Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III and schools Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. may be used to putting out political fires, but Friday they dealt with the real thing as they entered a smoking building at the county’s Fire/EMS training facility in Cheltenham and doused the fire inside.

The two officials weren’t considering a new line of work, but rather donned firefighting gear to demonstrate the skills 24 students at Charles H. Flowers High School in Springdale will learn through a new two-year fire science academy.

Before arriving at Capitol Heights Elementary School in 2009, Principal Herman Whaley knew it would take more than teachers to boost the school's test scores.

Whaley brought to Capitol Heights Elementary the concept of a community think tank — a network of businesses, churches and nonprofits that donate goods and tutor children — that an area school board member now wants to replicate in more central Prince George’s County schools after the think tank’s volunteerism resulted in some of the county's biggest gains on the Maryland School Assessment in 2011. Whaley said it’s a think tank and not a partnership, because the idea was to get local organizations around a table and think outside the box on how to fit his school's needs.

School Board member Carolyn Boston (Dist. 6) invited civic associations and principals from schools such as Landover’s William Paca Elementary and Capitol Heights’ Carmody Hills Elementary schools to Capitol Heights Elementary on Jan. 12 to ask questions of the think tank and see how their model possibly could be duplicate

Two children are alive today because of the quick thinking and heroic efforts of former police officer Chris Willden.

Willden was the first on the scene when a car skidded off the road into an icy river, trapping an adult and three children inside.

Many people made resolutions to live better, save money and be kinder to the earth in the year 2012. In that vein, there's a farm in Prince George's County that just might help you live up to your New Year's resolution. It's called ECO City Farms, located in Edmonston, Md.

Established in 2010 on County park land, ECO City Farms provides healthy produce, eggs, and honey to the Port Towns communities, and offers many hands-on educational and vocational training opportunities, including the first-ever urban agriculture certificate program with Prince George's Community College.

In just two years, the nonprofit organization not only built the first urban farm in the county, but grew and sold vegetables year-round, engaged more than 1, 000 volunteers, held the first ever Chesapeake region urban farming summit with 400 attendees.

In addition, produce from ECO-City is available for sale at the Riverdale Farmers Market.

It's 2,000 square feet. Three bedrooms. Four baths. But it's something numbers can't fully explain. It is the American dream. Mildred Hardin says it feels like "the beginning of something great."

And it's been a long time in the making for Hardin and her family. After a lifetime of renting, Hardin is a homeowner. And it would not have been possible right now without help from a Prince George's County program called "My Home."

"What we do is assist them, either with a down payment, or closing costs or some combination thereof," says Eric Brown, Director of Prince George's County Department of Housing and Community Development.

Years after being a foster child and having a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer assigned to her case, Tomika Holmes was selected to receive an inaugural "Forty UNDER 40" award for her efforts as a CASA/Prince George's County volunteer, paying it forward to the organization that helped her find a safe home as a youth.

"I send a heartfelt thank-you to the voting committee for my selection of such an honored award, and I thank my CASA supervisor, Gabrielle Smith, and the whole CASA/Prince George's County family for my nomination," Holmes said. "I truly do not feel worthy of such an award, but I am thankful nonetheless."

In the spirit of the season, several Prince George’s County agencies are donating their time and energy to help the less fortunate.

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker joined with public safety officials to kick off the Public Safety Assistance Program’s 27th Annual Christmas Food Basket Event. Held at Bunker Hill Fire/Ems Station in Mt. Rainier, the program’s purpose is to make sure needy families have a meal this holiday season.

Baker who made his first official public appearance as county executive at this same event in 2010, thanked the officials involved saying, “Our heroes never stop being heroic. We are thankful.”

Volunteers from Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) pitched in also. PGCC President Charlene Dukes sent out a campus-wide call for help after learning about the programs existence. In all, members of the college’s Hillman Entrepreneurs Program, Pathways Student Leadership Program and the softball team packed 500 baskets to assist in the effort.

A robotic bunny armed with a rocket launcher fights zombies that can change shape in Chicago because the bunny needs chalk.

Sound like a video game that children might play?

Absolutely, said students who together created the game concept Saturday with help from Hyattsville native Gabriel Pendleton during the third annual Video Gaming Conference: Imagine-Innovation-Serious Play II, held at Walker Mill Middle School in Capitol Heights.

Hosted by the nonprofit Patriots Technology Training Center based in Seat Pleasant, the half-day event introduced more than 50 students in grades five through 12 to some of the skills needed to work in the video game business, from designing the graphics to composing the music.

The technology center organizes workshops and competitions to encourage students to enter the S.T.E.M. fields of science, technology, engineering and math fields.

Pendleton, who currently tests and develops video games in Baltimore, randomly selected words off the lists made by the students to illustrate the basic elements of a video game — heroes, villains, weapons and goals — in a fun way.

The National Honor Society at Northwestern High School in Hyattsville is hosting its first coat drive this winter to provide warmth to those in need.

NHS co-sponsor Billy Shulman said the donation drive is run nearly entirely by the students as something they wanted to do for the community.

“This is something new that the students really wanted to do,” he said. “They’re trying to start a new tradition.”

A large donation bin is located inside the school’s main office for anyone interested in donating a gently used coat.

or many women, shoes can be described as a critical accessory, a passion, or even an obsession, however two local businesses used women’s shoes as a vehicle to help less fortunate Prince George's County residents take a step in the right direction.

Harris and Harris Wealth Management Group teamed with SimplySoles to host a shoe extravaganza and fundraiser for The Ivy Community Charities of Prince Georges County, Inc.

"This event was a way to bring socially conscious women together in a comfortable environment to share our love of shoes, support our neighbors in Prince George County, and learn more about how we can create a better financial future," said Zaneilia Harris, president of Harris and Harris Wealth Management group and author of the blog, Finance 'N Stilettos.

