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Glenn
Dale Citizens’ Association
Re-Schedules
Meeting
The Glenn Dale Citizens' Association, Inc.
(GDCA), serving residents of Glenn Dale (generally, the
20769 zip code and surrounding environs) for over 60
years, will hold its January meeting Tuesday,
January 27, 2009, at the Glenn Dale
Firehouse at 7:30 pm, including election of
officers. GDCA meetings are normally the third
Tuesday of the month, which falls on Inauguration Day
this January. For more information, contact Henry Wixon, GDCA
President, at 202-663-6293 (day).
Free
Seminar On The Neighborhood Stabilization
Program
There will be a free seminar given by
Mr. Brian D. Austin, Broker, Royal Realty to discuss and
inform the community about the Neighborhood
Stabilization Program, (NSP). This event will
take place on Thursday, January 22, 2009 at the Bowie
Library at 6:00 pm. In order for the
program to be effective, people in the community must be
made aware of its existence. The benefits of
the “NSP” will be shared with those in attendance about
helping to stabilize the neighborhoods affected by the
foreclosure crisis. Also, it will be
explained how the workforce and other homeownership
opportunities created by this program will affect the
county.
There will be a presenter from the real estate
and lending industries present to answer specific
questions about the “NSP”. For more
information, please call 301-350-3333.
More Funds Available
To Help With Your Winter Energy
Bills
Recently approved federal
legislation increases the average assistance amount for
participants of the Maryland Energy Assistance Program
(MEAP) from $355.00 to $550.00 per family in 2009. The Maryland
Office of Home Energy Programs administers MEAP for the
state.
Maryland
customers seeking help should call their local
office for details and assistance at 301-909-6300.
Emergency Federal Funding Awarded To Prince
George’s
County
Congressman Steny Hoyer and
Governor Martin O’Malley announced that $470,208.00 in
federal funds has been allocated to Prince George’s
County by the National Board of the Emergency Food and
Shelter National Board Program (EFSP) to feed and
shelter the county’s hungry and homeless. For a listing of
the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program Local Board
contacts in particular jurisdictions or for more
information, please call the EFS Program National Board
staff at (703) 706-9660, or FEMA’s Office of Legislative
Affairs at (202)
646-4500.
South Bowie
Community Center Project Status
Update
The South Bowie
Community Center is scheduled to re-open in late March
2009.
Improvements include a new roofing system, a
storefront glass wall, a new outdoor picnic pavilion,
exterior lighting, and numerous code compliance
upgrades.
HONORING
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. IN
THE AREA
City Of Bowie To Host Program Honoring Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
On Thursday, January 15, 2009
the City of Bowie will host a short program honoring the
life’s work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The theme for
the evening will be “Fulfilling the Dream.” The public
is invited to attend the program, which begins at 7 p.m.
in the Multi Purpose Room at City Hall. Works of art
from the contest will be
displayed.
State Senator Paul Pinsky To Host
22nd District Constituent Reception to Honor
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And Celebrate President
Elect Obama’s
Inauguration
Maryland State
Senator Paul G. Pinsky (D), District 22 will be hosting
a reception to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to
celebrate President Elect Obama’s Inauguration. This event will
take place on Monday, January 19, 2009 at the Miller
Senate Office Building in the President’s Conference
Center West I & II, on 11 Baden Street, Annapolis,
MD
21401. This
reception is open to all District 22 residents.
The MLK Commemoration Committee of Bowie To Host
Annual Celebration for Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.
On Sunday, January 18, 2009 at
the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, the MLK
Commemoration Committee will host its annual celebration
to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. The
Historical Society along with other community
organizations such as the Afro American Historical and
Genealogical Society, Inc., Prince George’s Chapter, The
Clergy Board of Bowie, Bowie State University, members
of the Bowie City Council, County Council Member Ingrid
M. Turner, State Delegate Marvin Holmes, State Senator
Douglas Peters and Congressman Steny Hoyer are some of
the co-sponsors of this magnificent event. The committee is
very proud to announce that the keynote speaker will be
Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and President of the
Children’s Defense Fund. She is also the
author of the book, “The Sea is so Wide…My Boat is So
Small.
