There is a lot of interesting news in this week's Bowie Star.
The Bowie community came together in the wake of Sunday's storm. Joe Iskow told the Bowie Star that multiple people helped him after a tree fell on his parents' garage on Superior Lane, and the Whitehall Pool & Tennis Club opened its doors to members of Bowie Swim & Racquet Club after downed trees forced the temporary closure of BSR.
A robbery occurred last Sunday night on Governors Bridge Road in Bowie two days after an attempted robbery occurred on Knowledge Lane. Guns were involved in both incidents.
High Bridge Elementary, Benjamin Tasker and Samuel Ogle schools have been placed on the state's "school improvement" list for failing to meet Maryland's reading and math proficiency targets for two consecutive years. Northview Elementary did not meet state targets for the first year in 2010.
Bowie mother and daughter Margaret and Fiona Moodie discuss running for public office. The National Night Out crime prevention event will be held next Tuesday at Allen Pond Park.
The following stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:
Reports from the Bowie Police Department include details about a breaking-and-entering in the Kenilworth section, a group arrested for taking a late night swim at Belair Bath & Tennis and nearly $5000 in marijuana confiscated after a car accident in the Pointer Ridge neighborhood.
The City of Bowie approved a policy that may be the catalyst for big changes to the Marketplace retail center. $700,000 that BGE offered to Bowie residents for tree replacements went unclaimed. District 23A House of Delegates candidate Lisa Ransom talks about her background.
The following stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:
Two Bowie men were arrested after they caused a four-car accident during a drag race on Pointer Ridge Drive, a rabid fox bit a patron at Six Flags Park, and 17 year-old Fiona Moodie of Bowie files at the deadline to take on Ingrid Turner for the District 4 County Council seat in November.
The following stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:
Retired District Court Judge Gerard Devlin Remembers Nancy O'Brien Judge Devlin writes about losing a friend as he shares memories of the late Nancy O'Brien. Click here to read the story.
Fishing in Bowie Bowie resident Matt Petersen shares his secrets of fishing for bass and other fish in Bowie. Click here to read the story.
Bowie High School Teacher Vic Schwartz Retires Vic Schwartz has been teaching at Bowie High School since it opened in 1965. Click here to read the story.
The following are other stories appearing in this week's Bowie Blade-News.
Read more details about the reversal of the school boundary changes in Bowie as well as the details about the fireworks display and related events at Allen Pond Park on Sunday.
The following stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:
Think back to last Wednesday. Did you feel the earth move under your feet? Did you feel the sky tumbling down? According to a Baltimore Sun article, the recent 5.0 magnitude earthquake centered near Ottawa in southern Canada shook buildings in Bowie. It sounds hard to believe, but you can click here to read the story.
Read more details about the Red Robin restaurant planned for the Bowie Town Center, last weekend's "Skate Don't Hate" skateboard competition at Allen Pond Park and the recent murder of Aaron Leach.
The following stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:
Although the Bowie Star shows up weekly in your driveway, news stories are written and updated all week long on the newspaper's Web site. Virginia Terhune did a terrific job reporting and writing about Monday's attempted robbery and shooting at BB&T bank. Regular updates were posted as information became available. You can see the complete story by clicking here.
The following stories appeared in this week's Bowie Star:
Mayor Robinson Reacts to Memorial Day Parade Concerns The Bowie Blade-News published several letters from readers last week criticizing the length, focus and some of the participants of Bowie's 2010 Memorial Day Parade, and Bowie Mayor G. Fred Robinson responded this week with a letter of his own. Mayor Robinson took responsibility for the parade's outcome, he apologized to the community, and he promised to make any changes necessary to prevent future Memorial Day parades from turning into political rallies. Mayor Robinson also thanked the many volunteers and city workers who helped with the parade. Click here to see Mayor Robinson's letter and the rest of this week's Readers' Views section of the Bowie Blade-News, and click here to see the concerns expressed by readers in last week's Bowie Blade-News
The following are other stories appearing in this week's Bowie Blade-News.
Virginia Terhune and others at the Bowie Star (aka Gazette) have been busy covering news around Bowie this week. Save yourself a trip to the driveway, and read these hi-lights.
Whitehall/Kenilworth Redistricting The school redistricting plan affecting Whitehall Elementary and Kenilworth School is back in the news. Prince George’s County Board of Education Chair Verjeana M. Jacobs said that she plans on visiting both schools to validate that the data used in making the decision to transfer 140 students from Whitehall to Kenilworth. Despite the planned visits, the work necessary to make the transfers a reality has started. Click here to read the Bowie Star story. You can also see a three part video from a related Bowie News & Views segment by clicking on the following links: video 1 of 3, video 2 of 3, video 3 of 3. Read a June 25th update to this story by clicking here.
