Creating a Jubilee County: Prince George's Co., MD

You pay for tire recycling, so why are they making a mess? #maryland

Sun, 13 May 2012 02:40:08 GMT

Are ugly tires littering your neighborhoods and streets? Did you know that if you get your tires properly taken care of in the state of Maryland that they charge you an 80 cent recycling fee? It's to clean up illegally scrapped tires.

You can help reduce the scrap tire problem. see the Department of the Environment's fact sheet here.

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Programs that help people in P G. County #pgcounty #princegeorges

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:14:06 GMT

Forwarded to me through many channels, apparently originating from Greg Anderson, Program Advocate & Counselor:

THE WEATHERIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

This is a program, funded by a grant from
the Department of Energy and administered
by the Department of Housing and Community
Development, to weatherize the homes of
Prince Georges County residents at no cost.
To obtain more information, please call
301 883 5491 and/or check out their website
at: www.princegeorgescounty.gov. Click on
link for Housing and Community.

THE HOUSING LOAN REHABILITATION PROGRAM

This program provides financial assistance for
the rehabilitation of single - family homes to
persons of limited financial means for the purpose
of upgrading the quality of deteriorated dwellings
to contemporary minimum property standards.
To obtain more information, please call
301 883 5570 and/or check out their website at:
www.princegeorgescounty.gov. Click on the link
for Housing and Community.

THE QUICK HOME ENERGY CHECKUP PROGRAM

This program, provided by Pepco, provides
free energy efficient showerheads and aerators
for kitchen and bathroom faucets.
To obtain more information, please call
1 866 353 5798

THE OFFICE OF HOME ENERGY PROGRAMS

The Office of Home Energy Programs
helps Maryland families pay their utility
bills, mininize heating crises, and make
energy costs more affordable.
To obtain more information, please call
301 909 6300 and/or check out their
website at: www.dhr.state.md.us/ohep.

THE MARYLAND ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Maryland Energy Assistance Program
provides assistance grants to help with home
heating bills. Payments are made to your fuel
supplier and utility company on your behalf.
To obtain more information, please call
301 909 6300 and/or check out their website
at: www.dhr.state.md.us/meap.

THE ELECTRIC UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROGRAM

The Electric Uhniversal Service Program provides
financial assistance with electric bills. Eligible
electric customers may receive helpl to pay current
electric bills. lmay be able to pay past due electric
bills and provide referrals for energy efficiency
measures to reduce future electric bills. To obtain
more information, please call 301 909 6300 and/or
check out their website at: www.dhr.state.md.us/eusp.

THE WASHINGTON AREA FUEL FUND

The Washington Area Fuel Fund provides financial
assistance to pay utility bills to those who either do
not qualify for state funded utility assistance and/or
have exhausted their benefits for state funded energy
assistance. To obtain more information, please call
301 277 6103.

THE FHA LOAN REFUND PROGRAM

The FHA provides refunds on Upfront Morgage
Insurance premiums. The refunds are for homeowners
who had FHA Upfront Mortgage Premiums under
certain circumstances:

I. The loan started after 1 September 1983 and
    before December 8, 2008.

II. The borrower paid an upfron morgage insurance
     premium as part of closing on the house.

III. The borrower did not default on FHA mortgage
      payments.

To obtain more information, please call 1800 697 6967
and/or check out their website at: www.FHA.com.

THE ACCESSIBLE HOMES FOR SENIORS PROGRAM

This program, administered by the Maryland Department
of Housing and Community Development and the Maryland
Department of Aging, provides zero interest, deferred loans
to Seniors to make their homes more accessible.
To obtain more information, please call 301 265 8450
and/or check out their website at: www.mdhousing.org.

THE HOMEOWNERS TAX CREDIT PROGRAM

A property tax credit is abailable to all residential homeowners
who hav a combined household income under $60,000 and net
assets that do not exceed $200,000. Net assets do not include
the value of your home or the value of your qualified retirement
plans. To obtain more information, please call 1 800 944 7403
and/or check out their website at: www.dat.state.md.us.sdatweb.