Copies of this book will be given to the first
200 to check in at the Bowie Center for the Performing
Arts. This
event will start at 1:00 pm with events to include
workshops, an ecumenical service, concert, and a
fellowship dinner.
The program will also include musical selections
from the Bowie State University Choir. Donations are
being accepted to offset program costs. For more
information, you may call the Bowie Center for the
Performing Arts at 301-805-6880.
Pre-Inaugural
Event
The Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Foundation of Prince George’s
County will be hosting a Pre-Inaugural Awards Dinner and
Celebration on January 15, 2009 at the Glenarden Gold
Room on Glenarden Parkway in Glenarden, MD from 7:00 pm
until Midnight.
For more
information, please call (301)
875-1083.
Bowie
MARC Station Sector Plan Post Charrette
Meeting
MARC Station
Sector Plan Meeting
is Tuesday, January 13, 2009
at 7 p.m. in Room 123 of the Wiseman
Centre.
Help Plan Future Parks And Recreation
Facilities
Here's your
chance to let others know what kind of community
centers, recreation programs, parks, trails and
ball fields you want in your community. Prince
George's County wants to hear from you as it
develops a plan for future parks and recreation
projects and open space acquisitions from the year
2010 to 40 years in the future. The
Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning
Commission (M-NCPPC) is asking county residents to
fill out a survey by mail or on line during
January. Ten thousand surveys were mailed to
randomly chosen households keyed to areas in the
county, and the agency is encouraging those who
received them to return the surveys promptly in
the postage-paid envelope provided
.
The
written survey takes about 15 minutes to fill out,
or you may answer the questions on line at www.2010beyond.com
. Answer Questions about your family's parks and
recreation interests, even if you do not currently
use Park and Planning facilities and programs. All
answers will be kept confidential, and will be
part of the comprehensive parks and recreation
needs assessment study for Prince George's
County.
To encourage your participation, everyone
who responds will be entered in a drawing for the
chance to win one of ten $100 Giant Food gift
cards. To enter the drawing, simply enter your
first name and daytime phone number or e-mail at
the end of the survey. For more
information about the Parks & Recreation: 2010
and Beyond project, contact M-NCPPC project
manager John Henderson at 301-864-6957.
Help
Preserve our Historic Places In Prince George’s
County
The
Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning
Commission is hosting a series of initial public
meetings on updating the Prince George’s County
Historic Sites and Districts Plan. Please
attend one of the meetings to learn more about how
historic preservation can enhance property values
and bring history to life in your community. Light
refreshments will be provided. For more
information, contact Chris Wilson at (301)
952-3680 or visit
http://www.mncppc.org/preservationplan.
The
meeting schedules are as follows:
Tuesday, January
13, 2009
6:30
pm - 9:30 pm
Oxon Hill Manor
9601 Oxon Hill,
MD 20746
Thursday, January 22, 2009
6:30
pm - 9:30 pm
Montpelier Arts
Center
9650 Muirkirk Road
Laurel, MD
20708
Saturday, January 24, 2009
9:30 am
- 12:00 pm
Union United Methodist
Church
14418 Old Marlboro Pike
Upper Marlboro, MD
20772
Council
Member Turner Works To Preserve Open
Space
We are happy to announce
that the Maryland National Capital Park and
Planning Commission has acquired the
Nylen-McDaniel Property, a 20 acre parcel located
on the east side of High Bridge Road in Bowie
adjacent to the WB&A Railroad Trail, through a
grant from Program Open Space. The parcel
is located about a third of the way along the
trail, approximately two miles from the Patuxent
River, making it ideal for a trailhead along the
WB&A.
The site can be developed with a shelter,
benches and other amenities for the enjoyment of
trail users and will provide the opportunity to
build a neighborhood park when the surrounding
parcels are developed. Council
Member Turner would like to especially thank
Commissioner John H. Squire for his hard work to
help ensure some of our country-side is preserved
for future
generations.
WSSC
To Provide Notice Of Service Disruption Due To
Water Main Breaks
Launched
last month, WSSC’s Customer Notification System
(CNS) sends customers who register for the service
e-mail and/or text message alerts about WSSC work
occurring near your home, office, school or other
important address. It delivers these alerts to
customers computers, cell phones and/or Short
Message Service (SMS) devices (Blackberry, Treo,
etc). If there’s a water main break or if traffic
is backed up because of WSSC-related work, the
affected customers are notified. To
register and find out more about this service,
please dial 301-206-9772 or visit the website at
www.wsscwater.com and
click on the CNS logo on the left-hand side.
