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By
Mike Rauck
In July 1970, three months after the first Earth Day celebration, the Bowie City Council passed an ordinance requiring all bottled beer and soda purchased in the city to be sold in returnable bottles. This was an attempt by city officials to address a growing litter problem in Bowie.
The city changed the ordinance in early 1971 to instead require refundable deposits on all beer and soda bottles and cans. The modified ordinance matched state legislation being considered in Annapolis at the time.
Bowie’s bottle bill was scheduled to go into effect on April 1, 1971, but area liquor dealers and soft drink bottlers challenged the city’s ordinance in court. The issue was finally settled in 1975 when the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that municipalities like Bowie can implement and enforce legislation requiring consumers to pay refundable deposits on beverage containers.
The Bowie City Council chose to delay implementation of the bottle bill in 1975. The thinking at the time was that the bill would not be as effective unless the county or other nearby jurisdictions implemented similar legislation. Former Bowie Mayor Leo Green and some of his fellow councilmembers who passed the legislation were no longer on the council in 1975.
Although bottle bill legislation was considered multiple times by Maryland lawmakers, bottle and can deposits have never been required in Bowie.
Oregon passed bottle bill legislation in May 1971. The Oregon bill is frequently cited as the first bottle bill in the nation, but it was passed after the Bowie City Council passed similar legislation. Bowie’s ordinance, of course, was never implemented.
Former Bowie Mayor Leo Green is pictured here in November 1970 giving the thumbs-down sign in response to the 10,000 cans and 800 bottles collected by Bowie High School students along city roadways over a two-day period. The students were members of an ecology group organized at the high school by Don Murphy, a government teacher at the school.
Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day, and the Bowie City Council has proclaimed 2020 to be Earth Year in Bowie.
To recognize the anniversary, check out the city's 100 Acts of Green and see what you can do to help the environment, your health, your neighbors, and to save a little money while at it. Many of the acts are perfect for social distancing because they involve actions in your own home or being outside away from crowded areas. Click here to see the city's 100 Acts of Green.
By
Mike Rauck
Alvin McNeal with the Maryland-National Capital Parks & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) will present options to repurpose a portion of the new Bowie IcePlex for non-ice recreation uses during Monday’s Bowie City Council meeting.
According to an M-NCPPC proposal provided to the council, one sheet of ice at the new IcePlex would be maintained year-round, and a second sheet of ice would only be maintained from October to April each year. Basketball, volleyball, pickleball, and indoor soccer are some of the sports that could be hosted on the “dry floor” at the facility from late spring to the end of the summer during a time of year that the proposal refers to as the “off-season.”
“There really is no off-season when it comes to skating,” local figure skating coach Abigail Snyder told Bowie Living. “During the time when there are no competitions or hockey tournaments is when our skaters do their most intense training.”
“On the figure skating side, we have national competitions that continue into June,” Snyder explained. “Many of our skaters are looking forward to finally being able to do that training in Bowie rather than having to travel far to other rinks that offer more expensive ice times.”
“We also have very popular summer camp programs that take kids out of the heat to experience something new,” Snyder shared. “Being able to have teams and skaters train on one sheet of ice while camps are running on the other sheet is a scheduling opportunity that we are eager to implement once we have availability.”
“I’m anxious to hear the proposal because it may address some of our recreation capacity issues, but there are a lot of unanswered questions,” District 3 Councilmember Adrian Boafo explained to Bowie Living. “We need to understand the cost to implement, the impact to the construction schedule, as well as changes to the anticipated annual operating cost and revenue for the new facility. We also need to determine if the change in use is permitted under the terms of the bonds that were issued to pay for construction of the IcePlex.”
Many Bowie residents have expressed concern about traffic and safety along Church Road and the potential impact that projects like the IcePlex will have on traffic.
“Church Road runs through and along portions of District 3,” Boafo said. “My constituents are going to want to know if the proposed changes will create more traffic.”
The fact that M-NCPPC is presenting the proposal is significant. The city has relied on outside vendors in the past to study options and costs for recreational facilities, but M-NCPPC became involved because of possible partnership opportunities with the city over the management of the new facility.
“We have to figure out how costs, revenue, and responsibilities are split in a partnership,” Boafo explained. “One opportunity I would like to explore is whether or not a partnership with the county might help bring additional road improvements to Church Road. That would be great for District 3 residents.”
Construction of the Bowie IcePlex is expected to be complete by the fall of 2021.
Monday’s meeting will be hosted virtually for councilmembers and other participants. Residents can see the meeting live online, on Verizon Channel 10, and on Comcast Channels 71 and 996. Video of the meeting will be posted on YouTube (most likely by Tuesday).
Testimony for public hearings or comments for the Citizen Participation portion of the meeting will be accepted via email at cityclerk@cityofbowie.org or via text at 240-335-3282. Comments must be received by 7 p.m. Monday to be included in the meeting.
Click here to see the M-NCPPC presentation.
Click here to see the agenda for Monday’s Bowie City Council meeting.
By
Mike Rauck
A group of volunteers calling themselves Sew Face Masks Maryland have created and delivered more than 2,400 cloth face masks to more than 40 area organizations including food banks, police departments, and hospice centers in Anne Arundel County and Prince George’s County. Volunteers coordinate their efforts using a Facebook group, Google Docs, and SignUpGenius.
Are you interested in helping? Patterns are available for those willing to sew, drivers are needed for contactless pickups and deliveries of masks, and supplies are needed (100% cotton woven fabrics - like quilters cotton and especially 1/8"-1/4" elastic). Click here to request to join the Facebook group to become a volunteer, and read the post at the top of the page for instructions.
Representatives from organizations interested in requesting masks can click here to fill out a request form.
Sew Face Masks Maryland only makes masks for organizations in Anne Arundel County and Prince George’s County, and the group does not make or sell masks to individuals.
The group has strict rules for members that include no promotion of products, services, or political agendas, no hate speech, and no bullying. Members are expected to be kind, courteous, and respectful of the privacy of all members.