HOMESTEAD TAX CREDIT

After the first full tax year of ownership, the Homestead Tax
Credit limits the annual increase in taxable assessment on
owner - occupied residential properties to a fixed percentage.
To obtain more information, please call 1866 650 8783 and/
or check out their website at: www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/

FREE FLU SHOTS

The Prince Georges County Health Department offers FREE
seasonal Influenza vaccinations to the general public at
community clinics subject to vaccine availability and vaccine
quantities on - hand at the following locations:

ONGOING HEALTH DEPARTMENT WALK-IN FLU VACCINATION CLINICS

Beginning Tuesday, October 25, 2011 until further notice:

Tuesday | 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Maternal Health and Family Planning Program | D. Leonard Dyer Regional Health Center 9314 Piscataway Road, Clinton MD 20735
Beginning Wednesday, October 26, 2011 until further notice:

Wednesday | 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Immunization Program | Cheverly Health Center 3003 Hospital Drive, 2nd Floor, Cheverly MD 20785

Thursday | 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Communicable Disease Control (CDC) Program | Cheverly Health Center 3003 Hospital Drive, 2nd Floor, Cheverly MD 20785

FREE CELL PHONE SERVICE

The Safelink and Assurance Wireless provide,
free of charge, a minimum of two - hundred and
fifty minutes each month. To obtain more information,
please call 1 800 Safelink and/or Assurance Wireless
at 18184888 and/or check out their websites at:
www.safelink.com and www.assurancewireless.com.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROGRAMS

The Prince Georges County Department of Social
Services provides a free listing of many of the food
distribution programs in the county. It is available
at the front desk.

THE INCOME ELIGIBLE ENERGY EFFICIENCY
PROGRAM

This program provides a Home Energy Assessment,
customized energy - saving home improvements and
a new replacement appliance (if qualified). To obtain
more information, please call 1866 353 5798 and/or
check out their website at: www.pepco.com/SaveEnergy.

THE ENERGY ADVISOR PROGRAM

This program provides access, free of charge,
to Energy Advisor's who can advise consumers
how to save money on their utility bill. To obtain
more information, please call 202 833 7500 and
ask to speak to a representative. Then ask to be
connected to an Energy Advisor.

THE MARYLAND PRIMARY ADULT CARE PROGRAM

The Maryland Primary Adult Care Program covers primary
health care, some outpatient mental health services, certain
emergency hospital services, community based substance
abuse services, and prescription drugs for certain low income
eligible Maryland residents. Applicants must be 19 years of
age or older, not eligible for Medicare, and a U.S. citizen or
a qualifited alien who meets all requirements for benefits.
To obtain more information, please call 1800 226 2142
and/or check out their website at: www.dhmh.state.md.us/mma/mmahome.

THE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Medical Assistance Program is a comprehensive
healthcare program (including hospitalization), funded
by the state, federal and local governments, and is
administered in Prince Georges County by the Department
of Social Services. Please call 301 909 6000 to obtain
more information.

FREE DENTAL SCREENING

The Dental Hygiend Program at Fortis Colletge in Landover,
MD provides preventive dental hygience services(i.e., dental
cleaning). To obtain more information and to schedule a
screening appointment, call 301 459 3650 extension 4150 and/
or check out their website at: www.fortiscollege.edu.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAMS AT PEPCO

To obtain more information about Energy efficiency programs
at Pepco, please call 1866 353 5798 and/or check out their
website at: www.pepco.com/energy/conservation.

THE CHRISTMAS IN APRIL PROGRAM

The Christmas In April, a nationwide nonprofit organization,
renovates one - hundred homes in Prince Georges County
each year(at no cost to the homeowner). To obtain more
information, please call 301 868 0937 and/or check out
their website at: www.christmasinaprilpg.org.

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OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE LISTED HERE.

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#Jobs available in Fire/EMS Department #princegeorges #pgcounty

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:51:02 GMT

Until April 20th, the Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department will be accepting online applications for entry level Fire Fighter. Starting salary is $40,000. Please share with your respective networks.
The website is www.princegeorgescountymd.gov.

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Property #taxes going up #maryland #mdbill #SB848 #princegeorges #education

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:55:48 GMT

Some people think they should write the governor to ask him not to sign it since it overrides the people's will. SB 848 has passed but has not yet been signed by the governor.

The bill is entitiled "Education - Maintenance of Effort". The synopsis says, "Authorizing a county governing body, for a specified purpose and under specified circumstances, to set a property tax rate that is higher than the rate authorized under the county's charter or to collect more property tax revenues than are authorized under the county's charter, notwithstanding any provision of the county charter that places limits on the county's property tax rate or revenues; etc."

On a search for a history of TRIM, I find this article on TRIM splits Prince George's from 2003. I also found a blog article about it entitled Overturning TRIM? Dernoga sounds the alarm. An open Yahoo Group on county politics also discusses this bill.

