(Left to Right) Matthew D. Chase, NACo Executive Director, First Vice President, Denise Winfrey, Board Member, Will County, Illinois, 2021-2022 President Larry Johnson, Commissioner, DeKalb County, GA, 2020-2021 President Gary Moore, Judge-Executive, Boone County, Kentucky, Prince George's County Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker, (District 8), 2019-2020 President Mary Ann Borgeson, Commissioner, Douglas County, Nevada.
Greetings District 8 Neighbors,
I was honored to represent the Prince George's Council at the National Association of Counties (NACo) Press Conference on Thursday, July 8, 2021, welcoming NACo to our county for their July 9-12, 2021 annual conference at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center.
This was the first time NACo, a D.C. based association, has hosted their conference in Maryland. NACo is the first conference held at the Gaylord since their close from the pandemic. The NACo Conference was indeed a trendsetter, a hybrid conference, with approximately 2000 conference attendees, approximately 1700 in person and a few hundred virtually.
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In my welcoming remarks at Saturday's Opening General Session, I shared "Prince George’s County is grateful to be the host site during this re-emergence which has catalyzed a national renaissance of ideas and shared best practices as our country moves forward toward inclusion, equity and excellence and renewed appreciation of nature and simplicity."
Prince George's County and District 8 were elated to host NACo and introduce them to the unique significance and the achievements of our beautiful county. NACo's leadership and the NACo team planned the hybrid conference in three months, which normally takes three years.
District 8 arranged "Wellness Track" activities that included: Sunrise Bike Ride Tour. Special thanks for our partnership with Elizabeth M. Hewlett, Chairman, M-NCCPC, Bill Tyler, Director, M-NCCPC Office of the Director, M-NCCPC, Kyle Lowe, Assistant Division Chief, M-NCCPC Department of Parks and Recreation, Park Rangers, Tiffany W. Jennings, MCRP - DPW&T, Lyft and Capital Bikeshare for providing the bikes, helmets and on-site support, and Yoga on the Potomac with Robin Bell.
At the Opening Reception, we featured Prince George's local artists, Tracey Coleman the_turquoise_easel and Roger James https://www.jamesstudiio.com/graphicdesign with an opportunity to display their work to a wider national, and diverse audience.
District 8 & Friends Senior Line Dancers entertained at the Closing Reception. The dancers are our D-8 Harmony Hallers and Bock Road dancers. They were fabulous, showing the conference attendees how vibrant our seniors are and they created a festive end to the conference. D-8 & Friends, came out of the pandemic for this reception, practicing and dancing for first time in 16 months. Their choreographed dancing and a D-8 song set a fun tone, before opening up the floor for everyone to dance. It was a beautiful sight to see all ages enjoy dancing for the remainder of the night, until NACo provided a fireworks finale to a great conference.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, The Honorable Marcia Fudge, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, and the U.S. Senate Republican Leader, The Honorable Mitch McConnell were a few of the speakers at the conference. NACo's educational sessions and great networking opportunities for county elected, appointed and departmental officials provided valuable connections and best practices which can be applied in our respective jurisdictions.
We look forward to hosting NACo again in Prince George's County!
For more information on Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker remarks at the NACo Press Conference, Click Here
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- District 8 South CIRCULATOR service began July 6, 2021 (Pilot Program)
- Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) Vision Zero Award - 2020 to Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker
- Joint Base Andrews Leaders Visit the District 8 Global Air Drone Academy (GADA) STEAM Camp for our youth - July 10, 2021
- Link to view the Joint Transforming Communities Virtual Meeting - June 29, 2021
- Lake Arbor Jazz Festival - National Harbor, South Pointe, July 1 - August 1, 2021
- UniverSoul Circus - National Harbor, The Plateau - July 4 - 18, 2021
- District 8 Business Spotlights:
- Captain Cove Playground
- Emergency Rental and Utilities Assistance Program (ERAP)
- HUD Resources Available for Residents with FHA Mortgage
- Nonprofit Relief Fund
- WSSC Water Investigating Ransomware Cyberattack
- District 8 Food Distribution
- Justice - Service Dog Missing
Now that pandemic restrictions are being lifted, I am pleased to announce that we have launched our highly anticipated South County CIRCULATOR in District 8. This much needed service implements one of my key transportation initiatives that offers free bus service for our seniors who are homebound or unable to get to a bus stop.
