By Helen Lyons

Four decades ago, Sierra Leoneans arriving in the Washington metro area of the United States found a country that was “cold,” and unwelcoming. “People here go to work, go home, and close their doors,” Al-Hassan Korona said.

It was difficult for the newly arrived immigrants to assimilate into a culture where they didn’t know anyone and didn’t speak the language, which is one of the reasons that Tegloma was formed.

“It’s a local culture organization for Sierra Leoneans who are living here in the United States,” Korona, who serves as chairman of the organization’s board, explained. “When people came here, they were very lonesome; they were far away from home. They didn’t have local support.”

However, over the years Tegloma has become so much more than that. While the nonprofit, which takes its name from a Mende word for “progress,” has had its roots in Takoma Park, since its inception, the organization has always kept close ties to home by sending money, food and medical and school supplies to the country over the decades as well as sponsoring the education of orphans.

Through the financial support of its members and donors, Tegloma has assisted in the resettlement of refugees, rebuilt medical clinics, helped with water well projects in villages and issued over 250 scholarships to Sierra Leonean students.

Now Tegloma embarks upon its most ambitious aid project yet—the construction of Tegloma International School in Bo, Sierra Leone, to educate underprivileged children from the elementary to high school grades. Korona estimates they’ll need to raise at least $650,000 to construct the school, and the group also aims to establish a scholarship fund of $350,000.

“After the rebel war, some of the parents died,” said Braima Moiforay, Tegloma’s president. “Some of the children were left on their own. If you don’t pay school fees, they don’t allow you in school. It’s not like over here.”

This was one of the reasons that Tegloma began its sponsorship of orphans. “Tegloma had to adopt those kids,” Moiforay said, “to help with their education, and now we want to build a structure for it, a school for them to go to.”

It’s an ambitious goal—raising a million dollars—but Korona is hopeful. “The most rewarding aspect is the community aspect,” he said. “The friends we make, the relationships we build, that kind of dedication to others… When things happen in the community, we’re able to raise funds.”

This article appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

“I needed a job, and I wasn’t interested in working in an office,” said Takoma Park resident Gabe Hutter, better known around town as Mr. Gabe, of his motivation for becoming a musician and performer. Hutter has lived in the Long Branch-Sligo neighborhood with his wife Jennifer Ruark since 1997. In 2012, Mr. Gabe released his first CD, Play Date.

Send your suggestions for future interviews to tpnewseditor@takomaparkmd.gov.

He has performed at libraries, cafés, pre-schools and performing arts centers throughout suburban Maryland, Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia. One of the biggest lessons he’s learned from his audiences is patience. “It’s a lesson I’m still learning,” he said. “It’s easy to get irritated sometimes when grown-ups at my shows act as though I’m not really there or don’t keep an eye on their kids, but it’s never helpful. I also have to remind myself that for the most part, everybody is doing the best they can.”

Mr. Gabe is featured in the third of our series of periodic “quick-question” interviews.

1. Favorite Place/Activity in Takoma Park: Community Circle Time at the Takoma Park Maryland Library. “It’s maybe the happiest place on earth.”
2. Best Thing about Living in Takoma Park: Being part of a real community
3. On My Desk Right Now: An expired laptop and a pile of papers
4. In My “Spare Time” I Do: A lot of crossword puzzles and watch German soccer
5. Best Advice I Ever Got (and from whom): Do what you love! This idea was driven home to me in reading a memoir by Marcel Reich-Ranicki, perhaps the most famous postwar German literary critic. In the 1930s, he had to leave Germany to flee from the Nazis and then lived through the Warsaw Ghetto and waited out the end of the war on a small farm in the Polish countryside. He ended up in East Germany after the war and was able to defect to the West in the late 1950s. What impressed me about his story was that he never gave up on his passion for German literature. At nearly every step of his tumultuous journey, when somebody asked him what he wanted to do to earn a living, he always answered: “Something with German literature.”

BONUS: If I had a magic wand for a day, I would go back to a time before cell phones and the Internet just to remind myself what it was like.

For more information about Mr. Gabe, visit mrgabemusic.com.

This article appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

We will gather with friends and family and hug them even more this year. Some of us will travel out of the area while others will stay here as guests or hosts. We’ll be doing Holiday shopping, and so will the scammers, pickpockets, and burglars. Here are some frequently asked questions, this time of year:

Q: I’m going away over Christmas for eight days. My nephew was going to stay here, but he now has another obligation. So the house will be empty. My neighbor said something about help from the Takoma Park Police Dept.

