04-2023 The College Park Here & Now

College Park special mayoral election May 6; read about the candidates on P.10

Meet the candidates at our April 15 forum; for details and how to submit questions, see P.11

Schum retiring after 37 years of service

By Kathy Bryant

After serving for 37 years as director of the College Park Department of Planning & Community Development, Terry Schum is retiring — and she's thinking about pursuing her lifelong interest in drawing and painting. And just as she explored numerous facets of life in College Park all these years, Schum plans to rediscover her neighborhood near Rock Creek Park, in Northwest D.C.

April 5K in University Park

By Braden Hamelin

This April marks the 21st anniversary of University Park’s Azalea Classic, the popular 5K race that raises funds for the University Park Elementary School. Moira Abernethy co-founded the race, in 2002, in hopes that it would prove to be an easy initiative for the school’s PTA to host.

“We had seen other schools that had done it, thinking that it wouldn't be that much work, but I think it was every bit as much work as the silent auction. But you know, we

SEE AZALEA CLASSIC ON 8 

Lemon Andersen on stage at The Clarice Center

By Braden Hamelin

Tony award winning poet, spoken-word artist and actor Lemon Andersen returned to the stage on March 31, performing his one-man show, “When Aliens Fall from the Sky,” at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland (UMD).

Andersen’s new spoken word piece, a set of poems, explores complicated nuances of the modern Latinix experience in the U.S. The performance capped a week-long creative venture that brought Andersen to UMD to participate in a residency program and the university’s Visiting Artist Series, both of which are under the auspices of The Clarice.

The residency program allowed Andersen and his director, Elise Thoron, to spend focused time developing his work. Thoron also came here for the residency and performance.

“They needed time to work on writing, because there were some sections that they just needed to focus in on continuity and really creating that thread,” said Jane Hirshberg, artistic planning director at The Clarice.

Andersen stepped away from the stage in 2016 to explore a number of dimensions of his art, and performing at The Clarice was his first opportunity in a number of years to test how his work would play to an audience. During his time off, Andersen took to the road a good deal; he focused on connecting with people he met along the way in an effort to inform his work. “When Aliens Fall from the Sky '' is the end product of his explorations, and the piece represents a new creative direction for Andersen. Previously, he largely explored his own life through his work; the scope of this new piece is more expansive.

residents celebrated spring with an Easter egg hunt at Duvall Field on

March 2023 was Schum’s last month working for the city. Miriam Bader became director of planning and development on April 1.

Schum minored in studio art in college and used to work in watercolor, chalk and collage, but she hasn’t created art since then. “Maybe I will carry around a sketchbook,” she said, adding, “Everybody in my family carries a sketchbook and is an artist of sorts. My husband has thousands of drawings.”

Her mother was an artist and created oil and watercolor portraits, and her husband, Dhiru Thadani, has received some local renown for his drawings, recently publishing 26 of them in Washington Drawings: Abe to Zoo. “For Christmas, it was a bestseller,” Schum said.

Over the years, Schum has enjoyed the flexibility that being city planner gave her. Admittedly not a morning person, she worked many late hours with the city council and frequently testified at evening meetings at both city and county levels.

Schum joined the City of College Park in February 1986 as economic development coordinator. “There was no planning department,” she pointed out. Her main job was to work with local businesses and revitalize downtown College Park. “Of course the job grew over time,” she noted.

Schum was absolutely sure she was going to lose her job early on because one of her first tasks was to improve the city’s playgrounds, half of which were owned by the city, with the other half owned by Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning.

“All were in terrible shape,” she

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

ROCC volunteer update

I am writing with an update on a volunteer group working in our local communities. Route 1 Communities Care (ROCC), its partner Greater Riverdale Cares and its parent non-profit Central Kenilworth Avenue Revitalization Community Development Corporation (which you may know as CKAR) are holding a big garage sale on April 29th. The sale will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Church of the Brethren, 4413 Tuckerman Street, in University Park. You will find high-quality new and lightly used clothes, shoes, household items, jewelry, toys and games, smaller pieces of furniture and a special Mother’s Day table. All items will be available at deeply discounted prices.

One hundred percent of your purchases will support the local, family-owned restaurants

said. “I hired a consultant who inspected them, cited violations and proposed improvements. The city council didn’t like me saying in public they were below standard, so they wanted to kill the manager.”

Schum’s job grew significantly over the years as she invested her skills and experience in planning for many facets of the city’s character and wellbeing, from complex transportation issues to comprehensive action plans that will sustain the city over time.

“How am I going to disengage from these things?” she asked, laughing. “There’s always another grant to explore and project to do. That’s what’s made it interesting and rewarding."

Schum officially retired on March 31. “I am excited,” she said, noting that her initial goals are to sleep in and take long walks. “I have an old house,

too, and it needs repairs,” she added.

Schum regrets that she will not be in the city to see a number of projects finalized, including the renovation of Duvall Field, the Hollywood Streetscape Project and the Route 1 revitalization effort.

new city hall come to fruition. “It was so hard to get a consensus because it’s a small city,” she said.

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

in Hyattsville, College Park and Greater Riverdale that we partner with to distribute nutritious meals to churches and apartment buildings to help feed our hungry neighbors. Our restaurant meals program has raised over $475,000, supported 12 area restaurants, and distributed over 40,000 meals. We work to help local restaurants to stay afloat and serve a growing population of food-insecure residents.

I’m proud to be a volunteer for ROCC. We started this program in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, thinking it would be temporary. But many people are still struggling, even as we ease out of the pandemic. They face the end of federal safety nets like the child tax credit, unemployment aid, and as of this coming May, nutrition assistance programs like SNAP

Managing Editor Mark Goodson mark@streetcarsuburbs.news

Associate Editor Nancy Welch nancy@streetcarsuburbs.news

Writers & Contributors Rick Borchelt, Kathy Bryant, Alice Carlson, Mary Daniel, Braden Hamelin, Jan Carlo Marin, Matt Menke, Lauren Reeder, Deborah Rosenfelt, Paul Ruffins, Mat Schumer

Layout & Design Editors Ashley Perks, Valerie Morris

Web Editor Jessica Burshtynskyy

Advertising

advertising@streetcarsuburbs.news

301.531.5234

that had been supported by the National Public Health Emergency Act.

In addition, data show that the culinary industry has failed to keep pace with other areas in recovering from the economic blows of the pandemic. Our participating restaurants tell us that our program has helped sustain them in these hard times. Their survival contributes to the lovely sense of a diverse community with many options for eating pleasure that distinguishes our neighborhoods.

So please turn out for our sale (cash only, please) and bring your families. We hope to see you there!

Thank you, Deborah Rosenfelt

Deborah Rosenfelt is a member of the ROCC committee and a professor emerita at the University of Maryland.

Advertising Sales Manager

Miranda Goodson

Business Manager Catie Currie

Board of Directors

Joseph Gigliotti — President & General Counsel Melanie Dzwonchyk — Interim Secretary Stephanie Stullich — Treasurer Gretchen Brodtman, Bette Dickerson, Nora Eidelman, Maxine Gross, Joe Murchinson, T. Carter Ross Katie V. Jones, Mark Goodson, Griffin Limerick — Ex Officios

Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. mail to every address in College Park. Additional copies are distributed to popular gathering spots around town. Total circulation is 9,600.

