Coloring book illustrates feelings about Purple Line, P.7
UMD athletes head for Summer Olympics, P.9
rent cap could have low impact
By HANNAH FRASURE
Up to 65% of apartment buildings in College Park could be exempt from a 3% rent cap that the Prince George’s County Council is poised to approve this month.
The measure would cap rent hikes at 3% a year, plus the rate of inflation, up to 6%. However, buildings constructed before 2000 would be exempt from the law.
“My takeaway personally, and at the first swipe of it, is that because of all the new construction that
Firefighter relocation may delay responses County
By BODE RAMSAY and SHARON O’MALLEY
The Prince George’s County Circuit Court on June 28 denied a request by College Park, Greenbelt and Berwyn Heights to stop a plan to move paid firefighters from the Greenbelt and Berwyn Heights fire stations to elsewhere in the county.
Thrifters find deals, recycle clothes at local resale shops
By MADISON KORMAN
Grant Davidson arrived at Uptown Cheapskate on Baltimore Avenue one recent Wednesday morning, arms overflowing with clothing, eager to trade his unwanted belongings for cash.
Davidson, a 19-year-old spring graduate from DeMatha Catholic High School and a College Park resident, sells his clothes at local thrift stores like Uptown Cheapskate for extra money and because he enjoys giving his clothing a second life.
“It’s better than leaving it for no one else to use it,” Davidson said. “I have a better mind knowing that someone else can use it or have
fun with the clothing.”
Uptown Cheapskate and CIESBD Thrift Store are two resale shops in College Park that offer secondhand clothing, accessories, shoes and other items at a discount.
Mama Ndanjen said he opened CIESBD Thrift Store, at 9922 Rhode Island Avenue, 15 years ago because he believes preserving and reselling clothing and other items can allow the memories behind them to live on within the community.
“Reselling old items is important because they are more than just objects,” Ndanjen said. ”The items hold history and memories that can live on after being donated.”
Thrifting allows people of any background
to access a variety of goods that they may not be able to afford at full price.
According to NARTS: The Association of Resale Professionals, the number of resale shops that offer a wide variety of products from clothing to furniture has dramatically increased in recent years.
These resale shops attract consumers across income levels and ages, NARTS Executive Director Adele Meyer said.
Liz Butler, the owner of Uptown Cheapskate, opened the thrift store, at 9122 Baltimore Avenue, in 2019 because she saw a need in College Park for fashion that is affordable for everyone and also wanted to
A shopper looks for discounted, secondhand clothes at Uptown Cheapskate on Baltimore Avenue. MADISON KORMAN
Homes lose tree cover but city gains overall
By KATELYNN WINEBRENNER
Tree cover on residential properties decreased in College Park between 2009 and 2020 despite overall growth throughout the rest of the city, according to a new assessment.
In a presentation to the city council in February, Mike Galvin, director of SavATree’s consultant group, said the city’s efforts to limit the number of trees residents remove and to encourage them to plant more are “great proactive steps” toward slowing or stopping the loss of tree canopy in neighborhoods. Canopy is the layer of tree leaves, stems and branches that make up tree coverage when viewed from above.
“Most of the canopy loss was not roadside tree canopy,” Galvin said. “It was in people’s backyards.”
The College Park Department of Public Works partnered with SavATree to assess canopy throughout the city. SavATree, which is headquartered in Bedford Hills, N.Y., offers comprehensive tree, shrub and lawn care services throughout much of the nation.
According to the report submitted to the council, 38.7% of College Park is covered by tree canopy, and 39% of that total is over residential properties. That category showed a net loss of 8.5 acres’ worth of cover between 2009 and 2020.
State- and county-owned land accounts for 52.3% of the city’s total tree cover. These properties gained 28.7 acres’ worth of cover during that same period.
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
“Having forest is so critical, not only for the environment, but for our ability to go about our day-to-day lives in a city. It’s easy in very built environments to have a lot more canopy loss than that, and seeing that offset has been great.”
Richard Jones University of Maryland Campus Arborist
Factoring in modest gains in tree cover over properties in College Park that are owned by the city, local churches, federal agencies, and other public and private entities, the combined net gain in canopy was 12.6 acres’ worth, according to the report.
“The big picture is the canopy overall has been fairly stable over that period, with a slight increase over that time,” Galvin said.
The report estimated that College Park has more than 56,800 trees.
Galvin noted that most cities of comparable size aim to have tree canopy over 40% of their total acreage .
Contributors Hannah Fraser, Sam Gauntt, Lillian Glaros, Madison Korman, Bode Ramsay, Katelynn Winebrenner
Layout & Design
Editors Ashley Perks, Valerie Morris
Web Editor Jessica Burshtynskyy
Advertising advertising@streetcarsuburbs.news
301.531.5234
Advertising Sales Manager Miranda Goodson
cials determine where to plant more trees to reduce stormwater runoff, cool the pavement in the summer and serve as wildlife habitat.
“Having forest is so critical, not only for the environment, but for our ability to go about our day-to-day lives in a city,” University of Maryland (UMD) Campus Arborist Richard Jones said.
“It’s easy in very built environments to have a lot more canopy loss than that, and seeing that offset has been great,” Jones, who conducted a similar assessment of the UMD campus, said.
The city typically does a tree canopy assessment every three to four years. Its 2019 report also documented a net loss of tree canopy over residential property.
Following the release of the 2019 report, the city took action to address the loss. Initiatives have included tree giveaways and a partnership with Casey Trees, a nonprofit based in the District that promotes canopy restoration; Casey has worked with the city to plant saplings on residential properties.
In addition, the city passed an ordinance in 2022 that requires property owners to get permits to prune more than 20% of live wood or to remove trees. The city also reimburses a percentage of costs to property owners who plant trees through the Tree Canopy Enhancement Program.
Some have said, however, that the effectiveness of these programs has yet to be seen.
“Just because two trees are planted does not mean that
Business Manager Catie Currie
Executive Director Kit Slack
Board of Directors
President: Marta McLellan Ross
President & General Counsel: Michael Walls
Vice
City requires permit for removing trees
By KATELYNN WINEBRENNER
College Park enacted a tree canopy protection code in 2022 that requires residents to obtain a permit to remove a tree or prune more than 20% of its live branches. This code applies to any tree with a trunk more than 36 inches in circumference and a height of 4.6 feet above the ground.
The city issues permits for removing hazardous, diseased, dead and invasive trees. The city can also issue a permit if a tree interferes with a city- and countyapproved property expansion.
A property owner is allowed to remove a tree without a permit if it poses an immediate danger to people or property. In that case, the owner must apply for a permit immediately after the tree is removed and supply photos to the city that thoroughly depict the danger. Removing a tree without a permit otherwise carries a fine of $500.
Owners must remove the designated tree within a year of obtaining the permit.
They must also plant replacement trees within a year of the removal. Removed trees that had a circumference of more than 48 inches require two replacement trees.
The city offers help, including through the Tree Canopy Enhancement Program, tree giveaways and contracted tree planting, to meet these requirements.
the planted trees will live and improve the canopy,” Suchitra Balachandran, the president of the West College Park Citizens Association, said. “It takes some effort to plant a sapling and keep it alive so it will thrive.
Folks who cut down mature trees may not be inclined to take care of saplings.”
