Feminist to take on Bowie City Hall

Bowie resident Leslie Fugelhorne is too young to have experienced the bra burnings that characterized the feminist movement in the late 60s and early 70s, but she says that she looks to women from that era for strength when trying to combat gender inequalities in our society.

"Gender inequality is all around us," she said.  Sometimes it's very subtle, and we don't immediately notice it. It's easy to spot once we start looking."

Fugelhorne plans to address the Bowie City Council at an upcoming meeting to present one of her concerns:  deer crossing signs in the city.  "The city is full of deer, but let me ask you one question," said Fugelhorne. "When was the last time you saw a big male buck in the city?  When you see a deer on the side of the road, it's almost always a doe, yet all deer crossing signs in the city depict a buck with huge antlers.  Is that right?"

Fuglehorne favors adoption of new signs with images of anter-less deer.  "We were able to adopt gender inclusive cross-walk signs in the 70s, and I think this is the next logical step," she said.

Fugelhorne plans on referencing the city's diversity statement when addressing the council.  "The City of Bowie Diversity Statement was adopted by the council in 2003," said Fugelhorne, "and it identifies gender differences as something to be celebrated."

Detractors, however, point to the Bowie City Code, which states, "whenever ... words or phrases are used denoting the masculine gender, they shall be taken to include the feminine gender."  It may be up to lawyers to determine if that applies to the deer crossing signs.

Officials at the mayor's office could not be reached for comment.

City activist Ken Worthe vowed to fight Fugelhorne's proposal.  "Frankly, I think Ms. Fugelhorne needs a reality check," said Worthe.  "This is a tough budget year, and the council should be focused on working hard for the taxpayers.  This deer crossing sign issue is a distraction and a slippery slope.  What's next?  Pink 'stop' signs?  Should the Public Works Department access city's sewers through 'woman holes?'  Should we rename the Belair Mansion the Belair Womansion?"

Long time Bowie resident Leonard Burstein had a lighthearted view of the initiative.  "Antlers?  No antlers?  It doesn't matter to me.  The city should really focus on moving some of these deer crossings because it's just not safe for the deer to cross these busy streets," Burstein said with a wink and a smile.

Bobby's Burger Palace in College Park

We stepped outside the Bowie restaurant scene this afternoon to try Bobby's Burger Palace (BBP) on Route 1 in College Park.  The "Bobby" in the name refers to Food Network celebrity chef Bobby Flay, and Flay was on hand at the restaurant's opening last October.

As the name implies, BBP is all about burgers - really, really good gourmet burgers.  The menu is a la carte, so you have to pay extra for your french fries, sweet potato fries or beer battered onion rings.  Pictured above is my order of sweet potato fries, served with a honey mustard horseradish sauce.  My burger was already gone by the time I thought to take a picture.

The prices are similar to Five Guys - maybe a little bit more expensive.  Our order came to $40 for two adults and a kid's meal with a milkshake.  They have no tipping policy, although it seemed like most people were not tipping.  You order your food before sitting down, and the wait staff brings you your food and clears your table.

Customers can sit at a curvy contemporary style counter or at tables.  The interior is kind of cool.  Check out some pics from a Baltimore Sun photo gallery by clicking here.

BBP is located in one of the mix-use high rises just north of the main entrance to the University of Maryland (across from the fire station, Town Hall Liquors and McDonald's).  There used to be a Jerry's Subs at that location.  Turn at the light at Melbourne Place.  A short entrance will lead you to a parking garage in the rear.  BBP is in the front of the building along Route 1 (Baltimore Avenue).


Bobby's Burger Palace
8150 Baltimore Avenue
College Park, MD 20740


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Winter Fun in Bowie, December, 1973

These pictures were most likely taken in and near the Rockledge section of Bowie in December, 1973.




Click on one of the pictures to view a zoomed-in slide show.

These pictures were posted as part of the Bowie Blade Pic Project, I've been posting pictures taken by Arnie Miles for the Bowie Blade between 1973 and 1975.

Photos of Bowie Maryland 1973 through 1975 by Arnie Miles is licensed under a Creative
Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States
License

Other Bowie Blade Pic Project Posts

• Previous:  Starliners record show at WETA-TV Studios - 1973/74
• Complete Listing

Valentino-Smith Proposes School Funding Disclosure Legislation

The following is a press release from  Maryland District 23A Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                            CONTACT: GERALDINE VALENTINO-SMITH        

JANUARY 26, 2012                                                           PHONE:  301-858-3101

                                                                                                E-MAIL:  geraldine.valentino@house.state.md.us

VALENTINO-SMITH SEEKS TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC’S

PARTNERSHIP WITH PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

In keeping her pledge to strengthen the public’s partnership with the Prince George’s County Public School System, Delegate Geraldine Valentino-Smith has authored and introduced legislation requiring the Prince George’s County School Board to develop and operate a searchable web site which would allow the public to search school funding by individual school. 

Currently it is difficult to determine the funding for individual schools and how the funds are spent at each school.  The budget books are so voluminous that it is extremely difficult to extract information from them for each individual school.  Through ongoing communications with her constituents, the Delegate realizes that most parents don’t have time to attend lengthy School Board meetings and comb through the complex data in the budget reports. 

With the passage of PG 410-12 Education-Prince George’s County School Board Budgets-Transparency, the public would be given access to important school board spending data in a clear, easy to read format.

