When you come home from work, is your teen parked on the couch watching television or playing a video game? Is he constantly monitoring his social media pages? Does she complain of hand cramps from text messaging? Just about everyone loves a lazy day on the couch with a favorite movie or TV show, but too much time in a sedentary mode can lead to obesity or other health problems.

Studies show that American children become sluggish during their teen years. While 90 percent of 9-year-olds get a couple of hours of exercise most days, fewer than 3 percent of 15-year-olds do. Physical education is no longer being offered as an everyday class in high school, and because of this, teens are getting less and less physical activity each day. If your teen is spending more time on the couch than off it, it’s time to help them get moving. Here are a few suggestions:

Be an example. Make sure your teen sees that you make exercising one of your priorities. Walk, bike, run or play basketball if that’s what you like to do. Just make sure he or she sees you staying active and having fun doing it.

Limit television and computer time. Set limits on television time (no more than one to two hours per day) and keep video game and recreational computer time to a minimum. Don’t put a television in your teen’s bedroom and keep the computer in a family area as well. If they must be inside, give them a chance to be active around the house or play activity-centered video games.

Create a family exercise time. Rather than a family movie night, get everyone together to go for a walk or a bike ride. Throw in a challenge by giving everyone a pedometer and seeing who can walk the most steps in a week. Another option is to have a family interactive game night.

Register for a recreation activity. The Takoma Park Recreation Department has several activities to keep your teen active during the summer as well as the school year. Registering your teen in an after school activity or summer camp gives them the opportunity to build friendships outside of school and motivates them to take part in activities within their community. Active lifestyles lead to being more attentive and active in school, and they will undoubtedly be healthier and happier.

Of course some days are just made for lazing around, and if it happens every once in a while, that’s fine. But every teen should have at least a few things he or she likes to do to stay active. Remember, we are our teen’s first and best teachers. If we want to effect real change in their lives, we have to be willing to take the first step and effect real change in our own. Only by setting an example can we truly inspire our teens to get up off the couch and out into the world.

The Recreation Department offers a “Teens on the Move” camp each summer, exposing teens to a variety of fun and active programs. There are four oneweek sessions held from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the month of July. There are limited spaces remaining, so don’t wait!

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

By Apryl Motley

“What’s the key for success?” Laura Furr asked the audience of teachers, parents, students, community organizers, and City staff and government officials assembled at the Takoma Park Community Center on June 18 for “A Community Conversation: Youth Success.”

Furr, the program manager for the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, Justice Reform and Youth Engagement at the National League of Cities, gave one of two keynote presentations designed to set the stage for the afternoon. She offered this response to her own question: “youth having an authentic voice in decisions impacting them.”

According to Furr, youth gain this voice through civic engagement. She cited a lower voting age and the existence of a strong youth council as examples of worthwhile engagement. In addition to facilitating youth engagement, Furr said the manner in which adverse childhood experiences are addressed is another factor influencing youth success in that communities need to “rethink how they talk to youth.” For example, rather than asking youth what they did, the more important questions to pose might be, what happened to you, and what do you need?

Samir Paul, a computer science teacher at Montgomery Blair High School, believes another important question should be included in this list of queries: “Is there an adult at school who knows your name and cares about you? Paul shared this sentiment as part of a panel discussion on local insights. From his viewpoint, “extensive wrap-around services are needed, including parent and community engagement and broader community advocacy on behalf of schools.”

He said, “If we want to create real environments where kids feel safe, effort from all sides is needed.”

A current student at and recent graduate of Montgomery Blair High School, respectively, Saron Alemseged and Angel Ngatchou, participated on the panel with Paul. Alemseged began her remarks by stating, “I can’t see myself living anywhere else.” She acknowledged that while she’s “always” at the TP Community Center and takes advantage of the many resources available to youth in Takoma Park, many youth don’t because they are not aware of them. “We don’t use resources enough,” she said. “We must come together, and we don’t. This must change.”

Ngatchou sees herself as part of making the change that’s needed to bring youth together and make them more aware of the resources available to them. “I have been in the U.S. for six years since the seventh grade,” she said. “When I came here, I was lost and didn’t know what to do. Takoma Park helped me, and I want to give back.”

The general consensus in the room seemed to be that any conversation about youth success should be focused on a collective, multi-pronged outreach effort. As Karen MacPherson, children’s and young adult manager for the City of Takoma Park Library, noted during her remarks on existing youth programs and services, “youth success does not happen by accident.”

