The Allison Street Levee is on the agenda tonight

Mount Rainier has a number of events today, Tuesday, February 27, 2018. Each event is important, and it is unfortunate that a few today will be going on at the same time. It is not important as to why this is happening, but it is important to decide which one you will attend.

Today, Councilmember Celia Celina R. Benitez will be hosting the Dreamers (25 of them) walking from New York to the Nation's Capitol "The Walk to stay home." Many of our residents are supporting this walk with places to sleep, food, and SUPPORT. We are not sure what time they will be arriving today, but everyone is asked to make them feel welcome. Time estimates are 6-7:00 p.m. estimated time of arrival in Mount Rainier. Between 7-9pmthey will be placed with the families that will be providing sleeping accommodations. Then on February 28, 2018, at 7 a.m.they will meet a designated meeting point and will leave on their walk to the District at 8 a.m. along route 1 (Rhode Island Avenue).

At 7:00 p.m. at the Mount Rainier Nature Center, Prince George's County (Mr. Dwight Joseph and his team) will be presenting an update on the Allison Street Levee. This is a critical meeting for residents of Mount Rainier, Brentwood, and North Brentwood. The Levee will be renovated and brought up to the standards of the new FEMA codes. The project is expected to take up two years. The work WILL have an impact on Mount Rainier residents. The work will severely impact Thomas Stone Elementary School and the student, faculty, and administrators who work there.

THIS MEETING IS VITAL, and YOU need to be in attendance. The 34th Street bridge near Queenstown Apartments will be partially closed with one-way traffic for about two years. Trees will be removed from along the levee. Arundel Road will be upgraded and changed (narrowed and the slip turn will be removed) as part of this project. Depending on the work, some residents may be required or STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to purchase flood insurance (right now, the thought is that it will not be mandatory). Traffic will be re-routed as the work progresses.

In short, inquiring minds should be at this meeting to learn about the impact this infrastructure project is going to have on the quality of life in Mount Rainier.

Following this meeting. the project team for the Allison Street flood control project will do al site walkthrough to mark trees for preservation and removal. They will conduct the walkthrough on/at Tuesday, March 6th at 7:30 a.m. starting at the Mount Rainier Nature/Recreation Center, 4701 31st Pl, Mt Rainier, MD 20712

A special meeting of the Mayor and Council has been called for 8:00 p.m. at Joe's Movement Emporium to receive a presentation about the potential renovation of the Kaywood Theater.

As some of you know, I have a great interest in this project and for years talked about the value, the revitalization of the Kaywood Theater would be to Mount Rainier. A group of artists have been working on this project for the past several months and are ready to share their vision about how working with the City can make the Kaywood Theater an artistic and vital part of our community -- again.

This is an important meeting, but so is the levee renovation and discussion and I will be attending the Levee meeting. If you are closer to the downtown area, I recommend that you attend the Kaywood Presentation.

IF, you live on or near Arundel Road, in Queenstown Apartments, Arundel Apartments, Rainier Manor, or have a business in or near Queens Chapel Road, YOU SHOULD ATTEND the meeting at the Nature Center with the County presenters so that you can hear first-hand what is happening to the Levee, and the potential impact it will have on you for the next two years.

Hopefully, this meeting will be recorded and later televised on our cable channel, but I am not sure that it will be since the Kaywood Presentation should also be recorded and televised. 

University of Maryland Capital Region Health OPERATES Senior Center!

The Senior Health Center in Brentwood is still in operation. Here are the facts about the Senior Center:

OFFICIAL NAME: Rachel H. Pemberton Senior Health Center  

ADDRESS:  3601 Taylor Street, Suite 108, Brentwood, MD 20722 (Distance from Mount Rainier: 0.5 mi)

HOURS OF OPERATION: Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm

PHONE NUMBER: 301-927-4987

The Rachel H. Pemberton Senior Health Center is a unique, community-based healthcare facility where residents of Prince George’s County, who are 55 years or better, can receive comprehensive health care. It is operated under the medical direction of a board-certified, internal medicine practitioner, who specializes in geriatric medicine.