A: Yes, the TP Police Department can help. For those who are away 4-30 days, the police will do a “house check” (for free) to make sure no one has tampered with windows, doors, set a ladder, etc. Contact them in advance at 301-270-1100. If you are away up to three days, especially if there were problems in the area, call the TP Police–same number–for information on what you can do.

Q: I’m going to be away for several days three times this month. In addition to contacting the police, is there any other advice?

A: Let a neighbor, family member or friend in the area know you will be away and how to reach you. Use timers, so lights go on/off overnight at different times in the house and on the front porch.

Q: I have some jewelry from my mother and grandmother, tablecloths that my grandparents bought when they first came to the U.S., and other items that aren’t financially valuable but very special to me. How can I protect these valuables, such as jewelry, laptops, phones, etc., while I’m away or during the day when I’m at work?

A: Make an inventory of these valuables and take pictures. Then engrave them and record serial numbers. Put all this information in a safe place, and tell someone you trust how to access it in case you are away. Note: If these items are pawned, it’s legal in Maryland for police to go to pawn shops and check.

Q: I like to order online. I’ve learned about scammers and data breaches from the news. What can I do?

A: (1) Use a credit card, instead of debit card because there are more protections with credit cards, and the money isn’t instantly taken from your bank account. (2) If you have two credit cards, use one for onsite shopping only and a different one for online shopping. In case of a credit breach or abuse of your online card, you would still have the onsite card. This also gives you an easy way to track your online purchases on one statement. (3) According to www.marketwatch.com, “E-cards, fake advertisements for deals, infected attachments and links to phony websites disguised as Christmas cards: Scammers have many routes to attack your devices. Fake notifications about package delivery problems are common during the holidays.” Do not click on these email messages. Instead go back to your original site and put in the tracking number you received. (4) Be sure to let the credit card company know if you are traveling, and where you are going, so use of the card can be pre-approved.

Remember: Being prepared prevents being scared! Have a wonderful holiday season.

This article appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Rick Henry

In a hyper plugged-in world, can there still be value in a hand-written letter?

“Yes and the impact can be so great,” said Randy Marks of the Amnesty International Group 297 based in Takoma Park/Silver Spring. On Saturday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. at Capital City Cheesecake, he and other members of the chapter will demonstrate that impact by participating in “Write for Rights,” an annual event sponsored by Amnesty International.

Every year to mark Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, hundreds of thousands of people around the world write letters and sign online petitions on behalf of 12 prisoners of conscience and victims of human rights abuse. Letters generated at each local event are combined together and sent to government officials to help convince them to free the chosen 12.

To learn more about “Write for Rights” and the 12 cases, visit http:// write.amnestyusa.org. To participate in the event, visit Capital City Cheesecake on Sunday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m.

According to Marks, letter writing has always been a core of Amnesty International’s work, and its power is undiminished. “Now everything is online, which is easier and more efficient, but actually delivering handwritten letters sends a powerful message,” he said.

“The idea is that the volume of cards and letters sent will show the jailers that the world is watching and let the prisoners of conscience know that the world cares what happens to them,” said Connie Johnson, a Group 297 member, who has been involved with Amnesty International for more than 15 years.

By holding the event in a public space, Group 297 hopes to increase participation in the event and visibility for Amnesty International. “We like to hold the event in public, so people see us and learn that there is an organization in their community working on human rights,” Marks said.

The group has held the events at various venues in Takoma Park and Silver Spring over the years, but for the last few years has staged it at Capital City Cheesecake. “Meaghan (Murphy, co-owner of the cafe and bakery) has always been very generous about letting us hold the event,” Marks said.

Both Marks and Johnson say they participate in the event and in Amnesty International because they have a calling for human rights. They hope the Write for Rights event will inspire others to join the cause. “Writing letters and signing cards is something that anyone can do,” Johnson said. “Amnesty International provides all the information needed. We will have materials on hand for anyone who wants to join the effort.”

This article appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Tim Rahn

Kindred, a novel that uses time travel to explore slavery in the antebellum South, will be discussed by the Friends Book Group on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Hydrangea Room at the Takoma Park Community Center.