So how can the community gain additional insight into what resources available now, what’s missing and how the City can address those needs and gaps? To begin this process, following the keynote presentations and panel discussions, attendees were invited to participate in break out groups where they discussed the future of youth success. Each group was tasked with addressing four main questions:

1. What does youth success look like?
2. What are the most pressing issues impacting youth in our area today?
3. What gaps and needs exist in the services provided in the area?
4. What can the City of Takoma Park do to facilitate youth success?

Once the break out groups completed their discussions, a representative from each one reported back to the larger group when it reconvened. Essentially, this critical conversation is just getting started.

As Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart wrote in a recent post to the City Council & Mayor Blog, “ensuring opportunities for all our youth to succeed is a top priority as the City Council plans for the future and looks to address the current needs of residents.”

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

When City Manager Suzanne Ludlow presented the proposed FY 17 City budget for Council consideration on April 6, she recommended keeping the real property tax rate at the same rate as the current year – 58.5 cents per $100 valuation. After multiple public hearings and Council budget work sessions, on May 18 the Council adopted a lower tax rate of 56.75 cents and also set aside $400,000 in a Housing Reserve Fund for advancing affordable housing initiatives in Takoma Park.

The tax rate was a major subject of the Council deliberations because property throughout the City was reassessed this year, which showed that property values had increased significantly since the last assessment three years ago. Although property assessments are phased in over a three-year period, keeping the tax rate the same would have still increased the amount property owners pay.

The City Manager was counting on increased tax revenue to pay the third year of a phased-in wage increase and the cost of a proposed environmental education/code position. These elements were retained in the final budget, although there was significant Council and public discussion about whether the new position should be approved.

The Council, in turn, was looking to put significant funding towards affordable housing and economic development initiatives. The Community Conversation on Affordable Housing showed there was strong community interest in taking steps to keep Takoma Park a community where people of different economic means can live in safe homes and apartments. And there is an understanding that without affirmative efforts to build a strong economic base in Takoma Park, the City won’t have the money to continue to offer the services the residents need and want.

Ultimately, several hundreds of thousands of dollars were set aside for both housing and economic development efforts, with specifics to be decided over the coming year. In addition monies for community partnerships were taken from the allocation for the community grants program to better meet the Council’s priorities for fostering youth success and assisting others in need of support.

According to Ludlow, the process of moving from a proposed budget to a final budget went relatively smoothly this year for several reasons:

• The Council established priorities in February that helped staff focus proposals and services and provided a simpler framework for the budget work sessions.
• The Council decided to bond for the City’s $1 million match for grant funding for the Ethan Allen Gateway improvements rather than to set aside cash, freeing up current year funds for other more immediate priorities.
• Mayor Stewart streamlined the reconciliation process by preparing several alternative groups of Council-proposed changes to help members consider the items as a package and see the relative impacts of the changes on the tax rate.

An overview of the proposed budget was in April’s Newsletter. The proposed budget, the budget presentations and the final budget are all on the City’s website on the Budget and Financial Documents page. Also on the website, Mayor Stewart has summarized the final budget in “The Dollars & Cents,” a post on the Mayor and Council Blog.

Highlights of the reconciliation changes to the budget are:

• A decrease in real property tax revenue of $367,471 by reducing the real property tax rate from 58.5 to 56.75 cents per $100 valuation
• Savings of $580,000 by bonding for street projects rather than paying $1 million for the Ethan Allen Gateway in FY17
• Postponement of the planned Community Survey, saving $35,000
• Adding $4,400 for two additional Play Days
• Opening the City’s MacLab to teens after school for $23,400
• Adding $100,000 for planned economic development efforts
• Adding $280,000 to the $120,000 for the exterior home repair program to establish a new Housing Reserve with an initial allocation of $400,000
• Establishment of a Scholarship fund with $5,000
• Adding $5,000 to the allocation for the Folk Festival

Other changes to the proposed budget included a savings of $100,000 in expected health insurance expenses, $50,000 for additional work needed for streetlights in Old Takoma and a reduction in expected property tax revenue of $200,000 from assessment challenges.

The FY 17 Budget becomes effective July 1, 2016 and will be in effect through June 30, 2017.

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

Murals, sculptures and more are coming to a street near you! The City recently relaunched its public art initiative, budgeting $25,000 to $45,000 per year over the next five years, commissioning at least one piece of art per year.