CPH&N is a member of the National Newspaper Association and the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Schum was born in the District and grew up in Silver Spring. She married soon after starting to work for the city. Her daughter, Adrienne, married an Indian and lives in India, where she works in urban agriculture and urban farming. Her son, Dylan, lives near Joshua Creek State Park in California, and he teaches art in an elementary school. Both children often accompanied Schum when she came to her office in College Park.

Following her passions for history and archaeology, Schum majored in urban geography at the University of Maryland. “I was always interested in cities and urban development,” she said. She earned a masters in urban planning at Johns Hopkins, in Baltimore. She landed in College Park after connecting with Jack Callahan, who at the time ran the city's Lakeland urban renewal plan, at a seminar.

Schum was happy to see the

Schum is proudest of her work on the city’s comprehensive plan. “It was a three-year effort, working citywide with the community, bringing everyone together and asking them to think of the city as a whole and the city’s future. I’m happiest about the collaboration of people I got to work with to bring together and learn from,” she said.

She said her legacy “really is a more mature College Park. I think most parts of the city have improved during my watch, from the residential neighborhoods to the commercial areas.” She added that the city “has grown its tax base as a result of the redevelopment and can now afford to reinvest in city improvements.”

Schum emphasized that the work she did was always a collaborative effort with good people over the years.

“The city has come a long way during my time here, and there’s still more to be done," she reflected. "That’s why my successor will still have opportunities and challenges to work with going forward.”

City purchases parcel in Berwyn

By Jan Carlo Marin

In early February 2023, the City of College Park bought a small parcel of undeveloped land in the 5100 block of Roanoke Place, in the Berwyn neighborhood. The parcel was purchased through Program Open Space, a state-funded initiative that helps local governments preserve land for recreational use.

Directory of Planning & Community Development Erik Valentine hopes to use the parcel as open space where people can gather. The city has similar plans under way for the Senti-

nel Swamp Sanctuary, in Old Town. Valentine said that by preserving the sanctuary, the city “hope[s] to incorporate educational elements because of the site’s unique natural habitat.”

The city is seeking community input about how to move forward with the Berwyn property, and Valentine indicated that the city council will consider plans for the parcel at upcoming meetings. Residents are invited to meet and discuss options with members of the Berwyn District Civic Association. For meeting location, dates and times, contact president@ myberwyn.org.

Terry Schum retired from the City of College Park on March 31. LAUREN REEDER

BE WELL, COLLEGE PARK

A walking enthusiast’s guide to feeling better

By Mary Daniel

So many of us are eager to feel healthier and happier — and especially so, now that we’re emerging from the toughest years of the pandemic. As a holistic health coach, I help my clients set achievable goals, often starting with doable steps to change their sedentary routines.

Getting up off the couch can be the way to start; you don’t have to take up weight training, running or long-distance bike riding to reap benefits. Once you’re vertical, simply walking is one of the best things you can do for yourself — it’s all about movement, which we can think about separately from exercise. Simple movement can lower blood pressure and cholesterol, reduce stress, support brain and heart health, and improve one’s outlook and sense of accomplishment.

For those of us who are eager to walk, jog, or bike, the vast trail system here in our area is tailor-made for movement. We have more than 160 miles of interconnected regional trails, including some that we can easily access right here in College Park.

Lake Artemesia Trail (2.4 miles): Circling the lake, this trail attracts walkers and runners — and plenty of birders, too; indeed, the Prince George’s Audubon Society hosts bird walks on the trail on the first and third Thursday of each month. Look forward to catching glimpses of finches, orioles, ibises, ducks and more as you circle this local treasure of a lake adjacent to the city’s historic Lakeland neighborhood.

Paint Branch Trail (3.5 miles): Paint Branch Trail runs between the Cherry Hill Neighborhood Park and Lake Artemesia and connects with the Indian Creek, Lake

Artemesia, Northeast Branch and Rhode Island Avenue Trolley trails. Paint Branch has as much variety as one could ask for, including natural history kiosks along the way.

Indian Creek and Northeast Branch Anacostia River trails (6.2 miles): These trails have many access points in College Park and Hyattsville; the northern end of the Indian Creek trail sits at the intersection of Greenbelt Road and 57th Avenue in Berwyn Heights. This trail runs into the much-longer Anacostia River Trail, a flat path which winds through a number of small parks and offers river views much of the way and also boasts the Hand & Owl Tree Carving, by local artist Joe Stebbing and outdoor fitness stations.

As with any time you take on a new or expanded activity, you can start small — even 15 minutes of walking, twice a week for the first week, is a great way to plant the seeds of a new habit. Add a third day your second week, and then add five minutes each of your three days. You can keep a fitness journal to chart your progress. And be flexible; you can change your routine to suit your needs, your mood, the weather. Have some fun and change it up by bringing a bag lunch and finding a good spot to sit and eat. Invite a friend; carry binoculars and check out birdlife up close. You could take photos of the same view each season and marvel, like I do, at the beauty of our natural surroundings.

I hope to see you on the trail soon. I’ll be the one — well, likely one of the many — with the dog!

Mary Daniel is a certified nutrition health coach living and working in College Park. To read more about her, go to youronepreciouslife.com

Greenbelt Park open to the public

By Alice Carlson

Greenbelt Park reopened hiking trails and picnic areas on March 10, after several years of being largely closed, first due to extensive road work and then in the aftermath of the severe storm that hit the area in July 2022. The storm left the park in shambles, with hundreds of trees toppled in winds that reached as high as 80 mph. Greenbelt Park, which was established by Congress in 1950, is one of 424 national parks in the country. Vince Vaise, director of visitor services at the park, wrote in an email that the paving project, which started in July 2019, took more than two years to complete. A key bridge in the middle of the park was also replaced during this time. The park reopened in May 2022 but closed again two months later, after the storm ripped through. One picnic area and the park’s campground opened last September, but the trails remained closed, as fallen trees left them impassable.

According to a National Park Service (NPS) press release about the park’s reopening, downed trees in the park were removed largely under the guidance of the NPS Arborist Incident Response team, a group of tree-care professionals specialized in dealing with emergencies. After the cleanup, NPS re-

assessed safety issues in the park and moved forward to open to the public in March.

“We’re excited to reopen major areas of the park just in time for spring and look forward to seeing visitors and neighbors there,” Tara Morrison said. Morrison, who served as superintendent of Rock Creek Park, now oversees the group of parks known as National Capital Parks-East.

Greenbelt Park is home to a 172-site campground and over nine miles of hiking trails.

The park, which straddles the BaltimoreWashington Parkway, is two miles from College Park and a 10-mile drive from the District.

“It is an ideal location for first-time campers. It is also ideal for campers who want to explore Washington, DC. The hiking trails are beloved by the local community," Vaise said.

Vaise added that the park’s staff will survey visitors this summer to evaluate use of the park and identify areas that may call for improvement. The park will also host campfire programs in April and May during which rangers will explore many aspects of the park, including its history, park stewardship and wildlife and habitats found in the park.

For information about Greenbelt Park and activities at the park, including the campfire program, go to nps.gov/gree/index.htm. To reserve a campsite, go to recreation.gov.

Long live the queens!

