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June 28, 2016
Dear Friends,  School's out for summer! Congratulations to all our students, on the completion of another school year. I was honored to attend the Parkdale High School graduation again this year, and, like last year, was quite impressed with the graduating class.
Please mark your calendar (and share with the high school students in your life!) for my 2nd Annual College & Career Fair at Parkdale High School. It will take place on September 29, and my staff is already hard at work to secure college and career representatives.
Our Department of Parks and Recreation is in full swing during the summer. There are activities for all ages in locations throughout the County. I encourage you to check out these programs and more.
 Xtreme Teens provides programs, classes, facilities and other fun things to do for teens ages 13-17 and pre-teens 10-12.
For younger kids, Summer Playgrounds are run at various neighborhood locations throughout Prince George's County. Playgrounds offer games, crafts, and other fun activities for Prince George's County residents ages 6-12.
Shakespeare in the Park is for all ages! Every year the Department of Parks and Recreation puts on about eight free, outdoor performances of a Shakespeare play. This year's performance is Twelfth Night. These are just a few of the many opportunities Parks and Recreation offers. Explore more here.
 On July 1, two important environmental laws go into effect. First, it is now mandatory for all businesses and multi-family buildings to recycle. I worked on this legislation when I was Chief of Staff for Council Member Olson and am pleased that we are now at full implementation of mandatory recycling in Prince George's County!
The second piece of legislation which takes effect on July 1 is a ban on polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam. Businesses are no longer allowed to sell or use this material. You may still see it for a bit as businesses are allowed to use up their current supply. Council Members Lehman, Taveras and I hosted a great meeting last month with the Department of the Environment to inform business owners and community members about this ban. If you have any questions about these pieces of legislation please reach out to the Department of the Environment or call 311.
 Last Wednesday I had the opportunity to join with community members of many different faiths to break bread together at an Iftar dinner at the Turkish American Community Center. I am grateful that we have this beautiful center in Prince George's County, which gives us the opportunity to learn from and better understand all members of our community.
I hope you will join me this Wednesday, June 29 at 6:30pm, at Bus Boys & Poets in Hyattsville for a screening of the film "In Defense of Food." I look forward to being part of the panel discussion after the film.
 The Purple Line continues to move forward, with groundbreaking anticipated by the end of 2016. Several more vacant homes along 410 have come down and the P3 partner, Purple Line Transit Partners, has secured the federal loan necessary for financing the project. I recently had the opportunity to thank the leaders of our numerous civic and homeowners associations across District 3 at our annual Civic Leader Appreciation Dinner. These community leaders are the backbone of our community. If you want to be more engaged with your local civic or homeowner association, please call Wanda Brooks in my office at 301-952-3060 and she will connect you. If there is not an active group in your area, we would like to help you start one. We can help provide the support and resources you need!
On Thursday, July 7, from 7:30pm-9:30pm, at the Woodlawn Community Building, I am hosting a Community Chat with the Woodlawn and Glendridge communities.
Prince George's County Police Chief Hank Stawinski, Police District 1 Major Bill Alexander and PGCPS Director of Capital Improvement Sarah Woodhead will join me.
We'll talk about public safety, the planned new Glenridge Middle School, and more. We'll have light refreshments.
Please join us and invite your neighbors!
As you know, the General Election is coming up on November 8, 2016. As in past years, there will be numerous questions on the ballot. The County Council must first vote to place these questions, also called referendums, on the ballot.
This year, in addition to bond financing approvals, the County Council is considering asking residents to vote on two charter amendments. The public hearing for these amendments will take place on Monday, July 11, at 7:00pm in the Council Hearing Room on the first floor of the County Administration Building, 14741 Gov. Oden Bowie Drive. Residents can sign up to speak for three minutes at the hearing by calling the Clerk of the Council at 301-952-3600.
CB-40-2016 proposes an amendment to add two at-large members to the County Council. These two members would be subject to the current two-term limit, but would be eligible to run for an at-large seat even if they had previously served as the representative from a single Council district.
The second charter amendment being considered is CB-41-2016. This will allow the County Council to secure outside legal counsel in the event of a conflict between the executive and legislative branches on matters regarding legal services and advice.
As always, never hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected] or 301-952-3060. You can reach my staff via the same phone number or their email address on the right.
Together Strengthening our Community,
P.S. I share news and updates daily on social media. If you are active on social media, too, please engage with me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.
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