During the city council presentation, some councilmembers asked about speeding up the next assessment to get a full picture of the tree damage from a severe storm in July 2022 and to assess results of the 2022 ordinance.
Associate Editor Sought for the College Park Here & Now
Streetcar Suburbs Publishing is seeking an associate editor for this newspaper, the College Park Here & Now.
Treasurer: Joe Murchison
Secretary: Melanie Dzwonchyk Bette Dickerson, Nora Eidelman, Joseph Gigliotti, Maxine Gross, Merrill Hartson, T. Carter Ross, Stephanie Stullich
Ex Officios: Katie V. Jones, Griffin Limerick, Sharon O'Malley, Kit Slack
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.
The associate editor supports the managing editor, and works with other paid staff and volunteers to put together our monthly print newspaper and contribute to our web content. The associate editor writes the community calendar page of the newspaper, works with our columnists, copyedits, and writes one to two articles per month. This position is home-office based with flexible hours and requires some weekend and evening availability.
For more information, please contact kit@streetcarsuburbs.news
To apply: Email kit@streetcarsuburbs.news with a resume, cover letter, two writing samples and two professional references by August 15. Please put "Application: Associate Editor" in the subject field.
Noose found hanging near Lakeland
By SAM GAUNTT
A yellow rope noose was found hanging from a tree near the Paint Branch Trail in Lakeland on June 2, according to Prince George’s County Park Police.
Officers who responded to the scene took the noose down and submitted it as evidence. As of July 1, the police had not said they identified a suspect.
Police are not treating the incident as a hate crime, Park Police Lt. Galvin Savoy said, but that may change depending on if they find more evidence relating to the noose.
The noose was found and reported by Hannah Frasure, a resident of the College Park neighborhood of Berwyn, who is also a College Park Here & Now contributor.
Frasure said after she found the noose she immediately left the trail and called the police’s non-emergency line to report it.
“I just didn’t want to leave it hanging, but I didn’t want to touch it myself in case it had been, like, used for something or was connected to something illegal,” Frasure said.
She said she was concerned when she found the noose because it could be a public safety hazard. She added that, given its location, the noose might have
been targeted toward the Lakeland community, a historically Black neighborhood in College Park.
“It being in the Lakeland area, I think there are some obvious connotations that might come up to certain residents because, I think, the noose has been a symbol for racial hatred in the U.S.,” Frasure said.
Maxine Gross, a former College Park City councilmember and founding chair of the Lakeland Community Heritage Project, said the location of the noose “does lead one to believe that it was in some way associated with the Lakeland community.”
“It’s not a commonplace thing for folks to leave nooses hanging around,” Gross said.
“There are folks in our midst that have less than hospitable thoughts to the concept of racial equity, or even the common humanity of everyone,” she added.
A hangman’s noose is often used as a symbol of racial violence and hate toward Black Americans.
In 2017, a noose was found in a house on Fraternity Row in College Park.
But according to Savoy, the park system hasn’t received any reports of similar behavior or incidents.
College Park City Councilmember Susan Whitney (District 2), who represents
Lakeland, said the report of the noose is “certainly not news anyone wants to hear.”
“To me, a noose means one of two things: death or intimidation,” Whitney said. “And either way, it’s deeply disturbing. And given this country’s history, coming upon a noose in the woods is chilling, especially so close to a historically Black community.”
But, she added, police don’t yet know the intentions behind the noose.
Gross said “every African American” is aware that America can be an inhospitable place for them.
“It is concerning that it’s becoming somewhat acceptable for people to act upon those negative feelings,” she said.
College Park City Councilmember Llatetra Brown Esters (District 2), who also represents Lakeland, said she sees the noose as “a threat, or some type of message,” given its proximity to Lakeland.
She said in recent years issues of inclusion and equity have faced “ongoing pushback.”
“Given all the work that’s been done within this community around restorative justice, and the harms that have already been done to the community,” Brown Esters said, “this is like salt in a wound. And I hope that we as a community are big-
ger than this. You know, we’re better than what we’ve seen in this situation.”
Brown Esters added it’s important for the city to share what it stands for and show how incidents like these go against its values.
“Promote the good,” Gross agreed. “Be humane to one another.”
In a June 9 press release from the Prince George’s County Division of the Maryland-National Capital Park Police, the police encouraged anyone with information about the noose to contact the Prince George’s Park Police Crime Tips at PGPPCrimeTips@mncppc.org.
r a c
Police say they are not treating a noose found hanging from a tree in the woods near College Park’s Lakeland community as a hate crime.
HANNAH FRASURE
NEW RESTAURANTS
Bandit Taco
Dog Haus Biergarten
Eastern Gourmet
GrillMarx Steakhouse & Raw Bar
Iron Rooster
Little Blue Menu
Popeye’s Chicken
Roots Natural Kitchen
Smoothie King
Terrapin Station
NEW RETAIL & MORE
AllCare Primary and Immediate Care
Crunch Fitness
PNC Bank
Shop Made In Maryland
Third Eye Comics
Trader Joe’s
VCD Auto Repair
Wawa
COMING SOON
Chopt
Concentra Urgent Care
Green Turtle
PrimeTime at Cambria Hotel
Shake Shack
Taqueria Habanero
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Our calendar includes many events and meetings sponsored by the City of College Park, local nonprofits, including arts organizations and performance venues. For additional events and meetings organized by the city, see the College Park Post newsletter in this paper’s centerfold.
Please send notices of events taking place before Sept. 9 to sharon@streetcarsuburbs.news
JULY 11
College Park Community Library Book Club. July pick: The Other Wes Moore, by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Free. 7 p.m. Lower level, College Park Church of the Nazarene, 9407 Rhode Island Ave. For more information, contact Carol Munn at donkinc@msn.com
JULY 12
Friday Night Live! Join fellow enthusiasts at College Park City Hall Plaza for a live concert featuring Fred Moss & the Funk Band with their mix of energetic rock, funk, blues and jazz. Free concert; food and beer available for purchase. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. 7401 Baltimore Ave.
Movie Night and School Supply Drive at IKEA. Bring a school supply to donate, lawn chairs and blankets for a screening of Disney’s “Encanto.” 8:30 to 10:45 p.m. IKEA parking lot, 10100 Baltimore Ave. RSVP at tinyurl. com/mryknvz3. All donations support Prince George’s County’s public schools.
JULY 13
Second Saturday Lecture Series. Paul Ruffins, poet, author and frequent columnist for College Park Here & Now and Hyattsville Life & Times, will talk about how he chooses subjects for his columns. Free. 4 to 6 p.m. University Park Church of the Brethren, 4413 Tuckerman St., University Park.
JULY 16
College Park Arts Exchange Virtual Book Club. Join fellow readers to discuss Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad, and Criminal in 19th-Century New York, by Stacy Horn. Free. 7 to 8:30 p.m. For Zoom link, email info@cpae.org
JULY 20
College Park Aviation Museum: Cub Corner, Tails of Flight. Gather around for The Amazing Air Balloon, by Jean Van Leeuwen, and hear how the very first hot air balloon flight took place right here in Maryland and join in a crafting activity based on the short story. Free with museum admission, registration not required. Ages 5 and under. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Dr. For more information, call 301.864.6029 or email collegeparkaviation@ pgparks.com
JULY 27
College Park Aviation Museum: Afternoon Aviators, Maryland
ADOBE STOCK
Aviation. Come learn about the College Park Airport, the oldest continuously operating airport in the world . Ages 8 to 12. Free with museum admission, registration not required. 1 to 2 p.m. 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Dr. For more information, call 301.864.6029 or email collegeparkaviation@pgparks. com
University of Maryland Summer Choral Concert. Join friends, neighbors and the UMD community and raise your voice in song. Three weeks of rehearsals in preparation for this summer’s July 27 concert at The Clarice featuring Gabriel Fauré’s
Star Wars: Legion and Shatterpoint Free Play.