By Rick Borchelt

Even though this winter will rank among our warmest on record, for bumble bees it’s still been long and cold. Last fall, colonies that had grown to hundreds of individuals over the summer collapsed, and the workers died with the first hard freezes — but not before they sent forth a generation of virgin females and male drones.

The females mated (these fertilized bees are now called gynes); the drones, their purpose in life accomplished, die soon after. Gynes spend the last weeks of autumn hunting for a place to overwinter. A gyne will hole up beneath a pile of leaves, under a log or chunk of bark, or in an abandoned mouse or vole den.

She’s been sitting out the cold weather ever since. Unlike honey bees, which survive the winter by shivering their wings and bodies to keep the whole colony warm, the gyne is in a state of

deep torpor. While honey bees can venture out anytime the weather warms up a bit during late winter and very early spring to take advantage of the most precocious flowers, a gyne bumble bee has to wait until the weather is warm enough that spring wildflowers are in peak bloom so she doesn’t risk freezing to death in a cold snap.

Sufficiently warmed, she’ll clamber out of her winter hibernaculum and find her first meals; pollen and nectar from Virginia bluebells, trout lilies and willows are among her favorites. There’s a special relationship between queen bumble bees and many of our early spring wildflowers, especially Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria). These bizarrely shaped flowers depend almost exclusively on bumble bees to pollinate them; only the large, brawny queens are capable of forcing apart the flower to get at the nectar with their long tongues, fertilizing the plant in the process.

Spring is when we’ll see gynes, first on flowers, then slowly coursing over the lawn or along the ground in light woods or in a meadow. They’re looking for a fixer-upper. Gynes prefer to use a cavity or hole or tunnel somebody else has already put some work into. Usually these are on or in the ground — again, often a rodent burrow that comes complete with fur for her nursery. Here they gyne will become a queen. She’ll construct a few wax tubes that she packs with pollen and in which she will lay one egg each; the eggs hatch into wriggling, worm-like larvae. For the next few weeks before her nascent subjects emerge as adults, she’ll split her time between foraging for more pollen and nectar, building more wax cells and laying more eggs. Eventually, in May and June in our area, the first female worker bumble bees tumble out of the new hive and begin to contribute to the growing colony.

The queen now retires into

her role of just producing eggs while her youngsters raise more generations of sterile, female bumble bee workers. As the year winds down, the last generation produces fertile females and drones, who begin the cycle again.

During the summer, bumble bees can be fiercely protective of their nests. Unlike honey bees — for which the act of stinging is fatal in that it rips out their innards along with the stinger they leave behind in your arm — bumble bees can sting repeatedly. The sting is quite painful, but unless you are stung many times or are

allergic to the venom, bumble bee stings are seldom a health risk. You might confuse the spring queens as they are out foraging or hunting nest sites with another large, black-and-yellow spring bee — the Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopus virginica). This is the large bee you see hovering in mid-air around your deck timbers or exposed wood and siding; these are males hanging out waiting for females, which, unlike bumble bees, are solitary nesters. The female carpenter bee excavates a tunnel in the wood, provisions it with pollen,

A queen bee muscles her way into a Dutchman’s breeches flower for nectar at the tip of the horns. COURTESY OF JAY WATSON/ILLINOIS NEWS BUREAU

lays eggs in the pollen and seals the tunnel up until the young hatch the next spring. You can differentiate them from bumble bees because their abdomen is shiny, unlike the hairy abdomens of bumble bees. Like bumble bee drones, carpenter bee males are stingless.

Maryland has some 15 bumble bee species, all in the genus Bombus. Earning its name, the most abundant is common Eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), followed by the brown-belted bumble bee (B. griseocollis) and the two-spotted bumble bee (B. bimaculatus). Many of the bumble bee populations in our area are in decline from pesticide use and climate change; several bumble bees that used to live in Maryland have disappeared entirely from the state. One species, the yellow-banded bumble bee (B. terricola), is listed by the state as endangered.

Homeowners can do our royal duty for bumble bees by limiting or eliminating pesticide use, including mosquito sprays, ensuring that there are plenty of native spring wildflowers for the queens, and leaving dead

branches and drifts of fallen leaves that the gynes can use for winter shelter.

Have questions for Rick about the world of nature in and around the city, or suggestions for future

Your Next Address - Without the Stress Don

College Park’s State Legislators

I've lived in this area for years and know firsthand just how great this community I'm committed to making it easy for m clients to buy and sell their homes My record speaks for itself I've been recognized as a "Top Agent" by GCAA and Washingtonian, and ranked in th top 5% of realtors nationally by HomeSnap.

Maryland has a variety of scholarship programs to help our college students.

One of them provides legislators the ability to award scholarships to residents of our districts. We are now accepting applications for the 2023/2024 academic year. To be eligible, students must have attended a Maryland high school and, in most cases, attend a college in Maryland. For more information, go to mhec.maryland.gov.

Apply now for our college scholarships

May 15: Deadline for Delegate scholarship applications

July 7th: Deadline for Senate scholarship applications

—

Joseline, Ben and Mary

Two $500 scholarships are available from the League of Women Voters of Prince George’s County for local students who are or will be attending Bowie State University, Prince George’s Community College,or the University of Maryland. The deadline to submit is April 29th. For application guidelines, go to https://www.lwvpgcmd.org/

College Park Wild columns? Drop him a note at rborchelt@gmail. com.

Rick Borchelt is a naturalist and science writer living in College Park.

Pedestrian safety cause for county concern

By Paul Ruffins

In this and my next few columns, I’ll be taking a look at the high rate of pedestrian fatalities in Prince George’s County. This installment focuses on a crash study of a local road.

At the intersection of Hamilton Street and Ager Road, across from the West Hyattsville Metro station, is a small memorial of flowers and a cross honoring Helen Jorgensen, who was killed by a car on August 13, 2021. Jorgensen was 61, and her death added to a terrible trend. According to Pamela Sebesky, chair of the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board, 360 lives were lost on roads in the greater metropolitan area that year; the total includes deaths of pedestrians, drivers and passengers, and bicyclists. “This represents a 12% increase in fatalities from the prior year and the second year in a row that fatalities have risen. Serious injuries also rose,” Sebesky wrote.

In the last five years, the number of pedestrian fatalities has increased much faster than the overall number of traffic accidents. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, pedestrian deaths have increased 59% from 2009 and account for 17% of all traffic deaths. (Fatalities involving bicyclists are at 2%.) Prince George’s County has had an unusually high number of pedestrian deaths. According to figures from regional police departments compiled by the DCist, an online newsletter of WAMU, the pedestrian death rate in

Prince George’s County was 11.8 per 100,000 residents in 2022, 240% higher than the District’s rate (4.9 per 100,000) and 274% higher than that of Montgomery County (4.3 per 100,000).

Prince George’s County is implementing the Vision Zero program, which aims to reduce traffic injuries and deaths. Vision Zero grew out of an initiative that has reduced traffic fatalities in Sweden, the Netherlands and New Zealand by more than 50% since the mid-1990s. Other nearby jurisdictions have adopted the Vision Zero program as well.

Rather than focus on the mistakes of individual drivers or pedestrians, this data-driven approach prioritizes structural issues such as roadway design and targets areas that are inherently more dangerous. Some of the most dangerous local areas are University Avenue from Edwards Place, in Langley Park, to West Park Drive in Chillum, and Kenilworth Avenue from Carters Lane to River Road, in Riverdale Park. The area in Chillum where East-West Highway, Riggs Road and Ager Road come together is

particularly dangerous. Jorgensen, however, was hit in a crosswalk in a stretch of Ager Road specifically designed to be safe.