The fundraiser, which attracted women from around the county and beyond, was part reception, celebration, and shopping opportunity. SimplySoles hosted the reception at its National Harbor location and donated 20 percent of all sales at the fundraiser and from SimplySoles.com over the weekend to The Ivy Community Charities of Prince George’s County, Inc.

Residents of Chelsea Wood and Windsor Green are taking steps to form a better relationship with the police. In fact, they took around two miles of them.

On Saturday November 19, the two communities banded together with the City of Greenbelt and the Prince George’s County police for a walk to establish bonds between the police and the residents.

Last year, 516 Temporary Peace Orders (TPO) were granted in Prince George's County, making it one of the highest locales in Maryland for domestic violence complaints. Overall, 2,636 TPOs were granted in the state in 2010.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and new laws surrounding the issue were passed on Oct. 1. In many instances, they stiffen the penalty for people who violate peace orders and give judges the authority to extend peace orders for six months in applicable cases.

In the state of Maryland, domestic violence is defined as an act that causes serious bodily harm; places a person in fear of imminent serious bodily harm; any degree of assault -- including rape or attempted rape -- and incidences of stalking and false imprisonment.

As society moves increasingly toward being paperless, the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System is keeping pace, now offering patrons books on Kindle devices to support the library’s “Virtual Branch” website.

The announcement that the Prince George’s system is the first in the state to offer Kindle titles was made last week. The introduction of Kindle books is part of the OverDrive WIN Initiative, a series of improvements planned to support the library system’s virtual branch.

The county currently has more than 6,800 titles and is working with OverDrive to build the collection.

“We have a very strong relationship with OverDrive and have appreciated their continued support in helping us build our digital collection,” Valerie Piechocki, chief of materials management for the library system, said in a release.

The 18-month closure of a Fort Washington fitness and aquatic center for renovations has some area residents worried about longer commutes to other facilities for senior citizens and Prince George’s swim team students.

The 11.5-acre Allentown Splash, Tennis and Fitness Park, which was built in 1975, will close Jan. 1. It is expected to reopen in summer 2013.

Mary Reese may not have had to get her hands dirty while she worked for the U.S. government, but as a volunteer working with Berwyn Heights Elementary School students, she’s worked on a variety of art projects including one partially made from elephant waste.

Reese, 66, a member of the Berwyn Heights senior center, serves on the town’s recreation council and volunteers in art classes at Berwyn Heights Elementary School, was named the 2011 Berwyn Heights Citizen of the Year.

Except for Sunday worship services and week day Bible studies, many people envision the Church’s role in community outreach as largely non-existent.

But while the Church regularly serves the community through a variety of programs and support groups, it has the potential to be more far-reaching – like establishing partnerships with local government.

County Executive Rusher Baker is keenly aware of the vital role the Church can play in strengthening the Prince George’s community and emphasized that during his second quarterly Faith Leaders Meeting held May 17 in Brandywine, Md.

“Our faith institutions work tirelessly everyday to serve their congregants, their communities, and our children,” said Baker. “One of the top priorities for the Baker Administration is to find ways of breaking down our silos and working together with our partners to better connect government to the people we serve.”

The Prince George’s County Planning Department, in partnership with Forestry for the Bay, the Bay Bank, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, will host a workshop for residents with woodland on their property. The workshop takes place Saturday, May 21, 8:45 a.m. – 3 p.m., at the William Schmidt Center, 18715 Aquasco Road in Brandywine, MD 20613. For more information call, 301-953-5402.

The County Council is looking to divide up grant money aimed at offsetting cuts to departments throughout Prince George’s County.

The Literacy Council of Prince Georges County, Maryland, is a non-profit organization devoted to adult literacy and lifelong learning. It has been a stepping stone for thousands of adults who grew up without the ability to read. Classes are held at various locations within the county, including the Hyattsville Library Branch.

In observance of National Crime Victims' Rights Week (April 10-16, 2011), the Prince George's County Police remembers all victims of crime. We would also like to honor surviving family members of homicide victims.

In 2010, officers of the Prince George's County Police Department received training on the roles and responsibilities of law enforcement regarding Crime Victims' Rights. The agency has significantly expanded its victim services program and now has a victim advocate assigned to each District Station, Criminal Investigations Division and at a walk-in bilingual clinic housed in the Langley Park COPS office.

A College Park roadway has been dedicated in honor of a Prince George's County police officer who was killed this year while on duty.

Officer 1st Class Thomas P. Jensen died in March from injuries he suffered in a car crash while responding to an emergency call. County officials dedicated the 9000 block of Baltimore Avenue, near the crash site, to Jensen last week.

The street sign with his name recognizes "the dedicated service and ultimate sacrifice that Tommy Jensen made," Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown said in a statement.

The two men have known each other for years - one the professor, the other the student. But on Sunday, Isiah Leggett (D) and Rushern L. Baker III (D) sat opposite each other as equals, two county executives trying to help a local charitable organization raise money to plug gaps that their own local governments are struggling to fill.

In what has become an annual no-miss event for elected officials, politicians joined hundreds of volunteers at phone banks at Jewish community centers in Fairfax County, the District and Rockville to elicit private donations for schools, the elderly, young people and special-needs residents supported by the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

The Prince George's County Police Department's Community Services Division along with numerous community partners will host its 27th Annual Community Christmas Party. The 550 children invited to the event come from the free and reduced lunch program within the Prince George's County Public School System. This year's party will be fun and exciting. Several community members will be present during this event as several local talent groups will be performing.

Troops serving overseas will have a small reminder of home this holiday season thanks to the efforts of Nicole Hardman and her fellow Prince George's County firefighters and medics.

Hardman started a countywide effort to collect items that will be shipped to military personnel.

The initiative, Helping Hearts for Troops, aims to bring the comforts of home overseas. Sometimes items, such as packaged foods or a certain brand of shampoo, can help alleviate homesickness and brighten the holidays for the armed forces.