Terrain and mats provided. Free, all levels welcome. 4 to 10 p.m. Game Kastle, 4748 Cherry Hill Rd. For more information, go to tinyurl.com/ uv2tb9jc
“Requiem.” Ages 18 and up, no experience necessary. 8 to 10 p.m. For more information, including rehearsal dates, go to tinyurl.com/yc47tbsn
Lineage Percussion: “Shadows of Lakeland.” Performance of original music inspired by Lakeland and hosted by the City of College Park Restorative Justice Commission in partnership with the College Park Arts Exchange and others. Free, tickets required. 7 p.m. The Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts, 8270 Alumni Dr. For tickets and additional information, go to tinyurl. com/2s3kbhzv
ONGOING
“Indelible Ephemera”: Posters and Fliers from Special Collection in Performing Arts. Promotional materials that live on as artifacts of the creative events they advertised. Exhibit includes rarely seen items from D.C.rooted performance artists. Free. Through August. MSPAL Gallery at The Clarice. 8270 Alumni Dr. For hours and more information, go to tinyurl.com/y9hrwsk7
RECURRING
College Park Community Library Children’s Story Time. Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10 a.m. Meet on the lawn in sunny weather and indoors in rain. Free. College Park Church of the Nazarene, 9704 Rhode Island Ave.
Line Dancing with Jessie. The College Park Arts Exchange hosts Jessie Barnes, of Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers, for an upbeat virtual dance session — with an emphasis on fun — every Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. Free. For more information and to register for the Zoom workshop, email info@cpae.org
Salsa Tuesdays at e Hall CP. Featuring Latin music, free salsa lessons by Luis Delga and a rotating fresh taco menu. Every Tuesday from 5 to 9 p.m. The Hall CP, 4656 Hotel Dr.
• Adult Rowing in Crew Boats
• All you can row in August
• Then defend your neighborhood in the finale Bladensburg Races
• Donations are welcome to support our community programs BEGINNERS WELCOME!
FUN, FRIENDS, AND FITNESS!
All activities are at Bladensburg Waterfront Park 4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg WashingtonRowingSchool.com 202-344-0886
I've
Want to know more? Call or email me for a free consultation and let me put my expertise and enthusiasm to work for you! CELEBRATE THIS SUMMER with our ever-popular COMMUNITY CHALLENGE
City clerk retires after 18 years on job
By LILLIAN GLAROS
College Park City Clerk Janeen
Miller will retire on Aug. 1 after 18 years in the position.
She will be succeeded on Aug. 5 by Assistant City Clerk Yvette Allen, who has worked for the city since 1988.
“I hope that she’s able to really enjoy her retirement and do the things that she’s wanted to do for so long and really enjoy not having to come into the office every day,” City Manager Kenny Young said.
Miller said she is ready for the freedom that comes with retirement.
“More free time to myself to do the things that I put on the back burner and enjoy life without the responsibility of waking up to an alarm clock,” Miller said. “I think that’s really the main thing. I’m just tired of an alarm clock and having to be somewhere on somebody else’s schedule, and I’m ready to control my own time.”
However, Miller also said she loved her work as city clerk, especially interacting with a variety of people, helping others
and even answering the phones.
“The City Clerk’s office answers the main phone number to the city so we get all kinds of calls and I love that, and you see who’s on the other end of the call and how you can help them,” Miller said. “[It] is very satisfying.”
Still, Miller said, the job was “challenging. I’ve had to learn a lot of new things. Every day is different. I get to have contact with a lot of different people in
different walks of life.”
Miller, who lived in College Park’s Berwyn neighborhood before moving to Greenbelt about 15 years ago, was involved with the city before becoming city clerk. She was chair of her Neighborhood Watch Committee and worked in the Department of Public Services for about 16 months before she was appointed city clerk by former City Manager Joe Nagro in 2006.
As city clerk, Miller wore different hats. Her office works on city elections, answers public information requests, keeps the records of the city and manages citizen advisory boards. Miller or Allen also attends every College Park City Council meeting, prepares the agendas and records the minutes, and makes sure the council abides by city, county and state codes.
“We forget, but she does not,” College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir said of Miller. “She reminds us, she keeps us on track. She’s very punctual. She gets also very honest. If she thinks that staff can do something, she tells us that, ‘Hey, this is a situation.’”
Miller said she will miss her colleagues.
“I’m going to miss Yvette,” Miller said. “I’m going to miss the other people that I work with in this department, seeing them every day. I’m going to miss the phone. Not all the phone calls, but some of the phone calls and talking to people on the phone.”
In her role as assistant city clerk for 20 years, Allen helped Miller with her duties, she said.
“I gave Janeen time to get out there and shine while I was behind the scenes trying to get as … much information and get her ready so she can go out there and shine,” Allen said. “So I’m hoping … I’m going to have the same with whoever’s going to be my assistant.”
Allen said she is looking forward to being city clerk.
“I feel that this is my time,” she said. “I’ve worked hard. Janeen has been a wonderful leader and she’s helped me refine my skills throughout the years.”
Allen worked as a clerk typist in parking enforcement, as the secretary to the director of the Department of Public Services
and as an office specialist in the city clerk’s office for five years before becoming assistant city clerk in 2004.
Allen and Miller agreed they have had a close working relationship. Allen said she sometimes spent more time with Miller than with her own family.
Allen said she considers Miller as family, and Miller said they’re like sisters.
“We speak the same language,” Miller said. “So we speak shorthand to one another, and we know what we’re talking about.”
“Correct, and no one can understand it,” responded Allen.
During the 20-plus years they have worked in the city clerk’s office, a lot has changed.
For example, city business has transitioned from paper to digital and the staff moved to the new city hall.
“Since I’ve been here, I think the biggest change is just our new city hall and everything we had to go through to get to our new city hall,” Miller said. “But also all of the development that we’ve seen on Route 1, of course, is the biggest change.”
City Clerk Janeen Miller will retire on Aug. 1. Her replacement is Yvette Allen, who was the assistant city clerk for 20 years. COURTESY OF THE CITY OF COLLEGE PARK
CITY OF COLLEGE PARK
COLLEGE PARK POST
Voting 101
Make your voice heard in the upcoming presidential election whether you’re a first -time or long-time voter you care about (education, environment, jobs, healthcare, etc.) and learn more about the candidate’s stance on that issue. Decide which candidate best reflects your values and goals for your community.
Voting is one of the most powerful ways to make your voice heard and influence the future of your community. Understanding the voting process is essential to our civic duty, whether we’re a firsttime or long-time voter. In honor of Independence Day, we’ve created this guide to walk you through some of the important steps of registering to vote, preparing for election day, casting your ballot, and tips for staying involved in the democratic process.
Before Voting:
1. Register to vote, or confirm your status. Visit the Maryland State Board of Elections website (https://elections.maryland. gov) to register to vote online or submit a voter registration application. If you’re already registered to vote, confirm your status and update any new contact information.
