Vansville Festival, Sunday, July 16, 1 - 5 pm

Don't miss the Vansville annual Community Day Festival, Sunday, July 16 from 1 pm to 5 pm. At nearby Vansville Park, on Old Baltimore Pike, 1/2 mile south of Muirkirk Rd.

Bottom Dollar Update July 8, 2006

Between now and July 19, when the Food Lion in Crystal Plaza on Rt. 197 at Muirkirk Rd converts to a Bottom Dollar store, they are drawing down their inventory.
Based on signs in the store and answers given by store management, all remaining grocery items are now 30% off until Sunday, July 9. From Monday, July 10 through Tuesday, July 18, remaining grocery items will be 60% off.

Starting with the opening of the Bottom Dollar store on Wednesday, July 19, customers will need a free Bottom Dollar membership card to shop at the store. Customers will not be able to check out without a membership card. Free membership cards will be issed at the front door and at the check-out stations.

Bottom Dollar stores do not participate in Food Lion advertised prices.

Rite Aid Open / Camerons Seafood Coming

Some things are looking up for the Crystal Plaza shopping center on Route 197 at Muirkirk Rd.

The Rite Aid opened today. They have an advanced KODAK self-serve kiosk with USB for printing digital photos from thumb drives, as well as from the usual memory cards and from CD/DVDs.

The new Rite Aid is giving a $20 gift card if you transfer a drug prescription to their pharmacy.

Here is the Rite Aid Weekly Sale Items circular, which is now also listed in the SLNV menu.

A Camerons Seafood market will open in the storefront on the west end of the row that has the Subway in it. It remains to be seen if they will sell prepared foods. http://cameronsseafood.com/

FREE "Club" Wheel Locks Deter Theft of Cars and Air Bags

Bar-style steering wheel locks like "The Club" deter not only car theft, but for some cars they can also deter the increasingly common theft of air-bags.
FREE CLUB STEERING WHEEL LOCK
I just confirmed that P.G. Police District 6 is still offering free Club steering wheel locks for participation in the free Watch Your Car program. For information about Watch Your Car, see http://www.mdautotheft.org/wycprogram.htm but the web site does not offer the free Club steering-wheel lock.

To Register for Watch Your Car and get your free club lock, just drop by the P.G. Police District 6 statioin, 4321 Sellman Rd, Beltsville, MD (interactive map) and ask for Corporal Robison who usually is at the station Monday - Friday 8 am to 4 pm. Or you may call her at the station number 301 937-0910 to make an appointment.

Given what is at stake, even buying a club-style steering wheel lock may be a good investment.

Galaxy Billiards Cafe Eyes Amazon Liquor License

South Laurel News and Views recently learned that the owner of one of the nearby Galaxy Billiards Cafes (which one was unspecified) is in discussions with Club Amazon owners about buying the Amazon's recently relinquished liquor license. It is likely, but not certain, that the license would be used at the Club Amazon location. Earlier, a "Cheese Burger Paradise" had expressed interest in the site and liquor license. Anyone who acquires the Amazon's Class "B" liquor license (for a family restaurant) would be bound by the same conditions imposed on Club Amazon by the P.G. Liquor Board.

Here is a December 17, 2004 article about one of the Galaxy Billiards Cafes in Silver Spring, MD.

[July 31, 2007:
For information about the bar that replaced Club Amazon see link Rio Sports Bar & Grille which is also under NEWS at the South Laurel News & Views Blog.

Final Liquor Board Ruling on Club Amazon, June 15, 2006

The following letter was sent to Club Amazon legal counsel and all Parties of Record:

QUOTE:

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY GOVERNMENT BOARD OF LICENSE COMMISSIONERS

June 15,2006

Mishonda Baldwin, Esquire 6240 Wilde Swan Way Columbia, Maryland 21045

RE: t/a Amazon Class B, Beer, Wine and Liquor

Dear Ms. Baldwin:

During Regular Session on June 14, 2006, the Board of License Commissioners met regarding the above captioned.

