By Rick Henry

Since its founding in 1976, Takoma Park’s Dance Exchange has been a literal and metaphorical “mover and shaker,” using physical movement as a catalyst for inspiring collective “movements,” such as community engagement, healthy living and creative aging.

A major assist from the City of Takoma Park will allow the organization to expand its reach in the creative aging arena. A community grant award of $10,000 will help launch the Dance Exchange’s Creative Aging and Intergenerational Exchange. The organization will launch a series of workshops with local housing  communities and multi-family residential buildings in Takoma Park, such as Victory Towers, Edinburgh House, Parkview, Cambridge House, Winslow House, Essex House, and Hampshire Towers to provide creative aging programs to their older adult residents.

“These ongoing workshops will use movement, dancemaking, and storytelling to encourage physical activity and health, individual and community expression, and community building,” said Cassie Meador, executive artistic director of Dance Exchange.

According to Meador, the exchange had been exploring these types of programs for a while, but it was City Councilmember Peter Kovar who helped bring the concept and the key players together.

“I’m a strong supporter of Dance Exchange’s innovative work and I appreciate the many contributions the organization makes to the Takoma Park community and beyond,” Kovar said. “Earlier this year, after I had a conversation with Dance Exchange staff about this topic, I helped put them in touch with representatives of local apartment buildings that have substantial aging populations and with groups that work on issues affecting older residents. So I’m delighted that they were approved for a grant that will enable them to collaborate with older residents in the City.”

Meador added that while the particular initiative that the grant is funding is new, it fits in perfectly with the Exchange’s history and overall mission. “Dance Exchange has enhanced the quality of life for older adults since its founding in 1976. Our Founder, Liz Lerman, began teaching dance to senior adults at the Roosevelt for Senior Citizens, a city-run residential facility in Washington, DC in 1975,” she said.

“Going forward, our long-term goal is to continue building an intergenerational creative community that uses dancemaking to improve the lives and wellness of local older adults by increasing social connection, opportunities for agency and choice making, and physical health through movement.”

The grant will support Dance Exchange artists in implementing and facilitating the program. In addition, a team of local and national contributors from the arts, health, and creative aging sectors will assess the value and impact of the work for individuals and communities joining the program.

During the pilot year, Dance Exchange will also document and share best practices within the arts, health and creative aging sectors. The organization will host a series of events, including an evening on the science of arts and aging, (co-hosted with the National Academy of Sciences as part of their LabX series) on Oct. 25 at Dance Exchange, and a three-day Organizing with Artists for Change Institute, Jan. 9-12, 2020. They are also planning a culminating performance event in May 2020.

Meador said that none of these initiatives would be possible without the grant. “Without this money, we simply could not launch the program in this coming season,” she said. “Our partnership illuminates how the arts and culture sector can intersect with local government to make a more robust, creative, and connected community.”

It all comes down to using movement to launch “movements.” As Meador said, “Through the Creating Aging and Intergenerational Exchange program, we will be moving for connection, moving for health, and moving together to question and expand the expectations of aging.”

This article appeared in the August 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

We are thrilled to announce that Mayor Kate Stewart will be hosting lunches in restaurants in the Takoma Langley Crossroads neighborhood of Takoma Park. Listed below are the locations and dates of the scheduled lunches.  Everyone is welcome to join!

Lunch Schedule

All lunches are from 12:00pm – 2:00pm.

• Friday, September 27
  El Campeon Rotisserie Chicken & Bakery
  902 Merrimac Dr.
  Takoma Park, MD 20903

Dockless E-Scooter Pilot

Curious about the green scooters you may be seeing around the City? Takoma Park is participating in Montgomery County’s Dockless Bikeshare pilot program to continue to expand sustainable transportation options around the City and surrounding region. This pilot includes dockless e-bikes and e-scooters and expands to other areas of the County east and west of the original service area. A map of the expanded pilot area is located here. The project is expected to last 6 months with an option for extension.

“Dockless” means that, unlike Capital Bikeshare, these vehicles can be parked in multiple locations rather than fixed stations. There are two companies currently operating in Takoma Park, Lime and Lyft. Lime provides both e-bikes and e-scooters while Lyft operates only scooters.

Unlocking an e-bike or e-scooter from either company follows the same basic steps:

1. Download the dockless mobile application.
2. Open the mobile application, create a profile, and locate a bike or scooter using GPS.
3. Unlock a bike or scooter by scanning a code and start the ride.
4. Park your bike or scooter in a responsible location and close your lock to end the trip.