2. Decide how and when you would like to vote. For the 2024 Presidential election, you can either vote in person during early voting or on election day. All voting centers are accessible to voters with disabilities. You can also submit a mail-in ballot.
3. Reflect on your goals for your community. The candidates chosen will make decisions for the future of our city and country. Reflect on the goals you have for your community, and keep this perspective in mind when learning about the candidates.
4. Review the sample ballot and research candidates using nonpartisan resources. It’s helpful to learn about all the candidates, their offices, and any other key issues in the election. Use credible sources such as the Official Maryland State Board of Elections site to find information about the solutions offered by the candidates. If you are overwhelmed with information, find an issue
5. If English is your second language, receive ballots and other materials in other languages. These documents are provided in Spanish in Prince George’s County, and other languages can be provided upon request to your local board of elections.
While Voting:
6. Gather necessary documentation. Some voters, especially those voting for the first time, will be asked for show ID before voting. Please remember to bring a valid photo ID or a copy of a current government document that shows your name and address.
7. Bring your marked sample ballot with you. Remember you cannot use your cell phone or other electronics in the voting booth.
8. You can bring printed material, such as your marked sample ballot or notes. You can also bring up to two children under 18 years old, as long as they do not disrupt or interfere with voting procedures.
9. If you have to provide proof to your employer that you were at the polls, ask an election judge for a Certificate of Participation.
After Voting:
10. Confirm your ballot was counted if you used a mail-in ballot or a provisional ballot. This information is typically available 10 days after an election.
11. Look for official results from verified sources to stay informed about the election.
12. Stay involved by keeping up with the news and attending local government meetings.
Recognizing Outstanding Local Leaders in College Park
Nominate an individual or business for the City’s annual awards to highlight those who make a difference
THE JACK PERRY AWARD
In February 2013, the College Park City Council established an award in recognition of Councilman John Edward “Jack” Perry.
Councilman Perry served on the College Park City Council from 1979 to 1983 and from 1989 to 2011, for a total of 26 years. From the time he moved to College Park’s Berwyn neighborhood in 1969, until his death in 2012, Jack was deeply committed to serving his community, which he demonstrated by spending many hours working to improve the quality of life for all who lived and worked in College Park.
Through the years, he volunteered on numerous associations, boards, coalitions, task forces and committees at the neighborhood, city, county, and state levels. This Award will recognize a member of the community who emulates Councilman Jack Perry’s legacy of public service.
ELIGIBILITY:
To be eligible for the award, a person must be at least 18 years of age and a registered voter or legal resident of College Park.
CRITERIA:
The Jack Perry award will recognize a College Park resident who has participated to an extraordinary degree in neighborhood, civic, or municipal affairs within the City in a manner that improves public spaces, fosters community cohesion, eradicates blight, informs discussion of public issues, provides leadership, and/ or furthers the best interests of the City as a whole.
NOMINATIONS:
From May 15 to July 15 each year, any resident, neighborhood association or organization in the City may submit a nomination for the Jack Perry Award.
Nominations should be submitted in writing to the City Clerk for the City of College Park, 7401 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 201, College Park, MD, 20740, or by e-mail to cityclerkoffice@collegeparkmd. gov. Nominations will be reviewed by a Committee that includes a member of the Perry family.
This non-monetary award will be presented by the City Council in the fall.
BUSINESS OF THE YEAR
Nominate an outstanding City of College Park business that goes above and beyond to positively contribute to the community and serves as an example to others.
Nominate a business in the City of College Park by August 31!
Visit www.collegeparkmd.gov/ businessaward24 to nominate or for more information.
Hollywood Farmers Market
Shop at your local Farmers Market for this season’s freshest produce, unique crafts, and live music each Saturday
Summer is here, and so is the season’s best local produce!
Visit Hollywood Farmers Market (9803 Rhode Island Ave.) from 10AM to 2PM each Saturday until November for fruits and vegetables harvested at their peak! Each week, vendors offer a variety of vegetables, fruits, meats, and crafts that are locally farmed and made.
Did you know we accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits so customers can purchase fresh produce and locally made products at our market? To use SNAP benefits, customers can swipe their EBT cards at our Maryland Market Money table. We will charge the card for any amount requested in exchange for tokens that can be spent with eligible vendors.
Here are some tips for a successful visit to the Farmers Market:
• Arrive early to have your pick of the best selection.
• Use your senses to gravitate toward the best provisions. From freshly baked bread to the colors of fresh cut flowers, your senses will be stimulated by the sights, smells, and tastes!
• Bring your own bags to carry your purchases and help reduce waste.
• Introduce yourself to vendors to get to know more about their process and their products.
• Be adventurous! The market is full of unqie finds, so push yourself to try something you’ve never had before.
• Handle fresh produce with care and remember to always wash fruits and vegetables before eating.
ELDERLY TAX CREDIT
Effective starting FY 2024, the City of College Park will provide a $150 credit of the City portion of the property tax bill, for up to 5 years. To be eligible for this credit, you must meet all of the following criteria:
1. At least one homeowner is age 65 or over by June 30, 2024 AND
2. the eligible homeowner has resided at the property the credit is sought for at least the previous 10 fiscal years AND 3. the assessed value of your property does not exceed $515,000 on July 1 (adjusted July 1, 2024 for new applicants by the lesser of the CPI or 3%).
4. Applications must be received by October 1, 2024.
Learn more and apply at www.collegeparkmd.gov/ elderlytaxcredit25.
FREE SUMMER PARKING
Visit downtown College Park for FREE this summer! Starting May 25th, park for free in the Downtown Parking Garage on weeknights after 5pm and all-day on Saturdays and Sundays. Explore all the amazing dining, shopping, and entertainment options our City has to offer. See you downtown!
City Announcements
More information: www.collegeparkmd.gov
MOSQUITO CONTROL
Warm spring weather can cause mosquito larvae to become active, producing adult mosquitoes. The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) will begin applying mosquito larvicide control products to standing water in known breeding areas to prevent the development of larvae into biting adult mosquitoes.
For permanent areas of standing water (ponds, rain barrels, etc.), mosquito “torpedoes” slowly and continuously release an insect growth regulator into the water that prevents larval mosquito development into adults for up to 2 months. The City offers mosquito torpedoes for residents – visit the Department of Public Works for more information.
The adult spray portion of MDAs program is scheduled to start in late May/early June and run through September to trap and control mosquito populations. More information can be found on our website www.collegeparkmd. gov/mosquito.
REQUEST FOR EXEMPTION FROM ADULT MOSQUITO CONTROL SERVICES
Residents can request exclusion from the adult spray program by
completing an exemption form annually and return it to:
Program Supervisor, Mosquito Control Section 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway Annapolis, MD 21401
If you don’t have a printer, the local office for MDA Mosquito Control in College Park has offered to send residents a form via DocuSign. Send an email to skeetermd1. mda@maryland.gov to request the form be sent via DocuSign.
FOR
MORE INFORMATION
Visit the MDA’s Mosquito Control website (https://mda. maryland.gov/plants-pests/ pages/mosquito_control.aspx) for more details about the program, including their policy, insecticides used, product labels and material safety data sheets (MSDS), and more.
RABIES Q&A
With several cases of raccoons testing positive for rabies in our area (including one recently in College Park Woods - see the Health Department letter for more information at https://www. collegeparkmd.gov/CivicAlerts. aspx?AID=618).