Written by the late African-American science fiction writer Octavia Butler, Kindred tells the story of Dana, a young 20th Century black woman, who is “called back” to the early 19th century several times to save the life of a white ancestor, Rufus Weylin. Rufus, the son of a slave owner, leads a self-destructive life, caught—like his family’s slaves—in a terrifying and perilous time.

Butler brings to life the slave era by describing the oppression and bondage felt by the slaves and the sense of entitlement and power whites used to control the slaves. Through the use of time travel, she draws contrasts both to the post-civil rights era and the disenfranchised feeling experienced by temporary workers at menial jobs.

According to the Kirkus Review, “There is tremendous ironic power in Butler’s vision of the old South in science-fiction terms…in this searing, caustic examination of bizarre and alien practices on the third planet from the sun.”

Special holiday-themed programs

First, on Saturday, Dec. 10, we’ve got two special holiday programs. From 10 a.m.-3 p.m., come do some gift shopping at the Friends’ Holiday Book Sale. The sale, which will take place in the Computer Center Rotunda, is a great way to purchase some new or gently-used books at bargain prices, and all proceeds go to Library programs. At 11 a.m. that same day, we’ll be offering our annual Holiday Sing-a-Long in the Library’s Children’s Room. With music accompaniment provided by local musician Wendy Lanxner and her students, we’ll sing songs of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. No registration is required, and all ages are welcome.

Then, on the evening of Thursday, Dec. 15, we’ll celebrate the imminent arrival of the Winter Solstice. Beginning at 6:30 p.m., local musician Bill Jenkins will lead us all in a special drumming circle, using the dozens of drums and other percussion instruments that he’ll provide. Then, at 7:30 p.m., the Foggy Bottom Morris Men will swoop in with the songs, dances, sticks and good cheer. No registration required, and all ages are welcome at our Winter Solstice celebration, which has become a beloved Takoma Park tradition.

Finally, we’ve got two holiday craft options. First, on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 1:30- 3:30 p.m., local artist Kate Lanxner will offer a special workshop for kids who want to make a gift calendar. All materials will be provided, courtesy of the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library. We ask kids to bring their creativity as well as a list of birthdays and other special dates they want to note on their gift calendar. This program is for ages 5 and up, and registration is required. To register, please go to www.tinyurl.com/ tplibraryevents or call 301-891-7259.

Then on Sunday, Dec. 18, from 2-3 p.m., kids will have the opportunity to create crafts related to Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. No registration is required for this program.

Mock Caldecott for adults

Grown-up fans of children’s books are invited to attend our third annual Mock Caldecott for Adults on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 1-4 p.m. We’ll read and discuss a list of 20 “finalists” – our choices for the 2017 Caldecott Medal – using the official Caldecott Medal criteria; it will be interesting to see how close we come to the real 2017 Caldecott Medal winner, which will be announced in January. At our event, snacks will be provided by the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library.

The Library owns two copies of each “finalist” – one that can be checked out, and another that will be kept in a box at the circulation desk and can be read in the Library. But you don’t have to read the books ahead of time to participate in the program, as we will be reading each book (or parts of the book, if it’s long), using our projector and screen, before discussing them. Registration is encouraged so we can be sure to have enough snacks; to register, please go to www.tinyurl.com/ tplibraryevents or call 301-891-7259. Note: This is a program for adults only although children are welcome to observe. Kids will have their chance at our monthly Caldecott Club programs in December and January.

This article appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Michael Kurland

The Summer Camp Expo is a great way for families to come and see firsthand what the Takoma Park Recreation Department has to offer for the upcoming 2017 summer camp season. You will learn about all of the exciting activities campers will take part in for the summer.

Families will also have the opportunity to register for a variety of our camps for the summertime. Some of these camps include community favorites like Camp Takoma, Camp Recess, and Teens on the Move as well as some of our specialty camps, such as On Stage Footlight and Spotlight Camps, Visual Art Camp and Dance Camp. We are also adding a few new camps to our repertoire to include Wilderness Camps and a Cooking Camp for Tots.

“I thought the Camp Expo was great,” Sally Heaven said. “We were able to sign our two kids up for the camps of our choosing, and [we] got a really awesome discount on top of it.” During the Expo, families will receive a 20 percent discount off any camp(s) they register their child(ren) for (must be in line by 1 p.m. to get the discount). This discount gives many families the opportunity to get these camps at a significantly reduced price.