The CIRCULATOR comes straight to their apartment complex’ front door and currently operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Seniors are provided FREE Transportation with stops at participating senior apartment complexes. It’s good to know they can now get out and enjoy the weather, spend time with family and friends, go have lunch, shop, exercise, and take in some sunshine.
As a bit of background, March 16, 2020 was slated for the launch of our District 8 South County CIRCULATOR. Every senior we spoke to was elated and ready to take their first ride when COVID-19 descended on us all with a vengeance. This put an immediate halt to not only The Circulator but all regional transportation systems. With County efforts to return life to normalcy, I was excited to jump start discussions with DPW&T on a new summer launch date. We are looking forward to expanded current services and are encouraged by how enthusiastically it was received by riders on its maiden circuit.
OXON HILL LOOP
Pick Up Locations
- Trinity Terrace
- Remington Place Apartments
- Phillipines Home
- Woodside Village
Drop Off Locations
- Southern Reg. Tech and Rec Ctr
- Rivertowne Commons
- Oxon Hill Plaza
- Tanger Outlets
- MGM Casino National Harbor
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FORT WASHINGTON LOOP
Pick Up Locations
- Fort Washington Adventist Apartments
- Fort Washington Manor
- Chestnut Oaks
Drop Off Locations
- Old Fort Village Shopping Center
- Tanger Outlets
- MGM National Harbor
- Oxon Hill Plaza **************************
CIRCULATOR maps and schedules are below for your convenience
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The Prince George's County (PGC) Link runs Monday - Friday between 10:00 am - 3:30 pm, accepts only same day reservations. Map below shows the operating area for the PGC Link. In the South County, Fort Washington service area, you can take PGC Link anywhere within the 17-square mile service area. Passengers will not be picked up or dropped off in areas outside the zone. For more information and to learn more about the fares and the PGC Link Transloc App, Click https://bit.ly/3wHAB25
2020 WABA Vision Zero Award Delivered and Presented to Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker on Friday, June 25, 2021, due to Covid-19 restrictions. The Washington Area Bicyclist Association thanked 2020 WABA Vision Zero Award Winner, Councilwoman Anderson-Walker, for her leading the County’s Vision Zero efforts with her #DrivingItHome initiative. They also thanked her for serving as one of the panelists on the closing session at the 2020 Vision Zero Summit.
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For the past three years, I have been meeting and in discussion with Joint Base Andrews Air Force Base leadership on collaborations to provide STEAM opportunities to our District 8 students, giving them first hand knowledge and exposure to a world they have not known.
Major General Rupp and I met in 2019, pre-covid, and we were building programs that would expose the youth to many different career paths, expansion of their minds to understand the importance of science, math and technology and the vital ways they are applicable outside of the classroom.
That is why I am so delighted, on the heels of a year where we could not move forward on the plans, because of COVID-19, elementary, middle and high school students are in their third week of the four week Global Air Drone Academy (GADA) that launched on Saturday, June 19th. This is just the beginning!
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Prince George’s County Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker (D-District 8) welcomed Colonel Roy Oberhaus and Chief Zeke Ross to the STEAM-focused drone education workshop as a part of the Global Air Drone Academy (GADA) STEAM Program on Saturday, July 10, 2021, from 11:00 to Noon at Oxon Hill High School, 6701 Leyte Drive in Oxon Hill, MD. The GADA camp hours are from 11:00 am – 2:00 p.m.
The Drone Education Workshop, provided through a partnership between Council Member Anderson-Walker and the Global Air Drone Academy, is a four-week STEAM focused program for elementary, middle and high school students. The workshop began June 19th and will conclude on July 17th.