A small group of Prince George's County firefighters have worked to create donation stations at all Prince George's County fire stations. Hardman, a firefighter for the past nine years, is asking the public to donate gifts and toiletries that will be made into care packages and distributed to troops stationed in the Middle East.

Clinton resident Tijuana Clark was sitting in her office a few weeks ago when she realized she needed a way to organize the stacks of paper piling up on her desk.

Clark sent out an e-mail explaining her predicament to her local Freecycle group, an online forum where residents can post messages about items they need or want to give away for free. Within a week, Clark had a new filing cabinet.

"The person [items are] going to, you know they really want it," said Clark, who has given away and received dozens of items for free since joining one of two Freecycle groups for communities in southern Prince George's County in 2006. "I've had awesome experiences."

The holiday shopping season hasn't even arrived yet, but a local firefighter-paramedic is hoping folks in the Washington area will keep the troops in mind this year.

Nicole Hardman, who's based at Station 47 in Fort Washington, has organized a donation drive to send care packages to two to three troops fighting overseas per week, from now until Dec. 17.

"I want them to have things for Thanksgiving and for Christmas," Hardman says. "So I chose to spread it out."

A team of Prince George's County Firefighter/Medics are coordinating an effort that is sure to make our troop's holidays a little brighter. Helping Hearts for Troops are collecting items for care packages that will be delivered to our troops overseas. The Firefighter/Medics are looking forward to a successful campaign with everyone's cooperation and generosity for the men and women serving our country.

The Fire/EMS Team is working with the USO of Fort Meade to assist in delivering the Holiday Care Packages. The Helping Hearts for Troops are looking for item donations, such as toiletries, non-perishable food items and new, unwrapped, clothing, board games, CD's, and DVD's (a list of suggested items is below).

A recent study points to a lack of minority leadership among Maryland nonprofits, especially in Prince George's and Montgomery counties, but many groups say they are working to buck the trend.

Fewer than 25 percent of nonprofit executive directors in the Baltimore-Washington region are a racial or ethnic minority, despite minorities accounting for half of the region's population, according to a study by the Urban Institute released in April. The figure is closer to 22 percent in Prince George's and Montgomery, whose populations are more than 63 percent minority. Latinos are the most underrepresented group, accounting for 10 percent of the population but only 1 percent of nonprofit leaders.

Loh said he has yet to visit College Park, but corresponded with USM officials for about two months before officially accepting their offer last weekend. He said his main priorities at UM include continuing the school's academic success, making tuition more affordable for students and reaching out to city and Prince George's County leaders.

"Working very closely with community leaders is a very high priority of mine," Loh said. "The reality is that all great universities are ultimately local as well. You cannot have a vibrant university without having a vibrant town in which it's located."

Each Thursday, employees from the Prince George's County health department set up a table at the Riverdale Park Farmers Market to help low-income mothers purchase fresh fruits and vegetables for their children.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, otherwise known as WIC, provides mothers and mothers-to-be with coupons and financial assistance so that they can eat nutritiously. The table at the weekly farmers market allows for clients to receive coupons - $18 for the farmers market in addition to $8 to $10 from their weekly WIC check - to purchase fresh produce from farmers. It also helps farmers gain more customers from the area.

In the midst of participating this month in several events honoring the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rev. Gloria Swieringa, who has been blind since birth, said she was unable to leave her home for several days beginning July 18 after learning her eligibility had expired to use one of many services the ADA inspired.

A frequent user of Metro Access — a pick-up service for residents who can't access Metro rail or bus — Swieringa, 72, who lives in Fort Washington, said she grew frustrated when a Metro employee told her she would be mailed the renewal paperwork despite her objections that, as a blind individual, she wouldn't be able to fill it out.

Candidates for county executive are paying more attention to the needs of Prince George's nonprofits, which means advocacy efforts are paying off, say leaders of those groups.

At a meeting of the Greater Prince George's Business Roundtable in Bowie last week, Del. Gerron S. Levi (D-Dist. 23A) emphasized the importance of building capacity among nonprofits, as well as small businesses, calling nonprofits a valuable ally for securing state and federal dollars.

Single-parent families aren't less than, just different than, says Kristina Parker, co-founder of the Raising Our Kids Solo support group. This organization, which meets monthly in District Heights, brings attention to the plight of single parents and highlights available resources in Prince George's County.

Whether parents need answers or just a listening ear, "We want you to know you have a place to go," said Parker, who lives in Capitol Heights.

Students at Hyattsville Elementary school are learning what it means to give back, while honing up on their math skills.

Each spring, students from pre-K to grade six participate in a Math-A-Thon to raise money for St. Jude's Children Hospital.

Students raised $3,160 this year, more than $70,000 in total since Hyattsville Elementary school first started the Math-A-Thon in 1995.

When the historic Poplar Hill on His Lordship's Kindness museum in Clinton closed its doors Sept. 30 due to a funding shortage, museum director and longtime historian Bianca Floyd found herself out of a job.

Eight months later, Floyd is still looking for work, but has volunteered to reopen the museum for tours several Sundays a month through the summer to make sure the 18th-century property and its history remain in the public eye.

"I don't mind [volunteering]. ... I loved my job," Floyd said.

Memorial Day is difficult for the family of any fallen soldier. It can be even harder for those left behind when the person killed by hostile action was female....

A roadside bomb killed the lively, promising graduate of Oxon Hill High School and West Point during a combat patrol in southern Iraq in 2006. She was 23....

I support the change as an advance for women's rights. Also, in a society in which only a fraction of the population serves in the military, the all-volunteer force needs all the talented people it can get, regardless of their sex.

The students of Baden Elementary School will participate in a "mock" VisionWalk on Friday, May 28, 2010 to raise funds for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. The event was organized by Baden sixth grader, Bjorn Brooks, who has a retinal degenerative disease known as retinitis pigmentosa, a vision-robbing condition that has left him legally blind. While he retains some tunnel vision, it is likely that Bjorn will lose all of his sight because there is currently no cure for his condition. He has organized the event to raise money for retinal research and help his fellow students better understand the disease.

