County Residents Raise Concern Regarding Firefighter Response Times, Trash Pick-Up
In response to community issues, Prince George’s County residents from Fairwood to Greenbelt to District Heights are engaging with their elected officials to seek solutions through town halls, community walks, and direct advocacy.
Greenbelt residents voiced their complaints at a town hall hosted at the Volunteer Fire Department on Sep. 12 regarding longer wait times for fire response, following a county plan to shift career staffers.
County Fire Chief Tiffany Green was invited to the meeting, but sent a spokesperson. County Council member Eric Olson (D-District 2) attended the meeting and pledged to continue advocating for better response times and more firefighters for his constituents.
Council member Wala Blegay (D-District 6) held a town hall on Sep. 9 to discuss trash issues and numerous residents noted that their trash was being picked up multiple days after their scheduled day. This has been a particular issue on hot days and for pet owners.
“There’s been missed days of trash pick-up, compost pick-up, recycling pick-up, yard waste pick-up, there has been leaving of trash on the ground — residue. I’ve actually seen that myself,” Blegay explained. “It goes into quality of life. People pay high taxes here in [Prince George’s] County and the least that people want you to do is pick up the trash.”
Blegay recently met with the county executive and was told that trash contractors were changed over the summer, leading to some confusion over trash routes beginning in July.
The District 6 council member is supportive of fines for non-compliant contractors to help address the issue.
“It just makes your neighborhood look trashy,” said Gabriel Njinimbot, who previously ran for Congress and County Council. “Just imagine how your neighborhood looks like with trash cans lined up from up the street all the way down.”
County Environmental Director Andrea Crooms told the Council that there have been problems and said her office is trying to fix the issues with better strategic planning and other tools. Crooms also noted that crew issues over the summer were worsened by the blistering heat while other haulers had issues securing enough trash trucks.
“We have the ability to issue fines, and we’re going to issue fines if they’re not doing what they are supposed to do,” she said. Crooms said that over the summer, and especially in July, haulers dealt with crew issues due to the heat. Meanwhile, other haulers had supply chain issues in securing enough trucks. She also said some crews missed homes as trash removal workers learned new routes.
Council member Krystal Oriadha (D- District 7) held a community walk with her constituents on Sep. 12 to hear concerns: trash was also on the mind of the District Heights residents she walked with, along with speeding and illegal parking.
“You really don’t know it until you see it. There was one community walk and they had been complaining about the trash, but when I saw it, I couldn’t imagine it was that much trash from one dumpster, spread across two streets,” said Oriadha.”One thing I’m really trying to do is make sure we’re holding our government agencies and making sure it’s equitable across the board, that inside the beltway is treated the same way as communities in Laurel and Largo and Upper Marlboro.”
Greater Washington Community Foundation Invests Big in PGCPS Students
The Greater Washington Community Foundation (GWCF) recently supported Prince George’s County Public Schools and local students by investing in their futures.
GWCF launched a pilot program called Brilliant Futures, funded by $10 million of contributions raised by The Community Foundation’s “Together, We Prosper Campaign for Economic Justice” and through investments from generous donors, that will invest up to $1,000 per year in savings accounts for two classes of Bradbury Heights Elementary students until they graduate.
“We’ve seen the transformative impacts of well-executed programs that provide savings for young people and adults alike,” said Millard House II, superintendent of Prince George’s County Public Schools. “We hope that by supporting students with a down payment on life, whether that goes toward funding a college tuition, starting a small business, or buying a house, this program will level the playing field, promoting racial and financial equity in the greater Washington region.”
Upon completing high school, the goal is for each student to have access to at least $13,000, plus any investment earnings, that they can use to seed their future aspirations whether that be opening a business, going to school, or buying a home.
The GWCF will work with the schools as well as with community partners Reid Community Development Corporation in Prince George’s County and Parent Encouragement Program in Montgomery County to manage the program.
“We are confident that children’s savings will help us reshape how and where resources flow in our communities so that we can build more equitable systems which lead to a more resilient and prosperous region for all,” said GWCF CEO and President Tonia Wellons. “Expanding the possibilities not just for one, but for an entire community of young people can move us toward our vision of narrowing the racial wealth gap in our region.”
“Brilliant Futures isn’t just about the money; it’s about nurturing our youngest learners and setting them up with the confidence and agency to build their own life,” said Bradbury Heights Elementary School Principal Dr. Lynette Walker-Crayton.