Says Valentino-Smith, “Enactment of this bill will enable parents, students, teachers and our county citizens to readily and easily access information regarding how education funding is spent at the local school level.  This kind of web-based information will demonstrate a full commitment to making the public partners in our important mission to ensure clarity and understanding for education investment and spending.”

The bill has garnered enthusiastic support from a wide range of organizations including SEIU 400, ASASP, AFSCME 2250, the Prince George’s County NAACP, the African American Democratic Club of Prince George’s County, People for Change of Prince George’s County and PGCMA.

The bill is currently up for discussion in the Prince George’s County Delegation and will be voted on in the coming weeks.

Jersey Mike's Subs coming to Hilltop Plaza

Jersey Mike's Subs is coming to Hilltop Plaza in Bowie (between Papa John's and Chesapeake Grill & Deli). Construction in the new location will begin April 30th, and the restaurant will open in late June. Jersey Mike's Subs started out as Mike's Subs in 1956 on the Jersey Shore in Point Pleasant long before anyone ever heard of Snooki, Pauly D or The Situation. The restaurant eventually changed its name, and it now has a franchise business with 500 locations opened or planned. The Jersey Mike's web site describes their subs as follows:

Today, the authentic taste – served Mike's Way™ with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, oil, vinegar and spices – is available nationwide. Our secret? Everything about Jersey Mike’s is high quality. Our certified Angus Beef top rounds are trimmed and cooked right in the store. Our meats and cheeses are all top-quality premium brands. Our bread is fresh-baked each day on the premises. And of course, everything’s prepared right in front of you. It’s what makes Jersey Mike’s the most authentic tasting submarine sandwich available. And it’s a tradition of quality we’ll never outgrow.

Whitehall Elementary Achieves Blue Ribbon Status

Whitehall Elementary School in Bowie is one of six schools to be designated a 2012 Maryland Blue Ribbon School, and the school will compete for National Blue Ribbon School honors later this year.

“The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a national and state program that recognizes and honors elementary, middle, and high schools that exhibit high performance and/or significant improvement in student achievement,” according to a fact sheet on the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) web site.  Each year the MSDE chooses six public schools that are honored as Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools and are nominated as finalist for the National Blue Ribbon School program.  The number of schools selected by each state is determined by the U.S. Department of Education based on population.

The schools designated as Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools are not guaranteed to become National Blue Ribbon Schools, but all MSDE selected schools have gone on to achieve National Blue Ribbon School honors since 2003, according to MSDE.

As a Maryland Blue Ribbon School, Whitehall Elementary School will be rewarded with a Joe Corbi’s school-wide pizza party and a “technology classroom” from SMART Technologies that includes an interactive white board and projector.

The other 2012 Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools are:

• Crofton Meadows Elementary School (Anne Arundel County)
• Pocomoke Elementary School (Worcester County)
• Rachel Carson Elementary School (Montgomery County)
• Ring Factory Elementary School (Harford County)
• Woodholme Elementary School (Baltimore County)

The Maryland Blue Ribbon School program does not honor private schools, although private schools are eligible for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Blue Ribbon School program.  Private school nominations for the national program should be announced later this month.

Related Links

• Whitehall Elementary School Web Site
•  Maryland State Department of Education Blue Ribbon School Program
•  Maryland State Department of Education Blue Ribbon School Program Fact Sheet (PDF)
• U.S. Department of Education's National Blue Ribbon Schools Program Web Site
• 2011 National Blue Ribbon Schools (PDF)
• U.S. Department of Education:  Number of Nominations per State

Christmas Tree Lighting at Belair Mansion

Below are pictures from the City of Bowie Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Belair Mansion on Sunday, December 4, 2011.



Click on one of the pictures to see a slide show.

Belair Mansion was lit up for the ceremony. Prior to the tree lighting, the museum hosted the 16th Annual Candlelight Open House.

The city described the evening's events as follows

Holiday History at Twilight

Belair Mansion's Sixteenth Annual Candlelight Open House will be held on Sunday, December 4, 2011 from 4:00-7:00 p.m.

Enjoy rooms from different eras - all bedecked with holiday cheer. The music of "Bedlam" will fill the air and cider and cookies will be enjoyed in the 1930's kitchen. Admission is free; donations to the Bowie Food Pantry are requested. No reservations are required.

This year, in celebration of Belair At Bowie's 50th Anniversary, the City Christmas Tree returns to Belair Mansion. Long a feature at the Mansion, before the City Hall move to Kenhill Drive, the tree has come back! Santa will visit, lights will be lit, old holiday memories will return --- and new ones will be made! Festivities begin at 7:00 p.m.

The sun room in the west wing of the mansion was set-up for the kids to meet with Santa.

The west wing of the mansion.

Nichelle Fullen and the Bowie City Council led the crowd in singing Christmas Carols.  Nichelle has been doing a terrific job leading the carols for the last several years.  Click here to see Nichelle's art work, and click here to see Nichelle perform America the Beautiful at a Bowie church.

The lighting of the Christmas tree

Nichelle Fullen and the City Council sing a modified version of "Here Comes Santa Claus." "Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, Right down Tulip Grove Drive..."

Click on one of the pictures to view a slide show.

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive on Tower 39

Santa and Mrs. Claus are lowered to the ground on Tower 39

Mrs. Claus

Santa Claus

Santa and Mrs. Claus enter Belair Mansion

Bedlam performed in the mansion

The volunteer firefighters were posing for a picture in front of the Christmas tree. The camera's flash made the reflective strips on their uniforms stand out.

Belair Mansion from Tulip Grove Drive. People are lined up at the door to see Santa.