Starting this summer muralist Michael Kirby is painting a mural on the poured concrete retaining wall at the corner of Conway and Prince Georges in Ward 2. Stay tuned for photos of this project on the City’s website and social media pages. Or swing by the site and meet the artist. He’s accepting volunteers to help with the project. www.michaelwkirby.com

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

Several new businesses have recently opened or will be opening in the Takoma/ Langley part of the city in the next couple months. In mid-June, Yama’s Clothing & Accessories opened at 7487 New Hampshire Ave. (near the Salvation Army Thrift Store). Owner Yamatut Faye and her husband Alieu have a store in Gambia, and they are expanding with a second store in Takoma Park. Yama’s carries beautiful African fashions including Akara style clothing, kente cloth and everyday wear as well as costume jewelry and shoes.

In late summer Evita’s will open at 1335 Holton Lane (near Langley Park Post Office), carrying unique bridal wear and unusual lines of dresses. Evita’s owners have a successful bridal shop in Adams Morgan, and they are expanding to Takoma Park with Evita’s. A new retail store from the owner of Ice Pole Jeans (1165 University Blvd. East) will open at 7665 New Hampshire Ave. (former Fashion LaFama) with different merchandise and a different character. Sometime in the fall Wingstop will open another location at 7659 New Hampshire Ave. (near Red Apple Farmers Market).

Fiesta Coin Laundry is finishing renovation of 7601 New Hampshire Ave. into a full-service laundromat. The laundromat will increase the bustle at the already-busy ALDI parking lot and get even busier next month when construction of Taco Bell starts at the corner of Holton Lane and New Hampshire Ave. Union Auto Sales opened at 1369 Holton Lane in early 2016, selling quality used cars. Their main operation is in Washington, DC.

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

14 New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations have been installed in Takoma Park. The Electric Vehicle Institute provided the stations and three years of maintenance for free to the City in an effort to increase public charging infrastructure in the region. Charging your EV at one of the 14 stations will be free for the time being, and since the City purchases 100 percent wind power, charging will also be emission free. The stations are located at the Takoma Park Community Center (7500 Maple Avenue), Takoma Park Recreation Center (7315 New Hampshire Avenue), by Morrison Park and at the City Parking Lot at the “Junction.” The City wants to install more stations for free on commercial properties in Takoma Park. If you are interested, please contact the sustainability manager Gina Mathias at ginam@takomaparkmd.gov.

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

While this year’s Celebrate Takoma! festival was moved indoors due to the rainy weather, nothing could put a damper on the spirits of the attendees who came out to fete their favorite city. There was no shortage of fun, food and fabulous entertainment as folks grabbed their passports (programs) and began their journey in celebration of Takoma Park’s cultural diversity.

Their first stop before entering the performance area might have been Cheryl’s Kitchen, one of the exhibitors at the festival, where they purchased maple frosted walnuts, pecans, or cashews from this long-time Takoma Park resident. Once inside festival goers were treated to a variety of musical and dance performances by the Community Band, Panquility Steel Band, Flamenco DC, Thomas Young Ethiopian Dancers, Conjure Woman Band, Piney Branch Elementary Dancers and the Proverbs Reggae Band.

While singing and dancing along with the performances, attendees feasted on cuisine from the food trucks onsite. They might have enjoyed a refreshing fruit lemonade or smoothie from Chef Hogate’s or dined on a vegan entrée from Everlasting Life. Attendees also had falafel from DC Ballers, pizza from DC Slices, and Ethiopian food from Mesob on Wheels from which to choose for their dining pleasure.

Amidst all this festivity, many of Takoma Park’s youngest residents were engaged with activities in the games and craft area. The mechanical bull was clearly the central attraction as kids waited anxiously in line for their turn at besting the beast. Others opted for tamer activities, such as playing giant chess, dominoes or Chinese checkers, although the Pull of Peace (tug of war) did get fierce at times.

In addition to these activities, there were plenty of opportunities to learn more about community organizations in Takoma Park. Both the Takoma Park Emergency Preparedness and Independence Day Committees manned tables. Nearby at the Crossroads Community Food Network’s table, residents tasted samples of organic greens. These other community vendors participated as well: CHEER, City of Takoma Park Sustainability Office, EF International Language Center, Gustus Orthodontist, Holy Cross Hospital, Maryland Physicians Care, Takoma Park Community Band, Takoma/Langley Crossroads Development Authority, Takoma Park Volunteer Fire Department, Toastmasters and Takoma Foundation, which gave out its annual Azalea Awards during the festival.