The Commissioners found your client in violation of Sections 10-401 (a)(ii)(2), 16-301(a), 20-202(v)(l)(B) of Article 2B and Rules 25, 26(A)(I), 26(A)(3), 26(A)(14), 26(B)(4), 26(B)(7), 26(B)(10), 26(B)(12), 26(B)(14), 46(B), 46(1), of the local rules and regulations of the Board of License Commissioners. A fine of$5,000 was imposed. A certified check, cashier's check or money order in the amount of$5,000 is due and payable to Prince George's County within seven (7) days.

Additionally, the Commissioners granted your client a ninety (90) day closure of the licensed establishment for the sole purpose of transferring the alcoholic beverage license at this location or to another location within Prince George's County. Should the Class B, Beer, Wine and Liquor license be transferred to parties that continue to remain at the location of 13501 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland, the operation of the business must be that of a family friendly sit down restaurant operation. It was also proffered that grandfather rights regarding CB-49-2005 do not transfer at the address of 13501 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel, Maryland. The Commissioners accepted proffers that under no circumstance would the current licensees, Robyn Kim, President and Nick Gladen, Secretary/Treasurer re-open at this location. In addition, the Board determined that customer dancing was not authorized at the licensed premises and no such "right" was available to transfer in any instance.

The proffers that the licensee made to the Board were instrumental in the Board's determination of the type of penalty to impose as well as the Board's decision to grant the ninety (90) day closure for the purpose of transferring the license. Should the proffers not be strictly adhered to, the Board would consider such act a potential violation and the proper subject of a show cause hearing.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

Sincerely yours,

[signature]

Franklin D. Jackson
Chairman

CC:
The Honorable John A. Giannetti, Jr.
The Honorable Leo Green
The Honorable Brain Moe
The Honorable Pauline Menes
The Honorable Barbara Frush
The Honorable Thomas E. Demoga
The Honorable Douglas J.J. Peters
The Honorable Craig A. Moe
All Parties of Record

County Service Building, Room 204, 5012 Rhode Island Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland 20781-2037 (301) 699-2770

END QUOTE:

Child --Taylor Stubbs -- Missing Since May 24, 2006

Taylor Stubbs -- Missing since May 24, 2006

Taylor Stubbs is a 12-year-old girl who is 5'3" (160 cm) and weighs 125 lbs (57 kg).

The local connection is that she lived in BELTSVILLE and attended Kingsford and Woodmore elementary schools. She possibly moved to Florida with her mother in sixth grade -- before disappearing from SILVER SPRING, MD on May 24, 2006.

If you live in Maryland or know people who do, then please click here. With a few clicks of your mouse, you could start an Internet word-of-mouth buzz that could easily reach hundreds of thousands of people. You could be responsible for saving Taylor's life. This actually works --

The missing child was last seen wearing sunglasses, blue jeans and a white and black polo shirt. Her hair is styled in a purple and black Mohawk.

If you have any information regarding Taylor Stubbs, please contact:
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
800-843-5678 (800-THE-LOST)

The case number for Taylor Stubbs is: USMDw06028086

Other Maryland children recently missing and found
through th National Center for Missing & Expolited Chldren (This continually updated link is also under NEWS in the SLN&V sidebar.)

This information is from LINKTILES: Missing Children

Lost Dog

UPDATE: Laurel Leader June 15, 2006

This lost dog was last seen on Ashford Blvd
(previously on Cambridge Circle) off Cherry Lane west of Route 1 in the vicinity of Laurel Lakes. It might stay near the lake or the upstream pond for food and water. When last approached the dog fled, so please call the owner before approaching it, unless it comes up to you on its own.

Here's a scrollable map of the Cambridge Circle area. The dog's home on Maple St. is east of Route 1 near Cypress (just north of Contee Rd at Route 1)-- so it has crossed Route 1 at least once already. So it might end up anywhere in only a few more days.