Do you want to pay more property taxes when more houses are being foreclosed? Yes, the county needs funds and this is said to be for education. If you know of other solutions, please comment here. The school board approved a budget and the facts contain: "How will you pay for this? Where does the money come from?" "As of January 25^th, we are projecting $1.6 billion in revenues for FY2012, which is $41 million (3%) less than this year. We receive funding from four public sources – mainly the state (54%) and county (39%)." "Do you have enough revenues to cover the projected costs?" "Unfortunately, we do not." More on the school board budget here

Our government is primarily funded by taxes of one sort or another. And would we want it another way - like private investors with their own personal interests paying for it? We have too much corporate interest in government as it is. If you know how we can cut the budget efficiently without hurting the education of the children, then I suggest you contact the Board of Education members.

Paying for what we want is complicated work, if you have another suggestion for that, maybe you should contact the governor to not sign this bill and contact the county and press about how to do that.
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Vote on or BEFORE April 3! No party required #princegeorges #pgcounty #md #education #pgcps

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:49:13 GMT

This year the Presidential Primary Election Day is April 3rd. However, EARLY VOTING runs from March 24 through March 29th. Refer to the Board of Elections web site for early voting locations, absentee ballot, and other information.

You can see your ballot from this link - if you know your precinct or where you vote, you can get the ballot for Democrats, Republicans, or NON party-affiliation (or affiliated with an unlisted party) in many precincts. People who are not registered to a party can vote for their Board of Education member. In some precincts there are several candidates. Do you know who they are? If they're not findable on a Google search, I'd wonder what they're hiding. You could call your local civic association to find out if they know about them or your local public school's PTA.

Everyone should care about our Board of Education, because they make important decisions about our public school system. The quality of our schools effect the children and youth in this county and the ability to sell a house to families looking to live in a good school district. Ask if the candidate has attended one of the trainings offered by the Citizens for an Elected School Board (as listed in my last post) and if not, why not.

I hope all voters are knowledgeable voters.
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Voter Registration & Volunteer Training #princegeorges #pgcounty

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:28:42 GMT

This is my Vote 2012 & Beyond!
Voter Registration & Volunteer Training Partnership Meeting

We will host our second partnership meeting on Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 7:00PM
9201 Basil Court Largo, Maryland 20772

We are excited about the energy generated around the 2012 Election Year process. We look forward to your participation as we begin to strategize to accomplish our goal of registering 10,000 new voters.

If you have questions, please give us a call @ 240-619-5431.

THERE IS POWER IN THE VOTE!

Additional dates for training

March 10th and 24th @ 1:30

April 14th .@ 1:30 PM

May 19th@ 1:30 PM

9201 Basil Court Largo, Maryland 20774 in the Multipurpose room on the Basement level.
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"Bag It: Is Your Life too Plastic?" #princegeorges #maryland #environment

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:15:05 GMT

Reposted for the Prince George’s Chapter of the Sierra Club and the College Park Committee for a Better Environment (CBE):

Invitation to Film Screening of…

Bag It: Is Your Life too Plastic?

When: Saturday, February 25, beginning at 1 pm

Where: College Park City Hall, Council Chambers, 2nd floor, 4500 Knox Road, College Park, 20740

Cost and Registration: Free but registration is requested: Email janiso[at]erols.com or leave a message at 240-888-6972

This 78-minute award-winning film (sometimes funny, sometimes very sobering) chronicles “everyman” Jeb Berrier, who embarks on a global tour to unravel the complexities of our plastic world and, closer to home, pledges to stop using plastic bags at the grocery store. The film examines our society’s use and abuse of plastic and the harm it causes our environment—and our health.

A post-film discussion will include Prince George’s County Council member Mary Lehman (District 1) or her policy analyst, Matt Dernoga, who will summarize what’s happening with the local “bag bills.” Julie Lawson, organizer with the Trash Free Maryland Alliance (www.trashfreemaryland.org) will contribute as well.

Co-sponsored by the Prince George’s Chapter of the Sierra Club and the College Park Committee for a Better Environment (CBE)

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Are you watching #PGCPS News? #princegeorges #education

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:45:09 GMT

If you have a YouTube account, you can subscribe to YouTube videos. The county schools has a channel that contains weekly news besides other reports.

In the latest news video, the contents include: Laurel Elementary School receive appreciation for their support of the military. Rockledge Elementary School,one of the top performing schools, is visited by Bernard Sadusky, Interim State Superintendent, to observe model programs. County students who received scholarships, are recognized in this video. And a brand new IT course is highlighted.

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Public Hearing on Preservation Master Plan #princegeorges #md #pgcounty

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:36:41 GMT

From M-NCPPC:

NOTICE OF SECOND JOINT PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PRELIMINARY PRIORITY PRESERVATION AREA FUNCTIONAL MASTER PLAN

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) has published a preliminary Priority Preservation Area (PPA) Functional Master Plan. This preliminary plan was developed for Prince George's County in accordance with HB 2 (2006), Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006. Landowner participation in agricultural preservation programs is voluntary.

