Of Greenbelt Is Invited to Celebrate Black
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Inside Stories GREENBELT MLK Day of Artful Afternoon, News ReviewAn Independent Newspaper Service, p.12 p.12 VOL. 84, No. 10 15 Crescent Rd., Suite 100, Greenbelt, MD 20770-1887 JANUARY 28, 2021 County Still Behind the Curve But Locals Start to Get Shots by Cathie Meetre Este artículo está disponible that they’ll get a slot through the uling or appointments gone to en español en nuestra página county, are signing up at every waste. This is also likely to lead web www.greenbeltnewsreview. outlet they can locate on the web. to overbooking issues as sites com. As a result, because these sites preemptively add more appoint- Despite delivering more doses are not coordinated, resources ments than they actually have so in the last week than previously may be wasted when the extra that they don’t have empty spaces and getting over the 25,000- appointments individuals ulti- – just like airlines – and then shot barrier for first vaccinations, mately receive aren’t needed and more show up than expected. Prince George’s County still lags result in effort spent on resched- Purge Acceleration well behind any other county Intervention with Prince in Maryland as a percentage – George’s County by Mayor Co- though it’s rising fast. Using the lin Byrd accelerated the purging county’s updated numbers (which from the county’s vaccination are not yet included in the state appointments of non-residents, PHOTO BY GLENN HARRIS BY PHOTO website), first doses have been opening up significantly more A color guard from the Bowie Police Department, led by Chief given to about 3 percent of resi- slots for residents. John Nesky, participates in the funeral procession for Corporal dents – double last week’s ratio. The addition of phase 1C on Christine Peters on January 22. See more photos, page 9. Montgomery County is at ~4.66 Monday, January 25, significantly percent of its somewhat larger increases the pool of eligible population, with Talbot County individuals. This phase includes having the largest percentage ages 65 to 74 and additional Childs to Step Down After vaccinated (10.7) and Baltimore front-line workers and is esti- County the largest count of first mated to be about 90,000 strong Three Years at GNR Helm vaccinations at just over 56,000 in the county. A local commenta- PHOTO BY SYLVIA LEWIS SYLVIA BY PHOTO by Cathie Meetre or 6.9 percent of the population. tor on the Greenbelt Facebook Sample statistics show the per- Robert Lewis proudly sports page describes it as “a lottery,” After three years at the helm Lively Approach centage of population vaccinated his vaccination sticker and new and another bewails that there are of the Greenbelt News Review, During his tenure as editor, and total first/second vaccina- Kaiser Permanente mask after forms to fill out for every ticket. Editor Gary Childs is moving on Childs has expanded the paper’s tions. Counties with small popu- he receives his first vaccination to pursue other life objectives. emphasis on sports and busi- lations, like Talbot, tend to have at the Kaiser facility in Largo. See VACCINE, page 8 Editor Emerita Mary Lou Wil- ness news. Under his sway, disproportionately higher percent- liamson has graciously agreed the News Review has kept its ages. Baltimore and Montgomery to step back into the editor role familiar look while emphasizing Counties and Baltimore City ACE Grants Fund Programs until the newspaper completes its a lively and pictorial approach to (32,398/5.5 percent) are more search for a new long-term editor. reporting. He describes achieving like Prince George’s in being This search, due to the pandemic, this balance as a “mixture of art urban. For the latest available And Food at Local Schools is currently on hold. The editorial and science.” Childs also noted state numbers see coronavirus. by Jon Gardner staff is reorganizing itself and its that, when he took on the role, maryland.gov/#Vaccine – click on processes to smooth the transition he had no idea how much he Vaccine Data. At the Greenbelt City Council teacher development projects are and keep the paper running as would need to learn. He spoke of Overbooking meeting on Monday, January 25, also solicited. The grants pro- efficiently as ever in the interim. Potential Greenbelt recipients, See EDITOR, page 2 council approved 17 Advisory gram is funded by the City of lacking any sense of security Committee on Education (ACE) Greenbelt, and the selection of Black History grants to four local schools, for proposals for funding was made a total of $8,049.47. Council also by the council based on recom- approved ACE’s recommendation mendations from ACE. to allocate an additional $3,600 This year the proposal submis- All of Greenbelt Is Invited to address food insecurity is- sion process was moved entirely sues at the