So join us for our 3rd Annual Summer Camp Expo on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Takoma Park Community Center (7500 Maple Avenue).

For more information, please contact the Recreation Department at 301-891- 7290, or visit us online at www.takomaparkmd.gov/government/recreation.

This article appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

Takoma Park City Manager Suzanne Ludlow joins other City leaders in addressing residents’ concerns about how the post-election environment in the country as a whole might affect their local community.

TP News: What is the role of a city manager in a time of national political upheaval?

Ludlow: As a city manager, I serve the City Council and the residents impartially, recognizing that elected officials and the public need to be able to rely on me and the city staff no matter their political persuasion.

The council sets the policies and goals of the City of Takoma Park, and it is my job to implement those policies and attain those goals through the work of the staff I manage on a day-to-day basis. That remains my focus. In times of change at the federal level, I advise the council on the potential impacts to the city of changes in laws, processes and funding streams, and I work to ensure the city’s finances are protected.

TP News: What about your staff?

Ludlow: As a manager of the human beings that make up city staff, I also need to be sensitive to the concerns of my staff regarding how change at the national level may affect them or their families. The standards we uphold in the workplace regarding mutual respect and freedom from harassment will continue to be enforced. Staff has been advised that our human resources department can help with access to counseling services for those who may need them. Department heads recognize the need to remain calm, professional and supportive during this time.

TP News: What kinds of impacts might the City face from the change in president?

Ludlow: Much is unknown right now, so we are monitoring statements and proposals from President-Elect Trump. Certainly the vitriol of the recent election has left targets of that vitriol – immigrants, women, people of color, Muslims, and others – nervous about potential hate crimes, harassment and bullying. Our city staff, particularly our police department, must protect our residents from that kind of behavior. We also need to realize that residents may be more hesitant to work with city staff due to their fears.

TP News: What might be the financial impact?

Ludlow: Uncertainty in general can lead to wide variations in the stock market. Cuts in federal employment and changes in tax law can result in reduced tax revenue. Since 25 percent of the City’s budget comes from Montgomery County and the State of Maryland, we are particularly vulnerable when their finances are tight, so reductions in revenue can hurt us directly and indirectly.

A number of people have asked about Takoma Park’s status as a Sanctuary City and the pledge to not allow Sanctuary Cities to receive federal funds. We don’t receive a lot of federal funding, but if passed, those restrictions could hurt. We are evaluating the proposals and possible impacts and will discuss them with the City Council.

TP News: What won’t change?

Ludlow: The commitment my staff and I have to serving this community. We have an aggressive agenda of services and improvements set out by the Council that we intend to do well. We also are committed to listening to and communicating with the public so that we remain a friendly part of Takoma Park.

This article appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

By Helen Lyons

Just three days after the election of Donald J. Trump as the next President of the United States, hundreds gathered at Piney Branch Middle School to hold signs, link arms, and sing and chant promises of support and protection for their Muslim and immigrant neighbors.

“I’m Muslim-American, born and raised in the United States,” said Shahid Mahmood of Silver Spring, who attended the rally with his wife Faiqa. “To hear what Trump was saying throughout this whole campaign was very disheartening, and I’m glad that we came together in the community to say look, we’re all supporting you, we’re supporting each other, [and] we want to stand together.”

Adults and children alike came carrying homemade signs with slogans like “Immigrants make America great” and “You are loved. We will fight for you! You are safe.” They cheered and chanted as local activists took turns with a microphone, delivering speeches of unity.

“People are angry, frustrated, shocked, and at wits end,” said Greg Artzner, a former Takoma Park resident who brought his guitar to perform. He and his wife, Terry Leonino, led the crowd in singing “Give Light,” a song they wrote together that concluded the rally with the message that “people will find the way.”

The event was organized spur-of-themoment, but drew a crowd of hundreds from Takoma Park and beyond. “It was very spontaneous,” Leonino said. “It was meant to give an opportunity for all of us to feel like we’re not alone. People in Takoma Park always make a point to find each other, and that’s why this is such a special place to live.”

Even those outside the city were drawn into the display of solidarity, including Muslims and immigrants who just wanted to confirm that they were still welcome and had a place in their own communities. “I’m a Muslim-American,” Dania Ayoubi explained, “and I wear the hijab so that makes me a visible member of the community. I feel that in some ways I have a greater responsibility to build bridges, and get to know my neighbors and make that powerful community that will be there to support me in times of need.”