The City asked Prince George’s
County Health Officer Dr. Matt Levy some of the most commonly asked questions about rabies and rabies prevention, and how to report any potential sightings or concerns at www.collegeparkmd. gov/rabiesvideo. To learn more about rabies in Maryland, including rabies surveillance statistics and efforts to prevent and control the disease, please visit the MDH website.
NO MOW APRIL SURVEY
We want to hear from you! Whether you participated in No Mow April or not, your feedback is valuable. Take a quick survey to share your thoughts on No Mow April and how it impacted your yard. Your input helps shape future initiatives and a greener College Park! Take the survey at www.collegeparkmd. gov/nomowsurvey24.
FREE SUMMER MEALS
From now to August 9, FREE summer meals from Prince George’s County Public Schools are available at select schools, libraries, & other locations. Hollywood Elementary is one of the selected locations!
Researchers create coloring book about Purple Line
By LILLIAN GLAROS
Children and adults used colored pencils, crayons and markers to scribble on free coloring books in the University of Maryland’s (UMD) The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on June 28 as they learned about the impact that Purple Line construction is having on Riverdale residents.
The 14-page coloring book, Transit & Transition: A Bridge to Rapid Change, is based on research conducted by a group of UMD-based organizations and others about how the community feels about the coming of the Purple Line and its potential impact on housing prices, jobs and the mental well-being of those who live nearby.
“The idea was, let’s talk to people in the community about their perspectives about the Purple Line and about neighborhood change, and create something useful to reflect that information back,” said Sheila Somashekhar, director of the Purple Line Corridor Coalition at UMD and a colead for the project.
The coalition, along with the Transverse Cooperative, The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and the UMD School of Public Health, unveiled the coloring book to more than two dozen attendees at a 1.5-hour
event at the Cafritz Foundation Theater at The Clarice.
The project was a way to start discussions about Purple Line development, said Somashekhar, who noted that a coloring book is a way to share research with an audience beyond academia.
“I also hope that … we think about what research looks like and what research can mean, not just in a traditional [way], like, ‘We’re going to do research and publish in a journal,’ but to do research that is … accessible to the community,” she said after the event.
The event started with a documentary that summarized the community research that was the basis of the project and was funded by a Healthy Places seed grant from the UMD schools of Public Health and of Architecture, Planning and Preservation.
A read-aloud session of the coloring book was next on the agenda. Ellie Yanagisawa, one of the coloring book artists, walked around the room, giving the microphone to willing youth and adult readers, who recited lines from the book, such as, “The Purple Line promised investment into the community, but will we experience the benefits?”
“The fact that [the artists] had us read aloud, and that the kids were so comfortable to do that — amazing,” Stephen Thomas,
director of the UMD Center for Health Equity and a co-investigator for the project, said after the event. “They’re walking around with their books: their books, not their parents’ books. To me, that’s the ultimate success.”
Yanagisawa and co-artist Camila Tapia-Guilliams explained the design process and choices behind the coloring book.
“It was just this wonderful collection of stories, anxieties, hopes and dreams that we heard from the people and it was kind of up to us … just to go through all the interviews and synthesize a narrative from it,” Yanagisawa said.
The artists said they expressed the sentiments of the commu-
The project was a way to start discussions about Purple Line development, said Sheila Somashekhar, who noted that a coloring book is a way to share research with an audience beyond academia.
nity on paper, such as the effects of noise pollution created by the construction and a wish for more green spaces and affordable housing around the above-ground light rail, scheduled to open in late 2027.
Tapia-Guilliams, a 2019 UMD graduate who lives in Rockville, experienced Purple Line construction while a student in College Park.
“The whole time I was a student, I mean, the construction ripped through campus and it was very disruptive,” Tapia-Guilliams said after the event. “It just felt like … it was hard to find quiet outdoor spaces on campus that were easily accessible.”
County designates 3 Lakeland homes as historic
By KATELYNN WINEBRENNER
Prince George’s County has granted a historic designation to three homes in College Park’s Lakeland neighborhood.
The county’s Planning Board had recommended that the county council approve the designation, which College Park Restorative Justice Commission Chair Maxine Gross requested last August.
“We do owe it to Lakeland to do everything we can to work toward restorative justice,” County Councilmember Eric C. Olson (District 3) said at a hearing on the request.
Gross owns one of the homes and co-owns the other two with her sister, Delphine Gross. The county found that all three have uniquely historic significance to Lakeland and the county.
Gross solely owns the home at 5011 Navahoe Street, which
once belonged to Nancy Tabbs, a relative of Gross’s. In 1935, Tabbs, a single mother whose maiden name was Gross, hired Romulus Cornelius Archer Jr., the second Black architect licensed in the District, to design her home.
The county’s planning board staff recommended historic designation for the property because it reflects Lakeland’s development, a family’s heritage and the “entrepreneurial spirit and innovative mindset of Black women during a period of intense racial segregation.”
The second home is the Elwood and Wilmer Gross house at 5110 Pierce Avenue, named after the former owners, Maxine Gross’ parents. Gross grew up in the house, which her father and other Lakelanders built in the early 1960s. Both of her parents were involved in the community, and Gross’ father was once the
president of the Lakeland Civic Association.
County planning board staff said the home reflects the development of Lakeland and the influence of the Gross family on the community.
The third home, at 8002 54th Avenue, once was owned by George Henry and Agnes Gross, Maxine Gross’ paternal grandparents. The grandparents paid for this property with money they received from the county after it demolished their previous home in the early 1970s to build the new, desegregated Paint Branch Elementary School.
In their recommendation, the county planning board staff called the 54th Avenue home a testament to the community’s “resilience … in the face of discriminatory public policy” during the city’s urban renewal efforts through the mid-1960s.
College Park students participate in business pitch competition
By LILLIAN GLAROS
After the death of her father, Karyn Chambers, now a rising 10thgrader at College Park Academy, said, she “had a hard time coping with that.” So she turned her focus to crocheting — her favorite hobby — to get her through.
Now she wants to start a homebased business called YarnStars to sell her crocheted pieces and teach others who struggle with loss and stress to crochet as a way to deal with losing loved ones.
“I found hobbies to help and I want to help others through, like, crochet and other arts and crafts,” Karyn said.
Karyn’s idea won sixth place for her age category in the 12th Annual Dureke iDEA Pitch Competition on June 8 at the Nyumburu Cultural Center on the University of Maryland campus.
The first-place winner in the collegiate level, which includes high school juniors and seniors and college students, is also from College Park Academy. Nasirah Leekins, who graduated in May, pitched a business that would create diverse dolls with natural human hair, available in a wide variety of textures and made with facial features, such
as different eye colors, available for customization.
“I wanted to have high-quality dolls that are also inclusive,” Leekins said. “A lot of higher quality dolls are very Eurocentric, and I wanted to have high-quality, fancy dolls that look like me.”
The two College Park Academy students were among more than 20 young people, some on teams, who presented their business ideas to judges with the hope of winning funding and scholarships.
Surrounded by their parents and siblings at the competition run by WETATi Academy, the participants pitched ideas ranging from a car detailing business to one that would combine a dog park and a theme park.
Several other students from College Park Academy made pitches.
