Prince George's Proud:
An Update From County Executive Alsobrooks
Dear Prince Georgians:
Last week, I was proud to share with you an infographic and a video that outlined some of our accomplishments in year one of our administration. In today’s edition of our Community Connections newsletter, I am excited to share our 2019 End of Year Report.
In this report, you will find details about our accomplishments over the past year. I am truly Prince George’s Proud that, together, we have accomplished so much in such a short time.
We have also outlined our Proud Priorities and initiatives in this report, which are six policy focus areas that will build on our first year accomplishments and guide our administration over the next several years. By expanding on the work we have already done, we can ensure that we continue to make progress to achieve Proud Results for our residents.
I am particularly proud of the work that we accomplished for our seniors. I had the opportunity to reflect on this work as I joined more than 1600 of our seniors at our Annual Red & Gold Holiday Gala last week.
The holiday season is quickly approaching, and I want us to think about how we can give back to our entire community, but especially to our seniors who are the bedrock of our County. Some might not have family nearby and are unable to travel far, meaning they could use some joy and support from their fellow Prince Georgians.
Our team at the Office of Community Relations has already been giving back to our community through their 12 Days of Giving initiative, a series of service projects carried out during the first 12 days of December. They have been spreading joy and holiday cheer across Prince George’s County, and three of these service projects have supported our seniors.
As we approach the holidays, I am reminded of a quote from Booker T. Washington: “Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” I know that Prince Georgians are “Proud to Give Back,” and I hope you will show that by taking some time to spread joy to others over the next few weeks.
Yours in service,
Angela Alsobrooks
Prince George’s County Executive
End of Year Report - Office of the County Executive
 We are Prince George's Proud to present our 2019 End of Year Report, detailing the great work we have gotten done for our residents in year one of the Alsobrooks Administration and our Proud Priorities that will guide our administration over the next several years. The report is available online and can be accessed by clicking on the image above or by clicking here.
Community Conversation for December 17 Canceled
 Due to issues related to scheduling and the upcoming holidays, we are unfortunately canceling our Community Conversation that was scheduled for Tuesday, December 17. We thank our community members who had planned to attend to learn more about our Proud Priorities, and we will continue to provide updates about these and other initiatives via communication channels like social media and our newsletters. We will also be sure to let you know about community events we will hold in the future.
Join Us at Our Bilingual Job Fair
The Office of the County Executive, Employ Prince George’s, and several organizations are partnering to host a bilingual job fair on Thursday, January 30, 2019. It will be held from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at LAYC/Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers, located at 6200 Sheridan Street, Riverdale, Maryland.
If you need resume or career readiness preparation, we are hosting several sessions prior to the job fair throughout the month of January. If you would like more information on any of these events, or if you would like to register to attend one or more events, please visit the Employ Prince George’s website.
County Executive Stresses Importance of 2020 Census at Prince George’s County Municipal Association Legislative Dinner
County Executive Alsobrooks addresses attendees at the PGCMA Legislative Dinner.
On Thursday, December 5, County Executive Alsobrooks attended the Prince George’s County Municipal Association Legislative Dinner. While there, she spoke to municipal leaders and others in attendance about the importance of collaboration for the upcoming 2020 Census. We will only achieve a complete count of our residents by working together.
There are 27 municipalities in Prince George’s County, and about a dozen of them have already established their own Census committees to ensure residents in those municipalities are counted in the 2020 Census. Other municipalities are working closely with our office and the Prince George’s County Complete Count Committee on Census planning and outreach. Learn more about the 2020 Census in Prince George’s County by visiting our website.
Celebrating Our Seniors at the Annual Red & Gold Gala
Our seniors danced their feet off with County Executive Alsobrooks at the Annual Red & Gold Gala.
We held the Annual Red & Gold Holiday Gala for our seniors on Wednesday, December 4. More than 1600 seniors gathered from across Prince George’s County in their best red and gold outfits for lunch and dancing, sponsored by our Department of Family Services. County Executive Alsobrooks joined our seniors in dancing and taught them the official Prince George’s Proud Slide.
We stand on the shoulders of our seniors, and they are the bedrock of our community. We have already accomplished several things for our seniors in year one of our administration, and we are conducting a needs assessment survey to determine new ways we can improve services for seniors. Over the next several years, we will continue supporting the seniors of Prince George’s County.
County Executive Attends Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association Holiday Party
County Executive Alsobrooks pictured with IAFF Local 1619 President Andrew Pantelis, Acting Fire Chief Tiffany Green, and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Mark Magaw.
