Former Takoma Park Mayor Kate Stewart presided over her final city council meeting on Monday, Nov. 21, to swear in the newly
elected members and welcome new Mayor Talisha Searcy.

There were plenty of tears and laughs at the meeting, as departing Councilmembers and the mayor said goodbyes and thanks to colleagues and supporters.

Councilmember Searcy took the time to thank her colleagues before being sworn in as Mayor Searcy. “This has been such a collaborative group of people where we may not all agree, but everyone is so solution-oriented that we advance issues in a way that benefits the entire community.”

She also took time to thank Mayor Stewart. “I am so grateful for your mentorship and your tutelage and just really helping me along the way,” she said. “I will truly miss you as mayor, but I definitely look forward to working with you in your new role as County Councilmember of District 4. Thank you all so much.”

Stewart also thanked her supporters, family and colleagues in city government: “First, thank you, so much to everyone, the whole community. I want to start with our city staff, you are all remarkable people. The deep caring you have for our community is astounding to me and I just want to thank from the bottom of my hear, each and every one of you. To my friends and community members who came out tonight. I so appreciate all of your support over the years. To my family, I started this when my kids were in middle school and now one is pretty much done with college and the other is in college. This has always been a family affair. In particular, I want to thank my husband for always being there, even at 3 and 4 a.m. And I want to thank my mother-in-law who has always been a huge source of strength in my life and an inspiration and for making sure my family is fed and I’m taking care of myself.”

Takoma Park residents went to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 8, to vote on a new mayor as well as who would be representing them in the city’s six wards.

Of Takoma Park’s 11,743 registered voters, 5,844 residents 16 years old and above came out on Election Day or voted by mail to cast their ballots for local elections for a total turnout of 49.77%. There were 734 ballots cast in-person on Election Day, 2,771 mail-in ballots received before Election Day and 2,251 mail-in ballots received on or after Election Day.

With 2,974 votes, Searcy was elected as the city’s newest mayor, replacing Stewart, who was elected to a seat on the Montgomery County Council in the new District 4. As for the new council, Shana Fulcher will represent Ward 1, Cindy Dyballa for Ward 2, Randy Gibson for Ward 3, Terry Seamens for Ward 4, Cara Honzak for Ward 5, and Jason Small for Ward 6, according to the city’s Board of Elections.

The regular terms for councilmembers and the mayor is two years. The next citywide election will be in November of 2024. Takoma Park is divided into six wards. The mayor is elected at large. City councilmembers are elected by ward.

Takoma Park uses ranked-choice voting, meaning residents rank candidates in order of preference instead of choosing just one.
The first candidate that receives more than 50% of the vote is then the winner. Rankedchoice voting is meant to ensure that winning candidates have support of the majority of voters. It can also reduce negative campaigning as candidates may benefit by encouraging voters to rank them as a second choice in the event a voter’s first choice does not receive a majority.

Members of the community filled the city auditorium for the swearing-in ceremony, with some paying tribute during public
comments to their departing councilmembers.

Susan Rosenblum, a resident of Ward 3 since 1995, spoke in praise of former Councilmember Kacy Kostiuk, who did not seek reelection for her seat, saying she’s “an example of how leadership does not necessarily mean the loudest voice in the room. Kacy listens, does research, and pushed the issue forward until It’s resolved.”

Robert Lanza, a resident of Ward 1 since 1998, came out to thank Peter Kovar, who was elected to the city council in 2015 and is now retiring. “I want to particularly thank Peter for his office hours, I greatly appreciated you taking the time to talk with your constituents about issues and your decision making,” Lanza said. “Thank you for your service and congratulations on your upcoming retirement.”

Troy Jacobs, of Ward 5, spoke to thank former Mayor Stewart, as well as Kovar, Kostiuk and outgoing Ward 5 Councilmember Jarrett Smith. “Fortunately we live in a jurisdiction where we respect the outcome of votes, strive to bring voice to government and build a more progressive Takoma Park. I thank you very much and look forward to working with the new city council. We’re very excited about it.”