These awards honor residents who have helped the community be the place it is and inspired us all to make it even better. Here are the 2016 winners listed by category.

• Arts: Yvonne Edwards, founder of Knock on Wood and Busy
• Graham Business Leaders: Eric Hardy, manager, Ace Hardware, Old Town
• Coach: Brian Baker, soccer and cross country coach, TPMS
• Green Activist: Lori Hill and John Robinette
• Educator: Holly Pasquale, instrumental music teacher, TPMS
• Mentor: Abby Golden, guidance counselor TPES
• Neighborhood Volunteer: Margaret Buraimoh, tenant rights/housing reform activist
• School Activist: Ray Moreno, Blair High School Takoma
• Spirit: Tara Egan and Gene Herman, organizers, July 4th parade
• Tak-Tivist: Cindy Dyballa, member Takoma Park Environment and Recreation Committees

To a person, each of the winners humbly received his or her award and attributed the motivation for their efforts to living in a wonderful city. One winner summed up the entire festival day well, “Takoma Park is a great community.”

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

By Kevin Adler

It’s 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday, and Dunrick Sogie-Thomas is at Costco. He’s accompanied by a team of volunteers to pick up perishable and nonperishable food items that will be distributed to needy households in Takoma Park.

By 8 a.m., he and the volunteers are at EduCare’s first mobile distribution site at the Franklin Apartments near Sligo Creek Parkway for their first distribution of the morning. Five more distribution points follow. By noon, he’s leading another group of volunteers at the final distribution point, Grace United Methodist Church on New Hampshire Avenue.

But his day has just started because Sogie-Thomas has reams of paperwork to file, phone calls to field and questions to answer. That’s the busy routine of the director of programs for EduCare Support Services, a social service organization that received a grant of $23,900 from the City of Takoma Park this year.

How did EduCare get started?

Sogie-Thomas: I started EduCare in 2010 soon after I moved to Takoma Park from Gaithersburg. I asked the previous pastor of Grace United Methodist Church, Pastor Paul Johnson, and members of the church if we could assist them with a food pantry they had started. The church has been very supportive from the beginning; they provided us with space for the pantry, including an office space for staff and volunteers.

What does EduCare do?

Sogie-Thomas: EduCare provides monthly supplementary food baskets to eligible residents of Takoma Park at Grace UM Church and about 134 seniors and persons with disabilities at our off-site distribution locations.

On each delivery, EduCare provides the following perishable and non-perishable food items: bread, milk, orange juice, eggs, peanut butter, chicken, mixed vegetables, assorted canned fruits, rice, fresh produce, pasta and pasta sauce.

What has been the response?

Sogie-Thomas: The need is great. EduCare provides a two-week supply of food for each household, and we distribute once per month. We serve about 285 households each month. The majority of our participants are senior citizens or persons with disabilities. We distribute over 180,000 pounds of food each year.

In addition to the food pantry, we provide case management services, notary services, and CPR and First Aid training to individuals who are unemployed and actively seeking employment. I am trained to teach CPR and First Aid through the American Red Cross. And we provide referral services to people who call in every day looking for other services that we do not provide, such as utility assistance.

Where do you get your food and your funding?

Sogie-Thomas: The mobile food pantry is currently funded by City of Takoma Park and Montgomery County. We also received assistance from the Capital Area Food Bank and food donations from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). We also receive food donations from businesses, individuals and schools in the community, including the Takoma Park Neighborhood Food Project. The Takoma Park Food Project conducts food drives for EduCare from local residents; Geoff Maxson is the leader of this program, and they have been great. The City of Takoma Park has been very supportive of the food pantry. A few years ago, we needed more freezers to store chicken and dairy, and they provided the funding for us to purchase two freezers.

Are you meeting all of the needs that you see?

Sogie-Thomas: With regular food donations and more people coming to volunteer, we could serve over 500 households per month. And we receive a lot of requests from persons who are not eligible [because they do not meet income limits or are already receiving other government support]. It is terrible to turn them away; some people are desperate. In such cases, we are able to give them the food from the Takoma Park Neighborhood Food Network and the Capital Area Food Bank.

What other services would EduCare like to provide?