Our Care Approach

The senior center has experienced staff to include: a physician, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, social worker and office manager. The team is devoted to treating patients with respect and compassion while paying special attention to the concerns and medical issues of older populations.

Our Services

Services provided by the Rachel H. Pemberton Senior Health Center are designed to meet the needs of an aging population in a comfortable and safe environment. Staff involves patients and families in the healthcare process emphasizing education, prevention, and wellness.

Services Include the Following:

• Blood and Urine Testing

• Case Management

• Complete Physical Examinations

• Diabetic Screenings and Treatment

• Early Dementia Screening

• EKG’s, PAP and Rectal Examinations

• Geriatric Assessments

• Hypertensive Screenings and Treatment

• Primary Medical Care

• Preventive Care

• Referrals

• Tuberculosis (TB), Pneumonia and Influenza (Flu) Vaccinations

The senior center accepts all major insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid.

PLEASE VISIT THIS WEBSITE to learn more about the Senior Health Center and the changes that have ALREADY OCCURRED!

https://umcapitalregion.org/location/um-senior-health-center/

Remembering Prisoners Aid Association of MD, Inc. (PAA)

Nneka Barnes, I thought about you and our long drives home from Prisoners Aid Association of MD, Inc. while listening to this song this morning from work so many years ago.

That WOW album kept us going many a days and nights while working with and praying for ex-offenders, their children, and families. We wore that album out, and it kept ME sane. So much misery. So much pain.. but so much joy and satisfaction from the work. OUR results were fantastic, and many of our clients are still in touch with me today.

Nneka Barnes, we had an awesome staff, Michael Brown, Aaron Barnett, Lasharon Loney, David Kressin, and so many more. THANK YOU to God and to the people He surrounded us with to help so many of those in need.

I will always think of Baltimore, MD as the City of services for those in need (even with all of the experiments that are done on unsuspecting people for the money). I will also NEVER forget watching first-hand the drug epidemic ravishing the City's Black inhabitants. I will always remember the rampant AIDS/HIV epidemic and the victims that it left in its wake.

Through all of that, the STAFF of Prisoners Aid Association of MD, Inc. (PAA) ran an emergency shelter for men and women; transitional housing, and eighty-five (85) Shelter Plus Care home throughout the Baltimore area with a recidivism rate of less than seven (7) percent. At our peak, we were serving more than 2,000 clients a year.

When I look back, I wonder how did we do all of what we did with so little.

Remember the eighteen wheeler trucks packed with toys, clothes, coats and many other gifts for the community that we distributed on Christmas Eve EVERY year to make sure that our families were WELL taken care of as well as the ENTIRE neighborhood! I made all six grandchildren work with us until twelve o'clock midnight handing out gifts, fruit, and other goodies.

Do not forget the annual award ceremonies.

ONLY God could have ordered our steps to accomplish what we did over the years.

Thank you all for the memories.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3FXgRHOXfE

SENIOR HEALTH CENTER IS for SENIOR in Prince George's County!

Let me be real clear, SENIORS living in Prince George's County are invited to use the SENIOR HEALTH CENTER. The Center is located in Brentwood, MD and sits between Mount Rainier and North Brentwood. It has serviced senior from across Prince George's County but was created with those three municipalities in mind. 

Betterment for United Seniors (BUS) led by Cora B. Woods and Neighborhoods United Project (NUP) worked together to create this resource so that senior did not have to rely on Prince George's County Hospital's emergency room. It has been around for almost 40 years. Throughout the past week, all I have heard is that SENIORS DID NOT KNOW that this service existed for them! IT DOES. WE NEED TO KEEP IT! It is a part of the County's health care system. It used to be a part of Dominion Health Care. It is now part of the University of Maryland Health Care System. JOIN this SHCC team and learn more as we work to keep the Senior Health Care Center open and make it the VITAL RESOURCE in our community that it should be!