Driven to save young lives like Riley's, in 2008 Kittrell founded the organization 1 LYFE @ A TIME — the "y" in "Lyfe" emphasizing the group's work with youth — to honor his friend and draw attention to suicide prevention and the warning signs of anxiety and depression....

Kittrell meets with and counsels Prince George's County residents daily who know friends suffering from depression or are suffering themselves. For those who need professional services, he refers them to Donna Barnes, president of National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide, or to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. He tries to attend any and every speaking engagement to tell his story, he said.

The child welfare system in Prince George's County isn't doing enough to ensure that troubled families receive the services that might help a parent regain custody of a child or avoid the removal of the child in the first place, advocates and officials say.

Social workers often provide referrals for drug treatment or mental health care but don't follow up, leaving families to fend for themselves with results that are predictably disappointing....

More than 500 Prince George's children are in foster care, according to the state.

Three officers pulled a man from a burning car stuck on the back of a delivery truck as the car's wheels continued to accelerate rapidly.

Another officer grabbed the arm of a man who had purposely swung himself off a bridge and pulled the man to safety.

Four firefighters rescued a pregnant woman whose vehicle had crashed into a creek and turned upside down.

They were a few of the more than 65 Prince George's County public safety officials honored with Valor Awards at a luncheon Monday at Martin's Crosswinds in Greenbelt.

About 900 Eastern box turtles have been relocated from the area of a major Maryland highway under construction.

Since 2007, volunteers, trained dogs and state contractors have been looking for the turtles to remove them from the path of construction equipment building the Intercounty Connector.

Officials from the Maryland State Highway Administration announced the results of the turtle rescue at an Earth Day event last week.

Redskins join walkers to raise money and awareness

Updated 6:53 AM EDT, Mon, Apr 26, 2010

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Hundreds turned out for the Prince George's County Kidney Walk Sunday afternoon.

About 500 people whose lives have somehow been affected by the disease were joined by Washington Redskins players for the 5K walk.

May 1st is the annual Spring Farm Festival at Hard Bargain Farm featuring cow milking, live music, wagon rides...just stop there, you had me at "cow milking."Alice's Legacy Lives On....

Prince George's County Parks and Recreation - Volunteer Opportunities: A recession-proof investment - your community parks - For one day this past August, students who are part of the University of Maryland honor program, College Park Scholars, were nowhere near books, computers, or algebraic equations. Instead, they were planting trees.

From Langley Park at the Prince George's-Montgomery county line to the Triangle area of Prince William County, neighborhoods with large numbers of renters and immigrants are lagging in returning their 2010 Census forms....

Most jurisdictions in the region have response rates at or above the national average of 65 percent.... Prince George's County, at 62 percent.

"It's a powerful tool," said Penny Mendoza, who is helping to coordinate census efforts in Prince George's County. "I find I'm glued to the monitor charting our progress."

Accokeek Foundation will host a volunteer day from 1 to 4 p.m. next Thursday at its ecosystem farm....Good Knight Child Empowerment seeks tour guides for its educational Spring Fairytale Festival from April 10 to May 8....The City of Bowie seeks team leaders and other volunteers to pick up trash in nine neighborhood stream segments from 9 a.m. to noon April 17....Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind is recruiting adults to visit people who are blind or visually impaired in the Washington area.

Local nonprofit hoping to prevent drunken driving in Prince George's, metro area

To curb drunken driving on St. Patrick's Day — a holiday commonly celebrated with alcohol consumption — a nonprofit is offering free cab rides Wednesday night into Thursday morning to revelers in Prince George's County

The Arc of Prince George's County needs volunteers for its annual Bowling Bash from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday and March 14.... The Prince George's County Medical Reserve Corps needs medical and nonmedical volunteers for possible community emergencies. An orientation session is planned for 6 to 8 p.m. March 18 at the Largo Government Center.... Maryland Creative Problem Solvers is seeking help for its Destination ImagiNation Tournament between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. March 20 at Charles Herbert Flowers High School.... Montpelier Arts Center seeks aides at concerts and receptions..... The Accokeek Foundation is seeking eight volunteers who want to preserve Maryland's bluebirds by monitoring their nesting boxes through August....

The Prince George's County Police Department's District II COPS office, continuing their partnership with the Cops and Kids program, will be hosting the Spring Break Edition of the "Kids Empowerment Camp".

This four-day camp is a unique way for teens age 13-18 to have positive interactions with law enforcement. Campers will meet a gang awareness speaker, representatives from Mother's Against Drunk Driving (MAAD) and the States Attorney's Teenage Victim Advocate Office, take a tour of the Prince George's County Upper Marlboro Court House and more. After completing a community service project, the teens will receive 7 hours of community service during the camp. Other activities will include bowling, skating, and a fun day at Adventure Park USA indoor amusement park.

"Picture a place the size of a Home Depot, with the prices of a Goodwill, and the friendly staff of an old-fashioned hardware store. At Community Forklift's huge warehouse, you will find reclaimed, vintage, and surplus building materials at up to NINETY PERCENT BELOW BIG BOX PRICES!!!! This thrift store is a fun place to poke around - they've got everything from antique hardware & brass sconces, to modern appliances & brand-new windows still wrapped in plastic. You can also donate your renovation leftovers (you'll receive a tax deduction, and they do pick up large donations). Proceeds support their work to "lift up local communities" by reducing waste, creating green jobs, and making repairs more affordable for low-income folks, homeowners, small businesses, and nonprofits. They regularly donate materials to housing nonprofits, community gardens, and theatres. They give educational talks about how to go green on a budget, and they maintain a binder of tradespeople who specialize in old house restoration. They're 5 min. outside NE DC, between Kenilworth and Rhode Island Ave. "

The March of Dimes Maryland National Capital Area Chapter has awarded a grant to Greater Baden Medical Services, Inc to support "Hip Hop to a Healthier Life", that is aimed at underserved maternal and child health needs here in Prince George's County. This program will provide health education to teens and young women to link them to resources to address the serious need for pre-conception health and poor birth outcomes in Prince George's county.

