Brandywine, Maryland News Archives 2004-5

NEWS ARCHIVES 2004-2007

For current news click here, for News Archives 2003 click here, for News Archives 2002 click here,for News Archives 2001 click here, for News Arcives 2000 click here. Additional news can be found in Topica.com's archives for Brandywine-news.

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)
2/18/04

Sheriff Jackson attending, Tim from Aggragate Industries

Treasury $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. Chil support warrants cut in half. 2 wk. amnesty offered & will offer again at end of May. Want to have kids who have models of responsiblity. 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. Sherriff'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 requst 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 iportance 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 acording to community needs: e.g. entertainment complex - for every genre of music, senior housing. Working with leglators, 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 & recption area; retirement community; cultural & performing arts center - non-profit. Will not especially attract more children to community which would requie services. Programs for local school children. Symphany 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. Nedd 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 possibilty 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.

GBACA MEETING NOTES - Jan. 21, 2004
(These are notes and not official minutes of this meeting. If there are errors or confidential information, please notify me of this problem.)

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 1/7/04

Here 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 poinsoning, 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.
*ĘĘContact 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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