Three 10th-graders presented their idea for a brand called Delighted that would make nonirritating fragrances, inspired by Diego Villatoro’s love of scents and Jonathan Campbell’s allergy to conventional colognes and perfumes. They won fourth place in the competition for eighth- to 10th-graders..
“My grandma purchased me
a cologne, right? … Within two hours I started breaking out,” Jonathan said. “So I realized that I’m allergic to the chemicals inside the fragrances.”
The group would make their fragrances from natural oils to prevent allergic reactions, which can be from a variety of chemicals, including alcohol.
Another team of College Park Academy 10th-graders presented an idea for a car detailing business, which they call Turbo Elite Detailing, winning first place for their age group.
Their business would sell car detailing packages, running up to $200 for premium service.
“We all are 16 and we’re all just now getting our permits and starting to drive,” student Jayden Williamson said. “So we decided, why not take our field of passion into cars?”
Two College Park Academy 11th-graders won third place in the collegiate division for their pitch of PM Foods, an organization that would mingle their love of cooking with a desire to feed food-insecure people.
“It’s something that’s been a big problem in the area, the homeless population in urban areas,” said student entrepre-
neur Manuel Perez, who pitched with classmate Paris White.
Other participants hailed from elementary, middle and high schools in Prince George’s and Howard counties, the District and Baltimore. One University of Maryland student also pitched.
Astrid Tagne Meleu, a rising junior information science major, took second place in the collegiate division with her business, Cordeaux A, an existing brand that sells imported purses and bags handcrafted by Cameroonian artisans.
She said she started her business to increase representation of Cameroonian culture and talent here in the U.S.
“The problem is that there’s not a platform for capable artists to showcase their talent … and there’s also not enough positive representation of African culture
outside of Africa itself, so I wanted to bring that to the world,” Meleu said during her presentation.
The top three winners in each grade category won checks ranging from $125 to $750. All students received exceptional student awards and Little Blue Menu gift cards.
WETATi Academy was founded in 2012 by Margaret Dureke, a motivational speaker and bestselling author. She established the school with the goal of giving students the skills to be financially independent through entrepreneurship and financial literacy.
“What separates us from most others is that we don’t just tell them what they can do,” Dureke said. “We show them how to do it, and we’re there with them in the trenches and doing the work.”
College Park Academy student Karyn Chambers pitches her idea for a crocheting business to a panel of judges as her mother, Joanna Chambers, front, models one of the girl’s pieces. She won sixth place in her age category.
LILLY GLAROS
6 UMD athletes make US Olympic teams
By LILLIAN GLAROS
Four current and former University of Maryland (UMD) field hockey players will be traveling with one of the team’s assistant coaches to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris this month.
UMD graduates Kelee Lepage, Brooke DeBerdine and Leah Crouse and graduate student Emma DeBerdine have been selected as members of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Women’s Field Hockey Team, which will play its first match on July 27 against Argentina. Assistant coach Jenny Rizzo is a provisional player, which means she will play goalkeeper if needed.
In addition, the U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team will feature a former Terp, Alyssa Thomas, who played basketball for UMD from 2010 to 2014 and remains the team’s all-time leading scorer. Thomas plays in the WNBA for the Connecticut Sun.
“It feels so unreal,” Lepage, a defender who graduated from UMD in 2020 with a marketing degree, told College Park Here & Now. “I feel incredibly grateful to be able to go live out this dream.”
Eleven UMD women’s field hockey alums have gone on to play in the Olympics, according to UMD Athletics.They are Katie Kauffman Beach, Lauren Powley, Dina Rizzo, Sarah Silvetti, Keli Smith-Puzo, Katie O’Donnell Bam, Jill Witmer and the four on this year’s team.
Lepage, who joined the national USA Field Hockey team in 2020, played as a defender
for the UMD squad from 2016 to 2020.
She grew up watching the Olympics, Lepage said. Her dream of becoming an Olympian grew in high school, where she was coached by 1984 Olympic bronze medalist Brenda Hoffman.
Long-time UMD women’s field hockey head coach Missy Meharg was one of the coaches who influenced Lepage as she made her journey toward the Olympics.
“Even before when I was getting recruited, she asked if USA Hockey is a dream of mine, and I told her yes, and she said we’re going to make sure you get to that place,” said Lepage, who scored 43 points, including three game-winning goals, during her time with the Terps.
“I think my favorite part is honestly … being a part of a team … pushing each other to our limits and supporting each other, encouraging each other when things get hard,” Lepage said.
Rizzo also said she dreamed of playing at the Olympics, although field hockey wasn’t always the one-time soccer player’s sport of choice. She started playing in fifth grade, and like Lepage, took inspiration from previous athletes on the national women’s field hockey team.
“I want to just support my team as much as possible,” said Rizzo, who played as a goalkeeper for Penn State before taking assistant coaching jobs elsewhere and then coming to UMD. “I want to serve them and be able to just do what I can to play whatever role that might be at this Olympic Games, whether I end up on the field or not.”
Rizzo said she was inspired by goalkeeper Jackie Briggs, who played for the U.S. Olympic
team in 2012 and 2016.
“At that point in time, Jackie Briggs was coming up as the USA women’s goalkeeper, and I remember I had her poster on my wall and I was just so inspired by, like, her grit and just her demeanor as a player,” Rizzo said.
Training is heavy as the team prepares, Rizzo said.
“We mainly train in the morning, like, from 8 to 10, and then after that, we’ll have either lift or a meeting, and then some days we’ll have optional technical sessions in the afternoon, where we’ll work on more, like, fine details of set plays,” Rizzo said.
The team is training in Charlotte, North Carolina, where it will also practice against the U.S. Olympic Men’s Field Hockey Team.
University of Maryland graduate Kelee Lepage, center, plays in an FIH Hockey Pro League game against New Zealand on Jan. 16. Lepage is one of five Terps who made the U.S. women’s field hockey team roster for the Summer Olympics. COURTESY OF USA FIELD HOCKEY
help keep clothing out of landfills.
“You can look around the store and there’s probably 40,000 pieces of clothing in here,” Butler, a former economic development professional in Prince George’s County, said. “You can imagine if all of that was in a landfill, right? It would be its own landfill.”
Sustainability is an aspect of thrifting that helps attract younger shoppers, Butler said. Customers of Uptown Cheapskate are both College Park residents and University of Maryland (UMD) students, she noted.
Sophia Kellogg, an English major at UMD, said thrifting is one of her favorite ways to acquire clothing because she can practice sustainability while finding unique pieces.
Kellogg, a rising sophomore, uses Pinterest to create mood boards to help organize her ideas before she goes thrifting and to create a vision for the clothing and outfits she hopes to find. She bases the mood boards on her interests, like her favorite band, The Garden.
Meyer said while it is important to plan ahead when thrifting to maximize the experience, “be flexible, and do not limit yourself by looking for a specific item.”
While finding unique pieces and practicing sustainability drives many to thrift, affordability is a key factor, too.
Lili Chavez, a 21-year-old Prince George’s County resident, often thrifts at Uptown Cheapskate because she is able to buy affordable clothes for herself and younger sisters.
“I love being able to buy clothing I like and feel comfortable in, but it’s just too expensive sometimes,” Chavez said.
“When I come here, I can find nice clothes at half the price for my sisters and I.”
Chavez said with the rising cost of clothes and the increase in cheaply made fast fashion, she wouldn’t know where to shop if she didn’t live near a thrift store.