The Jorgensen accident was the subject of a recent crash analysis discussion organized by civic leaders and local activists. Hyattsville City Councilmember Danny Schaible (Ward 2) nominated the incident for investigation. “It took place on a 1.28 mile section of the recently completed State Highway Administration’s Ager Road Green Complete Streets Project, near the West Hyattsville Metro station, which won a 2023 design award from the American Society of Civil Engineers,” he wrote in an email. The project was intended to improve stormwater runoff and make Ager Road safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. Upgrades to the road included two 11-foot travel lanes, a 6-foot bike lane, continuous 6-foot sidewalks, 11-foot turn lanes and ADA-compliant sidewalks, driveway entrances and bus stops. (The State Highway Administration currently has sidewalk safety projects along

Route 1 in College Park under construction, as well.)

The Jorgensen accident didn’t occur at the site of her memorial, but at a crosswalk in the 5600 block of Ager Road where the posted speed limit is 30 mph. According to police reports, the crash had several complicating factors: The victim was intoxicated and may have been crossing on a red light, and the driver originally left the scene before returning and might have been distracted by an electronic device he was using. Speed may have been a factor — even a significant factor. After tracking 600 vehicles with a radar gun, volunteers from the Washington Area Bicyclist Association determined that speeds along this block of Ager Road ranged from 19 to 55 miles per hour, with close to seven in 10 drivers exceeding the speed limit. More than 7% of drivers were going more than 10 mph over the limit. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has determined that speed is a critical factor in traffic accidents. Speed doesn’t only increase a vehicle’s momentum at impact, it lengthens stopping distances, and reduces a driver’s ability to handle curves. Seatbelt use, body panels designed to crumple and absorb energy, padded dashboards and multiple airbags may save the lives of drivers

and passengers, even in crashes at highway speeds. But pedestrians remain at high risk, and even a small increase in speed can make a deadly difference. According to the IIHS, a pedestrian hit by a car going 17 mph has a 10% chance of being killed or seriously injured. That risk rises to 90% when the car’s going 45 mph.

Why are 70% of the drivers on Ager Road speeding? Dan Behrend, a local traffic safety advocate (and writer for Streetcar Suburbs News), participated in the crash analysis discussion. He and others on the panel believe that Ager Road is simply too wide for its intended use. The stretch between East-West Highway and the West Hyattsville Metro station has characteristics of a highway designed to carry some 20,000 cars a day traveling at speeds of 40 mph or more, but this stretch of Agar Road sees about half that number of vehicles. “Drivers almost unconsciously drive the speed the road was designed for,” Behrend said. “Simply slapping up signs saying ‘30 miles per hour’ isn’t working.”

Schaible noted that the county’s new street design standards, which recommend a speed limit of 25 mph around Metro stations, kicked in in 2017, after the long-planned improvements to Ager Road were largely done. (The work to reconnect Ager Road to Queens Chapel Road, however, remains unfinished.)

“Ager Road is simply too wide and fast for an area where we are encouraging thousands of pedestrians and cyclists to cross it to get to the Metro station every day,” Schaible noted.

Trends in pedestrian fatality suggest the same.

Paul Ruffins is a citizen scientist and professor of curiosity.

The State Highway Administration is upgrading sidewalks in College Park in an effort to increase safety.

LAUREN REEDER

COLLEGE PARK POST

2023 Special Election for Office of the Mayor

Vote for Mayor: Early Voting on Tuesday, May 2, 2023 | Election Day on Saturday, May 6, 2023

On May 6, 2023, the City of College Park will hold a Special Election for the Office of the Mayor. The elected Mayor will serve from May until after the General Election in November. For additional information, visit www. collegeparkmd.gov/Elections.

The candidates for the Special Election are:

• Bryan Haddad

• S.M. Fazlul Kabir

• Catherine Hope Kennedy

• Denise C. Mitchell

EARLY VOTING: Tuesday, May

2, 2023 from 8:00AM - 7:00PM at Davis Hall, 9217 51st Ave., College Park, MD, 20740

ELECTION DAY: Saturday, May 6, 2023 from 10:00AM - 6:00PM at City of College Park City Hall, 7401 Baltimore Ave., Community Room, 1st floor, College Park, MD 20740

To receive an absentee ballot by mail for the Special Election, please complete the application

found at www.collegeparkmd. gov/elections. Return it to the City of College Park, Board of Election Supervisors, P.O. Box 626, College Park, MD, 20741, or drop your application off at one of our secure Ballot Drop Boxes, located at:

• Davis Hall, 9217 51st Avenue, College Park, MD 20740

• Hollywood Shopping Center, 9801 Rhode Island Avenue, College Park, MD 20740

• University of Maryland Campus, on the Union lane side of Stamp Student Union

• City Hall at the Yale Avenue entrance, 7401 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, MD 20740.

MAIL IN VOTING:

Mail in ballot applications must be received by Wednesday, April 26, 2023 to allow time to mail your ballot. Starting April 27, individuals may apply in-person for a ballot at City Hall between 9:00AM - 5:00PM on Monday - Friday.

If you are already registered to vote with the Prince George’s County Board of Elections at your current City address, you are automatically registered to vote in the City election.

However, if you have moved or changed your name since the last election, you must update your voter registration with your current information. The last day to register to vote in the Special Election is Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

There are several ways to register to vote:

• Complete an Online Voter Registration Application provided by the State Board of Elections at https://voterservices. elections.maryland.gov/ onlinevoterregistration/ InstructionsStep1.

• Obtain a Voter Registration Application at:

• Any City Building Monday –Friday, 9:00a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

• Request a voter registration application by phone with the Prince George’s County Board of Elections at (301) 341-7300 or the City of College Park at 240-4873501.

• Visit the Prince George’s County Board of Election office at 1100 Mercantile Lane, Suite 115A, Largo MD 20774. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

For candidate biographies and more information about the Special Election, please visit www. collegeparkmd.gov/Elections.

For questions and concerns, please contact the City Clerk at election@ collegeparkmd.gov.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance, please contact the City Clerk at 240-487-3501 and describe the assistance necessary.

Coming to College Park

New development will transform the City

Major developments are in the works for the City of College Park! As construction of the Purple Line continues, new development will transform College Park.

Numerous entities, such as the City of College Park, the University of Maryland, and Terrapin Development Company have worked together on some of these projects to provide more housing and attract more amenities in the City. “It’s an opportunity to push the City’s potential and capacity to serve our residents’ needs,” said Michael Williams, City of College Park Economic Development Manager.

Several residential developments are being constructed in the City to provide more housing and retail opportunities for residents and students. The newly opened residential complex on Baltimore Avenue, the Aster, features the first Trader Joe’s in Prince George’s County. The project brings 393 apartments and 100 jobs to the City. Another complex, Union on Knox, will open in downtown College Park in August 2024 and provide housing tailored for students.