Kelly Gibson of Ward 1 came out to speak highly of Stewart, who was first elected as Takoma Park’s mayor in 2015. “She’s immediately impressive but that’s just the special thing about her and who she is,” said Gibson. “I believe her style of leadership is what makes successful government bodies. Women lead different. We create space for differing opinions, we stay at the table, we don’t back down, we don’t make people feel bad for their different opinions and we never shut them down. Kate is the true illustration of that leadership and I believe Talisha will be as well, I’m very proud of that.”

The other outgoing councilmembers also took the opportunity to give their thanks to their families, the community and their colleagues.

“I’m so grateful to everyone in Ward 3 for the opportunity to serve in this role,” said Kostiuk, who also thanked her family for their support. “It’s been a real honor to represent you and get to know you and be a small part of your life for the past five years. Please, keep in touch with me, I’m still your neighbor, and I look forward to seeing you on the other side.”

Councilmember Kovar also thanked the council, voters, and residents of Ward 1. “Everyone was so welcoming and willing to give me the honor and privilege of representing them, which was incredibly touching,” he said. “We had a relationship that went on for seven years. I also want to thank my colleagues and staff, who were really good at helping me, but also talking me out of bad ideas.”

Stewart also took time to thank the council: “To my colleagues, you all have been so incredibly wonderful. Peter I know of few people who are so unwavering in how they fight for their constituents and their friends and you have been a model of that. Cindy your commitment to climate change and always asking the questions that need to be asked and index cards are things I will miss. Kacy, your patience, smarts and deep kindness are so unique and I’m truly going to miss working with you so closely. Councilmember Seamens, you have been a rock over the years and your search for justice and fairness in our community is something we’ve all benefited from. Talisha, your advice, collaboration and thoughtfulness has been something I’ve so much leaned on over the years.”

Stewart ended her farewell to the council by quoting one of her favorite authors Jacqueline Woodson, “The revolution is like a merry-go-round, history always being made somewhere. And maybe for a short time, we’re a part of that history. And then the ride stops and our turn is over.”

“So, Mayor-elect Searcy, it’s your turn to get on this merry-goround. And with that, I adjourn this city council,” she said to applause. Searcy was then sworn in by Karen A. Bushell, Clerk of the Montgomery County Circuit Court. The new mayor then swore in the next Takoma Park City Council.

She then gave her first words as the new mayor of Takoma Park. “First I want to thank the residents of Takoma Park. I deliberated a lot before putting my foot into the fire, I should say. I look forward to serving our entire city. I believe very strongly that we are all called together for a reason and it’s to lead this great city into its next phase of existence.”

This article was featured in the December 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

Applications for Takoma Park’s Direct Cash Assistance Program opened late last month, for a one-time, lump-sum cash payment to eligible households in the city. In total, the City plans to give out roughly $2.15 million direct cash assistance to more than 2,100 Takoma Park households at $1,000 through the new program. To be eligible for the cash assistance program, households need to be within the Takoma Park city limits and have an income of $50,000 or less per year.

“It’s pretty straightforward; the application, somebody creates an account in the online system, and then they submit photos of documents they have,” said acting deputy city manager Rosalind Grigsby, “We’re also trying to use other programs they may qualify for as qualifiers, like SNAP or WIC funds or other assistance programs they’re part of that demonstrate the need. That way we can forgo making them start from scratch with other documentation.”

The City is partnering with LiveStories, a civics analytics platform, to help distribute the money to those who are eligible. The City is stressing that everyone who is eligible is encouraged to apply for the funds, no matter their immigration status. “We don’t ask about immigrant status in Takoma Park, so they would need some way to show their address, such as a utility bill or other kinds of things, and some way to demonstrate income, like pay stubs or tax returns or an unemployment statement,” said Grigsby. “We’re trying to work with them to make sure they can get the funds they need.”

The City previously had programs helping with rents, medical expenses, and utilities, but wanted to give people more options of how the money could be spent. “The council wanted something that gave people more control on what they need,” said Grigsby. “It’s trusting that they know what their families need.”