Speed Cameras Soon on Belair Drive The City of Bowie Police Department is reporting that speed cameras will be operating by mid-June on Belair Drive at the Bowie High School Annex. $40 citations will be issued for drivers going 37 mph or higher, and there will be no warning period. Click here to read the Bowie Star story.
Difficult Path to Graduation for one Bowie High Student Sean Newman is one of 700 Bowie High School seniors receiving diplomas today at the University of Maryland's Comcast Center. Newman had to struggle through difficult times to reach graduation day following the murder of his mother. Click here to read the Bowie Star story.
The following are other stories appearing in this week's Bowie Star.
Former Bowie High School Principal Dies Former Bowie High School Principal John M. Hagan passed away Monday. According to a posting on Facebook, a memorial service will be held on Saturday March 20, 2010 from 1:00pm to 3:00 at the Beall Funeral Home, 6512 Crain Highway, Bowie, MD 20715. Click this link to see the Beall Funeral Home listing for Principal Hagan. Additional details can be found in a Bowie Star/Gazette article
Reality Show Over for Bowie Woman Shawne Morgan of Bowie joined with her friend Monique Pryor to compete in this season of the CBS reality TV show The Amazing Race, but the pair was eliminated from the competition after three weeks when they were unable to master a mock polo competition in Argentina. More details can be found in a Bowie Star/Gazette article.
$2 Million in Damages from Old Bowie Fire The cause of an early morning fire at a construction site in Old Bowie on Sunday is still under investigation. A Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department press release described the incident as follows.
The first fire occurred just before 4:00 AM, Sunday, March 7, 2010, in Bowie. Firefighters were alerted to a fire on a construction site in the 12900 block of 11th Street. Fire/EMS units encountered a fire involving a small structure, 3 cement trucks and large amounts of debris. About 30 firefighters worked for about 45 minutes to knock down the bulk of the fire. AMTRAK officials worked with firefighters as the site was adjacent to the tracks. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation and fire loss is estimated at $2,000,000.
Some area residents heard explosions early Sunday morning near Old Bowie. The following comments were posted on the Bowie Crofton Community of Blessings group page on Yahoo.
Member 1: Last night I awoke about 2 or 3 am to what sounded like an explosion. I'm in Old Bowie on 9th St. Then there were a series of explosions and one time I even saw a flash of light over the trees by the railroad followed by another explosion. Half hour later fire departments from all over were coming. Does anyone know what happened near the railroad by the antique district? I can't find anything on the news.
Member 2: Intersting, I heard an explosion and thought the clock said 4:32 (maybe it was earlier). I am off Hillmeade and 450 in Glenn Dale so it must have been big! I hope everyone is ok.
Firefighters/Medics Install Carbon Monoxide Detector in Bowie Home Firefighters and medics returned to a home on Maycheck Lane in Bowie to install a carbon monoxide detector two weeks after treating Naila Ferkic in the same home for carbon monoxide poisoning. Ferkic originally thought she had the flu, but rescuers detected carbon monoxide samples in her home that were more than ten times acceptable levels. Additional details can be found in a blog post on the Prince George's County Fire/EMS blog site.
Bowie Police Officer Shoots Dog A Bowie police officer shot a dog after being attacked twice Monday night. The following text appeared in a Bowie Police Department unusual occurrence report (PDF).
On 3/8/10 at 1945 hrs, the Bowie Police responded to the 14800 block of London Lane for a lost property report. As the Officer was approaching the dwelling the Officer noticed a large dog attempting to get out of the door as the owner was exiting the dwelling. The Officer advised the owner to secure his extremely large dog (weighing approximally (sic) 100 lbs) at which time the dog ran past the owner, lunged at the Officer latching onto her left leg. The Officer freed herself from the dog and attempted to retreat at which time the dog attacked her a second time, biting her in the right leg. The Officer again attempted to retreat at which time the dog charged her again, fearing for her personal safety, the Officer drew her duty weapon and fired one shot, striking the dog. The Officer was transported to Bowie Health Center where she received treatment for a dog bite and released.
The homeowner transported the injured dog to 6700 Laurel Bowie Road for emergency treatment. The dog is in stable condition at this time.
Bowie Man Indicted for Mortgage Fraud Scheme Rolando Alonzo Cousins was indicted for his part in a scheme that took advantage of homeowners who were behind in their mortgage payments. Some victims were left homeless. More details can be found in a UPI.com article.