In addition to new housing options in downtown College Park, there will also be new food choices! Taim Mediterranean is now open on the plaza level of City Hall; Dog Haus Biergarten will open next door

Better Bag Ordinance

Reducing single-use plastic bag waste and litter

later this spring. A Shop Made In Maryland store will open later this year to promote items produced in our home state. Nearby, Popeye’s Chicken has opened at 7417 Baltimore Avenue.

The University of Maryland’s Discovery District, connecting the University and the College Park metro station, will become a center for academic research and economic development. Aviation Landing, a mixed-use development, opening by 2026, will expand working and housing opportunities for the University’s students, faculty, and staff. The Atworth residential complex with 451 units is also slated to open near the College Park metro in May 2024.

This area also includes The Hotel at UMD, which was named one of the top ten hotels in the state of Maryland by the U.S. News and World Report. The Hotel is home to GrillMarx Steakhouse and Raw Bar and will soon add another restaurant. In late spring 2023, the Annapolis-based restaurant franchise, Iron Rooster, will begin offering all-day breakfast and an early-bird happy hour.

In North College Park, a new WAWA gas station and convenience store will open soon near the IKEA store. For a directory of local businesses, visit www.collegepark.life.

Clean Up Saturdays

Drop off bulky trash at the Department of Public Works

The City of College Park Public Works facility will be open on April 1, 15*, 29, and May 13 from 7:30AM - 12:00PM for City residents to drop off bulky trash, white goods, electronics recycling, brush, and yard trim. You must be a resident of the City of College Park and bring proof of residency to participate.

Smartleaf® compost and wood mulch are available for anyone to purchase and pick up as supplies last – residency is not required.

*DOCUMENT SHREDDING:

Onsite document shredding services will be available to City of College park residents for one day only - Saturday, April 15 from 8:00am - 12:00pm. Bring your old tax records, medical paperwork and any other confidential information to be shredded while you wait. All paper will be recycled.

FREE WOOD MULCH FOR CITY RESIDENTS! College Park residents can get wood mulch for FREE! We will load open-bed trucks or trailers, or else be prepared to dig your own (must bring shovels, and containers and use proper footwear).

Bulk trash brought on clean up days does not count toward bulk trash limits, nor are any fees applied for appliances, televisions, or monitors. There is a $4 fee for all tires.

Flourescent light bulbs and tubes, household abtteries for recycling, and block styrofoam is accepted.

For more information, and a list of materials that are and are not accepted, please visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/ CleanUpSaturdays.

The City of College Park is pleased to announce the new Better Bag Ordinance to reduce single-use plastic bag waste and litter in our local waterways and tributary system. Passed during the February 14, 2023 Council meeting and effective September 1, 2023, the Better Bag Ordinance will restrict the use of non-reusable plastic bags given or received at the point of purchase by City retailers and restaurants. “Keeping the City of College Park beautiful and sustainable is a major initiative for the City,” said Mayor Pro Tem Denise Mitchell, “by reducing single-use plastic bags, we can improve our community’s waterways, cleanliness, and overall health.”

This new Ordinance encourages shoppers and patrons to use reusable bags for their groceries and other purchases. As part of the Ordinance, alternative bags like paper bags or reusable bags can be provided, but retailers must charge a minimum of $.10 per bag and may retain the entirety of the fee to cover costs. Restaurant carry-out bags are included in the Ordinance. There are exemptions to this law, like bulk food, meat, ice, or produce packaging; for a full list of exemptions please visit www. collegeparkmd.gov/betterbag.

Public engagement through a City Sustainability Survey and the City’s Committee for a Better Environment’s outreach revealed that members of the College Park community ranked litter as one of the most prevalent environmental issues within the City. “Small changes by businesses and residents that encourage sustainable behavior can reduce the amount of waste and promote a cleaner, greener College Park” said City Manager Kenny Young.

Single-use plastic bags end up in our trees, streets, parks, and waterways, blocking storm drains and polluting our environment. Unfortunately, according to the EPA, only about 3% of singleuse plastic bags are recycled nationwide. Further, single-use plastic bags are not accepted in the City’s recycling program because Prince George’s County, which receives City recycling materials, does not accept them at their Materials Recycling Facility as they damage sorting equipment. By restricting the use of singleuse plastic bags, the Better Bag Ordinance will help the City meet its sustainability goals laid out in the 2021-2025 Strategic Plan for a more sustainable College Park.

To help alleviate the cost of reusable bags on the College Park community, the City will begin distributing a limited supply of reusable bags to City residents later this year. Dates and locations for bag distribution will be announced via City communication channels including City social media and email. The community is encouraged to sign up for City emails at www.collegeparkmd. gov/cpconnect and to follow the City’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages.

Once the Better Bag Ordinance goes into effect on September 1, 2023, City Code Enforcement will enforce the ban through citations and fines for noncompliance for each violation. Community members can report non-compliance via the City’s reporting system available at www. collegeparkmd.gov/tellus.

For more information about the Better Bag Ordinance, please visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/ betterbag.

City Announcements

More information: www.collegeparkmd.gov

CURBSIDE FOOD SCRAP COLLECTION

This new voluntary program will divert organic materials, that are not waste, out of our landfill. If your household currently receives curbside trash and recycling collection in the City of College Park, then you are eligible to participate. Ongoing registrations accepted. Sign up online at www.collegeparkmd.

gov/CurbsideCollectionApp

• No fee for collection, but residents must use a Citysupplied cost-share container. Check out containers here.

• Once you register and pick up your container(s), you will be assigned a start date.

• Pick up container(s) at the Department of Public Works, 9217 51st Avenue, College Park, MD 20740, Monday - Friday, 7:30AM - 4:00PM.

• A contractor performs collection on Tuesdays throughout the City.

• No fee for collections, but residents must use a Citysupplied cost-share container.

• No personal containers can be used for weekly curbside collections.

• Food scraps can be placed in compostable bags (no plastic bags) before placing in the collection container.

RABIES AND MICROCHIP CLINIC

The City’s Animal Control and Animal Welfare Committee are hosting a Rabies and Microchip Clinic for City pets on April 16, 2023 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Appointments are required - no walk-ins. City residents must be able to provide proof of residence to obtain free services. Learn more at https://apr2023rabiesclinic. eventbrite.com.

NO MOW APRIL

The City of College Park encourages its residents to reduce or refrain from mowing their lawns in support of local pollinators this month!

Participating in No Mow April is a small and easy step we can take to help early-season pollinators that are foraging for food and habitats.

Send photos of early-season pollinators observed in your yard to nomowapril@collegeparkmd. gov so the Bee City committee can document the pollinators active during No Mow April. Questions related to pollinators may also be submitted.

There is no registration to participate in No Mow April. Signage, denoting participation in No Mow April, is optional, and the City has a limited number of these colorful yard signs available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

City Events

More information: www.collegeparkmd.gov/events

PUBLIC SAFETY MEETING

Monday, April 10, 2023 | 7:30PM | https://zoom.us/j/96024845217

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

To facilitate City-wide participation, these will be recorded virtual meetings that you may join in from your home. Please invite your neighbors so that this useful information may be shared throughout the City.

To join the meeting, visit https:// zoom.us/j/96024845217.

VINE REMOVAL LESSON

Saturday, April 22, 2023 | 10:30AM - 12:30PM | Muskogee Playground

Join the Tree and Landscape Board for a hands-on lesson in vine Removal!