Scooter rentals are restricted to individuals that are 18 years of age with a valid driver’s license. Users cannot begin a ride between the hours of 10 pm and 5 am. This decision was made by Montgomery County based on data which indicates that the majority of accidents occur in the early morning hours. The e-scooters are also capped at a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour.

Best Practices

1. Please don’t block sidewalks or driveways when parking your e-bike or e-scooter. This program works best if we all take responsibility and park in places that don’t block car traffic, impede pedestrian access, or encroach on private property. Scooters can be picked up and moved short distances without penalty if parked incorrectly. If you see a bike or scooter in a place it should not be, you can also contact the individual companies:
   • LimeBike
   • Lyft
2. Feedback should be directed to the County’s 311 line. This can be done by calling 240-777-0311 or visiting their website online.
3. Visit the dockless bikeshare company’s website for more information. Visit LimeBike or Lyft
4. Ride safely! Wear a helmet, reflective clothing, and obey all traffic laws wherever you go. Audibly signal when passing a pedestrian or bike. This is especially important with faster moving e-scooters.

More information on the dockless program can be found here on the County’s website. The County currently has a survey open to solicit resident feedback on the program. Additional concerns can be directed to Montgomery County 311 and directly to Lime and Lyft.

The proposed June 13 screening of the film, “The Occupation of the American Mind” in the Takoma Park Community Center as part of the We Are Takoma series has spurred expressions of concern and support from a number of organizations and individuals. The Takoma Park City Council appreciates the comments and has asked that the screening of the film be postponed to a later date.

We wish to allow space for a conversation about the points the film makes in a way that allows for people to express their thoughts and perspectives and explore what has changed since the film was made given the current politics in Israel and the United States. How that conversation takes place is still to be determined.

The Council appreciates that several organizations have expressed interest in helping us think through an appropriate approach.

This year’s SummerQuest – our unique summer reading adventure game – will kick off on Monday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m., and we hope you will join us!

While many other library systems in Maryland and elsewhere use the summer reading program created each year by

national library collaborative, our Library as opted instead to tap Library Associate Dave Burbank’s artistic and storytelling talents and offer patrons a totally one-of a-kind reading program. The result is a unique reading adventure each year.

Young readers particularly like the interactive nature of our Summer-Quest program. To participate in Summer-Quest, readers first choose a character from one of the dozens Dave has drawn through the years. Veteran Summer-Quest participants know that while the characters are all different, they all have one thing in common: They are rabbits. Dave has always loved trickster characters, especially rabbits, and so even if he is drawing a basketball player or a ninja, it will be some kind of bunny.

Once readers choose a character, they then color it (if they want) and give it a name. Each character has a large version and a small version; when readers hand Library staff their characters, we keep the large character and hand the smaller one back. Why do we do this? We use the large characters to track readers’ progress on the big Summer-Quest game board in the Children’s Room, moving their characters each time they complete a reading challenge. Meanwhile, kids can use the smaller version of their characters to track their own progress on a take-home game board they receive after signing up for Summer-Quest.

Along with that take-home Summer-Quest game board, readers receive a copy of the story, which contains 10 different reading challenges. Kids complete the challenges by reading specific types of books. For example, they may be asked to read an award-winning book or a book about someone who is different than them. A favorite challenge is one that asks kids to read a book that shows them how to make or do something (e.g. a cookbook or a craft book) and then make or do it.

Because studies show that letting kids choose their own reading is a key way to motivate them to read, our Summer-Quest reading challenges are deliberately open-ended. We suggest a type of book, but it’s up to readers to choose the book. Choice really becomes paramount in Summer-Quest when kids get to reading challenge 9, in which they are urged to read as many books as they want. We’ve had some kids read more than 100 books in a summer!

Through the years, we’ve added a couple of new elements to SummerQuest. First, we’ve urged parents to join their kids in doing SummerQuest. Parents can use the 10 reading challenges as a way to broaden their own reading of adult books or just join their kids in reading children’s and teen books. Last summer, one parent used the SummerQuest challenges as a way to explore our teen book section, so she could learn more about the books her soon-to-be teens would be reading.

In addition, we’ve created 10 reading challenges and related activities most appropriate for parents to do with very

young children. These challenges include reading an alphabet book and then singing the alphabet or reading a picture book and acting it out with your child. As you can see, SummerQuest is an allages program! Please mark your calendars for our June 10 kick-off to make 2019 a summer full of great reading.

If you can’t make the June 10 kick-off, don’t worry! You can register for Summer-Quest any time during the summer.