World War II Pilot Back in the Cockpit Ninety-one year old World War II pilot Wayne Fogelman of Riva was given the opportunity to fly again after Bowie car salesman Lew Gilinsky and Freeway Airport owner Stanely Rodenhouser arranged to have Fogelman pilot a 30 minute trip with flight instructor Matt Linquist. Click this link to read the story in the Bowie Blade.
Former Bowie Race Track General Manager Al Karwacki died of pancreatic cancer Sunday. He was 78.
According to BloodHorse.com, Karwacki started as a part-time accountant at the track in 1963, and he worked his way up to be the General Manager and Vice President of the track by the time it was shuttered in 1985.
Bowie High Student's Death Caused by Heart Abnormality Bowie High School football player Jonathan Nolon died February 18th in the school's gym after running laps. Autopsy results indicate Nolon had a coronary artery anomaly. Some question whether or not EKG tests should be mandatory for student athletes. Additional details can be found in an article in the Bowie Star/Gazette.
City of Bowie Posts Job Openings Can you talk to the animals? Do you have any experience keeping pic-a-nic baskets away from hungry bears? Do you know how to mow grass? The City of Bowie may want you. Click here to see the following City of Bowie job openings.
Part Time Animal Control Officer or Trainee
Seasonal Park Ranger
Temporary Laborer
Bowie Baysox Holding National Anthem Auditions Jose, can you see? Do you know the words to the Star-Spangled Banner? The Bowie Baysox are looking for people to sing the National Anthem at 2010 home games. Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 13th. Click this link for more details.
Bowie Center for the Performing Arts Hosts Fundraiser A concert was held at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday to raise money for victims of the recent earthquake in Haiti. The concert featured numerous bands including The Crayfish (with Bowie City Councilman Jimmy Marcos on drums). The event raised over $3000. Additional details can be found in an article in the Bowie Star/Gazette.
Spanish Teacher Named Teacher of the Month Samuel Ogle Middle School teacher Pedro Gonzalez was named Bowie Teacher of the Month for January. Additional details can be found in an article in the Bowie Star/Gazette.
Bowie Man Loses Nearly $100,000 to Identity Theft The story of identify theft victim Dave Crouse of Bowie was recently featured in an article in The Buffalo News. Crouse lost everything in his savings and retirement accounts. Five percent of adults in the U.S. were victims of identify theft in 2009, according to one study. See the article by following this link: Buffalo News article
Housing Prices Decline in the 20715 Zip Code According to this MDSuburbanHomes.com blog post, the average list price for homes in the 20715 zip code is $294,073, and the average days on market is 198.
Bowie Family Helps Raise Guide Dogs Suzanne Mead of Bowie was featured in a recent article in The Sentinel for her volunteer work raising guide dogs for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an internationally accredited, nonprofit guide dog school.
Student Dies at Bowie High School A Bowie High School football player, Jonathan Nolon, died Thursday afternoon in the school's gym after running laps. The cause of death is not yet known. Additional details can be found by following these links: Gazette/Bowie Star article, Washington Post article, Fox News article, WJLA article and WJLA video. A Facebook page called Prayers for Jonathan Nolon was created for friends to share their thoughts and memories.
Bowie Woman is Contestant on Reality Television Show Shawne Morgan of Bowie joined with her friend Monique Pryor to compete in this season of the CBS reality TV show The Amazing Race. Additional details can be found by following these links: Washington Post article and Gazette article. The pair's bios are available on The Amazing Race Web site.
Bowie Artist Featured in Gazette Article Bowie artist Gina Reininger was featured this week in a Gazette/Bowie Star article. Reininger prefers working with chalk pastels. The Belair Mansion, the Belair Stables and the Bowie Train Station Museum are just a few of the subjects for her many drawings, and the Old Line Bank in Glenn Dale recently purchased eight of Reininger's pastels featuring various locations in Bowie. Reininger was featured as the artist of the month at the Bowie Senior Center last November. Examples of Reininger's work, including a drawing of the Belair Mansion, can be seen by following these links: Art N Deed and the Prince George's Artists Association.
City of Bowie Estimates Latest Snow Removal Tab The City of Bowie may pay $600,000 for the snow removal associated with the last two storms, according to Bowie City Manager David Deutsch. Additional details can be found in a Gazette/Bowie Star article. David Deutsch reported to the City Council on January 4th that $192,600 was spent on the big storm from December 19th and 20th, and he reported that $90,000 was spent on the storm from January 30th/31st. A previous attempt to procure federal funds to cover costs for the December storm failed. I imagine the City will attempt to recoup costs for the latest series of storms, although each storm may be considered a separate incident.