If you’re in need of assistance, it’s better to act fast to make sure you complete an application before the funds are depleted. “We’ll give out money until we’ve spent it all,” Grigsby said. “I hope that it goes quickly because our goal is to get it into the hands of people who need it as quickly as possible. LiveStories believes the funds will likely be spent in a couple of months.”

The funds come from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which provided emergency relief funds to communities hit hard by  the pandemic. In July, the Takoma Park City Council approved an FY23 budget of $2,300,000 for the Direct Cash Assistance Program using the funds.

To help make sure everyone who is eligible can sign up online, the city times for when people can come into the city building or the new library and have staffers help them through the application: Thursday, November 3, from 3–9 p.m. in the Hydrangea Room at the Community Center, 7500 Maple Avenue Saturday, November 5, time to be determined, in the Library at 7505 New Hampshire Avenue Applications for the funds will be available at the City’s web page for this project.

This article was featured in the November 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

“Poetry is above all a concentration of the power of language, which is the power of our ultimate relationship to everything in the universe.” – Adrienne Rich

Eight poets will take listeners on a literary journey across the world and through the inner workings of the soul during two free poetry readings in November at the Takoma Park Community Center.

The readings are part of the City’s Takoma Park Arts series, which includes free poetry readings, film screenings, art exhibitions, concerts, and other events at the Takoma Park Community Center at 7500 Maple Avenue. Please go to takomaparkmd.gov/arts for more info and to sign up for our e-newsletter.

More than 100 poets from the D.C. area submitted applications to take part in upcoming readings, with 36 poets selected for nine readings that will be held over the next eight months. The poets are paid a small honorarium, and recordings of the readings are posted on the Takoma Park Arts YouTube channel at bit.ly/3rPvuwf.

Poetry Without Borders

Thursday, November 3, 7:30 pm

Four poets will share work featuring a global perspective: David Camero, Kim B. Miller, Victoria Moten, and Thu Anh Nguyen.

Camero started writing poetry when he was a teenager in France and then in Venezuela, where he received a BA in literature. Miller is a spoken word and haiku poet who has performed in person across the country and online internationally. Moten is an award-winning poet and middle school English teacher. Nguyen writes about equity, justice, and community, and her work has appeared in many journals.

Words Have Power Poetry Reading

Thursday, November 17, 7:30 pm

Four poets will share their work branching across various topics: Hazel Cherry, Amy Eisner, Katherine Smith, and Pamela Murray Winters. Cherry’s writing centers on Black women and serves as a source of empowerment and liberation. She received an MFA in creative writing from American University. Eisner’s poetry has appeared in many journals, including Fence, Poet Lore, and Valparaiso.

Smith is a teacher at Montgomery College and a senior poetry editor of the Potomac Review. She has published three books of poetry, and her work has appeared in various journals. Winters received an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has published one book of poetry and was awarded several State of Maryland arts grants.

This article was featured in the November 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

Awards for the Multifamily Building Grant for Electrification & Building Improvements: The Multifamily Building Grant for Electrification and Building Improvements, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), application closed in September 2022. This grant was co-issued by the Housing & Community Development and Public Works Departments. The total requested amount of funding was $2,510,000 from 75 applications. Each applicant could request a grant for up to $49,999 to help cover project costs. Forty-three projects across all five wards were awarded the first week of October, allocating for all $750,000 in funding. The projects are set to start immediately and will all be completed by June 2023.

This article was featured in the November 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

Fall is one of the best times to improve your lawn, trees, shrubs, and garden. The basic maintenance you do during this “second spring” will pay off in healthier growth and fewer problems next year.

Mulch your trees.

Now is the time to add a layer of mulch around your trees. In the winter, mulch insulates the roots and provides nutrients. It helps the soil retain moisture, too. Even large and old trees benefit from adding a ring of mulch. The mulch should not touch the base of the tree. Apply mulch to a ring around the tree trunk. Remember the Rule of 3:

1. The mulch ring should extend 3 feet out from the trunk;
2. The mulch should start 3 inches from the trunk so that no mulch touches the tree; and
3. The mulch should be 3 inches deep (but not more).