All are welcome. Bring your favorite hand pruners, and wear long sleeves and pants, socks, and closed-toed shoes.

For more information, contact arborist@collegeparkmd.gov or call 240-487-3595.

ARBOR DAY

Friday, April 28, 2023 | 6:00PM | Narrangansett Pkwy and 52nd Ave.

The Tree and Landscape Board and the North College Park Civic Association are hosting the annual Arbor Day Tree Planting on Friday, April 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the intersection of Narragansett Parkway and 52nd Avenue. A native Scrub Pine will be planted.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE!

May 12 , June 9, July 14, August 11 and September 8 | 6:30 - 8:30PM | City Hall, 7401 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, MD 20740

The City of College Park hosts a series of concerts over the summer and you are invited! Join us on the City hall plaza on select Fridays for Friday Night LIVE! The events will feature a variety of musical genres and performers and includes something for everyone- music, food, beer, and entertainment. There will be children’s performers, a bounce house, kids activities, and crafts.

All concerts will be held at City Hall Plaza (7401 Baltimore Avenue) between May -September from 6:30 to 8:30PM. Parking will be offered for free 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!

CELEBRATING COLLEGE

PARK PARADE

Saturday, May 6, 2023 | 10:00AM | Rhode Islande Avenue

Join the City of College Park on May 6, 2023 at 10:00am to celebrate our community! Spectators can line up along Rhode Island Avenue to see local groups, organizations, entertainers, performers, and more!

We need you! Register your band, group, club, school, organization, business, classic car, equestrian club, or performer today. The deadline to participate is April 28, 2023. To register (and for rules and regulations), please visit: www.collegeparkmd.gov/ paradeentries2023.

Want to volunteer? Sign up today to be notified when volunteer positions become available (including positions for Student Service Learning hours) at www. collegeparkmd.gov/volunteers.

Thoron said that Andersen was working on creating a Nuyorican character — a man hailing from New York City’s Puerto Rican community. Anderson based this character on his travels across the country and envisioned the man as the connective tissue among the various stories the character tells about different people.

“This is based on his Nuyorican nomad wandering and being at different open mics — and talking to people and stories that he hears as he travels,” Thoron said, referring to the inspiration behind the piece.

Andersen crafted poems for the performance that explore the perspectives of different characters, whom Thoron described as composites of people Andersen has met.

“The process is really kind of back and forth, and that Lemon will bring in an idea of a character and text, and then we'll often do a character interview where I will get into character, and they'll start asking that character questions,” Throron said. “And [Lemon] starts answering and kind of moving and finding voice and exploring by my just asking questions.”

This dynamic with Thoron allows Andersen to bring his composite characters to life and create stories around them. As he portrays his characters and tells their stories on stage, Ander-

son readily showcases his Tony award winning skills. His remarkable versatility is evident as he spins thoughtprovoking reflections about the identity crisis in the country’s Latinix community, which is an important issue for Anderson and a major focus of his work.

During his residency at The Clarice, Andersen visited several area schools to connect with students and talk about his work, and a number of students from High Point High School attended Anderson’s performance. Hirschberg emphasized that outreach is an essential element of the residency program at The Clarice.

“[Andersen] also said that he really likes talking to young people, and he's especially interested in talking to young Latino people and just to talk about his experience with them to learn more about their experiences,” she said.

Hirschberg added that Andersen’s work centered around the Latinix community was a key factor in her decision to offer him the residency. “I decided that the subject matter was really relevant, especially since we have such a very dense population of Latinos from a variety of countries living within a five-mile radius of campus,” she said.

Andersen’s show is set to premiere in New York in 2024. For more information about Anderson and his work, and to view his TED Talk, go to ted.com/ speakers/lemon_andersen

Workers at College Park MOM's unionize

By Mat Schumer

Despite growing support for unions in the United States, efforts to unionize have been on a steady decline for the past 40 years. But employees of businesses in niche markets — especially progressive ones — are increasingly pushing to unionize. Among these businesses is the MOM’s Organic Market, here in College Park.

In December, the workers of MOM’s in College Park voted to form a union with United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 400. The vote was held by mail-in ballot after employees worked for months to unionize. The final tally of 21 votes came at 17 in favor and four against.

Following the vote, MOM’s Organic Markets’ corporate office filed an objection to the vote with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Among their objections, they claimed that union organizers intimidated workers on several occasions and tried to persuade them to vote in favor of the move.

Sean Marshall, the regional director of NLRB’s fifth region, reviewed evidence and in February overruled the objections.

“MOM’s had disputed [the vote] on the grounds that the union was intimidating workers and telling them either to vote yes or not at all … There hadn't been union reps physically in the store at that point for about a month,” said Cody Cochrane, a team member at MOM’s in College Park.

Cochrane noted that since the vote occurred, MOM’s corporate has purportedly

suspended pay raises for employees at the College Park store until the workers and corporate can agree on a union contract. He also voiced his co-workers’ concern that the central office had been offering employees fewer hours and said that the company’s rationale for cutting hours is that the store is underperforming. Laura Jackson, who works at MOM’s Naked Lunch eatery, said that the store has been surpassing sales goals and even setting company records.

“It’s hard working in fast casual food,” she said. “There’s a lot of work physically and mentally dealing with people. We all have issues with our hands and wrists from food prepping constantly.” Jackson said that she and her co-workers work hard to exceed goals.

To see their unionization efforts come to fruition, the employees must engage in a series of bargaining sessions and arrive at a mutually agreeable contract for the workers at the College Park store. The members of the union asked for their initial meeting with corporate to be held in early April, in tandem with the other MOM’s unions’ meetings that are scheduled around the same time. According to Maydha Kapur, union organizer for UFCW Local 400, the company said it was not able to meet before early May.

“MOM’s is a company that styles itself around caring for its workers, and we hope to go into bargaining in good faith,” says Kapur. “We want a fair contract … and we would like a different tone than what was set during the union campaign.”

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It’s time to speak up, reach out and break the stigma about mental health.

AZALEA CLASSIC

had so much fun doing it,” Abernethy said.

Sarah Elder, also a co-founder of the race, said that the event was one of several that the organizers considered. She had worked as a fundraiser for the PTA for a number of years and noted that partnerships with a number of local businesses were key to making the race profitable over time.

“I'm pretty sure we made sufficient funds every year. And then once the ball started rolling, then it became easier to cover our [fixed] costs … and then make a profit,” she said.

Abernethy and Elder had never organized a race before and realized early on that setting the course might be a good move, so they walked through the neighborhood over and over again, even at night.

“We'd be doubled over and laughing because half the time we couldn't remember how many feet were in a mile or half, you know, our math or math skills were a little bit lacking at times. It seems really simple and really silly, but it was fun,” Abernethy said.

The planners chose a course that would highlight the neigh-

borhood’s gorgeous azaleas, which Abernethy noted are a distinctive feature of the town.

Elder said the founders also aimed to keep the whole course within University Park, and they succeeded — indeed, a portion of the course runs by her own home. Organizers worked to generate community spirit and enthusiasm about the race, too.

“We also tried to encourage everyone we knew who lived along the course to come out, have a little cheer station, and people did,” Abernethy said, “People would put signs up in their yards or come out if they weren't running.”

Abernethy said that many

residents turned out along the course and some even played music to cheer runners on, in step with the musical traditions of D.C.’s popular Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon.