Butler agreed.
“I don’t think you should have to choose between fashion and groceries,” Butler said. “I think fashion should be for everybody.”
National Thrift Shop Day, on Aug. 17, brings attention to thrift shops and encourages people to get out and see what their secondhand stores have to offer.
Chavez said National Thrift Shop Day could be a great opportunity for her to support lo-
Tips for successful thrifting
According to NARTS: The Association of Resale Professionals, shoppers can optimize their thrifting experience in many ways, including by following these suggestions:
• Be flexible and do not limit yourself by looking for a specific item because you may overlook other great pieces.
• Check the clothing carefully before buying to verify the items are of good quality and if their labels show a brand name.
• Take your time while shopping. Thrift stores have a lot of inventory, so allow enough time to view everything in the store.
• If you see an item you like while shopping, buy it. Chances are it will not be available the next time you visit.
• Organize your thoughts in advance and use Pinterest to create a moodboard for what you are looking for.
Uptown Cheapskate is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. The store buys and sells gently used clothing from brands like Coach, Michael Kors, Express, Anthropology and Urban Outfitters at a fraction of the retail price.
CIESBD Thrift Store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The shop accepts donations but does not buy items, and it sells a wide variety of products ranging from clothing to furniture to books and car accessories.
cal secondhand shops and try to encourage other members of her family to thrift.
Butler said spreading awareness about local thrift stores can help prolong their longevity so people are able to continue buying clothing at an affordable price.
FIREFIGHTERS
FROM PAGE 1
The three jurisdictions filed a request for a temporary injunction against the plan, saying removing 24 career firefighters and emergency medical personnel from Greenbelt and six from Berwyn Heights will endanger “countless lives … as response times to fire and medical emergencies will be lengthened.”
The county also is pulling five firefighters from the Bowie Volunteer Fire Department and 20 from the county’s Bunker Hill station, for a total of 55.
“The damage is already done,” College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir told College Park Here & Now last week, noting that the moves started on June 30. “The staffing reallocation will be definitely impacting College Park residents, even though they’re not pulling any staff from our two fire departments.”
Those two departments, the College Park Fire Department and the Branchville Volunteer Fire Co. & Rescue Squad, are located within city limits. The Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad also serves College Park, as do fire stations in Greenbelt and other nearby jurisdictions.
The College Park station is staffed by both volunteers and paid firefighters, while the Branchville company relies solely on volunteers.
In a meeting last week with Prince George’s County Fire Chief Tiffany Green, Kabir and other city officials expressed their concern that relying on volunteers — especially during the summer when University of Maryland (UMD) students, who make up the bulk of the city’s unpaid firefighters, are not in the city — puts College Park residents at risk, the mayor said.
Kabir said the Branchville station is unable to answer up to 30% of the emergency calls that are coming in “because no one is at the fire station. So firefighters from other fire stations respond. It’s definitely not the same as someone coming close from College Park.”
He added: “Definitely with the situation, many College Park firefighters will be busy addressing incidents in Greenbelt … and other areas instead of College Park, and then maybe a call [comes] from College Park and they won’t be able to attend them. … In the end, response time will go up, so there’s the concern.”
In a statement released when she announced the county’s plan, Green said moving county-paid firefighters and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel out of the four stations — Berwyn Heights, Col-
City officials oppose a county plan to reallocate paid firefighters away from stations near College Park. Shown, the Branchville Volunteer Fire Co. & Rescue Squad, whose staff is entirely volunteer. COURTESY OF BRANCHVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE CO. & RESCUE SQUAD
lege Park, Bowie and Bunker Hill — comes during peak time for summer vacations, which “will critically strain an already short-staffed system. The staffing plan repositions staff to better account for these realities.”
“What we want the public to understand, even specifically College Park, is that the reason why we’re putting this plan in effect is to ensure the health and welfare of our personnel,” Green said in an interview with College Park Here & Now. “The extra positions will fill holes and callbacks when someone calls in sick on, like, a Friday or Saturday. We’ll have extra [firefighters] in those shifts so that they can immediately fill that position without having to call someone back at the end of the day. … We don’t want to hold people over and we don’t want to call them back.”
Green added: “I live in Prince George’s County, and like everyone else that lives in this community, we want our services to come in a timely manner.”
The chief noted that the county’s Fire and EMS Department faces a staffing shortage of 251 career firefighters, and their replacements have been difficult to recruit since the pandemic.
“Last year was probably our hardest year,” Green said. “We reached kind of our breaking point last year. … We used to see [turnover] of 20, maybe 25, but we were up to 40 at a time for [last] year.”
She added that the county executive has approved funding for 150 new firefighters for fiscal year 2025. In addition, 32 firefighters will graduate from training this month and 53 began training in early June.
“That’s the largest amount of firefighters Prince George’s County has been allocated to hire in 30 years,” Green said. Green said her department
will re-evaluate the reallocation plan in October.
“We’ll sit down and look at … what our mandatory overtime looks like and see what adjustments we can make to put these firefighters back into the station,” Green said. “We did not put a timetable on it at all.”
“Even though she’s saying it’s only temporary, there still is temporary damage,” Kabir said. “We’ll have to watch things. In October when the assessment is done, hopefully things are on track in getting the new recruitments.”
“In the meantime,” he added, “we’re just praying we don’t have a serious situation.”
City officials extracted four promises from the chief during their meeting, Kabir said.
First, Green assured them that the staffing plan is temporary, and said the county anticipates the fire houses will be fully restaffed by next spring, he said.
Second, she pledged to regularly communicate about fire station staffing with city leaders and residents, who learned of the plan from the media rather than from the county, Kabir said.
Next, the chief agreed to supply city leaders with data about service calls and staff retention and to answer future questions. “I don’t know how many service calls Greenbelt made to College Park because we don’t have the data,” Kabir said.
Finally, in response to concerns about the length of time it takes for volunteers to receive clearance to start working — up to six months compared with 30 days in some neighboring counties — Green explained that a new online system could fast-track at least part of the process, Kabir said.
“We have to keep an eye on those kinds of changes coming in the next few months,” he said.
really boomed since 2012, that we’re going to have a very small or very little effect on the 3% cap,”
Michael Williams, the city’s economic development director, told College Park Here & Now
He added, however, “I’m not saying this 3% cap is not important and significant to the individuals that it’s going to affect.”
Those individuals include up to 35% of apartment dwellers as well as some tenants of singlefamily homes, townhomes and duplexes, as their landlords will have to comply with the 3% cap.
Exempt from the cap are Prince George’s County residents who rent out fewer than five units; homeowners living in the house and renting out part of the space; and owners of senior housing properties.
According to a College Park Here & Now analysis of data from the 2020 U.S. Census and the 20182022 American Community Survey, 2,978 of the city’s 4,589 multifamily structures with at least five apartments were built after 2000.
“With all of the exemptions that the [law would] offer … you’re not going to get much of a number of families or individuals that this is going to affect because now, as you know, just walking through College Park, everything … seems like it’s, you know, brand new or newer,” Williams said.
Michael Bodaken, a member of the Prince George’s County Council’s Rent Stabilization Working Group, suggested the rent cap would not dissuade developers from building new apartment buildings in College Park because it does not apply to new construction.
“Wherever rent stabilization is adopted and where new construction is exempt, then there hasn’t been any impact on building whatsoever,” Bodaken, an adjunct instructor at the University of Maryland’s (UMD) School of Public Policy, said.