Start organic lawn care.

A beautiful lawn next spring starts with simple actions you can take this fall.

• Learn from your soil. Whether it’s through weeds, or empty patches, the look of your lawn tells you about the health of the soil. The soil should be loose and teeming with life too small to see—if your lawn is suffering, start with aerating your lawn, adding compost, re-seeding, and leaving all your grass and leaf clippings as a source of nutrients.
• Replace your “weed and feed” chemicals with grass seed. Fall is the perfect time to restore bare patches of lawn with seed—do this every year to fill in your lawn because a strong carpet of grass will keep weed seeds from germinating.

Recycle your yard trim.

During the fall, your yard becomes covered with leaves. What should you do with these leaves and other types of yard trim Compost it. Take leaves, grass clippings, and garden prunings and recycle them into a nutrient-rich soil amendment, better known as “black gold” or compost.

• If you have more yard waste than you can compost, the Public Works Department collects yard waste from all single-family homes and most small apartment buildings within the City of Takoma Park year-round. Yard waste collection is a curbside collection service and is offered once a week on Mondays.
• Public Works also offers curbside loose-leaf collection in the
  fall.

This article was featured in the November 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

The Takoma Park Recreation Department relies heavily on parents/adults as volunteers to orchestrate our Winter Basketball League. This helps immensely in the continued success of our Winter Basketball League. The league will tip off January 21 and run through March 11.

“Volunteers are the heart and soul of our organization – without their hard work and dedication, we couldn’t do the work we do every day to help kids, families, and the community thrive,” said Debby Huffman, acting director, City of Takoma Park Recreation Department. “By bringing people together from all walks of life around a shared purpose to do good, the Recreation Department is helping create a stronger, more cohesive community.”

One of our newer coaches last season was Akil Charles. Akil is a personal trainer for his own company, A.R.C. (Achieve, Rise, Conquer) Athletics. He started volunteering as a coach for the Winter Basketball League in 2022. He played basketball at Eleanor Roosevelt High School and collegiately at St. Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia, Canada). He has coached for the United States Basketball Association (USBA) in Guangzhou, Zhuhai, China.

Akil said, “It is important to me to be a volunteer and a coach. I look forward to it every year. Basketball is my passion, and I love giving back to the community. The Winter Basketball league gives me a chance to spread my knowledge of the game to youth on my team as well as many others.”

Akil believes that staying connected beyond the basketball season is very important. He said, “This volunteer opportunity as a coach has helped me to stay connected and build relationships with youth and their parents from the Winter Basketball League on and off the court.”

Throughout the season many players said they enjoyed playing in the league. One participant said, “I love my coach. I wasn’t sure about playing at first, but my coach made sure to make it fun for me.” The primary objective of the Takoma Park Recreation Department Winter Basketball League is to develop people, not professional athletes. Volunteer coaches are dedicated to developing youth and will emphasize the values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. For more information on volunteering, contact John Webster via johnw@takomaparkmd.gov. We are looking forward to another great season!

This article was featured in the October 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

Most small cities across the country don’t have their own poet laureate, but Takoma Park is different.

Since the program’s inception in 2005, the Takoma Park poet laureate has served as the City’s ambassador to promote public appreciation of poetry and support a creative community for local poets. The poet laureate also helps organize the City’s popular Takoma Park Arts poetry reading series, which features free poetry readings at the Takoma Park Community Center by poets from across the D.C. area.

The Takoma Park Arts and Humanities Committee unanimously recommended Johnson as the City’s next poet laureate based on his selection by a subcommittee led by outgoing Poet Laureate Kathleen O’Toole. The subcommittee reported that Johnson “has the heart, vision, and skills to collaboratively weave poetry into the fabric of Takoma Park and harness the power of the arts to help build community.”

The City Council unanimously approved Johnson’s appointment at a Council meeting on Sept. 28. Johnson, who will be paid a $2,000 annual honorarium from City funds, will serve a three-year term beginning Oct. 1.