Council Member Anderson-Walker’s years of discussions with Colonel Tyler R. Schaff, 316th Wing Commander at Joint Base Andrew’s Airforce Base (JBA-AAFB) has manifested into a truly unique alliance that will yield additional exposure opportunities for students.
Council Member Anderson-Walker noted the benefits of exposing students to STEAM fields. “I believe that providing access to initiatives for our youth expands their minds, while building self-confidence. The STEAM approach to learning, using Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics, enables our students to balance creativity and critical thinking. Exposure is everything, taking one beyond their imagination and assisting in applying the knowledge learned, and broadening options for career development.”
The Joint Base Andrews leaders engaged with participating County youth and shared how their GADA experience can expand career options. Participants demonstrated their flying techniques, applications and coding learned, and discussed entrepreneurial opportunities they are now considering.
“The opportunity to work with Council Member Anderson-Walker on the STEAM Drone Camp initiative to build and challenge young minds is truly an honor” said Col. Tyler Schaff, 316th Wing Commander. “The 316th Wing is always looking for new ways to advance and find new and improved ways to get the mission done, and the fast-approaching impact of drone technology is an exciting and educational activity for students in the local community. I look forward to hosting these inspiring students at our wing in the future.”
“I am grateful that our students will have the opportunity this summer to enhance their science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics skills,” said Dr. Monica Goldson, Chief Executive Officer of Prince George’s County Public Schools. “We appreciate Council Member Anderson-Walker’s support in preparing our youth for the world beyond our schoolhouse doors."
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In case you missed the Joint Transforming Communities Meeting on Tuesday, June 29th with House Delegate Jay Walker, District 26, Prince George's Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker, District 8, and agency leaders, you can view the interactive and engaging meeting Click Here
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In response to one of my environmental priorities since taking office, my staff and I have been working diligently to bring back two-day-a-week trash pickup, leaf pickup, and more consistent bulk trash pick-up to our county.
As we have been working on retrieving this report, my office is also working to present additional solutions that considers the impact remote working and learning has on the sharp increase of residential trash build-up. It's not uncommon to now see multiple receptacles and piled up recycling at the curb on trash collection day throughout Prince George's. This speaks further to the waste that is left to sit for a longer time in residents' homes which reportedly attracts wildlife, pests, and vermin.
The rationale to reduce to once-a-week trash pick-up was based on claims that a County overhaul of collection service would " create savings without increasing fees on residents and without cutting critical services like code enforcement, litter pickup, illegal dumping cleanups and blight removal." Unfortunately, there are areas of District 8, as well as throughout the County, that have not consistently seen the positive impacts of these savings as communities continue to battle illegal dumping, litter, and lax code enforcement.
In December of 2020, our office formally submitted a request to draft legislation that would reexamine the fiscal impact from twice-a-week trash collection to once-a-week trash collection. We are also asking to examine the documented concerns of residents since the removal of the second day. Following our submittal, my staff and I met with County Executive Alsobrooks in January 2021 to open the discussion and came to mutual agreement that the County would revisit the feasibility of returning to twice weekly trash collection. One of the focal talking points considered the faster build-up of trash and recycling now that there is an increased number of professionals and students who are working and learning from home.
As a matter of public health, I am confident that legislatively revisiting this sanitation concern will show Prince Georgians that the Council is listening and is working toward solutions that will reinstate twice weekly trash pick-up in the near future. We will continue to publish updates on our progress with this much-needed legislation.
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Lake Arbor Jazz Festival - Rebirth - Inaugural Event at the National Harbor
Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker provided welcoming remarks to kick off the very first show, on Friday, July 2nd. "Pivoting in our pandemic year and blossoming with the Rebirth of the Lake Arbor Jazz Festival was brilliant and needed. Good Music, a beautiful location and our historical connection to jazz is food to the soul", said Council Member Anderson-Walker.
