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This archives is a history of events. Links on this page may not work. You may find the original site here.
Revitalization and Preservation Study & Early Family Historic District
An announcement was posted to the county site on Aug. 5, 2011: PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EXECUTIVE RUSHERN L. BAKER, III APPROVES NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NOMINATIONS. The fifth of these five nominations reads: Early Family Historic District The Early Family Historic District in Brandywine includes four late-19th and early-20th century single-family dwellings and a large commercial building (c. 1872) associated with several generations of the Early family, whose members were instrumental in settling and developing this crossroads village after the Civil War. More about the history of Brandywine is here.
The Brandywine Revitalization and Preservation Study hopes to make Brandywine into a walkable bikeable community. It was once walkable and bikeable, because there wasn’t so much traffic, especially truck traffic, as we have today.
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Support your local civic association EAST AREA CENTRAL AREA WEST AREA |
| Volunteer/Community Service work available. Work at home or in my home office in Brandywine. Free training. Internet searching and/or posting (database entry). Any age may apply – it could help your resume to add internet experience and you’ll learn more about your community. Email web[at]brandywinemd.com or call 301-782-9922. |
This archives is a history of events. Old links on this page have been removed. You may find the original site here.
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2011 Announcement As of, Sept. 10, the Maryland Dept. of Transportation is repairing the bridge and hopes to be done by Fri., Sept. 16. Photos The bridge over Timothy Creek on Brandywine Rd., east of Rt. 301 and west of the railroad track went out after strong rains on Sept. 8, 2011. See photo of the bridge here. To access the village of Brandywine where the Elementary School, Post Office, and several businesses and residents are, use Rt. 301 to Missouri Ave. which ends at Brandywine Rd. – turn right for the Elementary School and left for the Post Office and to go east over the bridge. Check Google Maps here for a work-around. Join our Brandywine-chat listserv for updates on area concerns, such as repairs to this bridge. This year has given us some record-breaking conditions, including the 2011 Virginia Earthquake which was felt here and from Alabama to Canada, Hurricane Irene, and Tropical Storm Lee. |
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2010 Announcement The election for 2010 is important for Brandywine and the county, find more information here and make your own ballot here. |
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2009 Announcement There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Baden Volunteer Fire Department on Oct. 11. See a story and lots of photos here. |
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2008 Announcement Brandywine Crossing, located at US 301/MD Route 5 and Chadds Ford Road, will be opening in the fall with phase one, which includes Target, Costco, and Safeway. Phase two will include a 16-auditorium movie theatre, first quality specialty shops, and a variety of national and local restaurants opening by the spring of 2010. |
| Hate Incident in Brandywine – On or about Sept. 30, 2005, a racial slur was spray painted on a sign at the intersection of Bank St. & Cherry Tree Crossing Rd. It was reported to the police who will report it to Public Works to remove the sign. Brandywine North Keys Civic Association will follow-up on this report (information about their meetings is below). Paint remover was used to remove the offensive language. Many neighbors, especially the targetted community, weren’t aware it was there, so it apparently didn’t have the attended affect. Questions & concerns about this & possible future problems connected to it are posted here. |
| The Brandywine Multicultural Music and Arts Festival will take place on Saturday June 26, 2004 from 10am-8pm at Wilmer’s Park, in Brandywine, Maryland. The Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association is proud to present a spectacular day of music, food, and the creative arts.This unique fundraiser will have something for everyone! • ; A variety of fine craftsmen will display and demonstrate their wares, non- stop entertainment from cajun to rock, country and gospel, the Caribbean sounds and a DJ spinning your favorite Oldies but Goodies. • ; Kids Korner – where the little ones can play games from many cultures, jump in the Moon Bounce, ride a pony, or create an arts project in the crafts hut. • ; Food from around the globe, from Italian to Greek, to good ole Southern Country Cookin’ to the great American hot dog – a taste to delight every palate.Don’t miss this exciting day of fun-filled family entertainment! For info on volunteering, vendor space, or entertainment possibilities, please call, 301-579-6140. Bookmark and check this site for updates.: PGCares.org/multifest |
| Notes from Brandywine North-Keys Meeting (not official minutes) 2/18/04Sheriff Jackson attending, Tim from Aggragate IndustriesTreasury $650+ – $200 donation for grandmother caring for 7 kids. Dues $20 per family (no fundraisers). Sheriff had hand-outs. 911 cell phones – donated phones given free to seniors & handicapped or medical condition – can pick up phones if you have any to donate. Safety plan cards can be folded to wallet size. Call office at 301-883-6990. Warrants greatly reduced; those back-logged are for victimless crimes. Trying to keep up w/ new ones. 40% service rate – many addresses are bad. Sweeps done in middle of night. Child support warrants cut in half. 2 wk. amnesty offered & will offer again at end of May. Want to have kids who have models of responsibility. Domestic violence unit almost more than quadrupled – deputies had to be removed from other units since no new funds. Bad news spreads fast among victims,so they’re trying to respond as quickly as possible. Sheriff’s Dept. does not run jail. They offer ID kit for kids – as they grow their prints change, so should get them again when they’re older. Traffic warrants are most & pile up. Budget request 31 new deputies & Jackson approved, so they’re looking to hire (21 yrs. old, good driving record, preferred Assoc. degree though not mandatory, able to do training program). Lawsuit in past caused them to lose 41% of deputies, so are trying to bring the numbers back up. Sherriff lives in North Keys & assistant, Ms. Stallings, lives in Baden. If you call dispatcher on 911 pone, must stay in location so they can assist you; they cannot call you back.Wilmer’s Park owner, Bruce Chatman – born in Chicago, raised in south. Has respect for importance of community. Retired from IBM (business strategies for customers) & wife of 33 yrs. retired also. Bought restaurant as investment – first Roy Rogers but found out it’s near strip club. Chose Wilmer’s due to exciting history. Developing plan according to community needs: e.g. entertainment complex – for every genre of music, senior housing. Working with legislators, law enforcement, etc. Would hire security for concerts. Will have lots of employment opportunities – can help youth & seniors from moving away. Mrs. Ruby Fry (Aligns[?] Enrichment) gives community advice – technology learning center planned. Facilities (like Wolf Trap – 7,000 seat amphitheatre, banquet hall, fine dining, cocktail & reception area; retirement community; cultural & performing arts center – non-profit. Will not especially attract more children to community which would require services. Programs for local school children. Symphony needs home – can provide that. Getting support for improvements on Brandywine Rd. – talking to state about RR tracks – will be fixed, might do 301 overpass – on the state’s plan, but they might move it up on timeline. Looking for investors. Need support in implementing Senior Citizen housing project. Several compliments were made about the plan.County Council voted to ban prisons from county unless there’s future need for one that just serves this county. They could build on federal land, but not likely any time soon. Aggragate concern – land will be too low for cesspool after mined. Tim said business as usual now. Property can be used for agriculture. He uses tenant farmers – doesn’t know company’s intent, but that’s a good possibility due to history. Reported on call from Scott at Gazzette about the council voting to reallocate $1.5M to other districts, possibly because Bland voted against tax increase. Earl said Bland was invited to meeting, but hasn’t returned any phone calls. |