After growing up in the D.C. area, Johnson moved from New Orleans to Takoma Park this year with his wife. He has led poetry workshops at schools and colleges in the D.C. area, and his work has been published in many journals, including The Paris Review and Tin House.

Johnson has received several fellowships and residencies and currently serves as the inaugural poet-in-residence for the Guggenheim Museum. His first book of poetry titled Inheritance was named a Best Poetry Book by the New York Times in 2020.

Johnson spoke recently with the City’s Arts and Humanities Coordinator Brendan Smith about his work as a poet. You also can learn more about him at taylorjohnsonpoems.com.

When did you first start writing poetry and what sparked your interest?

Johnson: I had an interest in poetry when I was 15 years old and was taken with the language of John Donne and Gwendolyn Brooks. Then I found more contemporary poets to study, including Dawn Lundy Martin, Terrance Hayes, and Carl Phillips. Around that time, I also was a member of the D.C. youth slam poetry team. I studied poetry in college and am grateful for where that deep study continues to lead me.

How can poetry influence or inspire people?

Johnson: Poetry attunes people to the beauty, complexity, and deep emotion present in everyday living. Poetry can inspire readers to speak about their identities, their loves and losses, and their joys and hardships.

As a poet, I’m moved by how reading another poet’s work opens me deeply to my own language, a sense of being beheld as a member of this universe. Poetry illuminates the spiritual possibilities of color, tessellations of line and form, unuttered vernaculars of beauty in the natural world, and tensions between self and society.

What projects would you like to develop to encourage poetry writing by residents?

Johnson: I would love to lead some nature-based poetry walking tours utilizing our great trail system. I’d also enjoy updating the poem signs around Takoma Park to reflect a more diverse range of contemporary voices with a focus on local poets.

I also am interested in creating a youth poet laureate position that could work with me to make poetry books and hold youth poetry workshops in local schools and libraries. Finally, I would like to hold poet laureate “office hours” at local farmers markets and other events where I could suggest poems and poets as well as lend or give away poetry books.

What are some common misperceptions about poetry, and
how can we address them?

Johnson: Poetry can be a daunting art form to take in because it’s often seen as having a “right way” to read it, which isn’t true. There’s such great openness in the language of poems, but I think it requires a level of humility and dedicated time in the approach.

Do you have any advice for anyone who wants to write poetry but has never tried?

Johnson: Read and find people who want to discuss poems. That feels like the most important part, observing your language and the language of others and then joining that great conversation.

This article was featured in the October 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

Big things are in store for the Takoma Park Recreation Center, with the City mulling plans to renovate the aging facility. There is even the possibility of getting an entirely new recreation building on the horizon.

“The building was originally built in the 70s,” said Ira Kowler, Takoma Park’s economic development manager. “It’s old, it’s a one-story building with a basketball court and some multi-purpose rooms, but it needs some TLC. For the past half-decade, the City’s been trying to think creatively about the potential that this site has and the potential it has to meet a lot of needs for the City and community at large.”

The City took control of the recreation center at 7315 New Hampshire Avenue from Montgomery County about two years ago as part of a land swap arrangement, unloading forested area for the 1.8-acre plot and 10,000 square-foot building. The arrangement was made under the condition that the City would still provide recreation facilities. “The City really acquired the building with the intention of improving the recreation services and facilities and serving the goals of our Housing and Strategic Development plan from 2019 to produce more affordable housing throughout the city,” Kowler said.

In 2021, Takoma Park partnered with the urban consulting practice Brick & Story to create an engagement plan to ask the community what they want to see in a recreation center and to use the space to its full potential. “A lot of folks wanted new programming and different hours—including more evening hours—more fitness rooms, a weight room, exercise room, and fitness classes,” Kowler said. “There was some broad interest in having more flexible space and potentially more uses of space, whether that’s a café or open community space or housing.”

Part of the funding for the first rounds of improvements to the building will be from $175,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to be used for the short-term improvements needed on the existing structure, such as updating the air conditioning in the building and fixing roofing and other issues.