“At the beginning, we wanted to have it be like a music showcase for people that had kids who had garage bands,” Abernethy said. “There were some years … their kids would be on the driveway playing.”

That musical tradition continues to this day, with University Park neighbors blasting tunes to cheer on runners as they pass by. According to current race director Jamie McGaughey, even

the Northwestern High School marching band has been known to perform at the race’s starting line.

The community’s enthusiasm and engagement has boosted the race from being just another fundraiser to something incredibly popular among old and young alike throughout University Park, and students at University Park Elementary are some of the race’s biggest fans.

McGaughey said that the race caught her attention shortly after she moved to University Park, in 2009 — she learned about the 5K after her kids started school at University Park Elementary. Mc-

Gaughey said that the school’s race fervor is driven by the gym teacher, Christy Neff, who works tirelessly to get the students and school staff pumped about the race. Neff coordinates some 500 students and 60 staff members for the race; classrooms even hold competitions to see who can get the most students to register. She hopes that participating in the race will encourage some kids to be more active and even become lifelong runners.

In addition to seeing the race as a great opportunity to promote physical activity, Neff said she treasures the spirit and history associated with the event and how it brings the community together. She described seeing two students who were competing against each other to win. They saw a third classmate who was struggling, and they stopped — all three then walked over the finish line together.

“That to me is at the heart of what we do as a school. We work to build community within our school building by lifting each other up,” Neff wrote in an email, “We believe that we are stronger together and that relationships matter. These students demonstrated this with their actions that day! And in my book, they are winners!”

Runners in the 2011 Azalea Classic 5K. COURTESY OF DAVID MCGAUGHEY

ON THE HOUSE

Five things to consider before your next flush

By Matt Menke

What’s something that we take for granted when it works perfectly — but cringe in agony when it doesn’t? It’s a good bet you said “toilet!” So many things can go wrong with our porcelain friends. The issues are mostly out of sight, though, and if there’s even a hint of a problem, many of us just cross our fingers and hope that it will go away. But let’s take the guesswork out of it and look at the five most common things that can go wrong with your toilet.

UNSAVORY LEAKS

A home inspector checks a toilet to see if it is securely bolted to the floor and is caulked around the base. If the bowl rocks or twists with even gentle pressure, it’s likely that either the seal between it and the pipe has failed or the base is not securely caulked. It may not leak sewage (unless there’s also a downstream clog), but it’s likely puffing a little sewer gas into the room with each flush. Leaks can be tiny and hard to spot, but if there’s visual access to pipes below, say in a basement, you can look for stains or wet areas in the subfloor. (Linoleum and vinyl plank around the toilet are waterproof and can hide such leaks until mold begins to creep up between the tiles.) A plumber can replace that toilet seal — and it’s better to deal with it sooner rather than later.

IRRITATING CLOGS

If you live with children, you’re sure to be familiar with this one. One day, out of the blue, your toilet starts flushing poorly — or even not at all. Most clogs form in the toilet trap, a loop inside the porcelain bowl that is the tightest part of your sewage’s path. So-called soft clogs are large wads of toilet paper that lodge in tight spots, and Drano won’t work on these clogs; only an auger will break them up. Other things that ought not have been flushed, like pencils or plastic toys, will evade the auger, as will a whole lot of other things that aren’t flushable. If your toilet is possessed in such a way, it’ll need replacement.

WASTEFUL COST

When a tank flapper wears out, it allows water to leak through even when you’re not flushing. An inspector might not spend

enough time in your bathroom to notice the tank refilling every few minutes. Even living there, you may not hear the water running in a spare bathroom or basement toilet. (A plumber can put dye in the tank and see if it appears down in the bowl.)

A single sagging flapper can go from letting $0 of water through to $1,000 in a single billing cycle. WSSC customers can seek forgiveness for such incidents once every three years, providing the bill is higher than a set amount — but it’s best not to ever play that card if you don’t have to.

Then there’s those vintage toilets — popular in old neighborhoods like ours here in College Park— that use two to three gallons of water per flush. Start-

ing in 1994, new toilets were capped at 1.6 gallons. Unfortunately, toilet design didn’t keep up with the lower flow for decades, And we had to flush them more than once and ended up sending all those water savings down the drain. Toilets are now down to 1.28 gallons, and they work great. Deciding to replace your old water-waster can be a tough call, though; the carbon footprint of getting a new piece of porcelain from China may outweigh some of the savings in water usage.

OCCASIONAL CATASTROPHES

An inspector worth his or her salt will look over each toilet for cracks, which typically are around the floor mounting bolts (which may have been rendered useless by overtightening). And cracks can develop around the trap and result in sewage weeping, visibly or out of sight. But a cracked water tank can be catastrophic: A full break would spill the tank and open the fill valve to flood your home. Porcelain is strong under compression — it holds up when we sit on it — but it’s weak under shear forces, like a kid leaning against the tank or standing on the rim. The toilet needs to be safe and solidly mounted to the floor in case of kids or someone needing to lean on it for balance.

OTHER STUFF

An inspector should also check how robust the flush is; he or she may notice air bubbling up at the start of the flush or the bowl sucking air at the end. It’s not uncommon for the vent from your plumbing system to be clogged (or maybe there’s no vent at all); a bird’s nest or other debris inside the pipe can block airflow in the vent and be difficult to clear. The vent is a continuation of the waste pipe that extends up through your roof, allowing your flush to move

that puff of sewer gas to the outside. Vents are required by code for baths and kitchens but aren’t always installed. The hardware inside the tank may be adjusted badly or could outright fail. A too-short flapper chain shortchanges your flush of water, or that old fill valve can plug up with rust or debris that came in with your water. (Sometimes you can hear the valves take on a whine or whistle). And if you use chlorine tablets to keep toilet odors down, you’re also shortening the life of all the rubber seals that hold water inside the tank. Leaks at the seals can be sneaky; they can show up as clear water dripping down the supply line or back of the toilet bowl, right onto and even into your floor or wall.

Uninvited water is never a welcomed guest in your home. Good news, though: You, yourself, are now in the best position to notice small changes and become a capable inspector of your own toilet. But if water is not leaving as gracefully as it arrived, you may need help. Just remember to wash your hands before you email me at matt@ fivestarhomeinspection.net

Matt Menke lives in College Park and is a licensed Maryland home inspector.

COURTESY OF PEXELS.COM

City of College Park mayoral election guide

The College Park Here & Now reached out to all candidates registered to run in the city’s special election; their brief bios are below.

Election day is May 6, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; voting will be at City Hall, 7401 Baltimore Avenue. Early voting is on May 2, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at City Hall, 7401 Baltimore Avenue. To receive an absentee ballot by mail, you must file a completed application by April 26. For more information about the election, including absentee voting and ballot returns, go to collegeparkmd. gov/181/City-Elections

investment are important to you, then I am your candidate.

BRYAN HADDAD

Age: 35

Day Job: I am a successful small business owner. I own

The Bamboo Eater, which has been in the same location in north College Park for 13 years. I have hired people, fired people, trained managers, changed revenue streams, and consistently stuck with good investments over bad ones. I have done so well as a small business owner that I have averaged under 20 hours of work a week for years. The day to day operations of The Bamboo Eater are currently run by a manager who makes a living wage. If fiscal responsibility and intelligent

Community Involvement: I have lived in the Edgewood neighborhood in north College Park for 13 years. Prior to that I attended UMD for four years, where I received a BA in Philosophy and served on the Sigma Phi Epsilon executive board. You will often see me picking up trash around the Hollywood Square Shopping Center.