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GBACA MEETING NOTES – Jan. 21, 2004 No county or state representatives were in attendance. Council member Bland has not answered association letter. Treasury: $13,000+, but have debts – $7,000+ for lawyers & other expenses. Fri. hearing @ 9 AM for Archer’s Glenn case – population will double on Bald Eagle School Rd. No room assignment yet. Court house has display w/ room assignments Croom Civic Assoc. passing out letter to sign on about objection to development on wetlands. Funds for rural tier for schools, fire dept., etc. are not available for this development – like a small city w/ no recreation facilities in plan. Public notice from developer arrived on Christmas Eve. Mail to Marie 16905 Croom Rd. GBACA passed resolution to write a letter. Today was last day to respond, but hopefully extension was approved. Carmen – gravel mine loss going to court of spec. appeals, but they’ve already started to bulldoze. Jane Eba is inundated w/ development on Floral Park Rd. They drafted bill to keep developers from building on planned roads that are not actually in existence. Council voted for it, Johnson vetoed, & Council changed mind & didn’t overide it. At Magruders Ferry Rd. & 382, the Zoders established wildlife sanctuary where family farm has 177 acres. Still have small brick house & easement should make taxes go down since can’t be developed. Family, involved in Action for Animals Network & other environmental organizations, & will not allow hunting on property. Land Trust is having meeting at Cliff’s last Thurs. in Feb. – contact Joanne Flynn. Update on Simms La. – had advisory mtg., environmental crime unit w/ police recently contacted them. Co. dept. of environ. should be contacted (in Largo). Now they have problems w/ beavers. Court case on rubblefill now in Annapolis & have to wait on date. Road through properties owned by Betty’s mom & investigating how to keep them from taking it away – filed court case. GBACA filing suit, so they have an agreement to reinstate road & not sell. Quatros own property on other side of stream & are signing on case. Prison issue not dead – Westphalia/Rt 4, Cheltenham, & 301 in Brandywine are still possible sites. John from GS Proctor & Assoc’s says council presentee bill to stop prison & also he’s education contact w/ state, so will get speaker for future mtg. Soil Safe – Brandywine N-K against it but haven’t heard anything recently. Still having problems w/ trucks on Cedarville, but not making illegal left. Mail thief is a problem now. Don’t put outgoing mail in street side boxes, esp. w/ payments. Poplar Hill Woods has improved site w/ hydrant, so area residents may be able to get lower insurance rates. Stop by fire house & see new truck. |
| This message is being distributed locally referring to a county program.: If you have old thermometers with mercury, this is a good way to get rid of it. “The County Department of Environmental Resources will replace mercury fever thermometers with new digital thermometers at no charge. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Sunday, for as long as the supply lasts, at the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site at the Brown Station Road Sanitary Landfill, 3500 Brown Station Road in Upper Marlboro. (Use the 11611 White House Road entrance.) For information, call 301-883-5045.” – Received 1/7/04Here is information about why they are concerned. This link also has symptoms of poisoning.Here is a quote from one federal government article: “Mercury fever thermometers are a significant source of mercury to the environment, and if a broken mercury thermometer isn’t cleaned up properly, the mercury can get into the air and pose a health risk in the user’s home.” The first link above also tells of a worker who died of mercury poisoning, though not from a thermometer. But another page says, “… entire families have been poisoned when the spill was not cleaned up properly or not at all.”If you go, please let us know about the present availability via Brandywine-chat.For those who choose to continue to use their mercury thermometers, here’s some information that might be helpful.:What To Do If Mercury Spills * Try to contain the spill without contaminating hands or clothes (e.g. place disposable cup over it) * Ask everyone to leave the area. * Open windows and doors in the area of the spill to ventilate the area during cleanup. * Do not use a vacuum cleaner to clean up a mercury spill. A vacuum cleaner will spread the mercury vapors into the air. * Never allow people who are wearing mercury-contaminated shoes or clothing to walk around the house.This will help prevent the spread of spilled mercury. * Never use a broom to clean up mercury; it will break the mercury into smaller drops and spread it around more. The small droplets evaporate faster and are more difficult to clean up. * Contact the local poison control center, fire department, or public health board for advice on cleanup. For future information, this message will be posted on the Accokeek and Brandywine sites news area (both sites are searchable). |
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Notes from District 9 Meeting 7/18/07 Looking into covering trash pick up for area; giving us new recycling bins – bigger ones with lids & wheels – one bin for everything – no separating. No more landfill needed in county. Capt. Craig Howard from Clinton police station – starting neighborhood watches, District 7 station coming next yr. 11 new officers coming through training. Response times gone down from 8 mins. to 6 mins. (based on when officers get calls, but calls are given out according to priority). More attention will be paid to violent crimes – down 9.7% from last yr., property crime down 9.9%; hope to go down more. 301-856-3130, cahoward[at]co.pg.md.us. Two officers assigned to be in Baden/Aquasco regularly. An additional $1M for county from state bill – reported by police officer who reported about Dist. 7 station, which will be off Indian Hd Hwy in Accokeek – looked at population to 2030 & other data projections. 8th station in 2013. Will place stations to heart of population centers – will eventually move District V to 301. Let Capt. Howard know if there are questions for him about county plans. CERT – community emergency response team – neighbor helping neighbor in disaster. Fliers available. Recruiting volunteers. Supported by Homeland Security. Display with flares. Home preparation is first – removing chemicals, learn how to use fire extinguisher. Want to train as many people as possible with state & federal funds (ideally everyone). Get mask, first aid & other equipment. Working with Baden Fire Dept. Herring, Park Planner for area & other nearby districts. Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) – New playground, trails, & pavilion at North Keys park, facelift at Cosca, Fox Run getting tennis courts & other things, new community center in Ft. Wash., So. Clinton community center in planning for FY ’11, & weight room for Baden. Baden Aquasco got grant for ball fields for North Keys. Upper Marlboro community center will be closed for a while. Willing to research why M-NCCPC gets kick back of tax funds from park $. Bland’s office will get explanation of taxes to distribute to residents – where is boundary between those who pay & those who don’t pay & what is the MNCPPC tax going to that they do pay. Complaints about not enough facilities in Baden – no ball parks – kids on private property. No representative for Baden Aquasco, because rep. is in Clinton. Mr. Billings later said Senator Miller got funds for Little League for Baden-Aquasco, but haven’t decided how to allocate yet. Mr. Billings stood up to maintain order due to an abundance of questions & complaints. He said there is no fee on taxes to Baden Aquasco for recreation so that’s one reason they’re not receiving services. Betty of Planning Dept. of Master Plan coming in fall – AAFB to Eagle Harbor – ~31% of county. Master Plan is part of planning, but county also has transportation, public facilities & safety plans & others. Listening session last month, another this month Agricultural “Listening Session” Wed., July 25 7-9 PM at Baden Fire House, Historic “Listening Session” on July 24 7-9 PM at St. Thomas. Yates Clagett runs land preservation & agriculture program. Thanked Council Member Bland who helps make choices possible – MAWTH for 50-acre parcels for crop production (not many qualify, rural legacy – 50-acre parcels east of Croom Rd., & purchase of development rights (newly created in co.) – 35 acres or 20 acres or 2 combined properties = 35 (total applications = 600 acres). Smart tax is not on rural tax bill, so county is short-funded. Sent money back to state in past, but will not any more. PDR program is supposed to give them $8M. pgscd.org – new web site. Randy Phoebus – Native Grassland Conservancy – 91% decline of grassland birds – looking for land to help preserve bird populaion – bob white, whipperwhill, some larks, etc. – important part of eco system. Habitat loss is factor & will consider many factors in plans. nativegrasslands[at]aol.com. Randy will be honored with an award by Prince George’s Co. Civic Federation. Daria Bailey oversees homeowners associations to help make them effective. She lives in Dist. 9. New legislation. People sharing common ground. 301-952-4729, commonownercommunities[at]co.pg.md.us Susan Hubbard – public works – leaf & snow removal & much more. 400 employees (whereas Montgomery Co. has 1500). They’d like to do better, but need to know where problems are. Public works is short staffed & short funded, but is trying to serve as well as possible with resources they have. They are required to put in street lights, but will work with neighborhoods if they don’t want them. New developments all get them. They have a needs list – $27M next yr. & has decreased each yr. Resurfacing list is over $500M. How can we get lighting that doesn’t cause light polution that is available now? Getting legislation for these lights for rural area. To make changes for all to get lighting, need law from county council – Race Dowling will pursue. Concerns expressed about roads. Try to maintain right-of-ways 10 times per yr. – dumping is a problem & had to get police help on it – trash problem is very bad & uses up county money that could be used for roads. If you can write down or photograph dumpers, please send them in – 17 have been arrested – there are fines & possible jail time, but some not prosecuted. County roads are named roads & numbered roads are state roads. Adopt-a-Road includes sign & equipment, but uses volunteers. Mr. Pollard officiated meeting & sends email invitations and updates to civic associations. jhpollard[at]co.pg.md.us, 301-952-3479. It was expected that Wilmer’s Park project would be presented & Bruce Chatman was available & distributed literature upon request. The meeting was still in session at 9:30, but most people had left. Public Hearing July 24; 301-952-3600. For more news see News & Views from Prince George’s County Bloggers |
This archives is a history of events. Links on this page may not work. You may find the original site here.