Usually, as the story goes, it's a cat up a tree that firefighters rescue. But on Tuesday, it was a dog down a storm drain.

Prince George's County firefighters retrieved the chow-black Labrador retriever mix so residents wouldn't try to climb down 25 feet into the hole to save the animal, officials said.

Firefighters and medics were dispatched about 1:45 p.m. to Clark Avenue and Holly Street in Laurel after a resident reported hearing a dog crying at the bottom of a storm drain after he himself had nearly fallen in. The drain's cover, authorities said, had been displaced, apparently by a snowplow.

Oral Health America, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to dental care, has recently awarded a $20,000 grant to the Deamonte Driver Dental Project, a community oral health initiative based in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Gateway Community Development Corp. needs arts-minded volunteers to "gallery sit" when the studio is open and artist Patrick McDonough is working....

Greenbelt Arts Center needs behind-the-scenes help with its production of "Man of La Mancha," opening March 19. ...

The Prince George's County Medical Reserve Corps needs medical and nonmedical volunteers for possible community emergencies....

With Prince George's County struggling to meet the demand from residents to quickly clear streets, some are looking into other avenues to allow them to safely travel at least out of their neighborhoods.

Ted Hull, president of the Cool Spring Terrace Civic Association in Adelphi, said some residents have cleared their own streets, by plow and shovel, rather than wait for county crews or private contractors.

While county crews did not reach some Adelphi neighborhoods until Tuesday, Hull said one resident, Amy Hershberger, used her own truck with a plow attached to the front to clear her street and cul-de-sac.

"We have some very resourceful people in our communities," Hull said. "If ever an award were given out for helping your community, Amy Hershberger [deserves it]."

By 11 a.m. Wednesday, Tanios "Tony" Tannouse already had driven 100 miles through blinding whorls of snow and over unplowed streets so deeply rutted that they rattled his teeth. He'd been on the road for six hours, back and forth from Upper Northwest Washington to Springfield, back and forth from Upper Northwest to Clinton, and was awaiting his next back and forth.

Jansen is executive director of Community Crisis Services, a Prince George's County nonprofit organization that, among other things, works with local officials and shelters to find beds for the homeless.

"People will die if they're out in this, I have no doubt in my mind," Jansen said Friday. "I will be in the office for probably the next 72 hours."

Volunteer Daphne Levitas said in trying to find Sweetie, they rescued two other lost dogs. The first is a boxer they nicknamed "Big Mac" because that is the food they used to lure him to safety. He was found in Adelphi. The other is a female dachshund mix found in Cheverly. Contact Homeward Trails Animal Rescue if you think they have your pup.

Students at Surrattsville High School in Clinton are taking the initiative to create healthier lives by kicking off a semester-long service project funded by a $1,000 grant from United Healthcare through the Youth Service America organization.

Parent volunteer and event coordinator Kim Carrington said she is excited about how the students are looking out for others and themselves by encouraging healthy lifestyle choices.

Thousands of people braved frigid temperatures and wind-driven snow to jump into the Chesapeake Bay during the 14th annual Polar Bear Plunge - but the second of Saturday's scheduled dips in the water was canceled on doctors' orders.

Organizers for the event, a fundraiser for the Maryland Special Olympics, estimated that as many as 15,000 people took quick splashes in the water, which was about 36 degrees, during the first plunge at 1 p.m. Saturday. Air temperature hovered around 23 degrees.

"Last year I came and it wasn't as cold as this year," said Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, who plunged with offensive tackle Adam Terry. "My head was hurting instantly. It definitely took my breath away."

Donna F. Edwards has been a lawyer and a congresswoman, and now an elementary school principal -- for a day.

Students and faculty at Glassmanor Elementary School in Oxon Hill were treated to an appearance by U.S. Rep. Edwards (D-Dist. 4) of Fort Washington, who spoke to students and staff Jan. 19 during the school's inaugural "Principal for a Day" assembly.

Compared with the nearly 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide released into the air by the United States each year, the 9 metric tons of pollutants a Camp Springs church saved in 2009 by using wind-generated electricity might seem trivial.

But to the members of Davies Memorial Unitarian Universalist Church, paying about $290 extra for the year on their electricity bill for wind power — reducing carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to taking a car off the road for a year — represents an important act of faith.

Gazette reporter Andrew Ujifusa is in Haiti aboard the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort, which left its home port of Baltimore on Jan. 16. Relief workers from around the world began pouring into the country after a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near the Caribbean nation's capital, Port-au-Prince, on Jan. 12.

The Comfort, many of its personnel based at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, will be part of the healing effort. It received its first two patients by helicopter around 10:55 p.m. Jan. 19.

The Prince George's County Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics Association, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 1619, will be holding a "Stuff-a-Truck" event seeking relief items that will be sent to Haiti. Andrew Pantelis, President of IAFF Local 1619 stated, "Last Tuesday our island neighbor to the south, Haiti, suffered a massive 7.0 earthquake and it has left the island and infrastructure completely demolished. While many of us are struggling here our struggles cannot compare to those that are now without homes, fresh drinking water, food, or the knowledge of what has happened to their immediate families."

WHEN: Monday, January 18, 2010, 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM ONLY

It was early 2009 when the bills became almost too much to bear for Angela Walker.

That's around the time her disability checks from an on-the-job injury stopped coming in, and lost income snowballed into growing debt. By the end of the year, the single mother was more than $7,000 behind in bills and facing foreclosure on her Suitland home for the second time in six months.

"I'm on the brink of drowning; I don't have enough money to make the monthly bills," said Walker, 49.