Senior Health Center Meeting RESULTS 2/16/2018

WOW! What an awesome meeting today with the newly formed Senior Health Center Committee. The meeting was held at IHOP and about twelve women showed up. Here are the action items that came out of the meeting (Ophelia Baxter will be providing more accurate information and details later on):

1. The next meeting of the SHCCC will be on March 26, 2018, 9:00 a.m. at IHOP on Bladensburg Road, Colmar Manor, MD

2. Each person attending the March 26, 2018, meeting is asked to bring one or more seniors with them to the meeting.

3. Today's attendees are to call other seniors and invite them to support our efforts to keep the Senior Health Center open and to start USING IT.

4. The newly formed SHCC will plan and host a health fair at the Senior Health Center to re-introduce the community to the Senior Health Center and show support for keeping it open.

5. The current administration (including staff and elected officials) will be invited to attend the March 26, 2018, meeting.

6. So that the SHCC can get the momentum and tracking that it needs to make the senior health center a viable part of our community, the SHCC will meet at 9:00 a.m. on the fourth Monday of every month until further notice. EVERYONE is invited to join this movement.

7. Flyers will be developed and distributed throughout the neighborhoods (Brentwood, North Brentwood, and Mount Rainier.)

8. Brentwood, North Brentwood, and Mount Rainier will carry articles in their newsletters about the Senior Health Center.

9. Posters will be created and put up in public spaces to create an awareness about the Senior Health Center.

10. Public notices will be carried on our cable channels, websites, listserves, etc making residents aware of the services at the Senior Health Center

SHCC needs YOU to help keep this community resource in our COMMUNITY! Join us today.

NOTE 1: Public services (COUNTY and STATE) are limited in the three town area, and IF THEY allow the SENIOR HEALTH CENTER to die and move away, residents in our area will have ONLY LIMITED RECREATIONAL SERVICES provided to us in this area.

NOTE 2: DID you know that they have pretty much closed the Brentwood Post Office? As a result of moving distribution to the Riverdale office, Brentwood and North Brentwood have none of the services that they used to have. Yes, the P.O. Boxes are still there, but the sense of community is being destroyed.

NOTE 3: IF WE say nothing and do nothing the Senior Health Center will be gone and no one will know that it was leaving until it was too late. LET'S ACT NOW!

Jimmy Tarlau, Diana Fennell, Victor Ramirez, C.Anthony Muse, Malcolm Augustine, Pamela Boozer-Strother, Candace Bacchus Hollingsworth, WE need your support on this effort NOW, and in the foreseeable future.

Many of the seniors that I have spoken with do not know that this service is there and available to them. WE NEED to get the word out.

SAVE OUR SENIOR HEALTH CENTER (SOSHC)

It was not a special reunion today, but it seemed like it. LOL

I went in to get my eye injection and on the way out I hear someone calling my name. I turn around to see who it was, and it was Ernelle Little from my long ago past. Then I go to IHOP to have breakfast while the pain medicine was still working, and walk into the seating area, and I hear my name again. It was Hazel Blakey, another name from my long ago past. We were all employees of the National Education Association (NEA) more than twenty (20) years ago. It was great catching up with both of them.

Now, I am home and smiling because I have already had a great day, and I can and will deal with the pain in my eye. This eye issue is not just unique to me, but a LOT of seniors are having eye issues. Aging -- wow -- somebody should have told us.

Having said that, I have been thinking about seniors and health care in my area -- Mount Rainier, Brentwood, and North Brentwood. Years ago, my mother along with many others fought to have a senior health care center in our area. That senior health care center is slowly dying out because people in the area have forgotten about it or never knew about it. In speaking with the current administration, I am appalled at what has happened and is happening to the senior health care center.

To that end, I had a conference call on Friday with the administration and they want to keep the Senior Health Center open. I NEED a senior core group to help be the driving force for keeping the Senior Health Center open by determining core services and programs that are NEEDED in our area.

If you are 50 or older, YOU HAVE A VESTED INTEREST in keeping this Senior Health Center open.

If you have limited health insurance and need medical care, you need this Senior Health Center open.

If you have medical conditions that require care, but not hospitalization, the Senior Health Center is the place for you AND it is right here in OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

It was created FOR YOU! It CATERS to seniors.