The Priority Preservation Area Functional Master Plan lays the groundwork for protecting the PPA by continuing to use existing tools and programs and implementing new tools that serve to accomplish the preservation goal set for the PPA. The Plan provides guidance expressed through the vision, goal and objective, as well as policies and strategies to address the preservation of farm and forest land uses in areas best suited for these uses in the county.

The purpose of the Priority Preservation Area Functional Master Plan is to:
*    Meet the requirements of the Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006 relating to the process for certifying the county’s agricultural preservation program;
*    Define the priority preservation area where farm and forest landowners who volunteer to participate in preservation programs will benefit from PPA status for funding sources;
*    Identify the local policies, tools, and programs that will stabilize the farm and forest land base;
*   Amend the 2002 Prince George’s County Approved General Plan to include farmland
preservation as a priority;
*    Affirm General Plan goals for the Rural Tier to retain sustainable agricultural land, maintain rural character, limit nonagricultural land uses, and protect landowners’ equity in their land;
*    Improve communication and coordination between jurisdictions, agencies, communities, organizations, and citizens regarding preservation of valuable and irreplaceable farm and forest land for food production, environmental stewardship, and other future needs.

The purpose of the public hearing is to give stakeholders and interested persons the opportunity to express their views concerning the preliminary Priority Preservation Area Functional Master Plan. The public hearing will be held:

Tuesday, January 24, 2012 Council Hearing Room: First Floor, County Administration Building
14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772
7:00 p.m. (Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for participants to view exhibits. Planning staff will be available to answer questions.)
Free copies of the preliminary plan are available at the following locations on Monday, December19, 2011 and on the M-NCPPC webpage at: http://www.pgplanning.org/prioritypreservation.htm.

Persons who spoke at the first joint public hearing are not required to resubmit their comments, which will be included in the public record for this plan.

Persons desiring to speak at the second joint public hearing may register in advance or fill out a registration form available that night at the hearing site. Individual speakers and representatives from a group or groups will be limited to three (3) minutes. Written testimony and/or exhibits will be accepted in lieu of, or in addition to, oral testimony. The record will be kept open for 15 days after the public hearing for written comments. To be accepted into the record, written testimony or comments must be original, signed documents. E-mails or faxes will not be considered, unless followed by an original mailed to the Clerk of the Council. Written comments may be submitted until close of business on Wednesday, February 8, 2012, to the Clerk of the County Council, County Administration Building, Room 2198, 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772.

TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE TO SPEAK, CONTACT THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE, M-NCPPC, AT: 301-952-4584/TTY 301-952-4366 OR REGISTER ONLINE AT www.pgplanning.org/Planning_Board/Testify_at_Hearings.html.

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO RESIDENTS, BUSINESS AND PROPERTY OWNERS: The hearing is important because the plan establishes policies that will help define the type, amount, character and location of future agricultural practices in Prince George's County.

For further information, please contact the M-NCPPC Countywide Planning Division at 301-952-3650 or e-mail the project manager, Fatimah Hasan, at preservefarms@ppd.mncppc.org or visit the project website.

Poverty in #PrinceGeorges - Can they have a say? #pgcounty #RemakingAmerica

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 04:09:19 GMT

C-SPAN ran a wonderful program tonight: Tavis Smiley Forum "Remaking America: From Poverty to Prosperity". They had a great panel. They had a big audience, too.

Roger Clay said that President Obama should talk about the problems of black people, but I believe he would get a big backlash if he did. Politics is difficult, especially for the first black President. He could speak about the problems of the poor. Tavis Smiley spoke about all races and ethnicities and that he should talk about the problems they have.

Barbara Ehrenreich made a good point about how businesses don't want to hire the unemployed and there are other things in our system that creates a spiraling down of people who are already in trouble. She says, "There's a war on the poor." Roger Clay made some good points, including about how people think they're going to get rich and so they protect the rich. "We have to change the systems." Vicki Escarra said we could work on simplification of systems like food stamps. "How far does $130 a month go?... When people say we're spending too much on these programs, that's absolute nonsense."

Years ago, I was on food stamps when the government paid more. Even then it was tough - it's even harder to get more support. Welfare doesn't include funds to get to the unemployment office if you don't live within walking distance. The system seems to encourage "cheating" which is usually breaking the law.

