Brandywine-Aquasco
By Audrey Johnson, 301-922-5384
LAKE ARBOR JAZZ FESTIVAL
The 16th Annual Lake Arbor Jazz Festival returns to the MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Maryland July 15–19, 2026. This 5-day event features performances from artists including Norman Brown, Boney James, Kirk Whalum, and Marcus Anderson. Tickets for various events, including the Summer White Affair and Sunday Jazz Brunch, are currently on sale. https://lakearborjazz.com/
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY HISTORY
“In 1634, Governor Leonard Calvert founded Maryland’s first settlement at St. Mary’s City. The Maryland colony flourished and enjoyed peaceful relations with the neighboring Piscataway and Susquehannock tribes. By 1695, 1,600 to 1,700 people left the original settlement to live on farms and plantations lining both the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers. Governor Francis Nicholson and the General Assembly agreed that the area deserved self-government. On St. George’s Day, April 23, 1696, a new county was established, named for Prince George of Denmark, the husband of Princess Anne, heir to England’s throne. The first county seat was at Charles Town on the Patuxent, a port town established in 1683 by the General Assembly. The new Prince George’s County extended southward to the Charles County line, north towards the Pennsylvania border, and marked Maryland’s western frontier. It remained the frontier until 1748, when the western-most regions were granted their own government, and Prince George’s County’s northern boundary became basically the line it is today. In 1692, the Church of England became the established church of the Maryland colony through the Act of the General Assembly. In 1696, Prince George’s County had two parishes established within its boundaries: St. Paul’s and Piscataway (or King George’s). There was already a church in Charles Town that was used as a meeting place for the county court until a new courthouse was completed in 1698. In Piscataway Parish, the first church was built in 1696 at the site of the present-day St. John’s Church, Broad Creek”. Information by Katharine D. Bryant and Donna L. Schneider on behalf of the Prince George’s County Historical & Cultural Trust. Information about the 19th Century will be in my next article.
THURSDAY NIGHT OPEN MIC
Come join us for our Open Mic! For two hours, audiences can expect a diverse chorus of voices and a vast array of professional spoken word performers, open mic rookies, and musicians. Expect to be moved, expect to be moved, expect a
packed house, expect the unexpected, but come with an open mind and ear. HOSTED BY: Backpack Jeff. Jeffrey W. Young, known as Backpack Jeff, is a motivational speaker, spoken word artist, and conflict resolutionist who has traveled throughout the East Coast touching the lives of others with words. A person who always looked at life as distributing lessons, Jeffrey embraces each lesson that comes his way. As “the poet who always has what you need in his backpack,” Jeffrey uses his words to motivate others to never lose sight of their passion and use their imagination to execute their dreams. Presented By: Busboys and Poets, recurring monthly on the 1st Thursday until October 1, 2026. Location: 5331 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, Maryland, 20781. Time: 8 p.m. Price: $7.13 online. $8.00 (tax and fees included) at the door.
SISTERS AT HEART
Sisters at Heart is a Breast Cancer Support Group of Southern Maryland. Founded in 2007 with the hope to make a difference in the lives of women diagnosed with breast cancer. With sisterly love, we support each other and those affected by this disease. Join us to learn from one another’s experiences, obtain the latest educational resources, engage in fundraising activities, participate in fun outings and retreats while developing friendships. Roberta J. Kieliger, Founder Sisters at Heart Est. 2007.
Sister Bonding monthly meetings 4th Monday of the month at the Clark Senior Center La Plata, Maryland. Activities: Annual Retreat, Luncheons, Annual Breast Cancer Anniversary Luncheon, Power of Positive Painting, Holiday Tree Decorating at the Clark and Waldorf Senior Center. Community involvement and fundraising activities are awareness, fundraising & outreach exhibits, sporting events, volleyball and pickleball. Annual Breast Cancer Awareness and Fitness Walk. County Commissioners of Charles County-Annual Proclamation for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Exercise for a Cause Events, Relay for Life, Paint the Park Pink. Christmas Connection-Children’s Aid Society.
GRANT AWARDS & SCHOLARSHIPS: Grant Awards-Scholarships. Various organizations that support Breast Cancer health are awarded grants. Health Partners and the Charles Regional Medical Center are among the recipients. Roberta Kieliger Sisters at Heart Scholarship. Two College of Southern Maryland students pursuing a degree in the health field are awarded annually.
Meeting times are every 4th Monday of the month at the Clark Senior Center 11 a.m.–1 p.m., 1210 Charles St., La Plata, Maryland, 20646. Contact Information: Nila Straka (301)-399-3566, Susan Winborne (301) 752-6021. sistersatheartsomd@gmail.com (301) 934-5423. sistersatheartsomd.org, chesapeakecharities.org. Find us on Facebook, facebook.com/20sistersatheartsomd07.
KAPPA FOUNDATION OF FORT WASHINGTON
Kappa Foundation of Fort Washington (KFFW) has scholarships available for High School Seniors/Young Men in our South County service area (Fort Washington, Temple Hills, Oxon Hill, Camp Springs, and Clinton). Young men may apply using the following link: https://www.kffw.org/scholarship-application/
SPRING 2026 OPEN HOUSE
College of Southern Maryland OPEN HOUSE starts April 18 at LaPlata Campus. Meet our faculty and discover the wide variety of programs that lead to a career or prepare you for a four-year degree. Learn more about scholarships and financial aid. Talk to current students about their CSM experience. Explore campus life and activities like athletics, student government, and other organizations. Tour the Center for Trades and Energy Training and the Center for Health Sciences at the Regional Hughesville Campus April 14, virtual via Zoom April 29. Visit csmd.edu/openhouse to learn more and RSVP. Attendees will be entered into a drawing for a $500 scholarship.
