Public Comment Period for USDA Reorganization Closes August 26
On August 1, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke L. Rollins announced the opening of a 30-day public comment period for stakeholders to provide feedback on the department’s reorganization plan, which includes the closure of Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC). “We value your perspective as we work to ensure that USDA is best positioned […]
Longest Serving City Manager James K. Giese Dies at Age 94
James K. Giese died on August 2, 2025, at his home in the Collington Life Care Community. Giese was 94 years old. He was born September 5, 1931, in Milwaukee, Wisc. Named Greenbelt’s fourth city manager in 1962 when he was 32 years old, he remained in that position for more than 29 years. Although […]
Teen Shakespeare Celebrates Four Seasons, Seeks New Stage
The Teen Shakespeare Summer Intensive (TSSI) has enjoyed four consecutive summers of sword fights, standing ovations and tragic love stories. The youth theater program has become a beloved space for Greenbelt teens. Founded in 2022 by costume designer and theater director Kate Robinson (profiled in the June 26, 2024, issue), the original goal of TSSI […]
Preservation Plans Are Proposed For Greenbelt’s Historic Cemeteries
On July 23, Carolyn Gimbal of Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT), who has been contracted by the city to formulate a plan for the preservation of Greenbelt’s historic cemeteries, presented their Master Preservation Plan for Hamilton, Turner and Walker cemeteries in Greenbelt. This was the first public introduction of the plan, which was funded in […]
City Council Nominations Open Monday; Noncitizens May Run
On Monday, August 18, the period in which to file as a candidate for Greenbelt City Council will begin. Any qualified voter who is at least 18 years of age is eligible to run. Beginning this year, that includes noncitizens. All-Resident Voting In the last election the question of allowing noncitizens who meet residency requirements […]
James K. Giese, Former City Manager, Has Died
James K. Giese, 94, Greenbelt’s city manager for 28 years, died at his home in the Collington retirement community on Saturday, August 2. He served from 1962 to 1990. Giese steered the city during the 1960s and 1970s, known as Greenbelt’s turbulent development years that brought major highways, shopping centers and single-family housing throughout the […]
Greenbelters Urged to Garden; May Help with Food Insecurity
Over 80 years after the establishment of Greenbelt’s community gardens, Councilmember Danielle McKinney launched Greenbelt Grows this April. She said that the initiative, partnered with the Greenbelt Rotary Club and the Chesapeake Education, Arts and Research Society (CHEARS), is geared toward helping gardeners grow more and address issues like food insecurity by creating stronger community […]
BARC Closure Plans Remain Unclear After Senate Hearing
Plans for the closure of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) remain hazy after a July 30 Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on the USDA’s reorganization proposal, which drew criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. The USDA’s lone witness, Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden, said that BARC would close over a not-yet-determined number of years and a […]
Medicaid Anniversary Forum Warns of Deep Cuts to Come
Last Wednesday marked the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, on which local and federal leaders gathered in the Greenbelt City Council chambers to celebrate the programs’ legacy and warn of federal changes that could strip health coverage from thousands of Marylanders. U.S. Representative Glenn Ivey and State Delegate Ashanti Martinez headlined the event, along […]
Maglev Stopped in Its Tracks
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced that the proposed Baltimore-Washington Superconducting Magnetic Levitation rail line, known as maglev, is no longer happening. Federal officials cancelled the $26 million in grant funding for the project, as the rail line would have negatively impacted federal agencies and significant infrastructure. “FRA determined the direct effects would have substantial […]