People are tweeting about this on #RemakingAmerica @SoulRevision said, "In the future, I would LOVE to see those CURRENTLY living in poverty on this panel to hear their thoughts". Cornel West then tweeted, "The poor are just as precious as politicians, professors, the press and others."

According to the U.S. Census, there were about 67,000 people in Prince George's County under the poverty level. There's more than that now. Last year it was reported that 43% of our children are low-income. Anyone know how many? Anyone know how we can get their voices heard? Anyone have any thoughts on solutions?

It is good to see services to help people in foreclosure problems to help keep them from going from middle class to poverty. We have a lot of good organizations working to help the children and unemployed in this county. I tried to list those organizations and how they're helping, but it was a community service and I haven't had the time to update it. I've asked for volunteer help with no response. I'm willing to train, but the person would have to have access to a computer which many poor people don't have. I'm willing to make some acommodations for someone who'd be really interested in helping. Or maybe I can just link to a web site who has a full list of all the organizations in Prince George's County and how they're helping people. Then we need to get that information out to those organizations - about the other organizations that are helping so they don't have to turn anyone away and we can help more people working together to help get people out of poverty.

The government does give grants to many of these wonderful programs. The government is having economic problems, so I think we need to listen to President Obama when he said, "Our success has never just been about survival of the fittest. It’s about building a nation where we’re all better off. We pull together. We pitch in. We do our part."

PGCPS contracts with current vendors #pgcounty #pgcps

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 07:36:41 GMT

There was a question on Twitter that was retweeted possibly more than once: "Where on the website can we find the information regarding current vendors who have contracts with PGCPS?"

A search led me to this PDF document of vendors.

I see that contracts include, "Contractors to maximize the use of qualified local minority business and qualified local small businesses." which is a good goal. One that I looked at had "MBE Goals" possibly referring to "local" as 40% at most and Sub-goals, which were listed as "African American" and "Women" were only 7% for the first and 10% for the second. I don't understand why the county has a problem with hiring minorities. This is a hold-back from the old racial system that is apparently still in place and why we need these goals.

As I was searching, I ran across The Superintendent's Proposed Annual Operating Budget FY 2012 in PDF (over 300 pages). Just FYI if you're interested.

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#Education news for Prince George's County #maryland #princegeorges

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:34:13 GMT

From the Prince George's County Public Schools:

Community Meeting About Proposed Budget And Student Based Budgeting
Feb. 7 6:30 PM more here.

Seven PGCPS Students Awarded Posse Foundation Scholarships more here.

2012 L.O.V.E. Awards Submissions
Over the past thirteen (13) years the Prince George’s Harlem Remembrance Foundation (HRF) has received many dynamic and progressive nominees for its annual L.O.V.E. Awards. PGCPS asks for you to assist them in identifying community contributors, colleagues, and teachers as nominees for this year’s L.O.V.E. Awards. Winners will be announced at the May 4 Gala in the Ballroom at the Community Center. The Harlem Renaissance Festival will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Kentland/Columbia Park Community Center in Landover, Maryland.

For questions and/or an application, please call 301-918-8418.

L: Leadership in Service
O: Outreach in Service
V: Visionary in Service
E: Excellence in Service

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Foreclosure Prevention Workshop #princegeorges #pgcounty

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:17:52 GMT

"Mortgage late? Don't wait! You have options."

This is the heading on the flyer sent by Senator Cardin for a workshop on Sat., Jan. 28, 2012 9AM-2PM at Mt. Ennon Baptist Church, 9303 Piscataway Rd., Clinton, Maryland.

Pre-register free at 1-800-396-1274 ext. 3053

Bring all paperwork related to mortgage, foreclosure notices, & monthly household budget & pay statements.

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Town Hall Meeting Tonight - Wed., Nov. 16 #princegeorges #pgcounty #md

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:21:25 GMT

Economic Development Town Hall Meeting to be held by Prince George's County Council at
Gwynn Park Middle School, 8000 Dyson Rd., Brandywine, Maryland

"Developing Great Opportunities in Prince George's County"

Speakers:
Carla A. Reid, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for
Economic Development and Public Infrastructure
Office of the County Executive

Gwen McCall, President & CEO
Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation

M.H. Jim Estepp, President & CEO
Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable

Yates Clagett, Conservation Planner
Prince George’s Soil Conservation District

Janna Howley, Agriculture Marketing Specialist
University of Maryland Extension, Prince George’s County

This Town Hall Meeting on
Economic Development is the
fifth in a series hosted by the
Prince George’s County Council.
Join us for this public event
aimed at expanding our
commercial tax base, and
strengthening business and
community engagement in
economic development
initiatives for employers and
residents in Prince George’s
County’s urban, suburban and
rural communities.