IF YOU LIVE in the Mount Rainier, Brentwood and North Brentwood area, PLEASE PLEASE email me at mayormiles@gmail.com. IF YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS GROUP, email me ASAP since I want to hold the first meeting of the group on FRIDAY, February 16, 2018.  

YOU should KNOW YOUR School Board Representative!

For the past four (4) years, District 3 schools have NOT been represented on the Prince George's County School Board. No, that does not mean that we did not elect someone to represent us and our schools, it means that the person elected DID NOT REPRESENT US!

Other than the person's name, our school personnel has not seen our representative in our schools. Our parents have not seen our representative in our neighborhoods at PTA/PSO or other community meetings.

Since Amber Waller. who represented District 3 schools, left that office, we have been without REPRESENTATION.

I was giving serious thought to running for this position. I had discussions with Amber Waller about again running for this position. She and I both decided not to take on this task and to serve where we are currently.

I was approached by Pamela Boozer-Strother to discuss her running for this position. I told her that my support would be dependent upon Amber Waller's decision. Amber Waller has said no.

I believe that Pamela Boozer-Strother will represent our area. I believe that she has the desire, the skills and the time to meet with the community, the schools, and with other elected leaders to bring needed resources to our schools. I have committed to Pamela Boozer-Strother that I will work closely with her to make sure that District 3 schools, particularly the two in Mount Rainier, the ones in Hyattsville (Hyattsville Middle) and West Hyattsville (North Western High) are no longer neglected because of the lack of representation.

Pamela Boozer-Strother has committed to me that she is ready to represent us. I urge you, encourage you, and ASK you to support this candidate for the District 3 School District.

She needs contributions, volunteers, and yes endorsements and PHYSICAL SUPPORT to win this campaign.

I AM IN! ARE YOU?

http://www.pamelaboozer-strother.com/

CB-4-2018, the Fair Elections Bill!

As with the rest of the NATION, if you do not have the CASH, YOU are not eligible to run for elected office -- municipal, county, state or federal.  MONEY really does talk, and if you do not have any, YOU have no "real" say in your government on any level.

Good, qualified, honest, broke/ middle-class people can't afford to run for office, and most are disgusted with those in office.  Well, once again, someone is sticking their necks out to change the rules and give the power back to the PEOPLE.    Check out the following and then contact your COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES.

FYI

From: Sierra Club - Prince George's County Group <janis.oppelt@mdsierra.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 3, 2018 7:47 AM

Last Tuesday, County Councilwoman Mary Lehman introduced the Fair Elections Bill, which would reduce the power of big money in county elections and give everyday people a stronger voice in their local democracy. The bill (CB-4-2018) would enable qualifying citizens to run for County Council and County Executive on the strength of their ideas, supported by small donations from ordinary people and matching funds from a Fair Election Fund.

How the program works 
The Fair Election Fund allows qualified candidates to win elected office without accepting large or corporate contributions to fund their campaigns. Participating candidates agree to only accept small contributions from everyday residents.

For example, a participating candidate may not accept contributions of more than $150 per individual during a 4-year election cycle; may not accept private contributions from a group or organization, including a political action committee, corporation, labor organization, or State or local central committee of a political party; or be a member of a slate.

To demonstrate viability, a candidate must collect a specified amount of funding through small donations from County residents. For example, a candidate for County Council running in a District must collect from County residents at least 150 qualifying contributions totaling $7,500. A candidate for an At-Large County Council seat would have to collect from County residents at least 250 qualifying contributions totaling $15,000, and for County Executive at least 500 qualifying contributions totaling $40,000.

Once candidate proves they have significant community support, the small donations to their campaign are amplified with matching funds through the Fair Elections Fund. The smallest contributions are matched at the highest rate. For example, the first $25 of each qualifying contribution is matched at a ratio of 7 to 1, for the next $50 at a ratio of 5 to 1, and for the next $75 at a ratio of 2 to 1. There's a cap on the total public funding for candidates, depending on the race, and unspent funds at the end of the campaign must be returned.