The Prince George’s County Firefighters and Paramedics Association hosted their annual holiday party on Thursday, December 5. County Executive Alsobrooks stopped by to celebrate with our County’s Fire/EMS Department staff.
We are grateful for our heroes at our Fire/EMS Department who put their lives on the line to keep us safe, even during the holidays as we spend time with our loved ones. We will continue to support our firefighters and paramedics under the leadership of our Acting Fire Chief, Tiffany Green.
IN THE NEWS: Free Dental & Vision Clinics Coming to All PGCPS Schools
 Through a new partnership County Executive Alsobrooks formed with CF Charities, all 136,000 students in Prince George’s County Public Schools will now have access to mobile dental and vision services. These services are completely free for students and their families, regardless of insurance coverage. Read more about these mobile clinics coming to our schools in an article from WJLA/ABC7.
IN THE NEWS: Wise High School Wins Maryland 4A State Football Title
We are Prince George’s Proud of our very own Wise High School Pumas for winning the Maryland 4A state championship, the 5th state title for their football team! The Pumas also had an undefeated season leading to this year’s state title. Read more about the Wise football team in the Washington Post here.
IN THE NEWS: Prince George’s County Prepares for 2020 Census
Our County has lost out on approximately $363 million in federal funding since the 2010 Census due to an undercount in Prince George's County. We are already working hard to ensure that this time, every Prince Georgian is “Proud to be Counted” in the 2020 Census. Read more about our efforts, in collaboration with the County Council and other partners in our community, by clicking here.
Dr. Carter Officially Named Prince George’s County Health Officer
Dr. Carter, our Health Officer, pictured with County Executive Alsobrooks and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Dr. George Askew.
We are excited to announce that Dr. Ernest Carter has been officially named our Health Officer for Prince George’s County. The State of Maryland approved Dr. Carter to lead our Health Department after both the County Executive and County Council agreed to send his nomination to the State. Dr. Carter has served as Acting Health Officer since the start of the Alsobrooks Administration in December 2018.
Dr. Carter previously served as Deputy Health Officer and brings over three decades of patient care experience to our Health Department, as well as extensive knowledge of community-based health initiatives and public health management. We look forward to our continued work with Dr. Carter to enhance the health and well-being of our residents.
County Executive Statement on Anticipated Shoppers Food Closures
Since we first learned of the potential closing of the 12 Shoppers Food Warehouse stores in our County we have been working to ensure that the locations are purchased by other grocers so our residents will continue to have access to fresh, healthy food options. Addressing the challenges of food deserts in our County is one of our top priorities. As we continue working to attract businesses to our County we will be laser-focused on the high-quality grocers and dining options our citizens deserve. We also understand the need for stability and job security for the hundreds of workers and their families who are impacted by these closures, especially during the holiday season. We will continue to work with all parties to do all we can to ensure a smooth transition during this process.
To learn more about these closures, read a recent article from WTOP here.
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Prince George’s County Receives Highest Award for Its Annual Financial Report
Stephen McGibbon, Director of our Office of Finance, pictured with Major Riddick, Jr., Chief Administrative Officer.
Prince George’s County has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for our FY 2018 comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
This is the 39th consecutive year that the Prince George’s County Office of Finance has received this recognition from GFOA. The Certificate of Achievement was awarded to the County’s Office of Finance under Director Stephen McGibbon, the agency responsible for compiling the County’s CAFR.
We are Prince George’s Proud to be recognized for meeting the highest standards of governmental accounting and financial reporting, showing our commitment to transparency and accountability in County Government. We will continue to uphold these high standards for sound financial management and reporting as we deliver the high-quality government services our residents need and deserve.
Health Department Launches #CancelHIVPGC Campaign
Dr. George L. Askew, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Health, Human Services and Education, attended the Urban One Honors Celebration at MGM National Harbor on December 5th to help the Health Department launch its Cancel HIV campaign to end the HIV epidemic in the County and the United States.
Dr. George Askew, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Health, Human Services and Education, was Prince George’s Proud to help the Health Department launch its historic Cancel HIV campaign December 5th at the taping of the Urban One Honors Celebration at MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill. The Health Department is one of the sponsors of the show that will air on TV One January 20, 2020, during the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday.
The County is on the front lines to help the U.S. end the HIV epidemic with a comprehensive plan to diagnose those who have contracted HIV as early as possible, treat the infection rapidly to achieve sustained suppression of the virus in their bodies, prevent people most at risk of getting HIV by using proven prevention tools like the daily PrEP pill, and respond quickly to detect growing HIV clusters and prevent new infections.
