Community Corner

Week in Review: Maryland Book Exchange, Route 1 Eye Sores, and More

Patch has a wrap-up of news from throughout the week.

Did you have a busy week? So did College Park... Here's a wrap up of area news to get you caught up on the week's happenings.

Book Exchange Renovation Approved

The is one step closer to being, well, exchanged for a four- to six-story retail and student-housing complex. , following a . What do you think of the project? Tell us in the comments!

Find out what's happening in College Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 Renovation

 were unveiled at this week's mayor and council work session. It's a $5 to $6 million project that would create more space for employees, allow most departments to be in one place, and increase public access, architects said.

Find out what's happening in College Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Building Demolition Grant

Some of those U.S. Route 1 eyesores could soon be gone. College Park is the recipient of a state grant for community revitalization, .

Schools

The Washington Post reported this week that Prince George's County has the highest concentration of charter schools among Washington suburbs. College Park could be joining the trend, with an application for .

Raising Kids

How do you teach your kids the value of respecting others? Mom Columnist Gretchen Schock shared her own experience this week in "!"

Where to Find a Book

After many months of hard work, Joe Smith and other volunteers from the community were proud to open the College Park Community Library on Wednesday. It's entirely donation-supplied and volunteer-powered. , and see the transition of a basement-level room in the into a library of 3,000-plus books!

Ke'Chic Closes

Clothing boutique Ke'Chic closed last month, . While the store owner was not available for comment, the property manager, city's economic develoment coordinator, and a city councilman have their theories. Read the full Diamondback article here.

Casino Push

. County Executive Rushern Baker is in favor of it, touting the economic boost it would bring, while some county council members say the bill, which would allow the casino to be introduced to Prince George's County, is too vague.

Same-Sex Marriage

, the , by a close 25-22 vote. Three Prince George's County senators, including the 21st District Delegation representative, voted in favor of the bill, while five others voted against it.  weeks ago to support the legislation, which elicited strong opinions from residents—both favorable and negative.

Economy

Families with young children in Prince George's County need to make more than $50,000 a year to cover just their basic living expenses, according to a new report. That figure is up more than 40 percent over the past 10 years, driven largely by the cost of housing, daycare and taxes. Some commenters don't think the numbers quite add up; they're getting by just fine on a modest income with several children. What do you think? .

Weekend Events

College Park buzzed all weekend long with exciting events. While the entertained for two days at the , the versatile at the College Park Moose Lodge #453. If you made it to either of these events, or other happenings in College Park, be sure to submit photos to the .

Just for Fun

We tried another round of "Guess the Restaurant," and ya'll seem to know your College Park eateries pretty well. Could you have guessed from where , just from the picture? Congrats to Danny, who got it right.

Come back to Patch for a little more fun tomorrow. We’re trying out a new feature called “Best Of.” You’ll get to vote for your favorite breakfast place in College Park.


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