| Greater Baden Aquasco Citizens Association sponsors Festive Fall Flea Market! Saturday, Nov. 1st, 2003 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM”Something for everyone!”Featuring: a variety of crafts, bicycles, toys, furniture, farm and garden implements, vintage clothing,jewelry and glassware, antiques and collectibles, records, tapes, cds, videos, electronics, cameras, computers and software, lamps, power tools, hand tools, vices, roof vents, shoe laths, fishing rods, books, sundry household items, windows, anything and everything! Great stuff and lots of it!See to Believe!PLUS: Refreshments: cold drinks, coffee, hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, country baked goods, and more! indoor/ outdoor Rain or Shine!Location: St. Mary’s Church Hall St. Mary’s Church Rd (Off Aquasco Rd./Rte381) Aquasco, MD Buy, Sell, Donate Spaces available: $15- indoor or out! Festive Country Atmosphere! Bargains and Finds! Come early for best selection Benefits STOP THE RUBBLE DUMP cause. Crafters Welcome. Outright donation of sellable items wanted. Drop off items at St.Mary’s Church Hall between 6 and 8 PM Friday Oct. 31st Call (301) 888-1281 for pickup and info. See you there! |
| Volunteer Open House: Focus on Seniors, with guest speaker Jessica Talley, MSW, ESM Cares of Southern Maryland Regional Director, takes place at 12 noon Wednesday, November 5 at Community Support Systems’ office in the Chapel of the Incarnation, Brandywine & Missouri Avenues, Brandywine. Refreshments will be served. RSVP by 11/03 to 301-372-1491. |
| CSS Country Fest in Cheltenham The First Ever CSS Country Fest will be held Saturday, October 11, 2003 at the Brandywine Lions Park. Events include Large Item Auction, Cow Chip bingo and Lawn Mower Races.Lions Park is just off Route 301 in Cheltenham, MD. Call 301-372-1491 for more information or to request Bingo Tickets which are $5.00 each.The CSS agency (Community Support Systems, Inc.) helps southern Prince George’s and northern Charles County citizens. CSS operates two food pantries and a seniors home. The Advocacy Program provides induvidualized services.The Country Fest will be held from 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, October 11, 2003 at the Lions Park, Cheltenham. All are invited!Co-sponsored by Brandywine Lions. |
| Craft fair The Brandywine Lions Club will hold their 28th Annual Craft Fair and Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 4-5.Admission costs $5 for adults, and free for children 12 years old and younger with an adult. The Lions Club is located on Route 301 at Cherrytree Crossing Road in Cheltenham.For more information, call Melvin Richards at 301-627-7575 or Roger Hamilton at 301-292-3238. |
| Francis W. Winterwerp, Assistant Chief, Baden Volunteer Fire Department announces: “We are always looking for new and former members to perform our emergency functions. All emergency training such as the Emergency Medical Technician course and the Fire fighting courses are free. We are also looking for members to assist in our fund raising efforts which require no training.“Most of the residents in our community think that the personnel, responding on the emergency fire apparatus and ambulance, are career firefighters. This is not the case! Our Department is all Volunteer, nights, weekends and holidays. We are supplemented by career staffing during the hours of 7AM-5PM Weekdays.”As stated before we are always looking for VOLUNTEERS.”Their phone # is 301-888-1888, but for any and all emergencies call 911. |
| Help Wanted! Volunteer/Community Service. Database Entry/Web Work for Prince George’s County Historical Society in Brandywine just one mile east of Gwynn Park High School. No experience required. Will train. Mid-late afternoon hours preferred. Flexible hours. Transportation arrangements possible. Reliable, interest in history, willingness to learn required. Call Joyce at 301-782-9922 or send email. |
| Part-Time Volunteer Coordinator/Program Assistant: Local private, non-profit social service agency in Brandywine. 10-15 hrs/wk. Need excellent communication & organizational skills, computer literacy. Degree in human services or experience. Car necessary. Resumes: Fax – (301) 372-1569, Email – CSS1995@aol.com. |
Booklets are still for sale left over from theHISTORIC TOUR
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This archives is a history of events. Old links on this page have been removed. You may find the original site here.
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NOTES ON AUG. 9 RUBBLE DUMP APPEAL HEARING The appeal by Brandywine Enterprises was heard by Judge Platt. The appealing lawyer said that the “district” (referring to the County Council) misrepresented the burden of proof. He cited several cases, some in Montgomery and Howard Counties to “prove” his case which basically says that if the “staff” (zoning office) approved the special exception, then they must have met the burden of proof that is required for a rubble dump special exception. (Brandywine Enterprises won the special exception at the zoning level, but lost on the appeal by the Greater Baden Aquasco Citizen’s Association (GBACA) to the County Council.) He cited several technical resources, including the Landscape Manual, talking so fast that the stenographer had to ask him to repeat several times. I believe his time was limited and he had a lot of legal research to present on this case. The lawyer for GBACA replied that the lawyer for Brandywine Enterprises did not cite the “standard of review” to “defer to the expertise of the agency.” The lawyer for the County Council said that some of this has to do with a history that has not been changed in law since prior to being the County Council, that same body was once the commission that determined zoning exceptions. The lawyer for GBACA said that the rubble dump special exception requires that they prove they show that it has a benefit to the community and that its impact is proven not to be harmful, which, according to the people, their expert witnesses, and the County Council, was not done. Judge Platt will render a decision by Aug. 30. If the appeal fails, Brandywine Enterprises will likely appeal again to its last resort, the Court of Special Appeals in Annapolis, which would have to be filed within 30 days of the decision, but may not take place for another 18 mos. |
| Patuxent River Park ActivitiesRiver Ecology Boat Tours (Saturdays & Sundays, 2 pm) Come aboard the pontoon boat for a FREE tour and learn about the wetlands, wildlife and history of the area. Reservations required.Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Driving Tour (Sundays, 10 am-3 pm) This FREE, self-guided, four-mile driving tour has interpretive stops and an observation tower.Patuxent Rural Life Museums (Sundays, 1-4 pm) Take a self-guided FREE tour of the Duvall Tool Museum, Tobacco Farming Museum, and the Duckett Log Cabin, Blacksmith and Farrier Shops. These museums preserve the legacy of 19th century farm history in the county.Patuxent River Park 16000 Croom Airport Road, Upper Marlboro Information: 301-627-6074; TTY 301-699-2544Baden Community Center 13601 Baden-Westwood Road, Brandywine Fee: Bi-County $30/6 weeks; Non-Bi-County $36/6 weeks Information: 301-888-1500; TTY 301-203-6030 |
| July 24 – Greater Baden Aquasco Citizen’s Association (GBACA) meeting notes:There’s a new calendar for 2003 that will start to be sold at GBACA functions and the upcoming Pasture Party. It contains photos of historic homes in the Brandywine-Baden-Aquasco area.There will be a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser on Sept. 14.The Greater Black Swamp Land Conservation Group (local chapter of the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust) will be sponsoring a Pasture Party on Sept. 7.GBACA is sponsoring a Candidate Forum on Aug. 21 at 7 PM in lieu of their regular meeting. The Mattaponi Citizens Association will co-sponsor along with other organizations. Clark Aist will be the moderator. 13 candidates (only county council & county executive – from both parties) have been invited. The issues will be: rubble & disposal facilities, land use, development/rural preservation, fire & police, roads, transportation. There will be 5 mins. for each candidate to speak and then there will be a chance for asking questions. Refreshments will be available.The railroad will start to be repaired throughout the month of Aug., starting with the Cross Rd. Trail crossing and moving down to Brandywine Rd. Only the double, not the single tracks will be repaired. This will cause a need for detouring for a time.Aug. 9 at 9:30 AM we need as many people to show up as possible to show the Circuit Court our support for the county’s decision to deny the rubble dump. Please attend. You can wear GBACA buttons or something else that will identify you as a rubble dump protestor.The Baden Fire Dept. has been cut their extensive care unit with paramedic life support from Sun. 11 PM to Mon. 7 AM (8 hrs.). It was due to a settlement with the county for paramedic overtime back-pay and a lack of county funds. The next closest medics are in Upper Marlboro and Clinton. These units are unfamiliar with this area and often get lost. GBACA voted to send a letter to the fire chief and Estepp, cc’ing the fire chiefs in Clinton and Upper Marlboro and other organizations, some of which were present and stated support. Letters to the Editor were also encouraged. You can write to:
Prince George’s County Government Office of Fire Chief OR call: 301-883-5200 or send email to rblackwell@co.pg.md.us The Historic Preservation Commission had a hearing on property on Croom Rd. to reduce a historic site (PG86B-4 Mansfield Skinner Farm, north of Taniard Rd.) to only a graveyard to make room for development. The deteriorated building would be demolished, but since that building was not properly checked, the hearing is being postponed until Sept. to allow time to inspect the building. Concerns about a possible slave graveyard were also mentioned. |
| At the South County Coalition meeting June 12, we had two guest speakers that gave us a wealth of information about our Prince George’s County school system. Donna Hathaway-Beck, who’s attended every board meeting in the last seven years, and Linda Owens are both Moms who care about more than just their own kids’ schools, but are not running for office, so they have nothing to lose by being honest. They have successfully collected enough signatures on a referendum for CB 40, a bill that was supposed to give developers incentives to pay to build in areas that have over-crowded schools, but it’s not working.CB 40 may have had good intentions – to limit builders from developing in an area with over-crowded schools unless they pay a fee which will help raise money for building more schools. Unfortunately, the three year wait is not enough to give them incentive and no money has been raised so far, but they can build in over-crowded areas. So who will pay for the schools there? We just don’t have enough money.The present projection for our high schools is an increase from 3,200 students to 9,000 over the next four years with only the students presently in the system. This could mean 39 to 49 temporary buildings at our high schools since there are no plans or funds to build until at least 2007.What Donna and Linda, who are working with county officials and other legislators and activists, propose is to amend CB 40 to increase the number of years builder have to wait to build in areas where schools are over-crowded, have a more stringent test for determining if the area is over-crowded, and have a higher fee that will actually raise enough money to build new schools. You are urged to call your county council representatives to tell them to accept amendments to CB 40 that will increase the wait to at least 5 yrs. and collect sufficient funds to build more schools and prevent increasing over-crowded conditions. The representative in Brandywine and Aquasco, District 9, is council member Jim Estepp, who is also a candidate for county executive. You can email him or call him at 301-952-3820.The new school board is ready to work hard to make our public school system a better place for our children, but the first job they have to do is cut $52 million from the budget. Most of our classes already have at least 30 kids and our teachers are paid about 15% less than neighboring counties. They’ll be looking at a report from a Management oversight team, which should be on their web site soon.Though tests scores have improved and some reports from some of our schools look good, we have to keep it from turning down and help to lift them up. To learn more about the issues surrounding CB 40 and more information about our schools, see the CB40referendum.com. |
| The Greater Baden Aquasco Citizen’s Association will have a very important meeting on July 24, 2002 at 7:30 PM at the Baden Firehouse. Two main issues will be discussed (1) the court date fighting the prososed rubble dump is set for August 9th at 9:30 AM in the Circuit Court in Upper Malboro and (2) changes in the coverage provided to the Brandywine residents by our local firehouses. Additional information call 579-6655 or 888-2831 |
| A newcomer to Aquasco had his life, and that of his building contractor, threatened by a couple of young adult males passing by in a car. It was very disturbing to him. He says, “I spent 6 years in the US armed forces and currently work for the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. I go to work everyday to help fight a global war on terrorism only to be subjected to terrorism by the very people I love and protect, which very much saddens me and my family.” He is planning to move his wife and two children here when his house is finished being built, hopefully by the end of the summer. If you have any words of comfort or welcome or other comments to share, please send them to the web site manager, Joyce, by clicking on this link, since he would prefer not to make his personal information public, and it will be forwarded to him. FOLLOW UP:Another incident was reported by the newcomer. Three young adults were circling around on dirt bikes and used a hand symbol that looks like one used by white hate groups against any minorities they’d like exponged. If you know of any young white adult (or teen youth) males who might be participating in such a hate group in Aquasco, please try to encourage them to cease this behavior. Also, suspects can be reported to the HR Commission at 301-883-6195 or our COPS officer, Cpl. Hudson at 301-856-3130 ext. 259. I don’t think they’ve officially committed a crime yet, but since they’ve threatened to do so, it would be nice if we could do something to help keep them from possibly taking action. Thanks to everyone who previously responded with messages of welcome and sympathy to the newcomer. We have a wonderful, friendly community here, in general; I hope we can keep it that way. |
| Greater Baden Aquasco Citizen’s Association (GBACA) is having a Flea Market – crafts, entertainment, and previously-owned items for sale. Donations are being accepted at St. Mary’s Hall each Fri. night this month from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. April 27 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at St. Mary’s Hall. Information: 301-888-1281. Proceeds will go to help fight the rubble dump and help keep our community safe. Click here for a map and directions. Though the address to St. Mary’s Church is not known, using 16200 Saint Marys Church Rd, Aquasco, MD will give you the correct results for directions at MapQuest. |
Greater Baden Aquasco Citizens Association(GBACA)* presents: HISTORIC TOUR
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| Carmen wrote this informative note.: ” In three different bills, the Prince George’s County state legislative delegation is attempting to UNDERMINE TRIM and allow ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAXES to be collected over and above your current amounts to provide more funding for the school system.Two of the bills, HB-987 and HB-957, which are “Emergency Bills” for expedited processing, provide for a partly elected, partly appointed School Board plus taxing authority.A third bill, HB-989 is entirely a “Taxing Authority,” which mandates that 88.27% of the entire county property tax now collected go to the schools, leaving only 12% for everything else. Then they could levy additional tax on top of that.All three provide that the change would have to go to referendum for voter approval and the additional taxes raised would go to the schools. It is still a shell game that removes any control over how much is raised and spent in the entire budget. HB-989 appears to cause a SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD EVERY YEAR that they want to exceed TRIM. That alone would cost scads of money.Right now, the only control on your tax is the RATE applied to your assessed value so your taxes still go up whenever your assessment increases. Taxes have about doubled since TRIM went into effect, higher than neighboring jurisdictions including Montgomery County.If you care about this raid on your wallet, spending out of control, please call your Delegates and urge them to vote AGAINST HB-957, HB-987 and HB-989. For most of southern Prince George’s, they are:Del. Joseph Vallario, Jr., 301-858-3488 and Del. Jim Proctor, 301-858-3083 (no toll) For Delegates Kerry, Obie Patterson and David Valderama it is 301-858-3012. For the whole Prince George’s Delegation, call 301-858-3074.” |
| Roslyn Turner, candidate for County Council, held a successful Meet and Greet March 3. See her sites for a slide show of the event. |
| From Joe Brice of the South County Coalition: We have designed a Zoning and Planning Class in conjunction with Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC). This class is free and will occur this coming Saturday, January 26, 2002. It will be held at Harmony Hall in Fort Washington at 10 am. The class will be facilitated by Mr. Jimi Jones.The reason for this class is that most of us are not aware of the procedures necessary to become involved in the zoning and planning process. We don’t know how to be notified about zoning changes planned for our areas, nor are most of us knowledgeable about becoming parties of record or how to enter testimony into the official record. Many of us do not understand how it is that we end up on the outside of debates and appeals or hear about changes that affect us only after a decision has been made.This class is to introduce us to the mysterious hearing process. To insure that information that we the people need to know and will be able to use, the class agenda was reviewed Carmen Anderson, a veteran of many zoning and planning hearings in Upper Marlboro [see more about Carmen in the hearing article below]. MNCPPC modified the presentation based on her suggestions.The ultimate purpose of this class is to strengthen our voices in the south county. An added value will be the attendance of Mr. Craig Rovelstadt. Craig is the community planner for south county and a person each association interested in what is being planned for their community ought to know. Craig has asked me if there are any corridors that questions may arise about. In this case, corridors mean areas like 210, 301, Branch Ave, around the Metro station, etc.Please do two things. Spread the word about this class and give me a call if you intend to attend. We would like to have a minimum of 25 people there and the class will be held in the auditorium. My numbers are: (D) 202-606-4656; (E) 301-372-8862. You can also return e-mail me through JEBRICE@AOL.COM or JEBRICE@OPM.GOV. Our regular South County Coalition meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month on the second floor of the Clinton Fire Station at 7:30. I look forward to seeing you at either or both. |