The goal is to reduce new HIV infections in Prince George’s County 75% over five years and 90% over the next decade. Learn more about the plan on our website and look out for the social media hashtag #CancelHIVPGC as we update residents on our plan and our progress.
12 Days of Giving Continues
 The first 12 Days of December, our Office of Community Relations is finding unique ways to volunteer and give back to our communities across Prince George's County. Since our last update, OCR has made the following stops:
December 6 (6 Geese-A-Laying) - served breakfast, taught tie tying lessons, and gifted ties to the young men of the Royalty Institute of Leadership and Innovation.
December 7 (7 Swans-A-Swimming) - sang holiday songs to swimmers at the Sports and Learning Complex.
December 8 (8 Maids-A-Milking) - hosted a hot cocoa counter for residents at the MegaMart Latino Supermarket.
December 9 (9 Ladies Dancing) - hosted a holiday party for our seniors, including gingerbread house decorating, ornament painting, and dancing to the Prince George’s Proud Slide.
December 10 (10 Lords-A-Leaping) - provided a popcorn snack break to PGCPS teachers and staff at several schools.
The 12 Days of Giving is part of the County Government's Proud to Give Back campaign, an effort to give back to our community and support our residents during the holiday season. We look forward to several more days of spreading holiday cheer to Prince Georgians!
Department of Public Works & Transportation Year End Report
Our Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPW&T) just released their most recent annual report, detailing the great work that our DPW&T team has completed over the past year. From launching Vision Zero Prince George’s to completing several construction projects to make our roadways safer for motorists and pedestrians, we have accomplished so much in just one year.
You can access DPW&T’s annual report online by clicking here.
Greencastle Road Bridge Reopens in Laurel
Photos from the construction project for the Greencastle Road Bridge.
On Wednesday, November 27, the Greencastle Road Bridge in Laurel officially reopened following an eight-month project to completely replace the bridge. Our Department of Public Works & Transportation (DPW&T) oversaw the project from start to finish, completing it right on time for the Thanksgiving holiday. This project is one of several construction projects that DPW&T completed over the past year.
8th Annual Supplier Appreciation Night
 Each year the Office of Central Services’ Supplier Development & Diversity Division hosts its Annual Supplier Appreciation Night. This event highlights and celebrates the diverse supplier business community within Prince George’s County. Hundreds of local, small, minority, disadvantaged and veteran-owned businesses gather for a night of recognition and networking.
This year's event will be held Tuesday, December 17, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center (3501 University Boulevard East, College Park, MD). While this event is free, we are asking that attendees register in advance. For more information and to register, click here.
Inclement Weather Reminders from the Department of the Environment
With the impending winter weather, the Department of the Environment (DoE) reminds you of the County’s inclement weather policy for trash and recycling collection:
- Trash, bulky trash, recycling, and yard trim/waste collections may be delayed or suspended due to road or weather-related conditions.
- Residents are reminded to leave their collection containers at the curbside as pickups can occur from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
- If collection services are postponed, every effort will be made to pick up the missed collections on the following day after that day’s regular collections.
- If collections are suspended for two consecutive days, collections for the missed days will resume the following week on the regularly scheduled collection days.
For example, if your regular collection day is Tuesday and haulers are not able to collect the day of, collections will occur Wednesday after regular collections of Wednesday areas are serviced unless it continues to snow on Wednesday. At that point, regular collection of Tuesday areas will be suspended until the following week.
Be sure to sign up here for DoE emails to get the quickest alerts and notifications regarding your waste collection.
Christmas Day Holiday Waste Collection Schedule
 Wednesday, December 25, will be a holiday for County Government, meaning there will be changes to your waste collection schedule and several closures of Government offices. See the above graphic for information about the waste collection schedule for the week of December 23-29. For more information about Government closures, please click here.
Notice of Public Meeting - Department of the Environment
 The Prince George's County Department of the Environment has submitted a Refuse Disposal Permit Application to the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) for utilization of space within the existing Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill as a disposal site. This meeting will provide the public an opportunity to obtain information about the proposed project.
The meeting will be held Tuesday, December 17, from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM at Arrowhead Elementary School (2300 Sansbury Road, Upper Marlboro, MD). Additional information can be obtained by contacting Darryl L. Flick at DLFlick@co.pg.md.us or 301-780-6302.
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