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Hungry? Unemployed? Meat-eater? #carnivore #mdlaw #poverty

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:47:37 GMT

When I find out things I like to share them. This information might make some people feel uncomfortable. I'm a former vegetarian and I don't eat mammals, but I'm also a realist. These are hard times for many people.

A recent article says, "The high prices that farmers are getting for their meat, produce and
other crops are doing more than increasing supermarket bills. The price
increases mean the government is providing less food to soup kitchens
and food pantries even as more and more people line up for assistance."

This brings me to my main point which might make you feel uncomfortable: eating squirrel meat. I was recently communicating with a friend from Nigeria who was tempted to eat one of the many squirrels running around. He said they'd be a luxury in Nigeria, but he was afraid he'd be arrested as he didn't know the laws and he'd had problems in his various travels with misunderstanding the local laws. So, I did some research. I got this answer from scary squirrel world:

Yes, squirrel is a game animal in the US. Each state has it's own rules and regulations, and squirrel hunting may also be affected by local ordinances. The dates below are not set in stone and you should check with your local fish and game dept.

Maryland Squirrel Hunting Season: Gray & Eastern Fox: Sept 6 to Feb 28. Red or Piney: Sept 6 to Feb. 28.

There are also bag limits on the number of squirrels you can take during the season. I don't have that info. And needless to say, endangered or threatened species, such as the Delmarva Fox Squirrel, are excluded and can't be hunted.

Most squirrel hunters are doing it for food.

NOTE: Game always has to be thoroughly cooked or you could get sick.

A local farmer's market is trying to make food more affordable, but this might not be possible for many.

I thought someone might be interested in this. You might share this information with someone you know who could use it. I'll bet there are squirrel meat recipes online that you could share with someone who doesn't have a computer, though they can be grilled and eaten plain, if needed.

Results of Cross-Cultural Study on African Americans #africanamerican #md #pgcounty #princegeorges

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:17:36 GMT

Unprecedented, In-Depth Research Examines Attitudes of Everyday African American Consumers

This marketing study was done on middle and upper class individuals.

What do you think about these results?:

* As many as 63 percent of African Americans are open to other
cultures, and enjoy experiencing foreign customs as they relate to
food, fashion and music, but those experiences do not change who they
are when they are at home. 87 percent of those surveyed are actively
attached to African American culture, and make an effort to balance
their cultural interests with their own cultural identity.

* African Americans still openly and freely share accounts of occasions
in which they needed to act differently among people of other
cultures due to fear of judgment, the lessons of history and their
desire to succeed, with 36 percent admitting that they experience
this cultural suppression often. This includes situations at work and
school, as well as in social settings.

* African Americans still openly and freely share accounts of occasions
in which they needed to act differently among people of other
cultures due to fear of judgment, the lessons of history and their
desire to succeed, with 36 percent admitting that they experience
this cultural suppression often. This includes situations at work and
school, as well as in social settings.

For those of you in Prince George's County, Maryland, we could discuss these things at ADORE (A Dialog on Race & Ethnicity) in Camp Springs/Temple Hills on Fri. night, Nov. 11 at 7:30 PM (potluck at 6:30) - directions here.

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See: News about Racial Issues in Prince George's Co. click here.

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Slots in Prince George's - CB-49 controversy #pgcounty #princegeorges #maryland

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:46:30 GMT

Comments on this would be appreciated.

Last night at the Prince George's County Civic Federation, there was a big debate about CB-49. Basically it was because the argument against gambling was that we already have the highest gambling in the state of Maryland in the county through lottery statistics and that those same zip code areas are the highest in crime. This did not seem logical to some that those references meant we should be against gambling - the information we were given referred to "casinos". CB-49 does not reference casinos, though, and we had no information about the actual language of the bill. Volunteer fire fighters were dismayed that their right to do fundraising through gambling was taken away from them by county law years ago and they thought it was so that commercial facilities would eventually come in.

I downloaded the bill and it only refers to "Video Lottery Facilities" and it says "For the purpose of prohibiting video lottery facilities in Prince George's County." indicating every zoning area of the county. I understand that it will be voted on on the 15th. You can find county bills on http://egov.co.pg.md.us/lis but you can only use IE on Windows (Mac users cannot access it). ---- Also check out the latest Prince George's County blogger posts and news here and specific news about the county from many sources at Newsvine. And our video playlists on YouTube for Prince George's Vital News | Prince George's Education/Youth SUBSCRIBE TO THIS BLOG with EMAIL here.

