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Gaylord National picks up bookings from Nashville

The Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Oxon Hill has been one of the Gaylord properties picking up the slack while the Nashville company's home hotel, Opryland, remains closed because of flooding in May.

About 43,645 room nights were transferred to Gaylord's other hotels, including National. This contributed to the total 4.7 percent increase in revenue per available room for those hotels during the second quarter, according to company information.

State program aims

to boost house sales

The state's home sales industry might have received a shot in the arm last week when Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) announced a new homeownership initiative that will bring $100 million in mortgage loans to the counties most affected by the military base realignment and closure program.

The initiative marks a change to the Maryland Mortgage Program, which offers a variety of low-interest, fixed-rate mortgage options primarily targeted to first-time homebuyers. The interest rate also will be lowered to 4.5 percent, bringing it on par with national rates, according to Brown's office.

The state estimates the initiative will provide about 625 mortgages.

Lanham nonprofit hires chaplain

The Rev. Sandra Trice Gray has joined the nonprofit Volunteers of America Chesapeake in Lanham as chaplain.

Gray's appointment was provided through a two-year Ministry Endowment Grant from the Volunteers of America national office in Arlington, Va.

Gray previously was an ordained interdenominational Volunteers of America minister and the spiritual director of the Center of Light and Love program.

Credit Union to move in District Heights

HEW Federal Credit Union of Philadelphia plans to move its District Heights branch next week to a larger one at 5720 Silver Hill Road, District Heights, opening there on July 24.

NIH honors analyst from Lanham firm

Nicole Zivuku, a grants financial analyst with The Ravens Group, a management and staffing firm in Lanham, received a Distinguished Performance Award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

The Ravens Group is a subcontractor to Kelly Government Solutions at the National Institutes of Health.

Names & Notes reports news of startups, new developments, key personnel changes and trends affecting county business. Items may be mailed to Lindsey Robbins, The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707; faxed to 240-473-7501; or e-mailed to lrobbins@gazette.net.