Nick Colionne was the first performer to kick off the Lake Arbor Jazz Festival - Rebirth at South Pointe. Shows run through August 1, 2021. Enjoy a phenomenal night outdoors, cool jazz on the water, summer breeze, breathtaking sunsets and the wheel view, great vibes in District Gr8! Check out shows that have available tickets for this incredible jazz festival. Find the show for you: Click Here
Kevin Alexander, Executive Producer of the Lake Arbor Jazz Festival, and his wife, Lisa Brown Alexander, hosted a VIP Reception for The Lake Arbor Jazz Festival Show at the Prince George's Arts and Humanities "Artstination" at National Harbor. There was live music, a local jazz ensemble all surrounded by art from local artists. The Arts are alive and well in District 8! Lake Arbor Jazz Festival Show - Rebirth at the South Pointe At National Harbor is being hosted through August 1, 2021
Meet Kevin Alexander, Executive Producer of the Lake Arbor Jazz Festival, Click Here
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District 8 was once again selected to host the UniverSoul Circus! 2021 marks 28 years that UniverSoul has been providing wholesome and cultural fun across to families across the country. In 2019, I was honored to be the Honorary Ring Mistress for their first UniverSoul Circus "District 8 Night". What a fun night we all had in DistrictGr8! This year, as we move toward “post-pandemic” life, the County Executive was invited as Ring Mistress—we know she’ll do a phenomenal job! For tickets, Click Here
UniverSoul truly exemplifies the heart and soul of the County. Child homelessness has silently risen to epidemic proportions in America so we were heartened to share about the work that circus founder, Cedric Walker does with homeless families. Overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of homeless families with children in metropolitan areas across the United States, UniverSoul Circus wants to do what it can to help them escape their troubles for a few hours by enjoying the magic of the circus. The UniverSoul Circus Family Open House is a free show for nearly 2,000 transitional shelter children and their families – providing them with a night of unbelievable, unexpected, unforgettable fun at the BEST CIRCUS EVER!
Learn more about this and the work the UniverSoul family is engaged in along with their many other Universoulcircus.com/cares initiatives
Happy 9th Anniversary Pastor Burruss! Pastor Burruss leadership extends outside of the walls of the Central Baptist Church into the community. It has been a pleasure partnering with Pastor Burruss to provide food, essential needs and COVID-19 vaccine clinics in District 8. The community needs are at the forefront of Pastor Burruss mission. Stepping foot in to Central Baptist Church, one never feels like a guest, but a welcomed part of the church. May God continue to bless Pastor Burruss, First Lady Angela, their family and the Central Baptist Church of Camp Springs family. Pastor Burruss, thank you for making District 8 a better place because of your ministry!
 Congratulations to Carla Cash, District 8 Constituent Services Director, for completing the Citizen Police Academy class. This class provides sessions informing citizens of the basic functions of the Prince George's County Police Department, the Sheriff's Office and the Commonwealth's Attorney Office.
Congratulations to our own Carla Cash, District 8 Constituent Services Director, on her graduation from the Citizen Police Academy. This academy provides a series of sessions designed to inform community partners of the basic functions of the Prince George's County Police Department, the Sheriff's Office and the Commonwealth Attorney's Office.
This training opportunity allows our community partners to become familiar with the Prince George’s County Police and provides exposure to officer related training such as investigative procedures, citizen police interactions, mental health, judgement enhancement, use of force, human trafficking and much more.
Ms. Cash, who prefers to go by Carla, stated that her experience at the Academy allowed her and fellow participants the rare opportunity to walk in “Police Footsteps”. She said there were able to get a brief scenario of a day in the life of an Police Officer.
“We got to speak our truth to the officers about our feelings towards the police and our reasons for feeling that way. Some of my classmates had their own horror stories based on their experiences as well as people close to them. I respect that the officers didn’t try to persuade us not to feel the way we did, but they did share why and how they were trained to do things. Sharing their best practices how they were trained also allowed us to see that there are many more good officers than bad. I got to really see that just like us all they want to go home to their families and love ones.”
Carla plans to encourage more citizens to take this training as well as try to continue bridging the gap between citizen’s and the police while building a respect level that remove the “them vs. us” mindset in order to foster a brighter future for our youth and younger generations.