six schools that serve online. Some projects will be To Celebrate Black History Greenbelt students. possible while schools are virtual ACE grants are available to and will be funded immediately. by Lois Rosado and Leeann Irwin teachers and parent-teacher or- Other projects will be funded ganizations at Greenbelt schools. once school is back in person. Este artículo está disponible This year the Greenbelt Black until February 28. Some perfor- The grants are given in response Eleanor Roosevelt High en español en nuestra página History and Culture Committee mances are intended for young- to proposals for projects or items School (ERHS) won three grants, web www.greenbeltnewsreview. has an exciting array of virtual sters and youth. Young people that enhance or enrich school- com. programs and one Popup Mu- will delight in the puppet shows based activities. Proposals for See ACE, page 8 Unity-Umoja: Unifying our seum Exhibit of Black Artifacts. that will be presented for Artful community as we strengthen our Their theme is Umoja, taken Afternoon and the Poetry Slam city. from the Swahili language, which that features youth from various means Unity. The picture shows public schools in the county. The the Adinkra symbol entire program is printed on page What Goes On for unity which comes 5, and weekly offerings will be from the Gyaman peo- highlighted. Thursday, January 28 ple of Ghana and the The committee is appreciative 7:30 p.m. Four Cities Meet- Ivory Coast. of Greenbelt Recreation staff for ing Greenbelt is a di- their support and guidance in Monday, February 1 verse city and most of the in- helping to present these virtual 8 p.m. Council Worksession: habitants appreciate its connec- programs. The Greenbelt Museum Covid-19 Relief Spending/ tions to the country’s history and will feature stories from Black Housing Security growth. The committee’s goal is Americans who helped to deseg- Wednesday, February 3 to enlighten and entertain resi- regate Greenbelt. They will be 8 p.m. Council Worksession: dents of Greenbelt, as they cel- interviewed by Councilmember Pre-Budget Meeting ebrate the many contributions Emmett Jordan. GATe will broad- All council meetings are vir- made by Black Americans to cast weekly historical factoids. tual. See the meetings calen- make America a great nation and The recreation department will dar at greenbeltmd.gov for strengthen the bonds of com- highlight four Americans who agendas and information on munity. made significant contributions in WILLIAMSON LOU MARY BY PHOTO public participation in these Programs will begin on Sat- See BLACK HISTORY, page 8 This white-flowered hellebore blooms from Christmas through meetings. urday, February 6 and continue March. Page 2 GREENBELT NEWS REVIEW Thursday, January 28, 2021 Letters to the Editor Service or Garden Side Be a Good Neighbor compared with Maryland’s large created can be summed up in a As the Covid-19 cases contin- population centers. short phrase: too complex, and ue to rise and jobs and businesses Is it the state or county gov- inadequate for the load, therefore continue to disappear, the toll on ernments that exhibit this blasé mostly broken. Our county is our residents goes unabated. attitude toward the vaccine roll- not alone. Florida had to put the Consider donating stimulus out? How many Marylanders brakes on inoculation tourism. checks to the City of Greenbelt’s have to die before the state and Finally, people with “appoint- Good Samaritan Fund or the county governments get their act ments” in our county are waiting Emergency Assistance Fund to together? Where is the outrage? 2.5 hours and more to get their help our neighbors in need. Could it be that there is a shot, according to WUSA9. Jon Bell resistance of individuals to get- Where is the urgency? Hey ting the vaccine? WTOP stated folks, getting the vaccine admin- in their Friday, January 22, news istered IS a matter of LIFE and Oh! What a State broadcast that over one third of DEATH! Get on the stick! I’m in! Maryland! the health care professionals in Frank Kayser Remember that State slogan the country have refused the vac- (See Editor’s note in box). from the ‘70s? It was Maryland’s cine! Some hospitals are offering attempt to compete with “Virginia a $500 bonus to get the shot, is for Lovers.” Personally, I liked among other incentives. Maryland’s short-lived slogan: Well, Prince George’s County Editor’s Note: On Tuesday, I thought it was a very clever must be doing something right. B. Glee play on words. Much better than According to NBC Washington January 26, Prince George’s “Maryland is for Crabs.” news, “As many as 50 percent County discontinued using the Now, the rejected slogan can of people getting vaccinations in original Covid-19 vaccination easily refer to the inept rollout of Prince George’s County are from sign-up website (which was the the Covid-19 vaccination.