Free food locations in Prince George's County #princegeorges

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:28:15 GMT

Pass it on! You may know someone who needs this information.

This is a list of free food locations in Prince George's County for those you know who may need extra help.

1. October 17th - Temple Hills - Iverson Mall ( In front of Burlington Coat Factory)
3737 Branch Avenue, Hillcrest Heights Md.20748

2. October 18th - Brandywine- Gwynn Park High School (Dyson Road Parking Lot)
13800 Brandywine Road Brandywine, Md 20613

3. November 21st - Temple Hills - Iverson Mall ( In Front Of Burlington Coat Factory)
3737 Branch Avenue, Hillcrest Heights Md. 20613

4. November 22nd - Brandywine- Gwynn Park High School ( Dyson Road Parking Lot)
13800 Brandywine Road Brandywine Md. 20613

5. December 19th - Largo - The Blvd ! at the Capital Centre ( Rear Parking Lot )
861 Capital Centre Blvd. Largo Md. 20774

6. December 20th - Brandywine- Gwynn Park High School ( Dyson Road Parking Lot )
13800 Brandywine Road Brandywine

There will be Only ONE distribution per Household, You must bring Your Own Bags. The Hours are 4-6 PM Except for the Brandywine Locations which are from 4-7pm, so if you have any Seniors or know of anyone who will need extra help please help to transport them
to these Locations. Thanks

For more information, please contact:

Brother Moe Gregory
Worshipful Grand Assistant Director
Committee of Community Affairs
Moedogg5 [at] gmail.com

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The 2011 Veteran Stand Down and Homeless Resource Day #princegeorges

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:35:38 GMT

The 2011 Veteran Stand Down and Homeless Resource Day will be held at the Prince George's County Sports-n-Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Rd., Landover, on Saturday, November 5, 2011, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

The Veteran Stand Down and Homeless Resource Day offers ONE STOP easy access to community services that include, medical and dental services, onsite application for benefits for the Veteran's Administration, mental health assessments and counseling, onsite application for Social Security Administration and Department of Social Services benefits, FREE photo ID cards from the Motor Vehicle Administration and Free ID cards for children (with fingerprints) from the Maryland Park and Planning Commission, in addition to several other services.

They need 500+ volunteers to serve all day or between the hours of 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM, or 12:30 PM - 5:00 PM. Lunch will be provided. They have already begun to solicit volunteers from area churches, local non-profit agencies, book clubs, the ROTC and area sororities to staff this event. Service opportunities for the day include, Greeters, Ambassadors, Transportation Aides, Registration and Food Service personnel, Bi-lingual Assistants, Sign Language Assistants, Students (ages 15 and older) and more.

If you are interested or have persons in your circle of influence interested in serving our county's homeless population with their physical and/or financial resources, please have them contact via e-mail, vahrd[at]dhr.state.md.us & in the subject line, please write, 2011 The Veteran Stand Down and Homeless Resource Day. Or call at 301-909-7088. Detailed information regarding meetings, in-person and via teleconference, along with the dates/times for training will be disseminated to volunteers, via e-mail, on or before October 7, 2011.

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MNCCPC Master Plan Public Hearing on Sept. 13 #princegeorges

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:07:47 GMT

The Prince George's County Planning Board
and the Prince George's County Council invite you to participate in a
JOINT PUBLIC HEARING
On the Preliminary Priority Preservation Area Master Plan.

The purpose of the public hearing is to give stakeholders and interested persons the opportunity to
express their views concerning the Preliminary Priority Preservation Area Functional Master Plan. The public hearing will be held:

Date and Time: Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Hearing Location: County Council Hearing Room,
First Floor, County Administration Building
14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive
Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772

Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for participants to view exhibits. Planning staff will be available to answer questions. Copies of the preliminary plan are available at no cost at the following locations on Friday, August 12, 2011 on the M-NCPPC web page: http://www.pgplanning.org/prioritypreservation.htm

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County Civic Federation meets #princegeorges

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:47:14 GMT

It is almost September which means the Federation is back in session: this Thursday, September 1, 2011 at Kettering Middle School, Media Center, at 7:30 P.M.

Their anticipated schedule for 2011-12 is September 1; October 6; November 3 (Cup and Award Presentations; nomination of Officers for 2012); December 1 (election of Officers for 2012).

The Federation is a group of leaders from civic organizations throughout the county. They discuss issues they have in common, how they can work together, and host an annual award to outstanding civic activists in the county.

You are invited to join them.