She stated: “When you really think about it, if we were in a life threatening situation or car accident the first people we would call is 911 (The Police), so we have to find a way to bridge the gap and strengthen and build personal relationships like I have since becoming the Constituent Service Director for Councilmember Monique Anderson-Walker. I have built an awesome, and mutually respectful relationship with District IV and VII and some of District VIII. Because of a mutual respect and common goals we work together to find solutions that serve the constituents within Prince George’s County.”
Participation and engagement this year was at an all-time high. Carla noted that this year was the largest class as well as the first the virtual class because of the relationship with District IV Police Command Staff and Officers. St. Stephen Baptist Church registered seven (7) constituents who are also graduates of the program: Elder Gwendolyn Gantt, Dwight Little, Olivia Pearson, Kareen Campbell, Mathis Williams, Deborah Wallace-Jones and Felecia Wallace.
Interested in participating in the Citizen Police Academy? In order to participate in the training program, participants must be nominated by a law enforcement officer and approved by the District/Division Commander or Civilian Manager. Nomination forms and instructions may be obtained at any of the eight District stations.
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A model of Prince Georges Excellence in District 8, is Fort Washington’s own and Valedictorian graduate alum of Friendly High School, Jonathan C. Harris. Jonathan is a TEDx Talk speaker, Forty Under 40 for Prince George’s County, MD award winner, author, motivational speaker, life/career coach and blogger. Jonathan’s book “Growing Gents”, released in July 2020, was just awarded the title of “Finalist” by the International Book Awards in the Children’s Educational category. Jharris Publishing, LLC, Jonathan’s company, was developed to help more aspiring authors feel comfortable telling their story. For information about book talks, author visits, and workshops, CLICK https://www.authorjon.com/
MahoganyBooks store, a family owned business, opened on July 4, 2021!
MahoganyBooks has a Washington, D.C. store, and we are delighted to announce their first Maryland book store is in District 8 at the National Harbor.
MahoganyBook owners are Ramunda and Derrick Young, with their daughter, Mahogany.
We have welcomed the Young family and MahoganyBooks to our District and are elated to have their wonderful bookstore serving readership of all ages. Support our local bookstore!
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Hovermales is Open!
I scream, You scream, We all scream for Ice Cream!
Hovermales has customers from the DMV region that travel to get this District 8 legendary ice cream. Many of us have memories of getting ice cream in our childhood with our families from Hovermales.
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All attempts to reach Giant officials have been unsuccessful. The marketing group who represents the developer, Velocity, provided the following e-mailed statement via VSJ’s Vice President, Monica Biscoe.
“Upon completion, the redeveloped Giant Food will house a variety of new and expanded selections and services, including more organic produce, a new and larger Natural Food department, and a full-service pharmacy with Giant's new Pick-Point system, all aimed to encourage the continued health and wellbeing of the community. For added convenience, the site will also offer Giant Pickup online ordering services. Additionally, the store will feature full-service floral, deli, prepared foods, bakery, seafood, and meat departments, with healthy options for the whole family. Giant Food is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Giant’s President, Ira Kress: “Giant Food opened its original store in Livingston Square on November 17, 1976, and we are excited to partner with Velocity Companies to build an incredible new store for this amazing community,” said Ira Kress, President of Giant Food. “Our brand-new store with state-of-the-art amenities, great food, amazing service, and an incredible customer experience reconfirms our commitment to the communities we are very privileged to serve. With over 70 years of serving Prince George’s County, we are eager to rebuild this store and thrilled to continue to support the Livingston Square community.”
We are pleased to share a brief update that revitalization to this beloved community playground is moving along! The task order is being finalized and PGParks will kick off engagement early in FY22 to discuss options for the new equipment. The general scope includes demolition and disposal of existing equipment, grading, installation of new equipment/amenities, and engineered wood fiber surfacing. As soon as the vendor is on-board, PGParks will provide an update on timeline and the new equipment/playground amenities.