For Walker, help came Monday via the Rev. Jesse Jackson and a coalition of Prince George's County leaders and municipal mayors outside Walker's home in Suitland.

Mary Albee-Tullberg, the art teacher at Park Hall Elementary School, stood before approximately 80 third-graders and the visiting parents in the school's cafeteria on a recent afternoon. Using an overhead projector and a microphone, she painstakingly reviewed each step and every fold that was required to create an origami crane out of a square sheet of paper.

Groups of children helped one another and debated which way the paper should be folded. The parents who attended read from instructions that were set out on long lunch tables. A few of the students confidently produced their first crane, then followed with more. Others were having less luck.

Prince George's County police and the U.S. Marine Corps distributed more than 50,000 toys to the county's needy children as part of the Toys for Tots program.

"This has been a resounding success for everyone," Police Chief Roberto Hylton said, "and we could not be happier to give so much. The Toys for Tots drive exemplifies the spirit of community policing; it is a partnership that brings us together for everyone's benefit."

This Christmas, the unemployment numbers, the job reports and the economic statistics can be seen in a child's face. But one local principal has made a pledge -- not on our watch.

The teachers at Glassmanor Elementary School in Prince George's County distributed gifts Thursday morning to more than 100 of their students. It was a day and a lesson they won't quickly forget.

This Christmas, first grader Jelaysia Hayes has learned a life lesson. Her teachers at Glassmanor Elementary School made a promise that no student will go home empty handed.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Jennifer Smith talked Dec. 21 about her plans to make pudding with bananas and vanilla wafers for Christmas dinner — a meal shared among women and children who have become like family.

Smith, 29, is one of 18 women and their children who live together at the Family Crisis Center Inc. of Prince George's County, a safe haven for domestic violence survivors.

For Christmas dinner, each woman made a dish she traditionally makes during the holidays.

"This is a safe haven, a cushion — being here is like finding a new family," Smith said. "Just seeing [the children] safe and happy, fed, healthy — that's what makes me happy."

Two unrelated fires in Prince George's County over the holiday weekend -- one caused by an unattended candle and the other by an electrical problem -- displaced 24 families from their homes. A third fire in the county, involving a car, left a man dead.

Firefighters think that a candle ignited a unit at 538 Wilson Bridge Dr. in Oxon Hill about 5:45 p.m. Saturday, setting the three-story garden-style apartment building ablaze. Firefighters from the town arrived to find heavy fire consuming the second and third floors and the roof. The fire spread to an apartment building at 540 Wilson Bridge Dr., and dozens of firefighters and paramedics responded. The fire was under control by 7:30 p.m.

For most people, the image of a uniformed police officer brings to mind the idea of a cop on the beat who writes tickets and responds to accidents. However, in the Prince George's County Police Department, there also are multitalented officers with skills that reach beyond the scope of their law enforcement duties.

Prince George's Police Chief Roberto L. Hylton, along with Lt. Col. Michael Blow, are tapping into the musical talents of their officers. They are leading the effort to support the recently established Rhythm and Blues Band, which is made up of 10 officers, Capt. Robert Gibson; Sgt. Michael Hunt; Cpls. Alfred Moss, Edwin Robertson, Harold Banks and Emmett Driggers; Pfc. Vincent Tabbs; Officers Sharon Pittman, Patrick McClam and Eddie Martin; two civilian police department employees, Mark Coakley and Kimberly Scott; and the drummer, Robert "Mousey" Thompson, who played for the late James Brown.

Alisa Mathis, 42, noticed a similar spark in the eyes of her son, Khalif, 8. As he glided from room to room eating a lunch of turkey with macaroni and cheese, cutting out paper Christmas trees and posing for pictures with Santa, Mathis said, "I've never seen my son so happy."

Mathis, a mother of four who lives in transitional housing, said she attended the celebration "because it gets them out of the house, helps them have fun and helps with Christmas." A single mother hit hard by the recession, Mathis can barely afford the electronics her boy wants. She works a part-time job as a recess monitor for Prince George's County schools.

"Us moving into shelters and stuff, he wasn't focused in school," Mathis said of Khalif. "Kids made fun of him.

The Prince George's County Police Department's distribution of toys for the "Toys for Tots" program on Saturday has been postponed.

The new date will be Tuesday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. It will take place at the Prince George's County Police Department Headquarters at 7600 Barlowe Road in Landover.

The "Toys for Tots" program collects new, unwrapped toys each year and distributes them as Christmas gifts to children in need during the holiday season.

On Dec. 5, Michelle Valentine trekked out in the snow from her home in the District in search of a can of coffee, tissues and other groceries. When she entered the Wal-Mart in Clinton, she couldn't believe her ears....

Valentine was one of dozens of Wal-Mart shoppers that afternoon who were treated to the free concert by Young and his band, who collected $500 through donations and sales of Young's CD and other merchandise for a charity favored by Wal-Mart , the Children's Miracle Network, which raises money for children's hospitals across the country.

South county residents will have a community center rivaling the size of the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover when a new facility for recreation, education and job training opens in Fort Washington.

The pattern hit Prince George's County prosecutor C.T. Wilson with the subtlety of a blast from a 12-gauge shotgun: The young men he was sending to prison were victims before they were criminals.

Sitting in his office in Upper Marlboro, Wilson read five pre-sentencing reports in about a month, and all said the defendants had been abandoned or neglected by their parents and tossed into the foster care system or group homes.

Four Prince George's County (MD) Firefighter/Medics received a County Council Proclamation today for their rescue of Sade Davis. A 23 year old female from Clinton, MD, was involved in a motor vehicle crash flipping her car over into a creek where she was found without a pulse and not breathing. She was submerged under 4-feet of water trapped in her car. These rescuerss, stopped while en route to another call, worked quick to extricate and revive her.

Prince George's County Police are holding what they're calling a "Youth Explosion."

The first inaugural event is scheduled for Saturday.