Sogie-Thomas: At the moment, our Job Club, our employment assistance program, is on hold because we do not have the volunteers to manage it. Our First Friday Night youth program and citizenship classes are also on hold. EduCare would like to provide a range of services to residents of Takoma Park, including utility and rental assistance, employment assistance, life skills training for at-risk youth and immigrants and a community-inclusive day program for seniors.

What inspired you to do this work?

Sogie-Thomas: I know what it’s like to be hungry. I was born in Sierra Leone, and I moved to England and lived there for almost 12 years before I immigrated to the United States. I started a one-stop social services center at a church in England. My passion for social work started when I was in high school in Sierra Leone. After I moved to the United States, I went to Montgomery College and then received a degree in social work from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. I’m going to start a master’s program in management of aging services at UMBC because I enjoy working with the senior population.

Final words?

Sogie-Thomas: On behalf of the board of EduCare, I want to say we are very appreciative of the City’s support to relieve hunger in our community.

To learn more about EduCare, visit www.educaresupportservices.org.

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

By Karen MacPherson

Come meet a rising star in the children’s literature world on June 7 at 7 p.m. when Takoma Park resident Minh Le unveils Let Me Finish!, his debut picture book.

Le will be joined by illustrator Isabel Roxas, who did the artwork for the book, which tells the story of a child who just wants to finish his book in peace. Each time he starts on a book, however, one of a series of well-meaning, and obviously well-read, animals inadvertently let slip plot spoilers in their eagerness to launch impromptu book discussions. Le’s comically antic plot is perfectly matched by the vibrant colors and energy of Roxas’ illustrations.

While this is Le’s first time as a picture book author, he’s well versed — and well-known — in the children’s literature community. He’s known for his blog, Bottom Shelf Books (www.bottomshelf books.com), on which Le shares thoughtful and quirky posts about children’s books. In addition, Le regularly writes a picture book round-up for The Huffington Post. Just recently, he published his first children’s book review in The New York Times Book Review.

Le grew up in Middletown, Conn., the middle of three children, and the only son. His parents came to the United States on college scholarships from their native Vietnam and decided to settle here. Le graduated from Dartmouth College in 2001 with a degree in psychology and a minor in religion and then moved to Washington, D.C.

Over the next few years, Le worked at the circulation desk at the Mount Pleasant branch of the DC Public Library, did a teaching stint in the U.S. Marshall Islands, and also worked for a non-profit focusing on programs for Vietnam youth. It was through that program that he eventually met his wife, Aimee Oberndorfer Le, an international education expert; the two were married in 2008 and now have two young sons.

Several years ago, Le earned his master’s in education policy from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. He now works as a federal early childhood policy expert at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Administration for Children and Families.

As his policy career developed, however, Le also felt the pull of a long-held dream of creating a children’s picture book. After several years of effort, and thanks to a nudge from his wife, Le realized that he would do better to focus on crafting a picture book text as his writing skills were stronger than his artistic ones.

The decision to focus on writing, rather than art, finally unlocked Le’s creativity and the result was Let Me Finish. Working with his agent Stephen Barbara, Le has already completed, and sold, his second picture book and now is working on several others. And he’ll start out the summer with a bang, doing promotional programs for Let Me Finish! at the American Library Association’s annual conference as well as at the Children’s Institute of the American Booksellers Association.

Meanwhile, Let Me Finish! will be formally released on June 7, the day that Le and Roxas present it at the Library. Join us to learn more about an up-and-coming picture book author who lives in Takoma Park. Politics & Prose will be selling copies of Le’s book, but our event is free, and no purchase is required to attend.

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

Rochelle Coleman, a former professional athlete and current high school varsity coach at Paint Branch High School, understands the importance of setting a strong foundation and goals, and she is making an impact with youth in Takoma Park.

As an athlete, Coleman has played basketball on many levels. She played as a member of the Celeritas Donar Professional Team in the Netherlands. As a member of the Syracuse University women’s basketball team, she is listed in the school record book for the top ten all-time three-point field goals and the all-time scorers’ list. She served as a graduate assistant coach for the women’s basketball team at Slippery Rock University and has coached many youth basketball teams in the U.S. and abroad.

In May 2008 she started her training company Rochelle Athletic Consulting. Under Rochelle Athletic Consulting, RAC Basketball was born introducing the Washington, D.C., area to individual basketball training, clinics and camps. Coleman brought her dream to the City of Takoma Park in 2013, helping with coaching clinics as well as operating the Recreation Department’s Girls Basketball Camp that takes place over the summer. Coleman also is part of the Takoma Park Recreation Committee.

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