| The hearing on the special zoning exception to permit a sand and gravel mine at the intersection of Accokeek and McKendree Rds. took place yesterday and I was in attendance from ~3:30 PM until 11:00 when it finally ended. There was a lot of interesting testimony and I believe I learned a lot – about zoning hearings, the history of our area, our sensitive environment, and the caring and committed residents here.Rev. Kent of Asbury United Methodist Church was the first I heard, though there were several whom I missed before him. Many of his congregants are concerned about the increased traffic that 560 trucks per day will bring. There was some long testimony from locals who were accepted as expert witnesses – one on traffic engineering and one on geology. The concern about the narrow, winding Accokeek Rd. with little to no shoulder in many places was pointed out repeatedly. There is another mine in the same area referred to as the “Meinhardt mine” which has a potential of also bringing 400 trucks up and down that same area. There was objection to any increase in heavy truck traffic due to the condition of the road.There was testimony from Waldorf (Prince George’s County) residents, living just south of the proposed mine, and from Accokeek residents, including representation from the Moyaone Reserve Association. Their biggest concern was about the water that would be used by the proposed washer. Suggestions were made that the washer could either be located elsewhere or an alternative source for water could be used, such as purchasing waste water that might otherwise be dumped into the river, as has been done elsewhere in the area.Many people testified about the loss of the forest and wildlife, which is the reason they moved to the area – a quiet, rural setting. The geologist pointed out how the rocks, water, plant life, and wildlife are all intertwined in that area and how this proposed mine will destroy the present ecosystem and reforestation will not be able to duplicate the environment that is able to provide habitat for many animal species. There was also concern by the Friends of Mattawoman Creek that the tributary there would be destroyed and a great deal of silt would filter down into the creek. The creek has been reported to have 40 times as many anadromous fish (those going out to the sea and coming back to spawn) than others surveyed in Maryland. Several reported concerns for the loss of hunting land, especially the loss of the wild turkey which were at one time rare and have now been allowed to be hunted for only six years. Since the survey by the county of the proposed site only lasted one day, many suspect there are far more species than were listed, especially birds that could be considered rare or of special state concern.Laurie Verge, director of Surratts House, reported that the site was once part of Fort Adams and may be of historic significance, possibly with artifacts there. She remembers seeing logs which were remnants of the old fort when she was young. Others also spoke of the history of the area. The traffic of heavy trucks and the possibility of road improvements in front of the McKendree cemetery cause concern about the possible loss or further destruction of the magnificently carved tombstone which was partly constructed of Egyptian marble.Carmen Anderson, who’s put a great deal of work into making these hearings possible, gave lengthy testimony, presenting many documents highlighted to point out specific areas that apply to this case, including the Commission 2000 Report.The next hearing will be Thurs., Jan. 17, 9:30 AM at the County Administration Building in the County Council Conference Room, #2161 on the second floor. For more information, call Carmen at 301-372-6949. |
| Carmen E. Anderson announces, “The last hearing before the Hearing Examiner on the huge gravel mine and wet washer proposed on Accokeek Road will be next Wednesday, Jan. 9, starting at 2 pm going all evening until our witnesses finish. This means if people can get there by 5 or 6 pm., it would still make an impact. I am simply looking for CHAIR FILLERS, not necessarily testimony unless people want to. The hearing will be at the County Administration Building in the County Council Conference Room, #2027 on the second floor, as currently planned. We must get as many more Parties of Record on board by next week as we can.” For more information, call Carmen at 301-372-6949. If you travel on Accokeek Rd. or have friends or family that do, this would put an average of one truck per minute going back and forth over that narrow, winding, shoulder-less road Mon.-Sat. for 20 yrs. |
This archives is a history of events. Links on this page may not work. You may find the original site here.
| Christmas with Marla Music Together with Marla (birth – 5 years) Tuesday, December 18 11:00 – 11:45 a.m. Upper Marlboro Public Library |
| Wednesday, December 19, 1:40-2:40 PM There will be a Holiday Puppet Show at Baden Community Center for Ages 5-12. The Blue Sky Puppet Theater presents FREE performances of Pigs at The Pole. For more information, call the community center.: 301-888-1500; TTY 301-203-6030.Commentary from your web host: I have taken children who are now adults to see the Blue Sky Puppet Theater performances. According to the company, they put on 1200 performances per year. And yet when I looked for their web site, I couldn’t find any. I did find over 50 references, but only short descriptions on announcements about their performances. The only photos I found were on the site of an area teacher, check it out here. I also found one on the Annapolis First Night web site, but again it was just a small photo of the puppets and a description of the show, even though the page said it was “bios” of the performers. I guess puppeteers just get no respect. Well, for what it’s worth, I think the Blue Sky Puppet Theater deserves more appreciation and I think they’re great! Well, after my ranting, I got a response from the director and they DO have a web site. It’s here: Blue Sky Puppet Theater |
| The Baden Aquasco Public Library will be hosting a free Music Together with Marla presentation/demo class. (music and movement activities for children 0-5 with caregiver). Wednesday, Dec. 5, 10:30-11:15a.m. |
| Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association (GBACA) is sponsoring an INTERNET CLASS FOR BEGINNERS on Mon., Nov. 12, 7:30 – 9:00 Pm at Immanuel Methodist, 17400 Aquasco Rd, BadenCLASS INCLUDES: How the Internet Works Internet Services Email – Services & Types, Set-Up, Preferences, Filtering & Sorting, Highlighting & Deleting, Emoticons & Acronyms, Netiquette & Net Vocabulary, Spam Filtering Software & Services, Viruses, Chain Letters & Urban Legends, Email Lists World Wide Web – Browsers, Preferences, Surfing Brandywine, Maryland, Child-Safety, Searching the Internet, Online Shopping, Security, Interesting Sites to See, Bad Sites, Privacy Questions and Answers Conducted by Joyce Dowling of Dowling Web Consulting & Training 301-782-9922 |
| Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association (GBACA) is hosting a FLEA MARKET on Nov. 17th at St. Mary’s Church Hall in Aquasco from 8 AM to 4 PM. Indoor/Outdoor. Rain or Shine! Featuring: bicycles, toys, furniture, farm and garden implements, jewelry, glassware, antiques and collectibles, tools, Mac computers and software, records, tapes, garden plants, books, sundry household items, windows, and more. Refreshments and live music! For more information, call Janette Hoisington 301-579-2494.Sales of the new 2002 calendars have begun, featuring all 13 area churches. $10. The 2001 calendars with of area history, including photographs to the 1900’s are now on sale for only $2. Contact Cliff Jenkins at 301-888-2202.All proceeds go to the STOP THE RUBBLE DUMP cause. |
| Thanks to Roslyn Turner for sending us this report.:There was a meeting Wed. night, Oct. 24 about the Federal Law Inforcement Center. They had the Director the facility, Mr. Bob Smith ; the consultant firm (STV) who are doing the environmental and traffic studies. John Timms form Estepp’s office was there with Major Wright from District 5. There was a full room. Letters were sent out to members of the community. They talked about:1) The building of an enclosed firing range. It will be one story above ground but practically sound proof.2) They will have a driving range [course].3) The federal government (pushed by Steny Hoyer and others) have allotted 30 million dollars to do the feasibility studies and build the facility.4) The community in close proximity to the center was concerned about Radon (found by the Navy before) and traffic impact.5) The community was also concerned about how many cars would be coming there on a daily basis. It was indicated aproximately 300 per day.6) The traffic for construction of the facility will be using an entrance off Frank Tippett Road. However the main entrance would be on Dangerfield Road & Woodyard. They are talking about changes to the intersection but have not indicated what changes.