County Councilmember Eric Olson (District 3) said the council worked “toward a fair compromise that will achieve all the
goals that we want: protecting tenants from, you know, outrageous gouging and that kind of thing, while also making sure that what we do doesn’t inhibit investment in the county.”
Investment in multifamily buildings, like the ones that have sprung up by the dozens on Route 1 over the past decade, account for 76% of all revenue from property in College Park, according to the city’s Office of Economic Development.
“Newly constructed, large multifamily properties have an outsized importance to College Park’s tax base,” according to the City of College Park Five to Ten-Year Economic Development Strategy.
Griffin Benton, vice president of government affairs with the Maryland Building Industry Association, said the organization’s members oppose any law capping rent increases.
“Our position on rent control is we do not support it. We’re against it as a policy entirely,” he said. The association’s membership includes a number of College Park landlords.
Benton noted that rent caps can encourage landlords to raise rent to meet the caps, even if they might have made more modest increases otherwise.
He claimed the 6% rent cap passed in Montgomery County last year led landlords to raise rents. Caps usually encourage landlords to increase rents “to that max [cap]” every year, he said.
In addition, Benton said, rent caps will not address the problems tenants most often bring up when advocating for them, like dilapidated housing, mold, broken appliances and health issues.
“It’s going to, if anything, I think, make some of those landlords be less inclined to spend money,”
Benton said. “Long-term it’s going to be more expensive for tenants to live in those units. … It may be a temporary stop gap. Maybe there’s a time when … in terms of trying to actually make it cheaper to live, it’s doing the exact opposite.”
One property manager said a rent cap could lower the chances that his company would acquire additional rental units in
Many Route 1 apartment buildings will not be subject to an expected Prince George’s County rent cap because they were built after 2000.
College Park.
Quinn Rounsaville is senior vice president of acquisitions at Washington Property Co., which owns three multifamily buildings in College Park: Smith Manor, University Gardens and Columbia Manor.
“In general,” he said, “as an investor, we would steer away from jurisdictions that have permanent rent control for multifamily housing.”
However, UMD graduate research assistant Andrew Goffin said a temporary rent cap the county council enacted in 2023, coupled with a moratorium on rent increases during the pandemic, prevented him from having to move out of his apartment in Westchester Tower, which he has rented for three years.
“I mean, I looked at how much my rent increased this year for Westchester, and … they got as
HANNAH FRASURE
close to 3% as they possibly could,” Goffin said. “Based on that, I can just presume … they would have increased a little more if they could have.”
Richard Birch, an undergraduate UMD student who rents at Hub College Park, on Knox Road, said he supports a rent cap.
“I could easily be in the position of someone who has to pay high costs of rent and barely [has] the means to afford it,” Birch said, as Hub College Park, constructed in 2020, would be exempt from the new law.
College Park had rent control from 2005 to 2014, according to Mayor Fazlul Kabir, who noted the city has no plans to adopt its own ordinance.
“I’m not hearing it, you know, even in private,” Kabir said.
The county council has scheduled a public hearing on the rent cap proposal for July 16.
Rent facts for College Park homes
• Median monthly rent in College Park is $1,730. After accounting for inflation, the median rent in College Park has increased by an estimated 26%, or $357, since 2000.
• 58% of renters in College Park report they are rent-burdened, which is in line with national statistics. In 2000, 54% of renters in College Park said they were rentburdened.
• More dwellings in College Park are renter-occupied than owner-occupied, even when excluding UMD’s on-campus housing.
In 2000, a majority of occupied housing units in College Park were owner-occupied (57%), but the percentages have flipped (now, 63% of housing units are renteroccupied.)
Source: College Park
Here & Now analyzed data from the 2000 U.S. Census, the 2022 American Community Survey 1-Year Data, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor’s Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV for 2000-2022
NEWS BRIEFS
VISIT STREETCARSUBURBS.NEWS FOR MORE
New president. Marta McLellan Ross is the new president of the board of directors of Streetcar Suburbs Publishing, the nonprofit that publishes College Park Here & Now McLellan Ross replaced Stephanie Stullich, who served as president for one year and will remain on the board for the coming year. Stullich, who is retired from the U.S. Department of Education, joined the board in January 2021.
McLellan Ross, who joined the board in April 2023, led the all-volunteer body through the process of adopting the first strategic plan for the organization, which also publishes Hyattsville Life & Times and The Laurel Independent. McLellan Ross is the vice president of government and external affairs for NPR.
Print editions of the three hyperlocal newspapers are published monthly and distributed to every address in their respective cities. The publications are also online at streetcarsuburbs.news.
Special election. Thirteen candidates have registered to run in a special primary election on Aug. 6 to replace former Prince George’s County Councilmember Mel Franklin (At-Large), who resigned in June amid charges of embezzlement, felony theft scheme and perjury.
Council Chair Jolene Ivey (District 5), a Democrat, of Bladensburg, was the first to announce her candidacy.
Others who filed by the July 5 deadline are eight additional Democratic candidates: Tim Adams, the mayor of Bowie since 2019; former Maryland Del. Angela Angel; Tamara Davis Brown, of Clinton, who ran unsuccessfully for Maryland Senate in 2022; Leo Bachi Eyombo, of Suitland, who made an unsuccessful run for county council in 2022; Marvin E. Holmes Jr., of Upper Marlboro, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 23B; Kiesha D. Lewis, of Bowie, a self-described federal government whistleblower; Judy Mickens-Murray, of Upper Marlboro, a former member of
the county Board of Education; and Gabriel Njinimbot, of Laurel, who ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for the District 4 congressional seat this spring.
Republican candidates include Kamita Gray, of Clinton, a community and environmental activist; Michael Riker, of Cheltenham, a retired police detective; Isaac Toyos, of Riverdale, a legislative affairs analyst for the federal government; and Jonathan White, of Upper Marlboro, a veteran who has worked in government security.
The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will face off on Election Day, Nov. 5, when county residents will also vote for candidates for the U.S. House and Senate, and the presidency.
Campaign stop. Vice President Kamala Harris made a campaign stop in College Park on June 24, the second anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
The invitation-only event, which included Maryland Dem-
ocrats U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who is running for U.S. Senate, was a rally for abortion rights.
Harris told the crowd in Ritchie Coliseum that a second Donald Trump presidency would threaten the reproductive freedom of women nationwide.
County fair canceled. The Prince George’s County Fair, scheduled for Sept. 5-8, has been canceled because of a lack of volunteers, organizers announced in June.
“The decision has been made in the interest of ensuring a successful event in 2025 by allowing us the necessary time to rebuild our volunteer base,” according to a statement on the fair’s Facebook page.
Game nights. The city is hosting four game nights at local parks beginning in mid-July to encourage community building. The game nights are meant to be family-friendly and encourage residents to turn out and
meet their neighbors.
“We think it’s a great time for our neighbors to get together and hang out and have a kind of fun social atmosphere,” Ryna Quiñones, the city’s communications and events manager, said.
The free game nights are scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on July 19 at Hollywood Playground; July 25 at Lakeland Park; Aug. 15 at College Park Woods; and Aug. 22 at Old Town Playground.
The evenings will feature mostly lawn games, including cornhole and giant versions of Connect 4, Jenga, checkers and chess.