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Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! 2008 presented us with
great challenges that we were able to meet and face
together.
In 2009, we will also face many challenges, as
will our state and our nation, but I am confident that
if we continue to work together and are committed to
making our district the best that it can be, it will be
the best place to live, work and play. As always,
I write to update you on some things happening in District
4 and
throughoutPrince George’s County. I hope you find
this information helpful. Please continue to
contact my office at (301)952-3094 or by email at
bkmadison@co.pg.md.us if I may be of
assistance.
Sincerely,
Ingrid M.
Turner
District
4 Website |
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Council Member
Turner is Recipient of Prestigious Community
Award
On Friday, December 12, 2008 during The
Collective Banking Group (CBG), Inc. 13th
Anniversary Awards Gala at the Camelot by Martin’s in
Upper Marlboro, Council Member Ingrid M. Turner was the
recipient of the Community Award. The award is
given to individuals who are serving the community in
accordance with the CBG’s vision “…to stimulate and
actualize economic empowerment in the African American
community and other underserved communities…” The CBG states
that the gala pays tribute to community leaders who
promote and foster the ideals of economic
empowerment.
In her
remarks, Council Member Turner expressed how honored she
was to receive such an award. “I truly believe that in
order to have a fulfilled life, one must serve
others. I
am humbled and proud to serve the residents of Prince
George’s County, District 4
because I am able to help members of my own community in
a greater capacity. I thank the
Collective Banking Group for presenting me with the
Community Award; it is an honor and a
blessing.”
CBG Immediate Past President and Pastor of Great
Mt. Nebo AME Church, Reverend Jonathan L. Weaver praised
Council Member Turner’s efforts in the community. “Ingrid
personifies public service excellence. She is deeply
committed not only to her constituents, but also the
broader Prince
George’s County community. Her outstanding
community service made her an easy choice to receive the
Community Award.
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BIZ 2009: A Summit and
Showcase for Young Entrepreneurs
Council
Member Ingrid M. Turner presents BIZ 2009: A
Summit and Showcase for Young
Entrepreneurs, the 2nd
annual conference in partnership with the Prince
George’s Community Foundation, will take place during
National Entrepreneurship Week, Saturday, February 28,
2009 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Camelot of Upper
Marlboro, 13901 Central Avenue in Upper Marlboro,
Maryland. All Prince
George’s County
high school and college student business owners or
students with a desire to start a business are invited
to this FREE
conference! The day’s events will include business
workshops, special presentations and a panel discussion
by notable business owners, a business plan competition
and a business showcase. An exciting addition this year
are the BIZ’source tables that will host a variety of
schools, agencies and organizations designed to offer
educational opportunities and assistance to
entrepreneurs. The business plan competition will offer
scholarships totaling $10,000. The deadline for
filing an application for the business plan competition
is Friday, January 30, 2009. Council Member
Turner looks forward to seeing YOU there! The
registration material can be downloaded from Council
Member Ingrid M. Turner’s website, http://www.co.pg.md.us/District4 For more information, please contact
BIZ 2009 Coordinator, Ingrid Harrison at
301-952-3094 or e-mail at isharrison@co.pg.md.us . |
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EDUCATION NEWS
Council
Member Ingrid Turner poses with the 35 graduates
of
the Community
Emergency Response Team’s Disaster Skills
Training Program at Longfields
Elementary School.
Council
Member Turner, with Longfields ES Principal
Jeffrey Holmes, awards a certificate and lapel pin
to a Community Emergency Response Team graduate
for receiving his certification in disaster skills
training.
Council Member
Turner greets 4th grade students from
Holy Trinity Episcopal Day School. The
student’s visited the County Administration
Building to learn about the legislative branch of
government.
