College Park to Undergo Changes

 

Have people heard about some off the new urban projects planned for College Park?  Check this out:

 

The University of Maryland, College Park could look considerably different by 2020 if plans for a light rail line and a town center development on the east side of campus roll forward this year.

Preliminary engineering for the $1.93 billion Purple Line, expected to run through the heart of campus, could begin this fall if federal transit officials grant permission. The initial phase of the East Campus development, which would include a hotel, restaurants and retail shops, could also come up for approval by the Board of Regents if campus leaders can reach an agreement with the Baltimore-based Cordish Cos.

School officials say that, in tandem, the projects could make the campus more accessible to commuting professors and students from across the Washington suburbs and give it a more polished look commensurate with the flagship university's enhanced national standing.

 

Read more about what might be changing in town here.

Don’t Forget Dad!

 

Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19th.   What was the best advice you ever received from your Father?  Share it with us!  We’d love to hear it.

 

Or just enjoy some of these pithy quotes about our favorite dads:

 

"A new father quickly learns that his child invariably comes to the bathroom at precisely the times when he's in there, as if he needed company. The only way for this father to be certain of bathroom privacy is to shave at the gas station." -- Bill Cosby

"A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again." -- Enid Bagnold

"A father is a guy who has snapshots in his wallet where his money used to be." – Unknown

"My father always told me, 'Find a job you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life.' " -- Jim Fox

"A father is a banker provided by nature." -- French Proverb

"My father said, 'Politics asks the question: Is it expedient? Vanity asks: Is it popular? But conscience asks: Is it right?'" -- Dexter Scott King

"When I was a kid, I said to my father one afternoon, 'Daddy, will you take me to the zoo?' He answered, 'If the zoo wants you, let them come and get you.'" -- Jerry Lewis

"Small boy's definition of Father's Day: It's just like Mother's Day only you don't spend so much." – Unknown

"By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong." -- Charles Wadsworth

 

Check out more quotations here.  And here’s an anecdote from America’s favorite dad:

Have a Safe Memorial Day!

How are you planning to celebrate/ honor Memorial Day weekend?  Is the occasion a chance to barbeque and hang with friends, or is it a more solemn occasion as you remember a loved one?  Share with us!

But no matter how you choose to spend your weekend, the Prince George’s County Fire Department want you to stay safe.  Here are some tips via the College Park Patch:

So here are few ways you, your family and friends can stay safe.  When it comes to grilling in Prince George's County grills must be at least 30 feet away from any multi-family apartment buildings. Grills are also illegal to use on balconies of apartments or condominium apartments. Other tips include:

• Don't use a grill indoors including garages, overhangs and canopies.
• When using a grill at your single family home, homeowners should use a 10-foot perimeter from anything combustible, including your house.
• Do not allow children and pets to play near a grill.
• Only use approved ignition fluids – don't use gasoline to ignite a grill.
• Keep a fire extinguisher, garden hose or bucket of sand nearby to douse a grill fire.
• Inspect your grill before you ignite to ensure everything is in working order.

A New Terp in Charge

Here is an article about new coach Mark Turgeon by Tracee Hamilton.  What’s your opinion of the changing of the guard?  Share it with us!

 

Randy Edsall’s introductory news conference at Maryland was more of a wake than a surprise party. All that was missing that January day were dirges and the funeral meats. Edsall had come from Connecticut to replace a football coach who was also a Maryland alum, and there were fans — even some in the room that day — who felt Ralph Friedgen shouldn’t be leaving, or that at least his replacement should be more impressive.

Mark Turgeon’s news conference Wednesday could have gone the same way. He came from Texas A&M to replace a basketball coach who was also a Maryland alum, and some fans felt it wasn’t time for Gary Williams to leave, either (although Williams left on his own terms). And there are fans who feel, that despite Turgeon’s rather impressive credentials, he isn’t good enough for Maryland.

Those fans are wrong.

To read the whole article, click here.

Don’t Forget Mother’s Day

 

 

 

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 8th!  Haven’t gotten her a present yet?  Here are a couple of last minute ideas to help you out:

 

1) Take her on a picnic.

2) Make a basket filled with her favorite things.

3) Write a journal to give to her that includes “My Favorite Times with Mom.”

4) Make a scrapbook for Mom that includes “My Favorite Pictures of Mom.”

5) Cook her favorite dinner instead of just taking her out.

6) Give Mom a coupon book with special chores or favors you will do for her. Mom can redeem her coupons whenever she needs your help.

7) Plant her a garden. 

8) Spend the day with her and take lots of pictures so she can have those memories forever.

9) Wash her car.

10) When in doubt, CHOCOLATE!

 

Here are some interesting facts on Mother’s Day and moms!

Saturday is Maryland Day

Come to the 13th annual Maryland Day on Saturday, April 30.  Maryland Day is the University of Maryland's popular--and FREE--open house.  This family-friendly event will have 400 interactive exhibits, workshops and live performances. The event lasts from 10am to 4m.   For a full event schedule, check out the Maryland Day event page.  Whether you’re a student or not, discover all that Maryland has to offer!

Happy Easter!

Hoping everyone has a peaceful and candy-filled Easter/Passover weekend.  Here are some fun facts about the season: 

• When taking a bite into a chocolate bunny, 76% of Americans prefer to bite off the ears first. 5% eat the feet first and 4% eat the tail first.
• During the Easter season, Americans buy more than 700 million Peeps - making Peeps the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy.
• Ham came to be the traditional favorite for Easter dinner because in pre-refrigeration days, hogs were slaughtered in the fall and cured for six to seven months. Just in time for Easter dinner.
• Each day throughout the year, 5 million marshmallow chicks and bunnies are produced in preparation for Easter.
• 16 billion jelly beans are made specifically for Easter which is enough to fill a plastic egg the size of a 9-story building.
• Eggs, like rabbits and hares, are fertility symbols of antiquity. Since birds lay eggs and rabbits and hares give birth to large litters in the early spring, these became symbols of the rising fertility of the earth at the Spring equinox.
• The most famous decorated Easter eggs were those made by the well-known goldsmith, Peter Carl Faberge. In 1883 the Russian Czar, Alexander, commissioned Faberge to make a special Easter gift for his wife, the Empress Marie.
• 57% of kids get up super early on Easter to see what the Easter bunny has brought them.
• 80% of parents carry on the tradition of the Easter bunny by preparing a surprise Easter basket filled with goodies for their children and 90% of adults hope for their own Easter treat.
• The first chocolate eggs were made in Germany in the 19th century and remain one of the most popular Easter candies today.
• In the old days pretzels were associated with Easter because the twists of the pretzel were thought to resemble arms crossing in prayer.
• The name Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor. Some Easter customs have come from this and other pre-Christian spring festivals. Others come from the Passover feast of the Jews, observed in memory of their deliverance from Egypt.
• The Easter egg roll on the White House lawn has been a tradition since 1878.
• After Halloween, Easter is the biggest candy consuming holiday.

 

You can read more Easter Fun Facts here and here.