Bowie Training Center Auction Delayed for Fourth Time Magna Entertainment, the current owner of the Bowie Training Center, successfully delayed the auction of Pimlico, Laurel Park and the Bowie Training Center. The auction is now scheduled for March 25th. Although the three properties are being auctioned off as a package, at least one of the bidders has no interest in keeping the Bowie Training Center. Additional details can be found in a Daily Record article.
Lobbyist Sentenced A lobbyist was sentenced for his seventh DUI offense following an accident in Bowie in October. A related article in the Gazette had the following funny bits from District Court Judge Hassan A. El Amin during the sentencing.
"You cannot have any alcohol," El Amin told Jacobs. "No cocktails, no nothing. If you get behind the wheel after what I've told you, you can bring everybody here — you can even resurrect Johnnie Cochran here — and you will go to jail."
...
Jacobs must also pay $40 per month to the state to compensate for his supervision and would need to apply to the court to get his driving privileges back.
"That's going to be a while, Mr. Jacobs," El Amin said. "You're making enough money to get a chauffeur. Just get a chauffeur."
Bowie Man Charged with Obstructing Governmental Administration According to a Buffalo News article, a Bowie man was charged with several crimes after allegedly assaulting a police officer in Jamestown, NY. Not only was he charged with assault, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, but he was also charged with obstructing governmental administration. Come on! Everyone knows that no matter how bad things get, you should never, under any circumstances, obstruct governmental administration! What was he allegedly thinking? If anyone knows what obstructing governmental administration is, let me know.
Verizon to Offer Early Separation Packages This article in Tech Journal South originally caught my attention because the story was supposedly from Bowie, but what I found interesting in the article is the use of the term surplus employees. I guess it's not a new term, but I had never heard it before.
Louie's Holiday Hope Project The Bowie Baysox are once again sponsoring Louie's Holiday Hope Project to help needy families during the holidays.
Audrey Scott The Maryland Republican Party overwhelmingly selected former Bowie Mayor Audrey Scott as their new party chairwoman at a convention held Saturday in Bowie at the Comfort Inn Conference Center. Rumor has it that party faithfuls were impressed by the many elephant trinkets that Scott has on display in the Republican safe haven that she calls home. The elephants were featured in an Audrey Scott promotional video on YouTube. Scott's colorful opponent, Daniel "the Whig Man" Vovak, posted his own promotional video featuring inspirational music from the movie Rocky. An unidentified source claims that after the loss, Vovak was seen on the steps of the conference center yelling, "Adrian!"
Despite big party financial problems and claims by some that the Republicans are having trouble finding talented candidates for 2010, the Maryland GOP displayed optimism at Saturday's event.
Read more details about the convention in this Baltimore Sun article. The Sun describes Chairwoman Scott as "spunky."
Maryland Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Turnbull issued a "bring it on" style congratulations to Scott shortly after the convention. Turnbull's statement can be read here on Maryland Politics Watch.
Bowie Police Department Plans Icy Water Dip for Charity Members of the Bowie Police Department plan on participating in the 14th annual Polar Bear Plunge to raise money for Maryland Special Olympics. The department's team will be dipping into the icy Chesapeake Bay waters at Sandy Point State Park on January 30, 2010. Click here to make a donation or to track the team's fund raising progress. They are still looking for donations and additional team members. According to the team's page, Bowie Councilwoman Diane Polangin will also be taking the plunge.
Lt. Richard Wohkittle, Chief Katherine Perez and Deputy Chief John Nesky pose in the water for a promotional picture for the fundraiser.
Arrest of Chief Perez Imminent Bowie Police Chief Katherine Perez will be locked up as part of the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual Lock Up Event on Tuesday, November 17. Click here to make a donation or track the Chief's progress. She still has $2,000 to raise by Tuesday!
Bowie Health Center Temporarily Open Around the Clock The Bowie Health Center is temporarily open 24 hours a day to accommodate a spike in the number of patients seeking treatment. The average number of patients has jumped 74%, and most patients are reporting flu like symptoms. Read more details in this Gazette article.
Schools to Continue use of SchoolMax The Prince George's County Public Schools have decided to stick with the troubled SchoolMax computer system despite well publicized scheduling problems at the beginning of the school year. Many of the problems with the software have been resolved, and switching to a new software package would be very costly. Read more details in this Washington Post article.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Bowie Residents in the News. First - the bad and the ugly. The Prince George's States Attorney's Office announced that Jerome Engle of Bowie, a former Riverdale Volunteer Firefighter, was indicted on arson charges for his part in setting fire to a vacant home in Riverdale in March, 2008. Rumor has it that Engle was still wearing his Halloween costume when arrested.