7) The hours of operation will be 7 A.M. to 4 P.M. daily once in operation. 8) They talking about asking the County Council (once they get the go ahead to construct the facility) to speed up the approval of the extended interchange on Branch Avenue (which is already in the works). 9) I [Rosylyn Turner] asked if they were going to be training international law enforcement personnel at the center. They indicated not at this time. 10) There will also be some protected areas on the perimeter. 11) The county still will own part of the facility to use as an training facility for the fire department. 12) They are willing to give community a tour of the center or its grounds. They say they want to work as neighbors to the surrounding community. 13) Most of the community attendees were not opposed but wondered why they did not know anything until now. They indicated there were notifications in the local papers. 14) Those most affected live in Cheltenham South & Woods. However, depending on the traffic from that location and its entrance, it may affect traffic on 301 and Frank Tippett. |
| A Study Circle is starting for Brandywine. ~15 volunteers are needed to meet Tues. 6-8 PM at Gwynn Park High School from Oct. 16 – Nov. 13 to work on local issues and concerns. For more information about this county program, see . If you can attend or would like more information, please call Roslyn Turner at 301-868-0437 or email at RTu6448937@aol.com . |
| REMEMBRANCE: Our neighbor Jerry Moran, 39, of Croom, was a victim of the Pentagon attack. Claudia Raskin remembers Jerry as a warm, giving, tremedous guy with a terrific sense of humor. He was active coaching a variety of sports for the young people in our area. His kids went to Baden Elementary School and Jerry was active in the Baden-Aquasco Little League. He was well known in the community and will be greatly missed. |
| A local shopkeeper experienced a hate attack on Sept. 11. There are many ways in which we can respond to these tragedies in a positive way. See the page I set up for responding to this national tragedy which contains more information about the attack and links to other sites. |
| R and D Cross, Inc. were honored by the Prince George’s County Board of Trade 2 weeks ago as one of the finalists in the Small Business of the Year program. They sell feed, seed, fertilizer, lawn products, hay, straw, hunter’s supplies, tack, rope, hardware, Outback and Key clothing, Wolverine and Rocky boots,and more, and they also have a service shop. |
| Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association (GBACA) is meeting on Oct. 24 at 7:30 PM at the Baden Fire Station. They’re also having the following fundraiser.:HOLIDAY ARTS AND CRAFT FAIR on Nov. 3rd and 4th at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Baden/Brandywine. |
| Tues., Sept. 11, 2001 Our hearts go out to the victims and their families during this national tragedy. Many events and meetings have been cancelled, so you may wish to check before going to any tonight. Even the Democratic National Convention has cancelled their fall meeting September 13 through September 15 in Miami, so you may want to check on future events also. Now is the time for us to be with our family, friends, and neighbors to support each other.If you would like to and are able to give blood, check this link for emergency blood donation locations. Unfortunately, we have none in southern Prince George’s County. The closest is Waldorf, but maybe you can find one near your work. Reactions to these events and checking in with your neighbors are just some of the things that can be discussed on the Brandywine-chat email list. Announcements and news, such as what is on this page, will be posted once-only weekly on Brandywine-news. Click this link to join our email lists. |
| CASA needs volunteers to help abused and neglected children! Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of Prince George’s County is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a voice to abused and neglected children. CASA, Prince George’s County recruits, trains and supervises volunteers to advocate for these children in court. It is the CASA volunteer’s goal to ensure safety and permanency for children. If you would like more information about CASA, Prince George’s County, Inc. please contact Ann Marie Binsner at 301-780-3801. |
| (Thanks to Kent Hibben for this announcement.) Community Meeting Alert! Thursday, September 13th 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Fort Foote Elementary School (across from CVS on Oxon Hill Road) ————————————————————————– Join Your Neighbors to Stop the Assault on Our Community! the 13th’s agenda topics include ————————————————————————– * Oxon Hill Road – An improved 2 lane residential roadway not a 4 lane Highway!* Kirby Farm/Market Property -Keep Zoning Residential not Commercial!* National Harbor – What is it? Make the Developer, County and State tell us what it is!* Metro Rail on Woodrow Wilson Bridge – Provide Metro Rail on the replacement project now, Not HOV! The Time to get Involved is NOW!!!!! |
| Community Support Systems operates food pantries which distribute food weekly to seniors and low-to-moderate-income individuals and families at two locations: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Hall, 13500 Baden-Westwood Rd., in Baden, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; and Faith United Methodist Church, 5769 Livingston Rd., in Accokeek, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Fridays. Donations of produce are appreciated! Contact CSS at 301-372-1491 for more information. |
| Leslie Parks, of Wilmer’s Park* will be having a meeting on the Presentation of Stock Options on July 28 at 3 PM. For further information call 301-888-1600. *Note: The Wilmer’s Park web site is new and may not yet be viewable with your browser. |
| South County Coalition met July 18 and discussed many issues, including starting a community center in Clinton, the drop in number of police officers in the district (District V is the largest area in the county with fewer than 90 officers total), and the rise in single parent families who probably don’t have the resources to become actively involved in the community. SCC is also planning to host a training sponsored by MNCPPC on Zoning. Further information will be posted on their new email list – see their web site link above to join it. |
| Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association (GBACA) had a picnic, Sun., Aug. 26 to celebrate their success in fighting the rubble dump, but THE FIGHT IS PROBABLY NOT OVER! There’s a possibility that the county councel’s decision will be taken to court. Whether or not the rubble dump fight is over, GBACA will not cease to exist and continues to need your support! To help raise funds for this work, they have two upcoming events (besides the raffles and T-shirt sales and other things about which you can find information at their site here): SPAGHETTI DINNER on Sept. 15, 4-8 PM at St. Michaels Church at the corner of Brandywine Road and Horsehead Road – Adults $7, 6-12 year olds $4, carryout $7, 5 and under FREE. Please invite your whole family, neighbors, friends, and co-workers. A country-style dinner with all the fixin’s including scrumptious desserts. During the dinner there will be a 50/50 raffle and silent auction. Contact Joanne Flynn at 301-888-1281. HOLIDAY ARTS AND CRAFT FAIR on Nov. 3rd and 4th at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Baden/Brandywine. Artists and Crafters are needed! Booth space is $50 for the weekend and i ncludes one table and two chairs, as needed. The event wil be housed in a pleasant well lighted church hall.Application process: Please submit two photographs or slides along with a written description (two or three lines) of your work, and contact information. Contact information should include day and evening phone numbers, email address and fax number. Applications are due Sept. 15, 2001. To assist in assuring a diversity of products and avoid duplication, your pictures must accurately reflect the items that you plan to sell. In addition, your pictures may be used in the advertisement about the event. Accepted artisans will be notified by September 24, 2001.Submit your pictures and descriptions to: Search Committee GBACA Arts and Crafts Fair 16201 Baden Naylor Road Brandywine MD 20613For questions, call Janette Hoisington 301-579-2494 |
| The South County Coaltion (SCC) met May 9. Their guest speakers were again Steven Proctor and others representing Aggregate Mining Co. to present the road impact study and how they are meeting local residents concerns about the sand and gravel mine proposed for Accokeek and McKendree Roads. They announced that they would be giving tours of the sand and gravel mine on North Keys Rd. from 10 to 12, Sat., May 12, meeting at the Asbury Church, and possibly again on Sat., May 19. SCC also announced a meeting Wed., May 16 at 7 PM at Stephen Decatur held by School Board Rep. Bland concerning school busses; according to her literature, there will be a power point presentation, video, and Q&A. SCC’s next meeting will be Wed., June 13, 7:30 PM at the Clinton Fire Department. |
| Wed. night, May 23, three tracts from the South County Economic Development Association’s summit last month met again to continue their discussions on important issues that effect southern Prince George’s County. The three tracts are Transportation, Business Development, and Education. The Transportation tract is working on developing a Yellow Metro line which will go over the Wilson Bridge from Alexandria and extend to AAFB and down 210. The Business Development tract is going to be putting together a comprehensive report about the National Harbor.The Education tract is the one that may most directly impact on our area; they are working on Parent Involvement throughout both districts in the south county. The Education tract participants determined that there are many areas where the schools need improvement, but the most important issues that they feel capable to do something about all center around parents’ participation in their children’s education, which also includes looking at school governance. A bill which failed to pass this year would have changed our school governance to reduce local participation by creating larger districts and more at-large members. The theory is that changing the structure would mean more centralized control which would translate to less bickering and more effectiveness of the Board. This plan is likely to become an issue again next legislative session. Monthly meetings are planned to continue to work on these goals. |
