A Look Back at 2022
The News Review presents highlights from last year’s news stories. The reviews were prepared by Anna Bedford-Dillow, Deb Daniel, Jon Gardner, Amy Hansen, Cathie Meetre, Diane Oberg, Lois Rosado, Melissa Sites and Gloria Walters-Flowers. Covid Infections Increase, Impacts Decline Covid-19 in the U.S. was about 22 months old as 2022 began. Remarkably, by then, vaccines […]
Council Hears Presentation For Rent Stabilization Here
On December 12, PolicyLink’s Tram Hoang, CASA’s Trent Leon Lierman and Laurel City Council member Martin Mitchell engaged Greenbelt City Council in a discussion of rent stabilization legislation at the invitation of Greenbelt Counci lmember Ric Gordon. Rent stabilization attempts to control the rise in rent in a more moderate way than rent control; the […]
Council Acts on Maglev Brief, Legislative Issues, Purchases
Greenbelt City Council authorized Jill Grant and Associates to research and perform an amicus brief in support of Westport Development Corporation’s opposition to the maglev condemnation of land needed for the project. According to Wikipedia, an amicus curia (literally friend of the court) is an individual or organization who is not a party to a […]
2021 Election Survey Results Are Impacted by Covid Effects
In its meeting of November 28, the Greenbelt City Council discussed the results of the Election 2021 Community Questionnaire. Interim Assistant City Manager Debi Sandlin presented the results. The outcome closest to the News Review’s heart was that the favorite pathway for residents to receive city news was this newspaper. It was more popular than […]
Council Approves ARPA Programs: Homebuyers, Scholarships, Healthcare
On November 14, the Greenbelt City Council approved Interim City Manager Timothy George’s proposed programs that use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds already approved by council. The programs benefit Greenbelt residents who are first-time homebuyers, scholarship applicants or persons in need of healthcare vouchers. Homebuyer Assistance The city will be working with the Maryland […]
New Deal Café Wins City Paper Awards with Help from Gompf
The New Deal Café has won several awards in the Washington City Paper’s Best of DC 2022 contest: first place in Best Place to Experience Local Music and Best Place to Have Dinner with Live Music and third place in Best Jazz/Blues Venue and Best Music Venue. The contest was based on reader-submitted choices, so […]
Council Hears Police Reform Resolution Issues, Recruiting
On October 11, Greenbelt City Council heard a petition from Peggy Higgins, speaking as chair of the city’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC), regarding the handling of the council-adopted police reform resolution. A special closed session of council on October 12 was to address the circumstances of the resolution. After the resolution originally passed in […]
Crazy Quilt Music Festival Has Something for Everyone
On Saturday, October 8, Roosevelt Center treats the community to music, dancing, quilts, special family activities and bubbles, bubbles everywhere. This year’s Crazy Quilt Music Festival marks a special celebration of the New Deal Café’s 27 years of being Greenbelt’s community living room by providing a festival of eclectic music: drums, folk, bluegrass, blues, world, […]
City Council Debates ARPA Premium Pay for Employees
On August 29, Greenbelt City Council met for two separate sessions. The first was a special meeting to act on Premium Pay for city employees. One and a half hours and three motions later, the decision was that eligible city employees can expect to receive their American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Premium Pay checks by […]
City Council Nails Down Some ARPA Spending Priorities
At its August 8 regular meeting, the Greenbelt City Council approved the first set of expenditures for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds the city received. In response to a petition from Public Works employees, council deferred action on premium pay for city employees until August 29. Council also rejected a contract for monument […]