This article appeared in the June 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Leicia Monfort, Recreation Supervisor

If asked to name one person who made a difference in your life, who would you name? Would it be your first grade teacher? Your scout leader? Or maybe a coach? What made this person stand out from the rest? How did they impact your life? How would your life be different if you never had an encounter with this person?

When I think back to the people that inspired me and changed my life for the better (other than my parents, of course), I think of the people who took time to get to know me and who spent time investing in me. I think of my Brownie Troop Leader, numerous recreation employees, Takoma Park police officers, teachers, educators, my wrestling coach, etc. These individuals went beyond their titles to impart knowledge, wisdom, guidance and support.

“Mentoring, at its core, guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges, and makes them feel like they matter. Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations. Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity. Yet one in three young people will grow up without this critical asset” (Mentoring.org).

Being a consistent role model in someone’s life gives a mentor the opportunity to offer advice, share life experiences, help navigate challenges and encourage the mentee.

• Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are: 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking. (Public/Private Ventures Study, Big Brothers Big Sisters)
• Young adults who face an opportunity gap but have a mentor are: 81% more likely to participate regularly in sports or extracurricular activities than those who do not. (The Mentoring Effect, 2014)

 Mentoring young people also teaches them and helps them with being able to express themselves and have healthy relationships with their parents and other adults. Mentoring is a shared opportunity for learning and growth. Good mentors take the time to get to know their mentees, to learn things that are important to them, and even the will to be changed by their relationship.

Summer is right around the corner, and young people everywhere will be out of school. This is the perfect opportunity to get out and get involved. Volunteer at a festival, coach a summer league, volunteer to teach a class with the Takoma Park Recreation Department or read stories at the Takoma Park Library. Whatever you choose to do will make a difference, so just do something. The future of our young people depends on it.

Go out and make a difference!

 This article appeared in the June 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Sean Gossard

 In the U.S., nearly 2.2 million adults were held in its prisons and jails at the end of 2016, according to a 2018 report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics. And of those incarcerated, African Americans and other minorities make up a disproportionate number.

One Takoma Park group is looking to change that by increasing awareness of the disparity and working with state legislatures for more equal treatment. “Criminal justice reform is about transforming the entire justice system and moving away from the overly punitive and racially biased approach to justice,” said Shayla Davis of Takoma Park Mobilization.

Started in 2016, Takoma Park Mobilization is a series of working groups that act on initiatives, including community meals, education, environmental health, immigration and Muslim solidarity, and mass incarceration.

Through outreach and organization, the Mass Incarceration Working Group of Takoma Park Mobilization works to lower the flow of young African Americans into prison. In April, the group held a public forum featuring speakers focused on different aspects of incarceration.

“The purpose was for folks to share their work,” Davis said. “We also had panelists come and talk about what they’ve been doing.”

Those panelists included Nikki Thompson of Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF), who spoke on the 2019 legislative session and how people can get more involved in state politics; Dr. Stephanie McGencey with Women’s Equity Center and Action Network (WE CAN) discussing re-entry for former prisoners; and Marc Mauer, author of

The Meaning of Life: The Case for Abolishing Life Sentences, who talked about sentencing.

This year the group worked heavily during Maryland’s legislative session, emailing and calling Sen. Will Smith, who represents Takoma Park. “Going into this year, we focused a lot on the legislative session,” Davis said. “We worked with Job Opportunity Task Force to come up with some bills of our own.”

Though most action stalled during the session, it was still a valuable learning experience and showed that there’s still plenty more that can be done to get people to be able to participate in their own government.

In the past, the group has held expungement events in which local ACLU and the JOTF help people get charges taken off their records after serving their sentences. “We had a person who came through and had their entire record cleared, which is huge,” Davis said.

For now, the group is looking for people who want to act on ending mass incarceration and help to reform the state and country’s justice systems. “We need leaders who come in and say, ‘I can take care of this’ and are motivated to be supportive,” Davis said. “A lot of people want to be seen doing things, and that’s fine, but a lot of hard work goes into you being able to take that picture in the first place.”

And Davis says the group is looking for all sorts of people to help. “If you volunteer your time, know that just because you don’t have expertise doesn’t mean that you’re any less valuable,” she said. “And if you don’t have free time, you can always donate. Money is how these things happen.”

“Change isn’t going to happen with meek asks and minor additions,” Davis continued. “Change requires strategy, planning and sweat. The time for standing on the sidelines is over.”

If you’re interested in joining Takoma Park Mobilization, visit tpmobilization.org.

You can also view April’s public forum by searching Takoma Park Mobilization on YouTube.

This article appeared in the June 2019 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.