It will be held at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt and will highlight youth programs like the Police Athletic League and anti-gang and crime prevention initiatives. There will be prizes and giveaways for participants.

The event runs from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Today the United States Marines gave members of the Prince George's Police Department and other community partners a hand putting together 300 bicycles for this year's Toys For Tots holiday mission. Huffy donated 1,000 bicycles to the Washington, D.C. area and Prince George's county, Maryland received 300 of them.

'We have volunteers from the community along with officers from other county agencies as well as our own working together to assemble bicycles for the youth. We along with the Marine Corps plan to distribute over 100,000 toys this year', said Captain Rex Barrett, Commander of the Youth and Family Services Division. He also stated that the Prince George's County Headquarters is the main distribution center for Toys for Tots in the county.

Ginger Miller pauses and tries to hold back tears when asked about what it was like being a homeless military veteran.

Miller, who served four years in the Navy until 1992, said she spent six months homeless in 1994 with her husband, a former Marine who served for four years until 1993, and her then-1-year-old son.

In May, after she lost her job, Miller decided to start John 14:2 Inc., a nonprofit advocating for homeless and at-risk veterans.

Pooling resources has been a recurring theme among nonprofits, but three Prince George's realty companies also adopted the practice in their merger this summer, as they work to provide community-friendly services.

Horizon Real Estate Group of Greenbelt merged with the neighboring Signature Properties and Next Level of Largo to form Horizon Signature Properties, a full-service real estate broker. Since the merger, Horizon has been catching the eye of several restless Realtors and project managers looking for a more personal approach to real estate.

"We don't want to be Re/Max or Century 21, but we want to be the best with what we have," said Malik O. Ellis, CEO and managing broker with Horizon. "We're very focused on relationships."

A popular Knights of Columbus social hall on the Oxon Hill-District line was mostly destroyed in a fire overnight, Prince George's County fire department spokesman Mark Brady said. No one was inside the building during the blaze, and no injuries were reported.

Brady said the brick, one-story structure known as Byrne Manor had "heavy fire conditions through the roof" and throughout the interior when firefighters arrived about 2 a.m. Tuesday.

Del. Justin D. Ross (D-Prince George's), who lives in Hyattsville, said, "It's a migration that happened without fanfare.

"They didn't come here to prove a point. They are just looking for a safe place to live and be comfortable and raise their families, and we provide that."

If you're a Laurel resident, you live in one of four counties - Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery or Prince George's. Citizens have access to special mobile crisis units that can help them during times of personal distress. During emergency mental illness or behavioral situations, the trained individuals of the Mobile Crisis Teams come to their aid. These emergencies include, but are not limited to, suicide threats or attempts, children/adolescents with serious emotional issues and intense family conflict. MCT teams are able to carry out an Emergency Petition in dangerous situations.

How many hundreds of thousands of kids have grown up around Washington and never set foot in, on or even alongside the Potomac River? It's impossible to know, but the simple answer is: Far too many.

Living Classrooms, the Baltimore-based nonprofit that's branched into the D.C. area on a mission to put youngsters in touch with nature, did its bit to amend that last week. With help from 10 corporate and government sponsors, the organization dragged 330 kids down to National Harbor on a bright spring morning to cast a line, tickle a fish, eyeball a turtle and learn about bobbers and worms, underwater grasses, snakeheads and other peculiarities that make life not just interesting but irresistible when you're 10 or 12 or even 17, before complications of adulthood set in.

Nearly 500 supporters joined the National Kidney Foundation Serving the National Capital Area (NKF/NCA) on Sunday, April 19 at the Inaugural Ronald D. Paul Companies Kidney Walk at the Mall at Prince George's. To date, Walk participants have raised close to $25,000 and fundraising efforts will continue through May 19. Once fundraising closes, the Ronald D. Paul Companies will match, dollar for dollar, all funds raised by walkers which will bring to total to over $50,000 to fight kidney disease in our community.

The Prince George's County Executive's Office and the Prince George's Volunteer Center kicked off National Volunteer Week on Friday April 17, with a community-wide Affair of the Heart Gala and Silent Auction honoring Volunteers of the Year at the University of Maryland University College Inn and Conference Center by Marriott in Adelphi, Md.

Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson extended his thanks in the program notes.

"We honor our citizens and residents who volunteer their tireless efforts and lend a hand to make a better Prince George's County. These volunteers are recognized as heroes of our communities and remind us that we can all make a difference and touch the lives of others through volunteerism. I am grateful for all of your efforts to help make "Gorgeous Prince George's" a livable community."...

This year the Volunteer of the Year honorees are:

* All Shades of Pink Comfort Blanket Program Volunteers Group for their support of breast cancer patients going through the post-surgery recovery process;
* Christopher Blegen (Youth) for his long-term and varied volunteer service with Progressive Equestrian Therapeutic Services (PETS), Inc.;
* Terry Boykins (Individual) for his work with The City of District Heights' Young Men of Power Program;
* Hazel Cooper (senior) for her work with the SHABACK! Emergency Food and Clothing Pantry;
* William Marci (Bernie Nees Unsung Hero) for his service with the Veterans Medical Center's Volunteer Transportation Network;
* Volunteer Tutor Corps of Literacy Council of Prince George's County (Group) for improving the literacy rate in the County;
* Jacqueline B. Woody (County Agency) for her advocacy and service to improve the quality of life for Prince George's County residents through her leadership in various community initiatives, programs and projects through the Landover Educational Athletic & Recreationnal Nonprofit (LEARN); and
* Graduating seniors Brandon Browne (Bowie High School) and Allison Baumgartner (Bishop McNamara High School) will receive the Bernice "Bunny" LaCour Memorial Scholarship.

On the night of Feb. 4, four Prince George's County firefighters found themselves in a Seat Pleasant neighborhood that seemed like a war zone.