The City was also awarded $145,000 through a state grant for predevelopment work on the site. Part of the predevelopment work is looking into a public-private partnership with the possibility of a ground-floor recreation center and multi-floor mixed-use space above it.

“The City is excited to take the next step in figuring out what an open private-public process might be,” Kowler said. “We are moving forward with gauging interest in whether a bigger development is something that’s possible on the site under the condition that we get a bigger and better recreation center.”

No matter what the future holds, the City plans to work hard to minimize any impacts and keep services running as smoothly as possible during the process. “It’s a long process, and the building will be around for a while regardless of what happens,” Kowler said. “Now we’re at an exciting next step in the process with funding for immediate work that must be done and funding for larger development opportunities. The services are No. 1, and any sort of process would have to account for not disrupting those services. The ultimate goal is to get a better rec center.”

This article was featured in the October 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

In the process of clearing the site for the Takoma Maryland Library reconstruction project, the Philadelphia & Maple Ave Capital Bikeshare Station (#32010) will be temporarily removed and placed into storage for the duration of the construction. The station will be removed on Wednesday, October 5.

City and County staff identified a number of potential alternative locations, both near the Community Center and elsewhere in the community. However, none met the engineering, safety, or connectivity criteria for the Capital Bikeshare program.

Other Nearby Bikeshare Stations

The nearest alternative stations are at:

• Maple & Ritchie Ave (0.3 miles)
• Carroll & Ethan Allen Ave (0.4 miles)
• Takoma  Metro Station (0.6 miles)
• Carroll & Westmoreland Ave (0.7 miles)

Contact

For questions or concerns, please reach email the Takoma Park Planning Division or call 301-891-7119.

This article was featured in the October 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.

Finally! Construction is about to begin on the new library building. After years of planning and debate, it’s really happening. Everyone at the library and computer center is looking forward to more space for books, staff, and patrons, as well as a new building that is ADA compliant and up to code. While we wait for our new building to be built, we must have someplace to call home, someplace for our patrons to visit and find books and other materials.

The library and computer center are closed for the entire month of September as we prepare to move into new, temporary space. Check our website for the new location’s address. We anticipate opening there at the beginning of October. Here’s what you need to know while we are closed:

• We will automatically renew any materials you have checked out until the temporary location opens.
• Please do not try to return books! Hold onto your materials until the temporary location opens. If you have special circumstances, such as moving away, please email us, and we will make arrangements for your books’ return.
• All our online resources will be available during the closure. If you need help with them, email us.
• Books-to-Go (curbside) and Books-to-You (delivery for Takoma Park residents only) will be suspended during the move.
• For printing needs, Montgomery County Libraries have wireless printing available for a small fee. Closer to the Community Center, there are some local businesses that provide this service. Takoma Business Center at 7304 Carroll Ave., the UPS Store at 6955 Willow Ave. NW, and Community Printing at 6979 Maple St. NW, are a few.
• Programs! Canta Juego will continue online. Jump Start with the Arts will be held outdoors in the held on Maple Ave. at Sligo Creek Parkway; Yard Dramas, Wednesdays at 11 a.m., will be at Crossroads Farmers Market. All other programs will be suspended until the library opens in the temporary location. See www. tinyurl.com/tplibraryevents.
• The Child & YA Team will take some time to adjust to the new space and reimagine programming in the future. Regular programs, like Neighborhood Circle Time and Scribbler’s Cabal: Sketch Club will be on hiatus until further notice. Please share your feedback to help shape the future of our programs by filling out our survey!

Here’s what you need to know once we’re open at the new location:

• Check our website for program information, including locations and start dates.
• The hours will be the same as at the old building: Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Friday – Sunday, 12–6 p.m. The library and computer center now have the same hours.
• The phone number (301-891-7259) will remain the same.
• Books-to-Go (curbside) and Books-to-You (delivery for Takoma Park residents only) will resume when the library reopens.

You can always reach us by email, and if you have questions about the move or the new building, email us at newlibrary@takomaparkmd.gov!

This article was featured in the September 2022 Newsletter. Visit the Takoma Park Newsletter webpage to see the full list of past newsletters.