Colmar Manor Day helps redirect youth’s attention

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Colmar Manor’s Youth Awareness Day brought together young people from all over the town to hear ‘‘straight talk” and education, jobs and their future.

Representatives from the Prince George’s County Adult Education Program, Prince George’s College Community College, the University of Maryland Opportunity Education, the military, trade schools and the Colmar Manor Bible Church were on hand to offer encouragement to the youth.

The day was designed to give children an alternative to hanging out on the streets.

The event’s official launching was June 10 when Mayor Dana M. Fennell, State’s Attorney Glen F. Ivey and volunteers held a kick-off June 10 with a ‘‘walk through the town.

Saturday’s event included a car wash sponsored by the Colmar Manor Bible church at 4110 Newton St.

Homeownership Fairdraws thousands

Prince George’s County officials hosted more than 3,000 county residents at the Homeownership Fair June 10, where organizers and attendees discussed housing policies and the importance of down payments and closing costs when purchasing a home.

The fair, part of the county’s multi-year Homeownership Initiative, was held at the Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. Workshops gave residents access to home buying experts, who stressed the importance of maintaining solid credit when searching for a home.

County Executive Jack B. Johnson said hosting forums with residents is a crucial step in increasing homeownership throughout the county.

‘‘My administration is on a mission ... a ‘Homeownership Crusade.’ This is what this Homeownership Fair is all about,” Johnson said.

Director of Housing Thomas Thompson said the county’s long-term vitality in large part lies with increasing Prince George’s homeowners.

“Homeownership builds personal wealth, promotes self-sufficiency and increases individual self-esteem,” Thompson said. ‘‘The American dream of homeownership is the cornerstone of concept that we call Livable Communities.”

Bladensburg councilprovides services

The Bladensburg Recreation Council is reminding the public of the numerous activities available for children, youth and adults.

Among its goals, the council said, to make available varied and safe recreation activities for the youth of Bladensburg, to provide fun, food for the mind for everyone in crafts and poetry.

A few other features found here are; dance, summer playgrounds, trips, camping with the Boy Scouts, arts and crafts with the Cub Scouts, and many, many more.

Membership in the Recreation Council is free. The council meets every third Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the Bladensburg Recreation Center, 4500 57th Avenue, Bladensburg, MD 20710. 301-277-2124.

Hyattsville, Riverdalegraduations

Kristen Marie Reza of Hyattsville recently graduated from the University of Maryland College Park, May 22, with a bachelor’s degree in Education.

Reza, an alumna of the Sigma Kappa Sorority, is the daughter of Adam and Margaret Reza of Hyattsville.

Wesley A. Darden, son of Wanda L. Darden of Riverdale, graduated May 28, from Amherst College in Amherst, Mass. He was one of 430 graduates from the college.

Darden, who received a bachelor’s degree, majoring in biology, entered Amherst after graduating from DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville.

Amherst is a highly selective, co-educational liberal arts college of about 1,600 students from most of the 50 states and several other countries.

It was founded in 1821 and ranks among the nation’s best institutions of higher learning.

Oona D. McNeil-Delaney of Hyattsville received his Master of Arts degree in applied anthropology from Oregon State University of Sunday.

He was one of 4,300 students at the school’s 137th commencement exercises, said to be the largest in the university’s history.

Julie Zerr Younes of Hyattsville recently received a Bachelor of Arts in French and international studies from Dickerson College in Carlisle, Pa.

Younes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samir Younes of Hyattsville, is a graduate of Elizabeth Seton High School.

The summa cum laude graduate received departmental honors in international studies, the Lloyd W. Hughes Scholar-Athlete Award and was named to the 2005-2006 dean’s list.

Samir Younes is a member of Phi Beta Kappa sorority.

Bladensburg teacher honored

Patricia Jones, a teacher at Bladensburg High School, has been honored by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship.

She was selected as an Apprentice NFTE Certified Entrepreneurship Teacher of the Year for 2006.

The award was present to Jones at the NFTE’s 12th Annual Salute to the Entrepreneural Spirit Awards Dinner in New York on April 25.

She will receive $1,000, a commemorative plaque and a scholarship to NFTE’s Advanced Teacher Forum at Columbia Business School from Sunday to Thursday.

Memorial gardennears completion

By early fall the Town of North Brentwood would have completed its Memorial Garden on Allison Street that includes planting flowers and other plants.

The final stage of the project will involve installing brick pavers in the main seating area on which the names of town residents who have served the community will be inscribed.

Pavers can be honored in memory of family members at the cost of $35 each.

For more information about the project, call the Neighborhood Design Center at 301-779-6010 or stop by 4102 Webster Street to pick up order forms.

Copies of the order form are also available through the North Brentwood Historical Society.

County summer camp focuses on technology

The Patriots Technology Center, a nonprofit organization that aims to bridge the digital divide, is offering a summer camp on technology that begins Monday at Drew Freeman Middle School, 2600 Brooks Drive in Suitland.

High school students will shadow employees at local high-teach firms, learning the intricacies of the burgeoning technology industry in one portion of the program.

Program topics include computer game design, web design, digital photography, science and engineering, robotics and high-tech field trips.

Pupils in grades seventh through twelfth are eligible to sign up for the summer camp, which lasts five weeks.

Each session is from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. The summer camp costs $500 for members of the training center and $550 for non-members.

For more details, visit www.patriots-ttc.org or call 301-925-9350.

Colmar Manor announces scholarships

Scholarship committee of the Town of Colmar Manor will award of $500 scholarships for the coming school year.

Recipients must be residents of the town and under the age of 21 and must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better.

Also, the recipient must be accepted by a post-secondary educational institution, including but not limited to two-year or four-year colleges, police academies or trade schools.

Applicants must write about one of the following topics:

* My most challenging experience

* The person who has meant the most to me and

* The goals I have for my life.

Accompanying the application should be letter of character reference from a non-relative adult. It should be a brief description of the applicant in terms of integrity, service, leadership and other qualifications.

Applications must be submitted to the Town Hall office before the end of business day, Aug. 11. The award will be paid directly to the institution upon proof of enrollment during the 2006-07 school year.

St. Margaret eighth-graders graduate

Sixteen eighth-graders graduated from St. Margaret of Scotland School in Seat Pleasant on June 2. Jasmine M. Smith was valedictorian, and Krystle R. Ellis was salutatorian.

Jeannie Jones, the 93.9 FM WKYS radio personality and St. Margaret alumna, Del. Joanne C. Benson (D-Dist. 24) of Landover, and Apostle Matthew Mosley from the United House of Prayer For All People and father of one of graduate Matthew Mosley, were guest speakers.

The Rev. David Lupo, pastor of St. Margaret's, Principal Charon Hines and eighth-grade teacher Saundra T. Bryant, presented the diplomas to the graduates:

Cameron J. R. Andrews, Javon Bryant, Christen L. Berger, Krystle R. Ellis, Lamont C. Hannah, Ashley N. Hillian, Herbert H. Jackson III, Briana A. Lowe-Thompson, Myava C. Mitchell, Matthew T. Mosley, Jasmine M. Smith, Michael D. Washington, Jr., Rachel A. Watkins, Jamal M. Wright, JaJuan T. Wright and Keishana A. Wright.