| Mattaponi Basin Citizens Association will meet Thurs., May 17, 7 PM at the Furgang Hall of the Cheltenham United Methodist Church (just north of the intersection of US Route 301 and Frank Teppett Road) to discuss what action to take if the new law to restrict rubble dump proposals is challenged in court as unconstitutional. |
| The South County Coaltion (SCC) will be meeting Wed., March 14, 7:30 PM at the Clinton Fire Department. Their guest speaker this month will be Roy Washington, the representative of Wayne Curry whose job it is to reconcile the police force issues with the public. All interested people are welcome. |
| Maryland General Assembly is in session until April 9. There are several bills proposed that will effect residents here. You can check daily updates on Bills that were sponsored by the Prince George’s Delegation or check on any bill. |
| There are some efforts to limit growth and rubble in our area. Governor Glendening’s Smart Growth Plan may help stop sprawl coming into rural areas like Brandywine, Baden, and Aquasco. You can read about his plan here: . There’s also a bill proposed that will limit rubble dumps, see the Maryland General Assembly bill status (you can go to Sponsors, select “Prince George’s delegation” and then do a find/search page with your browser option for “rubble” to find those particular bills on the page). |
| At the South County Coaltion (SCC) meeting on Feb. 14, we heard about a new sand and gravel mine in Brandywine. The developers say that it won’t become a rubble dump, but for 20 yrs. they’ll have 280 trucks back and forth per day from 6 AM to 5 PM, running on Accokeek Rd. to Rt. 5. Aggregate Industies already owns the land on Accokeek and McKendree Rds, but they need county approval with special exception zoning. They are looking for input from local residents as to what they’d like done with the land when they’re through with it. Suggestions were a ball park, archery, senior citizen area, etc. There is already a mine operating south of this area on Gardner, which is owned by EL Gardiner. Gardiner created a park for the North Keys area following a mining operation there. Do you travel Accokeek Rd. to Rt. 5? Do you think Accokeek Rd. can handle this additional traffic? Filled trucks would weigh about 65,000 lbs. and there’d be an average of one full truck leaving the mine every two minutes. If you have concerns about this, the South County Coaltion would like to hear from you. They have an email list where you can discuss this and other southern Prince George’s County issues, just go to their web site to sign up. Updates about this issue and other happenings in Brandywine will also be listed on the Brandywine-news list, which is just one message per week. |
| South County Coalition is meeting Wed. night, Feb. 14 at the Clinton Fire Station, 2nd floor, 7:30 PM to discuss an agregate mining site along the 301 corridor. Guest speaker: Steve Proctor. In March, they are scheduled to have Roy Washington, the County liason to improve relations between the police and the community. |
This archives is a history of events. Links on this page may not work. You may find the original site here.
| Historical Calendars for 2001, which contain photographs from this area dating 1898 to 1960, are being sold to benefit the Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association. They make great gifts! These stores offer them for sale: IGA – Aquasco, Little Store, Aquasco Hardware, Cedarville Deli, Lena’s, R & D Cross, Moore’s Country Store, and Denny’s BBQ. |
| RUBBLE DUMP UPDATE: Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association reports that the hearings for this round have ended with a great turn-out and expert witnesses. A decision will not be made until the three other rubble dumps being considered in this county have finished their hearings (date unknown). T-shirts and sweatshirts to support GBACA and protest the rubble dump are still for sale. |
| The election is almost here! If you are a resident of Prince George’s County and receive mail, you should have received a sample ballot. Have you decided for whom you’ll vote for Board of Education in District 9? There have been a lot of articles about candidates Bland, Sanders, and Carrington (including here, see our News Archives and Elections page), but you may have been wondering who that write-in candidate, Charles T. McClam is. I certainly have and here is what I found on the internet.McClam was a candidate in the School Board election in 1998 when he lived in Ft. Washington. The Washington Post wrote, “Education: BA, sociology, Voorhees College; MPA, Troy State University; master’s, contract management, Florida”Occupation/Employer: Assistant director, information management and security staff, Department of Justice.”Elected Offices and Civic Activities: A newcomer seeking political office.”Why should voters elect you? ” ‘As a parent, I will be an active voice for the concerns and academic well-being of our children. I am very concerned about the state of our school system and the public’s confidence in its ability to deliver quality education. I believe that my many years of broad management experience in government dealing with issues of national consequences makes me uniquely qualified to represent District 8 on the many policy and organizational issues affecting the county’s ability to provide for and deliver quality education. During the next four years, I will work to ensure that our children receive an effective, quality education.’ “What do you want voters to know about you? This year, the Washington Post wrote on March 1: “…write-in candidate Charles T. McClam, a director of information systems for the Internal Revenue Service. ” ‘I’m concerned about the lack of effective leadership in terms of accountability and strategic planning,’ said McClam, 42, of Accokeek. ‘We have a high tax base but poor MSPAP [Maryland School Performance Assessment Program test] scores. . . . When you looked at the range of candidates and the stuff they’d done over the last couple of years, you come to the conclusion that the status quo hasn’t done anything that’s going to move us forward.’ McClam says his experience handling administrative needs ofan expansive organization, the IRS, would help him beeffective on the board. ” ‘What’s paramount to dealing with some of the pressingissues of the county school system is to sit down with theleadership and boards and figure out what the strategic planneeds to be,’ he said. ‘You can throw money after issues,unless a comprehensive plan allows you to plot a rational course.’ ” His phone number is unlisted, but for his address, go to the Prince George’s County Board of Elections page. |
| UPCOMING CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETINGS – Find out what’s going on in your area by attending and supporting your area civic assoications.:The Greater Baden-Aquasco Civic Association will meet November 8th at the Baden Volunteer Fire Department at 7:30 p.m.The Southern Prince George’s County Coalition of Homeowners and Civic Associations, Inc. aka South County Coalition (SCC) will meet Thursday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 in the Gwynn Park High School Multi-media room (library). Should you have any questions, please contact Roslyn Turner at 301-868-0437. |
| Not far from Brandywine, the Upper Marlboro Library has “A Trip To The Crypt” Thursday, October 26 at 6:30 pm. Meet at the library (14730 Main Street) & take a stroll to a real burial plot at Darnall’s Chance. It’ll be spooktacular! For information call 301-627-9330. |
| Tues. night, Oct. 24, there was a candidate debate at the American Legion sponsored by the new organization, Southern Prince George’s County Coalition of Homeowners and Civic Associations, Inc. aka South County Coalition (SCC). SCC’s goal is to create more opportunities to promote such issues as better schools, land use, business growth, etc.The first candidate debate was for the seat in the House of Representatives. Incumbant, Steny Hoyer, was busy working, voting on Appropriations, so he was represented by Bruce Marsh. His opponent, Tim Hutchins, who presently serves in the Maryland House of Delegates, was enthusiastic about presenting his views and answer questions from the local residents attending that night. Defense and law enforcement were big issues for both of them and they both supported increases in those areas. When asked about helping with lighting problems in Clinton, they both answered that the federal government can be supportive of local officials and could possibly help locate grants to provide additional funds, but it was primarily a local issue. Actually the answers to questions on most of the issues were similar for both candidates.Hutchins stated that he is pro-business (his votes in favor of business were 89%-90% whereas Hoyer’s were only ~10%); Marsh’s rebuttal in behalf of Hoyer was that Hoyer supports bankrupsy reform and opening up trade with China. Another difference was in their views on school vouchers – Hutchins is in favor of them but only to support those at the poverty level, whereas Hoyer feels vouchers undermine support of public schools so doesn’t favor them at all. One final difference that was noted was their views on abortion – Hutchins is opposed to partial-birth abortion, whereas Hoyer voted against a bill that would support a ban, though he has worked on a bill for late-term abortion restriction which allows late-term abortion in special cases to protect the health of the mother.There was a representative available who spoke in behalf of Paul Rapaport who is running against Senator Sarbanes who was also not in attendance. She stated the the primary importance of Candidate Rapaport is to stress honesty and integrity and that he modeled that as police chief.The primary debate for the night was the candidates for School Board. Incumbant, Marilyn Bland was not in attendance and when asked where she was, we were told that she said she had other commitments. Charles McClam expected to be there, but also was not in attendance. The candidates available for debate were Minerva Sanders and Kim Carrington. Both reflected their interest in running was due to their desire to bring honesty and integrity to the position and restore fiscal responsibility.