Check out their web site here: Prince George's County Civic Federation

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Redistricting Prince George's County

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:11:38 GMT

See the following links to articles in the Gazette regarding redistricting. The changes could make a bigger effect on us than you may imagine. The PAC will be focused on County, state, congressional and school board districts:

http://www.gazette.net/article/20110617/NEWS/706179720/1034/1034/cummings-district-in-spotlight-as-mapmakers-face-population-decline&template=gazette. (Congressional districts).
http://www.gazette.net/article/20110621/NEWS/706219964&template=gazette (school board districts).
http://www.gazette.net/article/20110617/NEWS/706179722&template=gazette (state legislative districts)
http://www.gazette.net/article/20110617/NEWS/706179722&template=gazette (Bowie’s debate on County Council districts)
http://www.gazette.net/article/20110616/NEWS/706169881&template=gazette (debate on at-large County Council districts)

You can look in on the County Council redistricting process, here: http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/Redistricting2011 and make comments on-line.

For those of you who expressed an interest in working on redistricting, you can contact Carletta Fellows at 301-580-3983, a consultant to the Fannie Lou Hamer PAC.

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Redistricting in Prince George's meeting TONIGHT!

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 20:14:35 GMT

Prince George’s County Redistricting Commission will
hold a Public Hearing to address the recent 2010 Census data
and how it will impact the formulation of the
County’s 2011 Redistricting Plan.
You are invited to express your views and provide input
to the Redistricting Commission. Statements may be submitted in writing
or presented verbally at the public hearing.

Those wishing to testify at this hearing,
or submit written comments, please contact:
The Redistricting Commission
c/o Office of the Clerk of the Council
Room 2198, County Administration Building
Upper Marlboro, Maryland 20772
Telephone (301) 952-3600, TDD (301) 925-5167

In accordance with ADA Requirements, accomodations for hearing impaired, disabled persons and visually
impaired can be provided upon reasonable notice to the Clerk of the Council.

Please visit our web page at:
www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/Redistricting2011

Oxon Hill Library
6200 Oxon Hill Road
Auditorium/Meeting Room
First Floor
Oxon Hill, Maryland 20745

Directions From the Capital Beltway (I-495),
take Exit 4 (St. Barnabas Road/Marlow Heights), take St. Barnabas Road (MD-414) follow to 6200 Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill
Library located between Thompson Lane and Livingston Road.

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"Prince George's leads Maryland with highest foreclosure rate" + how to get help

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 17:34:50 GMT

The foreclosure problem is a tragedy and the problem is making news nationwide for Prince George's.

In MSN's Today, they ran the story, Affluent black county mired in mortgage mess, but I missed it when they first posted it. Now it says, "This story has been corrected from an earlier version, which erroneously described a District Heights resident quoted in the article as black." but I don't see any mention of someone from District Heights now, so they cut that part just because the person wasn't black? We are a multicultural county with an African American majority and leadership of which we should be proud. Many African Americans here are still doing very well and our county and the federal government is trying to help.

Foreclosure help is available (from Tamara Davis Brown, member, Maryland consumer Council):

Thanks to President Obama and the administration's Department of Housing and Urban Development, Maryland received $40 million federal funding to assist unemployed homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments. This is a LOAN program.

Eligible homeowners include those who:
Are experiencing a loss of employment income because of the economy (RIFs) or a medical condition. Homeowner(s) must have a current income that is at least 15% less than it was prior to the loss of employment.
Are 3-12 months delinquent on their mortgage payments and pending foreclosure. It must be the first mortgage on the principal residence of the homeowner.
Have a total household income equal to, or less than, 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI), including wages, unemployment benefits, and other income. (See www.mdhope.org for AMI chart.)
Have a reasonable likelihood (based on industry underwriting standards) of being able to resume mortgage payments within 2 years, when full employment has been regained.
Prospective applicants must meet certain prequalification requirements. Homeowners will be able to access assistance in this process through specially-trained housing counseling agencies approved by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and at various foreclosure prevention events.

Maryland is already taking applications and has closed on its first loan. Homeowners can get more details on Maryland's Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program by visiting the HOPE website at www.mdhope.org or by calling the HOPE hotline (877) 462-7555 to find a housing counselor in their area for free counseling and assistance.

Award Ceremony Tonight

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 17:24:58 GMT

You are Invited to
The Prince George’s County Civic Federation, Inc.
Awards Presentation
It will be held at the
Rosaryville Elementary School
In the MultiPurpose Room
9925 Rosaryville Road, Upper Marlboro, MD 20772

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Federation Cup will be presented to
Phil Woodruff

The President’s Award will be presented to
Arthur Turner

The doors will open at 6:30; event begins at 7:00