Let's Save the Peace Cross

“As a son of a Vietnam War veteran and a veteran myself, Memorial Day is a solemn and somber day of reflection of the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s freedom. In 1925, the citizens of Prince George’s County erected the Peace Cross in Bladensburg to remember the 49 Prince Georgians who lost their lives during World War I. For more than 90 years, the Peace Cross has been the County’s signature memorial to our veterans and fallen soldiers. I am committed to doing everything in my power to stop the destruction or removal of the Peace Cross.”

The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in October 2017 ruled that the Bladensburg Peace Cross violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, overruling the Federal District Court in Maryland which had found the Peace Cross to be a historical, secular war memorial. I strongly disagree with this decision and understand that a majority of County and State residents, as well as military and veteran organizations, support the need to protect this important war memorial. 

To this end, I have directed the Office of Law to support the appeal filed by the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation with the U.S. Supreme Court and to file briefs in support of preserving the Bladensburg Peace Cross."

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2018 Teacher of the Year: Daleisha Myers

As she made her way through high school, Daleisha Myers wasn’t interested in becoming a teacher.

She enjoyed working with children but her grandmother was a teacher and so was her aunt. So were several of her cousins. So she thought maybe she’d try something else and forge her own path.

“I was fighting it, maybe just to be a little rebellious,” Myers said.

During her senior year of high school, she worked in the office of a child psychologist — and quickly concluded that it wasn’t for her. Too clinical, she decided.

When she started her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, she finally yielded to whatever combination of genetics and shared interests that created so many teachers in her family — and started on her journey to becoming a teacher. She’s never looked back. Myers’ career choice gained some serious validation last week when the Glen Burnie resident, who teaches fifth grade at Tulip Grove Elementary School in Bowie, was named the 2018 Prince George’s County Teacher of the Year.

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Council approves County Executive Baker's final budget

The Prince George’s County Council recently unanimously approved a record $4.09 billion in spending for fiscal 2019, an increase of $215 million, or 5.5 percent over the current budget. This marks the first time the County budget has surpassed $4 billion, a figure which Council Chair Dannielle Glaros (District 3) called “a milestone.” Read more...

Prince George’s breaks ground on largest composting facility on the East Coast

Ever wonder where your banana peel or orange rind ends up, when you toss it into a bin labeled “compost?” Whether you’re at a Smithsonian museum, a local university, a restaurant or grocery store, it’s likely sent to Prince George’s County, which has the largest composting facility in the region. Soon, Prince George’s will have the largest facility on the East Coast. The current facility, in Upper Marlboro, can process 12,000 tons a year. When the expansion is complete later this summer, it will be able to handle 57,000 tons. “The demand for people who want to give their compost to us is overwhelming — we can’t keep up,” says Adam Ortiz, director of the Prince George’s Department of the Environment.  Read more...

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