Meet Our Councilman Tom Dernoga July 2, 2006

Here's an informal opportunity to meet our District 1 County Councilman, Tom Dernoga hosted by Rosalind Johnson at Applewalk Condominiums.




"Villas at Laurel" Town Homes in Rt 197 Bus Lot

According to information gathered by Rosalind Johnson, Applewalk HoA:

The land development and management company, Structures Unlimited, CEO Kareem Abdus-Salaam, "specializing in Transit Oriented Development", plans to build an "up-scale" "Villa-style" community of about 85 Town Homes, priced at $500K and up, on the current Metro Bus lot at Route 197 Laurel-Bowie Rd and Briarcroft Lane, near the Park View Senior Apartments. No newspaper items were found about this development.

Only an average of 30 of the currently 686 [A] bus lot parking spaces have been used on a daily basis. The plan leaves 86 parking spaces for bus riders. The "transit oriented development" concept is to encourage more use of the buses by Villas at Laurel residents and others nearby. Metro buses run on a regular basis from that lot to the Greenbelt and New Carrollton metro subway stations.

The Villas at Laurel town homes will average 2100-2500 square feet. Landscaping is said to comply with new standards established under Prince George's "Livable Communities" initiative.

The developers may propose that a new traffic signal be installed at Route 197 and Briarcroft to facilitate pedestrians from Villas at Laurel, Park View and the Church and Day Care facility wanting to cross Rt. 197 to get to the Giant and other stores at the north end of the shopping center, without having to walk south to the existing traffic signal at Snowhill Estates Lane.

See the Concept Plan at this link, which appears to show only 64 Town Homes, but is subject to revision in the Specific Design Plan.

The developers have been working on this project since 2003 and now hope to go to Specific Design Plan (SDP) hearings and approval by July this year. Meanwhile, they have been contacting nearby property owners and say they welcome opportunities to work on the Specific Design Plan with area residents.


Contact info:
Structures Unlimited, Ltd.
CEO Mr. Kareen Abdus-Salaam
2121 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 261-6547
http://suionline.com

[A] May 23, 2006: This is a correction. The original post incorrectly said "160+" spaces.

Wed Mar 22 7 PM - Police Chief's Crime Report & Action Workshop

Please Join

Prince George’s County Police Chief Melvin C. High

District 6 Commander Major Tom Connolly

and Police Department Staff

on

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Martin Luther Middle School

4545 Ammendale Road

Beltsville, Maryland

A Report to the Community

on Crime & Action Workshop

Hosted by

The Prince George’s County Police Chief's

Citizen’s Advisory Council

and the District 6 Citizen’s Advisory Council

Your local elected officials have also been invited to attend

Senator John Giannetti

Delegates Barbara Frush, Paulene Menes and Brian Moe

Councilman Tom Dernoga

Refreshments will be served.
MAP

Recent Rash of Car Thefts Along Muirkirk - Take Precautions

According to word from the President of the nearby Beltsville Citizens Association, there has recently been a rash increase in auto thefts in the South Laurel area along Muirkirk Road. The vehicles of choice appear to be Chryler and Dodge products.
Statistic show that a majority of the vehicles that are stolen are left unattended with the keys in the ignition, or unlocked.
Also consider taking other precautions, such as using steering wheel locks, like the Club, etc.
Dates and locations of vehicle thefts and other crimes in our Police District 6 and for each of the other five police districts are reported in the P.G. Crime Report in the Thursday P.G. Extras section of the Washington Post, which you may review at the Regional Crime link that i update each week on the MH News web site.

Stardust/Amazon Liquor Board Hearing Now May 3

City of Laurel -- Official Press Release -- February 21, 2006

Stardust/Amazon Liquor Board Hearing Now May 3

Click here to read this article on the Montpelier Hills web site.