On the good side of things, David Ramadhani, a Bowie resident and FedEx driver, is one of two people credited with saving the life of an accident victim in Oxon Hill after her vehicle became engulfed in flames from a gasoline fueled fire. According to a Prince George's County Fire/EMS Department press release, Ramadhani used the first extinguisher from his FedEx truck to slow the fire enough to allow him and another good Samaritan to free the occupant from the car. One of the rescuers used a utility knife to cut the victim's seat belt. Fed Ex: when you absolutely, positively have to get out of your burning car. Great job David Ramadhani!
There was also a report last week of two unnamed Bowie residents helping to rescue their neighbor when he became trapped under his van.
By my calculations, that's three good Bowie residents for each bad one. Go Bowie!
Audrey Scott I previously posted here and here about former Bowie Mayor Audrey Scott's run for the Maryland GOP chair. Scott is one step closer to the position now that one of her opponents, Chris Cavey, has dropped out of the running. However, some Republicans are finding irony in Scott's pledge to bring unity to the Maryland GOP because her son, former Bowie resident Lawrence Scott, has divided the party with the strategies he deployed while working on several Republican primary contests. See this post on the Red Maryland blog for more juicy details. The Maryland GOP Chairperson will be selected later this month.
Gerron Levi Gerron Levi, one of two Maryland House of Delegate members representing most of Bowie in legislative district 23A, has announced that she is running for Prince George's County Executive in 2010. Adam Pagnucco at Maryland Politics Watch sees one scenario where this freshman Delegate could win the election.
Audrey Scott I recently wrote about former Bowie Mayor Audrey Scott vying to be the chairwoman of the Maryland Republican Party. She posted the following campaign video last week to tout her credentials for the job. This is definitely an interesting use of the Internet for an old school politician like Audrey. I love the intro music and the description of her house full of elephant trinkets as a "Republican safe haven." No donkeys in that house!
Northview Fire Station The Northview Fire Station recently opened in Bowie on the corner of Northview Drive and Health Center Drive. According to a Gazette article, this station will be staffed better than most area fire stations.
I snapped the following picture a couple of weeks before the station was operational. An electrician was working on the lights for the station's stained glass tile and mirror mosaic depicting a very happy and diverse workforce.
The mosaic was designed by local artist Cheryl Foster. Right on, Cheryl! Cheryl assembled the mural with help from several volunteers, including a group of elderly assistants from the nearby Bowie Senior Center.
This photo doesn't do the piece justice. The blue circles in the background contain symbols associated with Bowie and Prince George's County. I'll have to go back to the station for a close-up.
The girl featured in the mosaic is a young Rockledge Elementary School student and artist who inspires Cheryl Foster.
You can read more about the Northview Fire Station stained glass tile and mirror mosaic in a recent article published in The Sentinel.
Seven New Police Officers for Bowie It's a good thing that the new Bowie City Hall project has been kicked off. The Gazette recently reported that seven new police officers were sworn in during a recent City Council meeting. It would be a crime to force these new officers to work out of double-wides indefinitely. Plus the new digs for the city may give us the opportunity to have our very own call center to improve Bowie Police response times. Good times. Good times.
BGE Customers to Participate in Obama's Smart Grid Plan Baltimore Gas & Electric will be getting $200 million in federal stimulus money to install new "smart meters" in two million customer homes as a stepping stone to having a more advanced electrical grid. BGE will be kicking in $251 million of its own money for the project.
Each new smart meter will contain a component that is mounted on the inside of a house, and a light signal will help alert customers to upcoming peak energy usage times. BGE will implement a new energy pricing model, and customers will be able to save money by reducing their energy usage during the peak usage periods.
The program is not expected to be completed until 2014.
Aggressive Tree Trimming Continues Aggressive tree trimming continues along Maryland Route 197 in Bowie. I'm sure that there will be more unhappy residents.
Bowie City Elections Next Tuesday Don't forget to vote. Click here for election day information from the City of Bowie web site. I pretty much want the existing team to stay in place.
Lock Up Fundraiser for Muscular Dystrophy The Bowie Baysox are hosting an event to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Donations will benefit Bowie and Crofton families. The event is described as follows on the Bowie Baysox web site.
Community and business leaders agree to be locked up "for good" and are asked to raise bail by reaching out to family, friends, colleagues, and vendors are asking for help raising funds for MDA. The Lock-Up will celebrate the Jailbirds’ success in raising money to help send local children to MDA Summer Camp at Camp Maria in Leonardtown, MD. They will receive actual mug shots and a scrumptious lunch donated by Carrabba’s Italian Grill.