I am in full support of investing in the creation and reconstruction of trails that serve our communities. The impact of this sound investment is critical for all ages. Environmental factors which can improve our health and build ease and willingness to exercise. Removing the abundant number of vehicles on the roads will create safer roads and healthier air, and people will realize an economic increase by not having to fill their cars up with gasoline, or pay high costs parking fees and hopefully will experience less visits to health providers.
Since the pandemic, people want connectivity more than ever and being outdoors has become a premium. Being a strong advocate for healthy and vibrant communities, having livable and inviting communities with nature where individuals, families and neighbors can walk, ride, and even sit on is key. Studies are showing that trails have been ignored in underserved communities, as well as transportation options. Equitable measures are needed and must become a part of transforming communities.
It is important to look at our budget and rethink investments based on the times and needs. Budget line items would incorporate Infrastructure on our trails and, when needed, restructuring the trails to provide safety by one having continual trails, instead of having to cross over or ride on heavily trafficked roads.
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The Prince George's County 2021 Emergency Rental and Utilities Assistance Program (ERAP) helps eligible households who have been financially impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The program provides payment assistance for renters who need help with rent and utilities.
Applications will be accepted until funds are no longer available.
Click Here for more information and apply
The information provided on HUD’s website can be used to provide struggling homeowners with effective information to possibly prevent them from losing their homes. In addition, our office stands ready to assist any current effort that you may have in place to address struggling homeowners due to COVID-19 to bring further awareness to this FHA forbearance opportunity. It is important for homeowners to know that they are not alone during these times and we look forward to working with them to assist as many FHA borrowers as possible with saving their home before the June 30, 2021, deadline. More Information on HUD's website, Click Here
PUBLIC HEARINGS SET FOR PROPOSED HOT LANE TOLL RATE RANGES FOR PHASE 1 SOUTH: AMERICAN LEGION BRIDGE I-270 TO I-370.
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) has scheduled public hearings as part of the toll rate range setting process public comment period for proposed High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes in Phase 1 South: American Legion Bridge I-270 to I-370. The public comment period opened May 20 and continues through August 12. Written and voicemail comments are now being accepted, and the hearings will provide additional opportunity to comment on the proposed toll rate ranges for the record through public or one-on-one testimony.
The MDTA will hold two in-person testimony hearing sessions, 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, July 12, at the Hilton Washington D.C./Rockville Hotel & Executive Meeting Center in Rockville, and two call-in testimony hearing sessions, 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 14. During the hearings there will be no formal presentation and no responses to questions can be given. The public can listen live to the hearings via telephone or livestream at mdta.maryland.gov/ALB270TollSetting.
Click this link for more, Phase 1 South Toll Rate Range Setting_FINAL_Press Release No2_06.07.2021.docx
“We are Prince George’s Proud to announce a new resource available to our nonprofit organizations here in the County who have been impacted by COVID-19,” said Alsobrooks.
Click Link below for Press Release:
COUNTY EXECUTIVE ALSOBROOKS ANNOUNCES NONPROFIT RELIEF FUND TO SUPPORT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IMPACTED BY COVID-19.docx
The Training Source has a grant to provide free job training to Prince George's County residents living within three miles of MGM as well as a grant to provide training to survivors of domestic violence.
For more information about The Training Source, Click thetrainingsource.org
To register for next information session, Email infosession@thetrainingsource.org
Call The Training Source - 301.499.8872
We apologize for communicating in our May 25 Orange Alert that Justice the service dog was found and reunited with the owner. Unfortunately, this is not the case and Justice is still out in the community.
UPDATE: Justice was last spotted on Sunday, May 16, 2021, in the area of Livingston Road & Swan Creek Road, Fort Washington, MD.
Justice has a very crucial role in the life of the owner. A service dog helps a person with a disability lead a more independent life. Service animals are specifically trained to work with a person with a disability which makes it easier for its owner to accomplish one or more major life activities, including caring for oneself, working, performing manual tasks, sleeping, walking, and numerous other activities.
Please call (407) 922-9551 if you have seen Justice or have any information that will lead to a successful reunion.
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