Implementation and oversight 
The Maryland State Board of Elections would administer and enforce the public campaign financing system. The program would regulate certain campaign finance activity of participating qualifying candidates and provide penalties for violations. The program is estimated to cost about $1.50 per capita per year -- less than a cup of coffee -- to allow candidates to remain true and accountable to their community base and to compete effectively against candidates supported by large donors and corporate special interests.

The goal is to fully fund the program for the 2022 elections to allow candidates to run free of big money and encourage small-donor participation in local elections.But to get there, we need the support of more Council members to pass CB-4-2018, the Fair Elections Bill!

Please contact your County Council member today! 

Tell him/her to support the Fair Elections Bill for Prince George's County (CB-4-2018) that will make it possible for everyday Prince Georgians who qualify to wage a viable campaign without the influence of large donors! 

District 1: Councilwoman Mary Lehman* (malehman@co.pg.md.us,301-952-3887)
District 2: Councilwoman Deni Taveras* (dltaveras@co.pg.md.us, 301-952-4436)
District 3: Councilwoman Danielle Glaros, Chair (dmglaros@co.pg.md.us, 301-952-3060)
District 4: Councilman Todd Turner, Vice-Chair (tmturner@co.pg.md.us, 301-952-3094)
District 5: Councilwoman Andrea Harrison (councildistrict5@co.pg.md.us, 301-982-3864)
District 6: Councilman Derrick Leon Davis (councildistrict6@co.pg.md.us, 301-952-3426)
District 7: Councilwoman Karen Toles (krtoles@co.pg.md.us, 301-952-3690)
District 8: Councilman Obie Patterson* (opatterson@co.pg.md.us,301-952-3860)
District 9: Councilman Mel Franklin* (mfranklin@co.pg.md.us, 301-952-3820)
*A sponsor or co-sponsor of the bill

Mailing address: 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro, MD 20744 

MOUNT RAINIER DAY, MAY 19,2018 *all day long)

Mount Rainier Day -- FREE FAMILY EVENT

GOT an act that you think should be in this year's parade? Contact Shantey Dabney and get the details. The parade will start at 10:00 am; the festival will start at 10:00 and end at 6:00 p.m.

VENDORS are invited to contact Shantey Dabney at 301-985-6585.

VOLUNTEERS are needed to serve on the Mount Rainier Day Committee and are encouraged to CONTACT Ophelia Baxter, Shantey Dabney or send an email to mayormiles@gmail.com. YOU are needed, and you will be glad that you joined this vibrant committee.

The Mount Rainier Day Committee is working to make this Mount Rainier Day the largest and most successful one ever. YOU ASKED for it, and THE COMMITTEE plans on DELIVERING.

SO, MARK YOUR CALENDARS, CALL YOUR NEIGHBORS, GET IN TOUCH WITH THOSE HOMIES THAT MOVED AWAY, and MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOU ARE THERE MAY 19, 2018 -- the third SATURDAY in May to join in on the FUN!

See you there!

TIME TO VISIT ANNAPOLIS!

From the Desk of Mayor Miles: TIME TO VISIT ANNAPOLIS!: Here are two good reasons to visit Annapolis, Maryland during the Legislative Session. 1. February 14, 2018, MML and the 157 municipali...

TIME TO VISIT ANNAPOLIS!

Here are two good reasons to visit Annapolis, Maryland during the Legislative Session.

1. February 14, 2018, MML and the 157 municipalities that it represents will be in Annapolis asking OUR legislators to RESTORE our Highway User Revenues (HURS) that were cut in 2008 and were never restored when the economy started rebounding. HURs funding comes from the gas tax that we pay at the gas pump that goes directly to the State Coffers and then is SUPPOSED to be returned to the municipalities for fixing up our streets and roads. We need to pack the chambers of justice in Maryland. IT IS CRITICAL THIS YEAR more than last year BECAUSE IT IS AN ELECTION YEAR, and if this legislative body can't hear us, MAYBE we can elect one in JUNE that CAN!

2. The 47th Legislative District is hosting a reception in Annapolis on February 12. See the poster in this post.