And this seems to be one of those times. Faiqa Mahmood described the days that followed the election of Donald Trump as difficult, a sentiment that many in Takoma Park have echoed since the election results were first announced. “The kind of sorrow I felt was like if something that you really loved got broken and shattered,” Mahmood said. “You had this whole idea of what America was supposed to be, and I just woke up the next morning feeling very, very unwelcome. But at the same time, I’m happy to live in a place where the majority of the people around me are feeling the same way. Someone was holding a sign that said ‘We love our Muslim neighbors,’ and they weren’t Muslims. Things like that just allow the healing to begin.”

Jill Feasley was one of countless non-Muslims and non-immigrants to attend the rally, concerned about the policies Trump touted over the last several months and how they would affect her friends and neighbors. “I know people who are immigrants, and who are Muslim,” Feasley said. “I just felt it was important to show support for people who feel threatened and afraid of what changes might be brought about as promised in the election by candidate Trump when he becomes president.”

The rally came together with the participation of Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart, City Councilmember Rizzy Qureshi, County Councilmember Tom Hucker, Maryland Delegate David Moon, Ahmed Elmi of the Somali American Community Association, Delia Aguilar from CASA de Maryland, and community activists Tebabu Assefa and Jheanelle K. Wilkins.

“There was a massive call for gatherings in communities across the nation,” explained Nadine Block, another contributing activist who has lived in Takoma Park for over 25 years. “We have to really build local capacity and make sure we are doing things locally that support all of our community members.”

As people finally disbanded in the darkness, carrying their signs and a newfound resilience back to their homes, there was a sense that this was only the beginning. “We had to come together to express our solidarity,” Artzner said. “We’re in this. Standing here with this incredible community… To me, it just looks like America. The resistance starts now.”

This article appeared in the December 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

Join us on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the library for a discussion of Yudhijit’s Bhattacharjee’s book The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell – A Dyslexic Traitor, an Unbreakable Code, and the FBI’s Hunt for America’s Stolen Secrets.

Bhattacharjee’s book has been widely praised by reviewers. Publisher’s Weekly noted that “readers…will thoroughly enjoy this fastmoving account of a failed spy who, despite his incompetence, easily filched thousands of secrets.” And from Kirkus Reviews: “The author offers a compellingly seedy portrait of Regan, motivated to contemplate treason due to debt, career stagnation, and marital malaise…a well-written…tale of thwarted amateur treason underscoring the disturbing vulnerability of today’s intelligence systems.”

This program is funded by the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at the program.

This article appeared in the November 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.

After extensive investigation into options and costs and a presentation to the City Council on Sept. 21, City staff have been directed to pursue converting the PEPCO streetlights on wooden poles in the city to LED lights through the PEPCO conversion program. The conversion will be phased in on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis and will allow for adjustments to the program if needed.

At its Oct. 19 meeting, the City Council passed a resolution supporting the conversion of streetlights on wooden poles in Takoma Park to LED lights through the PEPCO conversion program and directed staff to work to ensure that lighting specifications and placement minimize costs, energy use, and light pollution, while enhancing safety and attractiveness.

In terms of environmental impact, conversion of existing streetlight fixtures to ones that are more energy efficient (LED technology) would reduce the City’s streetlight electricity use from 765,599 kwh to 382,800 kwh annually. LED fixtures also will be night sky compliant, within the 3,000 Kelvin level, to minimize light pollution. From a fiscal standpoint, the City could save between $746,000 and $904,000 in current dollars over a 20-year period by converting streetlights to LED fixtures through PEPCO.

LED conversion has already begun with the Flower Avenue Green Street project, and five percent of the City’s streetlights have already been converted. PEPCO will continue to own and maintain the lights, and the City will continue to pay for monthly maintenance charges per the rates set by the Public Service Commission. Further, the City will continue to procure its electricity through the Montgomery County purchasing group which enables the City to be part of a large buying group and thereby reduces the rate per kilowatt, and City staff will work with PEPCO staff to ensure that the replacement lighting is appropriate for City streets.

This article appeared in the November 2016 edition of the Takoma Park Newsletter. The Takoma Park Newsletter is available for download here.