According to officials: The Rescue Squad arrived on the scene of a shooting with multiple victims down. Police secured the scene and waved rescue workers forward....

There was no police cover, but the firefighters pulled the woman to safety anyway, taking her away in an ambulance as lifesaving treatment was provided.

Approximately 350 to 400 people joined the walk-a-thon at Watkins Park in Upper Marlboro, for the March of Dimes march for preterm babies in Prince George's County, which has the highest rate of babies born prematurely, primarily to Black mothers.

According to Nate Brown, Communications Director for March of Dimes in Prince George's County, "We're not sure why Black mothers have the highest rate of babies born prematurely here in the county. The women wearing purple badges here have received some of our services, primarily at Children's Hospital in Washington, DC, where most of our preemies that need medical help are hospitalized," Brown said.

The recently enacted Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act is in keeping with the spirit of our nation by making it easier for Americans to volunteer for national service, a hallmark of our country. This legislation was named in honor of Sen. Ted Kennedy. It had strong bipartisan support in Congress because it helps foster our sense of community and shared responsibility. The Serve America Act dramatically increases funding for AmeriCorps and other volunteer programs, including those for seniors and veterans. It also establishes a goal of expanding from 75,000 government-supported volunteers to 250,000. It will increase education funding and establish a summer service program for students, paying $500 (to be applied to college costs) to middle- and high-school students who participate....

The Clean Energy Service Corps will help Americans weatherize their homes and lower energy bills and the Veterans Corps volunteers will help veterans readjust to civilian life and pursue educational and job opportunities.

I particularly want to draw attention to the Healthy Futures Corps, a program I strongly support after the tragic death of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver of Prince George's County from an abscessed tooth.

For years, Prince George's County public library administrators have heard a common complaint from many regular patrons: Why can't the library's vast trove of books and videos be searched with Google-like simplicity?

Beginning this week, it can, library officials say.

Keep Prince George's County Beautiful received the Keep America Beautiful President's Circle Award for their exemplary performance in reducing litter, minimizing waste and beautifying/improving local communities, county officials said.

The award was presented at the President's Circle Award luncheon during Keep America Beautiful's 55th annual National Conference in Washington, D.C.

In qualifying for a President's Circle Award, KPGCB met KAB's standards of excellence by conducting an annual Litter Index, calculating the affiliate's cost/benefit ratio and engaging volunteers to take greater responsibility for their community environment. In addition, KPGCB was required to conduct activities in litter prevention, waste reduction, and beautification/community improvement.

In a normal week, 40 or 50 people come to the Upper Marlboro Food Bank in Trinity Episcopal Church. But the normal weeks ended sometime in September, according to Martha Bonwitt, the church's pastor.

Now the food bank feeds about 60 people a week, she said. But unlike most charitable organizations in recent months, donations to the food bank have increased even as the church's overall budget became uncertain, highlighting a combination of dwindling resources and increased giving many church leaders say is a common trend.

The Prince George 's County Interfaith community has announced the opening of the annual Warm Nights Program.

"Warm Nights was started more than 20 years ago by the concerned and committed faith community to ensure additional opportunities for the homeless during the severely cold winter months," said Tim Jansen, executive director of Community Crisis Services that coordinates the 34 participating synagogues and churches across Prince George 's County.

The town of Forest Heights is hosting a free community workshop from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Jan. 31 to help residents learn how to save money on energy bills. The workshop will be held at the Forest Heights Municipal Building at 5508 Arapahoe Drive.

The workshop will feature a presentation by an expert on energy efficiency in your home. Workshop participants will also be given tips on easy and inexpensive ways to save money on their energy bills.

A Seabrook woman who counsels local high school students on college and career choices has practiced what she preaches to her students: follow your passion.

Cynthia Hammond-Davis, 46, is president of The Light of the City, Inc., a Lanham-based nonprofit organization that provides free college and career planning to underrepresented and underserved students in Prince George's and Montgomery counties and in Washington, D.C.

Lola Johnson used to be angry and admits she didn't like authority.

So when she recently spoke disrespectfully toward a security guard at Suitland High School, the 15-year-old found herself assigned to five days of out-of-school suspension.

Instead of getting a break from school, Johnson spent those days in Alternative to Suspension pilot program run by Suitland Family and Life Development Corp., a local nonprofit organization.

A Clinton woman who spent 28 years working as a nurse may be approaching 80 years old, but she has no plans to slow down in her service to the community— her current iteration is visitor, helper and listening ear for homebound clients of a Baden nonprofit organization.

Cathy Black, 77, has been volunteering for Community Support Systems, Inc., in Baden since October 2006, handing out groceries and good spirits once a week, said Claudia R. Raskin, director of Community Support Systems, which delivers food to more than 6,000 local clients each year.

When Temple Hills resident Crystal Skinner turned 21 in 2006 and was too old to stay in foster care, she was not sure where she would live.

After switching between living with her biological mother and her aunt, Skinner received a voucher from the Prince George's County Housing Authority that paid rent and allowed her to find a job nearby.

"When I got the voucher, it gave me (a) foundation to build upon because I knew where I could work," Skinner said.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it was allocating $20 million for vouchers to help people aging out of foster care and to reunite foster care children with parents who could not otherwise afford housing.

More than 3,000 were expected to attend the annual Go-Go Awards Show at the D.C. Convention Center Sunday night.

This year, organizers combined a message of non-violence with the usual concerts and the awards ceremony. A stigma of violence has been attached to the homegrown DC music style after several violent incidents at go-go clubs in the last few years....

Last year in Prince George's County, eight clubs were shut down temporarily after shootings, stabbings and other violent incidents.

College Park awarded $66,000 in grants Tuesday to area fire departments, schools and community organizations, including $8,000 equipment grants each to the Branchville Fire Company, and the College Park and Berwyn Heights volunteer fire departments.

The council also voted to approve $21,000 worth of grants to six area public schools and another $21,000 to organizations and schools for community service projects.