Sanders retired from working in the school system and her three sons all graduated from the county schools, her youngest in 1996. Carrington’s children are still attending school and she admitted being relatively new to the responsibilities of serving on the board since she had just applied a few weeks ago. Sanders stressed the need for more funds and to study the reallocation of present funds to improve the safe and supportive environment and provide teachers with the ability to provide a quality education. Carrington stressed the importance of parent involvement – getting to know the school, teachers, and each other to start through social functions for whole families and then to maximize the efficiency of their volunteer time to accomplish more to help the schools in less time so more time can be spent with direct attention to the children. The candidates responded to many questions from the residents in attendance. Problems that were addressed included a lack of books for all students, appropriate heat, air conditioning, basic necessities such as toilet paper and soap, the present cost of per student (stated by Sanders to be $6500 per student), the difference between the science and technology school in the northern area versus our area, how athletics is handled, special education resources, and appropriate use of board funds. The final question was why would they like to serve and if they see this as a stepping stone to some larger political ambition. They both assured us that this is not a stepping stone to a larger political ambition. Carrington stated that she has made a commitment to children starting with her own, which is expressed in her making that her career rather than working outside of the home, and that she’s not happy with the options for school board; she’d follow the rules and work within the budget. Sanders said she’d model the behavior she raised her sons to have and she’d look at state and federal laws and how they can have an adverse effect on our children’s education; since 1986 she’s been active and committed to all of the children in the Prince George’s County public school system. The last item for the evening was the first two questions on the ballot (A and B), which are to reverse the restriction of term limits on the county executive and the county council. Literature was distributed to make it clear that to keep term limits, we need to vote “no” on those two questions. A mock debate was attempted, but apparently those in attendance were all on the same side of this issue. |
| The Brandywine Lions Club’s 25th Annual Craft Fair was the big event the weekend of Sept. 30 & Oct. 1. People from all over the state and out-of-state attended. This is a very popular event, which is held each year at the Curtis Farm on Rt. 301 & Cedarville Rd. in Brandywine. |
| The Mattaponi Basin Citizens Association held an informative public meeting with Cross Road Trails, Inc. on Wed., Sept. 27 to discuss the new rubble dump proposal. Cross Road Trail, Inc. gave a presentation with charts, drawings, maps, and hand-outs. Their purpose was to explain how their proposed rubble dump at Cross Road Trail will not be a problem to the local community and can even be a benefit since they’ll be giving back $100,000 per year to the community through their foundation. Citizens noted that $100,000 was miniscule compared with their profit. Delegate Vallario figured that with their statement that the average gate price being $800/25 tons and serving one truck per <10 mins. starting at 7 AM, that would add up to hundreds of thousands per week, millions per year, and hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of the proposed 30 yrs.The State was well represented. Besides Delegate Vallario, Senator Miller and Delegate Proctor were also in attendance. Delegate Vallario further said, “There’s something wrong with people from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania bringing their [rubble] here.” Senator Miller stated, “[This rubble dump] does nothing to enhance the community.” Delegate Proctor pointed out that the Washington Post used to call us “ugly sister” and projects like this will bring back that term. He further stated, “The state is behind you; stay on the County Council.”There were about 100 local citizens in attendance who asked many questions, lasting well over an hour. Rev. Aist, president of the MBCA, facilitated the session with much consideration for both sides. Concerns included trucks coming in on roads not constructed for such traffic, trucks lining up on the streets resulting in blocked traffic, a “rotten-egg” smell from deteriorating wall board, water run-off, possible leaking liners, the loss of tax revenue after 30 years, the inability to use the land for building in the distant future when zoning may change, and lower value for property. Cross Road Trail, Inc.’s many staff and lawyers answered all questions with detailed explanations, though not always answering the exact question posed. They presented details about the new liner that is necessary due to a new liner law which goes into effect next July. Though they admitted the liner doesn’t have a history to prove how long it will last, they stated that it could last “forever.” They stated that they’d publish a directive to trucks to come in by way of Rt. 301 only. They also stated that they’d have “several” pumps to remove rain water from the dump, though upon further questioning “several” was defined as “2-4.” The concern about smell was met with the explanation about the slowing of deterioration from rubble not sitting in water and the fact that the dump will be covered with a “cap” of multiple layers to keep rainwater out and odors in after it is filled. They invited further questions at 1-888-388-2226. |
| The Southern Maryland Country Western Dance Association (SMCWDA) holds a monthly dance at the Brandywine Volunteer Fire Department on the fourth Saturday of each month from 7:30 p.m. to midnight, so come out to dance on Sat., Sept. 23!Also did you know that we have a like in Brandywine? Eagle Lake. It’s a private one right on Brandywine Road, but there is water skiing there! See the Eagle Lake Skiers site. |
| The rubble dump problems in Brandywine continue. Besides the Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association fight against the proposed dump across from the Schmidt Environmental Education Center, the Mattaponi Basin Citizens Association is fighting a second one proposed for Cross Road Trails. Both the existing rubble dump and the proposed ones are for Brandywine Enterprises, Inc. A meeting is scheduled for Sept. 27, 7 PM at Mattaponi Elementary School. Rev. Clark Aist, president of the Mattaponi Basin Citizens Association can be reached at 301-372-6307.Is there a rubble dump near you? Arial photos are available at terraserver.com – a plug in, which is available on the site, is needed; for a view of downtown Brandywine check this link: http://terraserver.com/image.asp?S=10&T=101&X=1696&Y=21424&Z=18&W=2 |
| GREATER BADEN-AQUASCO CITIZENS ASSOCIATION seeks citizens to testify regarding the proposed Brandywine Lapin Rubble Fill on Mon., July 31, 9 AM to 4 PM, Sept. 13, 1-9 PM and Sept. 15, 9 AM to 4 PM at the County Administration Bldg., 1st Floor Hearing Room, Upper Marlboro. Information: 301-579-6655 (Betty Garner) or 301-888-2228 (Carl Winterwerp). GBACA’s next meeting will be Aug. 23, 7:30 PM at the Baden Volunteer Fire Department. |
| Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association met at the Baden Firehouse on Wed., July 17 at 7:30 PM to discuss the opposition of the Rubble Dump planned on Brandywine Rd. near Saint Thomas Methodist Church and across from the Schmidt Environmental Education Center.Mr. Clagette, a member of the Association, said that it’s like a five round prize fight, but you can lose the first four and still win the fifth. The first round, the Planning Board Hearing, has already been won by the Brandywine Enterprises, Inc., the applicants for the dump. The second round, the Zoning Hearing, is coming up on July 26 & 31 at 1:00 PM. All are encouraged to attend for a show of support and those who would like to speak should visit the GBACA site. Financial support was also requested. Though they’ve received over $27,000 solely through citizen donations, they are seeking more and would like some ideas and volunteers to help coordinate fundraisers.Besides a full house of citizens, Delegate Proctor (State District 27A), who is also a Brandywine resident, and a representative from Council Member Jim Estepp (County District 9)’s office attended. Both said they would be presenting something that could help keep this from happening in the future.Brandywine, Baden, and Aquasco residents are concerned about air, water, and noise pollution, which could effect health and the overall nature of this small, rural town.A reporter, K. Harris, from The Gazette was also present. He says he will be starting a Clinton Community section. Look for his story.
Go to our Announcement & Discussion Bulletin Board [link edited for new bulletin board] to see and post information and questions about the Rubble Dump issue. More news and conversations about Brandywine are taking place on our email lists. |
| Greater Baden-Aquasco Citizens Association meets at the Baden Fire Department Wed., July 19 at 7:30 PM. Citizen support is essental to protect our environment! |
| As many as 500 people met at Baden Volunteer Fire Department on May 24, 2000 to discuss the rubble dump. State Senator Mike Miller and County Council Member Jim Estepp were in attendance. The next hearing scheduled for June 21, 2000 has been postponed to JULY 26, 2000. |