Council Member Turner
Remains Committed To Improving The Learning
Environment For Our Children
Our children deserve
a quality education. Council
Member Ingrid Turner remains committed to doing
all she can to help ensure that education remains
a top priority in Prince George’s County. We have
accomplished much in the last 2 years, but we have
much more to do. Our aging
facilities, that were neglected for 20 years, have
put us behind. We must
continue to work together to ensure we receive
State and County funding, as well as, Federal
funding should it become available. We must
remain vigilant and ever ready to meet this
challenge.
Below are status reports for two important
projects in District 4:
Greenbelt Middle
School
The Prince
George’s County Board of Education
has released
new information concerning the progress of
improvements to Greenbelt Middle School.
Educational Specifications,
Schematic Designs and Design and Development
documents have all been completed and submitted
for final review. A follow up
meeting for the community will be held on Tuesday,
February 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm at the Berwyn Heights
Town Center located at 5700 Berwyn Road, Berwyn
Heights, MD. Plans are
still for the school to open in August of
2010.
All of the agencies involved, including
Council Member Turner, are working diligently to
make this happen.
New Bowie High
School
Plans for the New Bowie High School have
been approved by the County Executive, Council
Member Ingrid M. Turner, and her colleagues for
submittal to the State for approval.
Prince George’s County BOE
Holds Community Meetings To Receive Input With
Regard to Selecting New
Superintendent The
Prince
George’s County Board of Education
announced that
community-wide meetings will be held in January as
part of a massive effort to obtain public input in
the process of selecting a new superintendent for
Prince George’s County Public Schools.
Community-wide meetings have been scheduled
at 7:30 pm for the following days.
·
January 13, 2009 – Sasscer
Administration Building, Board Meeting Room, 14201
School Lane, Upper Marlboro,
MD.
·
January 13, 2009 – Oxon
Hill High School, Multipurpose Room, 6701 Leyte
Drive, Oxon Hill, MD.
·
January 14, 2009 – High
Point High School, 3601 Powder Mill Road,
Beltsville, MD.
·
January 14, 2009 – Central
High School, 200 Cabin Branch Road, Capitol
Heights, MD.
TAG
Test Deadline - The Prince
George’s County Public Schools
Office
of Enrichment and Specialty Programs is currently
accepting applications for Non-Public Schools
Testing for the Talented and Gifted Program.
Applications are available in the Office of
Enrichment and Specialty Programs located in Room
201-I of the Sasscer Administration Building at
14201 School Lane in Upper Marlboro, MD.
Applications are due in the TAG Office no
later than January 16, 2009. For more
information, please dial (301) 952-6044.
Register
For GED Classes
- Greenbelt Cares will hold its winter 10 week GED
course from Tuesday, January 13, 2009 through
Thursday, March 19, 2009.
Registration for the course will be held on
Tuesday, January 13, 2009 from 10:30 am to 12:30
pm.
The first class of instruction will begin
on January 15, 2009. For more
information, please call (301) 345-6660 x 2016.
Prince
George’s County Schools To Close For Presidential
Inauguration
- The Prince George’s County Board of Education
has unanimously approved a resolution to close the
County’s Public Schools and offices for
Inauguration Day on Tuesday, January 20, 2009
without extending the school
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County Council Paves Way For
Increased Business For The Small And Minority Business
Community
The Prince George’s County Council has
approved changes to the county’s Surety Bonding
program.
This legislation enables more small and minority
contractors to bid on county procurement projects. Under
the changes to the Prince George’s County Surety Bonding
requirements, the county will no longer require bonds on
non-construction contracts less than $100,000. The
county also will allow other financial instruments such
as letters of credit and financial statements in lieu of
bonds and waive bond requirements based on risk and the
type of contract.
In addition, the county has increased the
timeframe for obtaining bonding from 10 days after
contract notice of award to 30 days after
notification.
Under the MBE legislation, the county is allowed
to consider certifications from businesses 51 percent
minority-owned and controlled that exceed eligibility
requirements utilized by the Maryland Department of
Transportation (MDOT) and the Washington Metropolitan
Area Transit Authority (WMATA). The legislation also allows the county to enter
into a Memorandum of Agreement with the Prince George’s County
Economic Development Corporation
to administer the certification
program. It also allows the purchasing agent to
delegate MBE certification
duties.
Companies may contact the Minority
Business Division of the Office of Central Services
for more information on these programs. You may call
301-883-6480. |
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