision to launch such an initiative directly relates to actions that the city took five decades ago: In the 1970s, the city seized property from Lakelanders as part of an urban renewal project, and many homes were destroyed. The neighborhood was redeveloped, largely with high-density housing, and Lake Artemesia was established following excavations to create the Metro’s Green Line.

Mayor Patrick Wojahn said that undertaking the restorative justice initiative is “making the community whole for what occurred in the past and and putting them as close as possible into the place or even better than they were before the wrong occurred.”

The Lakeland community was thriving before the city’s urban renewal program pushed many in the neighborhood out of their homes. According to the Lakeland Community Heritage Project, 104 of 150 households in the community were replaced with town homes and other structures during the city’s redevelopment efforts.

The Restorative Justice Commission includes members of the Lakeland community, residents of other neighborhoods in the city and local political figures.

Petrella Robinson, a

commission member and mayor of North Brentwood, saw the effects of urban renewal firsthand. She grew up in North Brentwood which was, like Lakeland, a historically Black community that was torn apart by urban renewal initiatives. As a child, Robinson used to visit Lakeland in the years before the city’s urban renewal process all but destroyed the community. Reflecting on the changes she has witnessed in Lakeland, she said, “I think they need restitution because they, they put them out of their homes, they came in and did what they wanted to do. It was a great, and is a great community.”

Isabella Alcañiz, also a member of the commission, is an associate professor of government and politics and the director of the University of Maryland’s Latin American and Caribbean Studies Center. She has researched transitional justice, which incorporates aspects of restorative justice, in Latin America. Alcañiz also works with the university’s Anti-Black Racism Initiative of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. “A truly restorative process will be one in which the voices of the community and the grievances of the community are not only heard but also addressed, and that will probably take many different forms,” she said.

Wojahn joined the commission to continue the city’s

recent efforts to underscore racial justice. The mayor would like the commission to promote deeper connections between Lakeland and resources throughout the city, including educational opportunities at the university. “The Lakeland Community is essentially cut off from surrounding neighborhoods. We’d like to look at how we might be able to better integrate Lakeland into the city, as a whole, to preserve the historic identity of Lakeland,” he noted.

Former city councilmember Bob Catlin is also serving on the commission. Catlin witnessed displacement of family and friends due to urban renewal initiatives in his hometown in Ohio, and he was involved with the Lakeland Community Heritage Project at its inception.

Former mayor Andrew Fellows was on the steering committee and is now a member of the commission. He emphasized that the group will work as a team in their efforts to bring justice to Lakeland. Fellows also expressed his belief that the process that the city undertakes may position College Park as a leader, locally and perhaps regionally, even nationally, in efforts to understand and address past actions that call for restorative justice.

Fellows said that this commission presents an opportunity for the city to be a leader in making things right with systemic racism on a local level.

Toastmasters International Meetings. Our local Toastmasters International charter, Rivertech, meets virtually on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month from 12:05 to 1 p.m. For more information and a Zoom link, go to rivertech.toastmastersclubs.org/ directions.html and click Contact Us.

Extension Courses. Looking to spruce up your garden with native plants? Primed for some time in a pasture? The University of Maryland Extension, Prince George’s County, offers a wide range of virtual and inperson opportunities. For more information, go to extension. umd.edu/news-events/events

Patuxent Nature Reserve. Looking to enjoy the spring weather? You can do so right in ourneighborhood nature reserve! Free programming throughout May. For more information, visit fws.gov/refuge/ patuxent

Food Assistance Available. Help by Phone Ltd. operates food pantries across Prince George’s County, with locations at Berwyn Presbetyrian Church (Greenbelt Rd.) and University Baptist Church (Campus Dr.). To schedule a pickup, call 301.699.9009, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Produce Delivery Every ird ursday. Sponsored by Community Connect Calvert Hills. Make your reservation by emailing your contact information (your name, street address, email and phone) to connectporfavor@gmail.com at least one day in advance of distribution. You can register for a duplicate delivery and share with others in need. Deliveries available to homebound residents. Pickups between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at a central location. For more information, or to volunteer to deliver, call 301.864.5267

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. To apply, go to mealsonwheelsofcollegepark. org or call 202.669.6297

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. BDCA’s monthly meeting will be on May 19 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 NCPCA meets on May 12 at 7:30 p.m. and each second Tuesday of the month after that. For more information, go to myncpca.org

Lakeland Civic Association. Next virtual meeting is June 9 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For login, 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. Next meeting is May 11 at 7 p.m. For more information, go to calverthills.weebly.com or email calverthillscitizensassn@ gmail.com

Restorative justice is a broad concept describing a process through which crimes — against individuals, communities or societies — are examined and addressed. A restorative justice process creates a framework for wrongdoers to correct what they have done.

Getting to know Hayden Renaghan

By Renee Domogauer

As an old saying reminds us, if you want to get something done, ask a busy person. Twenty-year-old University of Maryland (UMD) sophomore Hayden Renaghan is busy — seriously busy. And she’s getting a whole lot done, too.

Old Town’s tidy streets speak to Renaghan’s energy and dedication to the city. She is the UMD Student Government Association’s (SGA) deputy liaison to the College Park City Council and is active in the Clean City Project, a collaborative initiative of three university organizations: the SGA, the Interfraternity Council and the Pan-Hellenic Association. The project’s team tackles weekly street clean-ups in the city as part of their commitment to sprucing up the city.

“Students want it known that it’s their town, too, not just a pit-stop for them,” Renaghan explained.

The university’s Office of Community Engagement, the College Park Department of Public Works and the city council also participate in the Clean City Project, along with a number of residents. (The SGA has posted a form at ter.ps/cpcleanup that residents can use to report areas needing attention.)