Statement to Voters: I am running as a single issue candidate to increase penalties against illegally modified vehicles. I believe that city code enforcement can be strengthened to more effectively write tickets against these vehicles by citing already existing MD laws. I believe this issue has been largely ignored by the city council and I intend to make actual progress. As a single issue candidate, you can be assured that the work I do while in office will be consistently focused towards a realistic goal. Strengthening city code against illegally

modified vehicles will have a tangible effect on the quality of our community in terms of safety and noise reduction. A vote for me is a vote for a more peaceful community. If I manage to accomplish my goals regarding increased ticketing for illegally modified vehicles, then I will continue to focus on strengthening city code, especially against negligent landlords. I will also make planting native trees a priority.

federal government. In the past, I also worked with a number of other federal agencies, where I gathered experience in developing business proposals and acquired financial and project management skills. I also taught cybersecurity as an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland/College Park for eight years.

Community Involvement: I moved to College Park with my wife and two sons in 2003. I have been serving District 1 and the greater College Park community as city councilman since 2011, being the longest continuously serving member of the current city council. I have also been participating in the local civic association, NCPCA, since 2006.

More specifically, in 2010, I worked with a wonderful group of residents for several months and we started the city's annual College Park Day event. Together, we also started our farmers market and the community garden. Last year, I advocated bringing the once-famous annual College Park parade back on Rhode Island Avenue, which brought thousands of city residents together in one place.

CATHERINE “KATE” KENNEDY

Age: 43

Age: 59

Day Job: I hold a Ph.D. in electrical engineering. My current day job is with the

In my spare time, I enjoy working on home improvement projects, woodworking and gardening. Statement to Voters: I love to listen to our residents and get things done. During the council terms, I listened to our residents and worked on several amenities – a new Duvall Field, Hollywood Streetscape, Hollywood Dog Park, Gateway Park, protected bike lanes and a community center. Being the representative of all districts in the city, I will listen to all residents of College Park and extend my advocacy to bring more amenities to every part of the city.

Being the mayor, I will advocate for strong public safety, better code enforcement, smart economic development, sustainable and green programs, agingin-place for our seniors, partnership with the university, enhanced education in our schools, affordable housing and a healthy mode of transportation.

Day Job: I am a nonprofit professional and certified fundraising executive, currently serving as director of development, Mid-Atlantic for Share our Strength, a large nonprofit working to end childhood hunger. I have an MBA from Georgetown University and an undergraduate degree in English and women’s studies from Keene State College. Community Involvement: I am a three-term councilmember representing District One in North College Park. While on council, I have led multiple efforts within the city including: chairing the College Park Community Preservation Trust, a $15 million housing trust to help low- to moderate-income individuals buy homes and to promote owner-occupied home; chairing the Committee on Committee; advocating multiple city initiatives, including the establishment of a school tutoring program and mental health reimbursements. I serve on regional and national committees to network with other municipal leaders, learn best practices and share our accomplishments. Current appointments include: vice chair, Washington Council of Government’s FARM Committee (food and agricultural); member, Washington Council of Government’s Region Forward Committee; National League of City’s Youth, Education, and Families Council and University Communities Council

Additional community involvement includes: member, North College Park Community Association; licensed foster parent with Prince George’s County.

Statement to Voters: While serving as a councilmember over the last six years, I am proud of all the work the city has accomplished while also maintaining a low tax rate. I am a collaborative leader with strong facilitation skills. I have a proven track record of

FAZLUL KABIR

bringing people together and delivering results. One example is my work establishing the College Park Community Preservation Trust. Under my leadership, the committee established a strong business plan; raised $15 million from city, state, and federal sources; and hired an executive director. As mayor, I will use these facilitation skills and my ability to get results. My foci will include developing a full spectrum of housing options, including affordable housing, that build generational wealth; addressing public safety and quality of life, focused on building welcoming neighborhoods; fostering small businesses across the city, especially in our smaller business districts; establishing green initiatives, including preserving our tree canopy; promoting environmentalfriendly modes of transportation like the Purple Line; reducing landfill waste; and advocating at the county and state level for improved K-12 schools.

You can learn more about me and my vision for College Park by visiting my website at www. kateforcollegepark.com or via email at katekennedycp@ gmail.com

Age: 59

Day Job: For most of my life, I have held a steadfast commitment to education, having worked for 30 years in early childhood education. I also served as a regional manager and CFO of a consulting firm primarily focused on education efforts. Now I am focused on constituent services in the public sector through a nonelected role within Prince George's County.

Community Involvement: I have served in the following

capacities: College Park City Councilmember (District 4) 2009-2015, and 2017-present; mayor pro tem 2013-2015, and 2021-present. President of the Maryland Municipal League 2022 - present. Member of the board of directors of the National League of Cities. Board of directors for Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation and Planning Committee Statement to Voters: As the current mayor pro tem, I see the pain the College Park community is currently facing. Our community needs a way to come together and move our city forward while ensuring all those affected by the recent news have a way to be supported. Since 1975, I have been an active community member in our great city. Whether it was in an elected position or simply as a community member, I've made it a focus to serve as a voice and support for all residents of College Park.

Throughout these years, I have created initiatives with our partners, such as having local captions streamed during

APRIL 15 CANDIDATE FORUM

We invite you to join us for a candidate forum on Saturday, April 15 at 1 p.m. Maria James, a former managing editor with Streetcar Suburbs

Publishing (this paper’s parent company), will moderate the event, which will take place at Davis Hall, 9217 51st Avenue.

To submit questions for the candidates, go to bit. ly/3Z84WVa or scan the QR code on this page. The forum will also be broadcast live on the College Park Here & Now Facebook page, and a video of the forum will be posted to streetcarsuburbs.news on April 16.

council meetings, helping start the Aging in Place Task Force, holding a discussion on affordable housing and a Youth Advisory Council, to name a few. I also have made sure to work alongside our partners on the local and state levels to ensure that our city is getting the resources we deserve.

In this next term, I’ll work hard to ensure we have strong economic support and resources for our local

businesses. Through a collaborative relationship with the Prince George’s County Council, Maryland General Assembly, the University of Maryland and the student population, we can bring about strong economic development through tax credits for longterm residents, individuals with electric cars and close the gap on our food desert and other initiatives executed as One College Park.

DENISE MITCHELL

Dr. Fazlul Kabir is the longest continuously serving Council Member of the current City Council of College Park, serving since 2011

As Mayor, Dr. Kabir will provide strong leadership, improve quality of life and public safety for residents, implement aging-in-place programs for senior citizens, support small businesses, and enhance educational resources for students.

L e a r n m o re a t ww w.Ka b ir Ca re s. o rg

FAZLUL’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS

R educed College Park’s property tax rate to lower levels

Co-founded the annual College Park Day event

R estarted the annual College Park Parade

Helped start a newspaper covering College Park

Secured $25 million for a new College Park Community Center

Obtained funding for free online tutoring for students

Started a weekly Farmers Market in College Park

Championed building 300+ units of affordable housing