Top of Page
In and Around Morningside-Skyline By Mary McHale 301-735-3451 Morningside’s jam-packed spring scheduleThe town has a slew of fun events planned in the coming weeks. If you need more information or would like to register for any of them, you can call the Morningside Town Hall at 301-736-2300, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On Saturday, March 28, Morningside will be hosting Lunch with the Easter Bunny at 11 a.m. at Town Hall. Admission is $6 per person. Children under 1 are free with a paying adult, though they’ll have to sit on a lap.
Participants will get a hot dog, french fries and a drink, followed, of course, by a visit with the Bunny.
Make sure you bring your Easter basket, because there’s also an Egg Hunt for independent walkers up through age 12, with prizes for gold- and silver-egg winners.
Space is limited, so it might be sold out by the time this goes to press. But it can’t hurt to call 301-736-2300 and find out.
Saturday, April 11 features the next Morningside Community Yard Sale (rain date, April 25). It runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the VFW parking lot.
Tables are available for rental on a first-come, first-served basis, but sellers must call ahead of time to register. The rate is $15 for the first table, and $10 each for additional tables. Set-up starts at 7:30 a.m. And vendors are welcome.
Saturday, May 2, Morningside is celebrating Mother’s Day with their Flowers with Mom event at the Town Hall, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
They will serve a brunch of Danish, fruit, juice and coffee, followed by an arts-and-crafts project. This event is free, but seating is limited, so pre-registration at 301-736-2300 is required.
Finally, on Saturday, June 13, fathers get their turn with Donuts with Dad from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Town Hall. Brunch will be donuts, fruit, juice and coffee, followed by an arts-and-crafts project. Like Flowers with Mom, there is no fee, but reservations at 301-736-2300 are required.
Update on Billy Fowler In late February, Billy Fowler received a stem cell transplant to treat his leukemia. He has responded well to the treatment and currently is in remission. On Monday, March 16, the hospital decided he was doing well enough that they discharged him so he could continue to recover at home.
He is enjoying being in his own bed in his own room with his own TV, and without nurses or doctors waking him up at all hours to check on him.
St. Patrick’s Day times twoThe Morningside St. Patrick’s Day Senior Luncheon was supposed to be held on March 16. The food was prepared, the decorations were hung, the bingo prizes were set out. And then a storm system came through the area that day, threatening fierce winds, thunderstorms, hail, and possibly even tornados.
Morningside quickly changed gears. The decorations came down. Karen Rooker ran home to grab a bulk-pack of takeout containers she had stashed away. The meals were boxed up, and then driven around Morningside, delivered to the houses of all the residents who had RSVP’d for the event.
The weather wasn’t as bad as predicted, though some parts of D.C. recorded wind gusts near 70 miles per hour. I was sorry not to get to try my hand at bingo, but grateful to have a nice meal on the table for my daughter Kathleen, visiting from Ohio, and me, without either of us having to go anywhere.
The next day, St. Patrick’s Day itself, I enjoyed dinner with St. Philip’s pastor Fr. Ryan Pineda, Jim Reilly, daughters Kathleen and Sheila, and grandson Conor and his family.
My granddaughter-in-law Heather made corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, a tradition we started years ago, back when Morningsider Anne Woods was alive. Anne was from Ireland and always loved celebrating her heritage. We made sure to toast Anne before the meal, but it would’ve been so much nicer if she could’ve been here with us.
Speed camera follow-upAn update on the new speed camera on the Joint Base Andrews-side of Allentown. As reported last week, the speed on that side of the road has been lowered from 40 mph down to 35 mph, which matches the speed limit in the other direction.
At the same time that change was made, both sides of that section of Allentown Road also were rezoned from a school zone to residential. This will improve safety for the residents of the apartments behind Andrews Manor who rely on the bus stops along Allentown Road. The rezoning means that the speed-camera
operation no longer is limited to school hours. Now, they will run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
While the new camera has been installed, it will not start issuing violations until April 11. That gives you a couple weeks to adjust your habits in light of all these changes. You’ve been warned!
Pilot dies in small-plane crashA small airplane crashed in Hollywood, Md., on February 28. The plane, a Sonex ultralight aircraft, went down a little after 9 a.m. in the woods in Dorsey Park.
The pilot, Andrew Mechling, 74, of Tall Timbers was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no passengers flying with him.
The cause of the crash is still unknown, though the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
MilestonesHappy Birthday to Gina Foster, March 26; Walter Dimes, March 27; Robert Hay, Jr. and David Righter, March 28; Ben Surratt and Kimberly Smith, March 29; Akwete Bedewi, March 30; Sylvia Barbour and Mark Cummings, March 31; Wayne Booth, Susan Frostbutter, Douglas Mangum, and James Whipple, April 1.
Happy Anniversary to Terry and Gina Foster, March 26; Antoinette and Charles Mattison, March 29; Walter and Fannie Dimes, April 1.
Top of Page
