Should Non-Citizens Vote Discussed by Council, Board
During a February 8 worksession, Greenbelt’s Board of Elections and the Greenbelt City Council debated extending votes in city elections to all Greenbelt residents, regardless of citizenship status. Investigating this question had been a referral from council to the board. Other local municipalities, including Hyattsville, Cheverly and Takoma Park already do this. Councilmember Ric Gordon […]
Strong Women Are the Backbone Of the Greenbelt News Review
Part I of a Two-Part Story The history of the News Review is a story of strong women’s impact on Greenbelt, its cooperative institutions, its culture and community. It is a story of women’s accomplishments, especially since 1962, when 12 of the 18 person staff were women. Since that year, the editor has been a […]
Co-op Gets New Registers, And Includes Self-Checkout
When Kim Kash, member and secretary of the board of directors of the Greenbelt Co-op Supermarket, reached out to ask if I’d be willing to write a story about the new self-checkout lanes at the Co-op, I originally said no. “Holy Cauliflower [which, incidentally, you can buy at the Co-op]?! Self-checkout lanes?!” I said. “I’m […]
Greenbelt Schools Get Their Assessment Report Cards
In January, the Maryland State Department of Education released the 2022 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) results. Those results show the varying performances of county public school systems. It was the first such assessment data since 2019, due to the pandemic. Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) showed several areas of concern, particularly in math […]
New Hire Tyra Smith to Lead Change and Understanding
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer Tyra Smith began work January 17. She is the first DEI officer for the City of Greenbelt. Smith defines diversity as everything that makes a person who they are. Our knowledge and sense of ourselves was developed through lived experiences in different environments, she says, from the clothes we wear, […]
Bilingual Story Time Earns Rave Reviews from Attendees
On the second Friday morning of each month, the ordinarily quiet gym of Springhill Lake Recreation Center jumps to life. The littlest Greenbelt babies take over. With harried moms running behind their young lovebugs, they quickly try to corral the kids to join in the reading circle. The bilingual half-hour program is jam-packed with stories, […]
A Divided Board of Ed Votes Not to Pay Miller’s Legal Fees
Though the February Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) Board of Education meeting was a whopping four hours in length, the most divisive item on the agenda was the payment of former chair and current board member Dr. Juanita Miller’s legal fees. The legal fees have been incurred as she fights her removal from the […]
An All-Woman Community Nursing Team Brings Care
For several years Greenbelt’s Community Nursing Program has brought area student nurses to eligible Greenbelt residents for in-home medical services. This spring a group of six exceptional young women from The Catholic University of America Conway School of Nursing has been coming to Greenbelt each week to deliver community nursing care to senior residents at […]
Council Reschedules Charter Meeting, Supports Police Tech
The Greenbelt City Council meeting on February 27 was short but informative. In attendance were Mayor Emmett Jordan and Councilmembers Judith Davis, Colin Byrd, Silke Pope and Rodney Roberts. A discussion with School Board Member Jonathan Briggs is in a separate story on page 7. Charter Amendment Due to an omission by the city from […]
Women’s History Spotlight on Rachel Zephir
Women’s History Month In observance of Women’s History Month, the News Review will run articles about Greenbelt women of significant accomplishments whose stories are not well known. The series is being coordinated by Anna Bedford-Dillow. Rachel Zephir has been the director of bands at Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS) since 2015. She is a […]