Renaghan understands the importance of ongoing engagement. “We really have to encourage the leadership to remain diligent in the initiatives we undertake,” she said.

When asked how leaders can model constructive behavior, Renaghan said, “Show people why they should care. Prove

there are tangible benefits to respecting their community, to contributing, to leaving it a better place than they found it.”

This perspective resonated with her fellow student leaders. “She continues to demonstrate a passionate commitment to the projects she works on in her new role as chief of staff,” UMD student body president Kislay Parahsar wrote in an email.

Renaghan, a North Chevy Chase native, attended Bethesda-Chevy

Chase High School (B-CC), where she was student body president in her senior year. In this role, she advocated for policy change and led her fellow students in raising funds to support a number of initiatives; she said that her “crowning achievement” was a fundraiser which brought in $20,000 for the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society.

Renaghan, who applied to a dozen schools, decided that UMD was a great fit, and she

has not been disappointed. She has a double major in philosophy, politics and economics, and Spanish. She started at UMD in fall 2020, while classes were virtual. Seeking involvement beyond her coursework, Renaghan contacted the SGA’s lead recruiter. “I didn’t know what position I’d wind up with, but I knew I wanted to be a part of SGA,” she said. Her enthusiasm and leadership experience impressed SGA officers, who

brought her on board.

While still a freshman, Renaghan worked with Dan Alpert, former SGA liaison to the city council, to gain experience. During her sophomore year, she applied for Alpert’s position but didn’t get it; she became deputy liaison, instead. In this role, Renaghan organized a panel, “Leaders of Lakeland,” for Good Neighbor Day. The panelists explored Lakeland’s history and the impact of the city’s urban renewal initiative in this historically Black community, and presented information about the Lakeland Community Heritage Project. Renaghan and her fellow student leaders also organized a candidates panel on campus in the leadup to last fall’s city elections.

And as if her course load and involvement with the city weren’t enough, Renaghan also works at the university’s undergraduate student legal aid office. “We are able to provide free and life-changing legal assistance to any undergraduate on campus,” she noted.

When asked about her goals and dreams for the future, Renaghan laughed: “Well, if you mean this week?” She has considered some tantalizing options — law school, perhaps? A graduate degree? Maybe a stint in the Peace Corps? Whatever Renaghan chooses to do, wherever she decides to land, one thing is clear: She will be busy, working to make the world a better place.

Hayden Renaghan is the UMD Student Government Association’s deputy liaison to the city council. TANEEN MOMENI

Student groups push for higher pay as tuition and housing costs rise

By Taneen Momeni

Students at the University of Maryland (UMD) are facing growing financial challenges due to increasing tuition and fees, along with rising housing costs. In-state tuition at UMD has gone up by almost 2% since last year, from $8,824 to $9,000, and out-of-state tuition has risen by approximately 5% during this same period, from $34,936 to $36,683, according to the University System of Maryland (USM) website. Tuition rates have been increasing by these approximate percentages each year since 2018.

Rents in the area are on the rise, as well, both at commercial apartment complexes and two developments that come under the university’s umbrella. South Campus Commons, a publicprivate partnership between UMD and Capstone On-Campus Management, increased rates this year for the first time since 2020; the 3% increase now pegs the average monthly rate at the

Commons at just under $1,170. Rents at Courtyards, the second university-affiliated complex, averaged just under $930 during 2021; rates there are expected to rise by as much as 3%, as well, for fall 2022. And rates at residential developments with boutique amenities — Terrapin Row and The Varsity, for example — are far higher; a studio apartment at Tempo currently lists for as much as $1,834. These increases persist, even as the city’s government and the university’s administration claim to support affordable housing initiatives. And residential developments, particularly high-end developments and even some that are still under construction, are targeting students with aggressive marketing tactics.

“These places are taking advantage of people in a desperate situation, everyone deserves to have a fulfilling college experience and these rent prices are creating a class divide,” UMD sophomore Grace Orellana wrote in a text message.

As costs rise, students who are employed by UMD are sharply focused on stagnant pay in departments throughout the university. In December 2021, USM regents recommended a pay increase to $15 per hour for union-represented student workers. While campus groups celebrated this decision, they quickly turned their attention to securing a $15 minimum wage for all student employees of the university, including workers without union affiliation.

United Terps Against Sweatshops (USAS) and Fearless Student Employees (FSE) are two student organizations on campus advocating for pay equity across departments; the university’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors has supported a number of the students’ efforts, as well. Orellana, co-chair of the USAS student worker organizing committee, is frustrated by the slow pace of change.

“These places on campus are moving too slow with the wage

changes, they have the money and are dragging their feet, it’s as simple as that,” she texted.

FSE media chair Sam DiBella echoed Orellana’s sentiments.

“The fight for a $15 minimum wage has been going on for so long that $15 is no longer a living wage in many places in the US. Student workers, and unpaid positions like resident assistants do so much to make UMD function. They deserve a living wage for doing so.”

In March, USAS representatives met with UMD Vice President of Student Affairs Patty Perillo, who stated that the administration was moving department by department to establish a $15 minimum wage for student employees. According to Orellana, no university department has issued a statement confirming this action.

USAS and other campus organizations advocating for fair wages still have their work cut out for them as they host forums, meet with administration representatives and spread the word.

“UMD needs university wide change, now! But the university administration isn’t even willing to openly stand in solidarity with the workers they’re in charge of,” Orellana wrote. “A change needs to happen. Now.”

In December 2021, USM regents recommended a pay increase to $15 per hour for unionrepresented student workers. While campus groups celebrated this decision, they quickly turned their attention to securing a $15 minimum wage for all student employees.