Jamal Jongo Now Serving as New Student Member of the Board of Ed
Rising Frederick Douglass senior Jamal J. Jongo was elected by his fellow students to serve as the student member of the Prince George’s County Board of Education on May 21.
“As a student leader, athlete and business owner I am aware of the importance of the student voice,” Jongo said.”
Jongo, who serves as the Student Government Association (SGA) Vice President at Frederick Douglass, had a platform of open and transparent communication, expanding mental health services, and advocacy for grade point average (GPA) recovery opportunities.
In this role, he will serve as an official member of the Board, with voting rights on all issues excluding budget and personnel issues.
“In order for us to create change and hear the full voice of the student body, we must band together,” Jongo continued. “I look forward to amplifying student voices and advocating for positive change on a broader scale.”
John and Mary Travers Celebrate 70th Anniversary
Local and national leaders, as well as family and friends celebrated with Accokeek couple John and Mary Travers, as they commemorated their 70th anniversary in June.
The couple, who first married in 1954, were presented with a proclamation from the State of Maryland by Delegate Edith Patterson (D- District 26) and signed by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Congressman Steny Hoyer (D- District 5) for reaching their platinum anniversary.
The couple. who had nine children and also adopted a nephew, cite having successful children as one of their greatest joys.
According to statistics, only one in 1000 marriages are expected to reach 70 years.
County Firefighters Reassigned to Address Burnout, Staffing Shortages
In early June, Prince George’s Fire Chief Tiffany Green reassigned career firefighters in an attempt to reduce overtime and worker burnout. Firefighters from Greenbelt, Bowie, Berwyn Heights, and Bunker Hill were temporarily detailed to other stations beginning on June 30.
“The Department realizes the significant negative impact that excessive mandatory callbacks and holdovers had on our personnel during last year’s peak leave season,” said Green in a June letter addressed to all sworn, civilian, and volunteer firefighters in the county. “Despite the accomplishments for additional staffing, short-term solutions to address our critical staffing shortages and the potential for burnout during this year’s peak leave season are necessary.”
The Prince George’s Fire Department has been given County Council approval to hire an additional 150 firefighters to address the critical staffing shortage, and Green is expecting 33 firefighters to begin in July with a cohort of 53 recruits who are expected to complete training this year.
College Park Mayor Fazlul Kabir wrote a letter to Chief Green, the 21st District Delegation, and other elected officials on June 18 to raise his concerns.
“I am writing to you on behalf of College Park residents and the City Council regarding the recently announced career staffing cuts to the Greenbelt and Berwyn Heights Fire/EMS Station,” said Kabir. “These stations serve our residents and the reduction in staffing could lead to longer response times and impacts on residents’ safety.”
On June 18, Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D) voted to pass the Fire Grants and Safety Act, which would provide additional federal funding to support local fire stations by reauthorizing a prior federal grant. This funding could be used to purchase essential equipment, hire new firefighters, and develop training and education programs.
Over the past two years, $339,260 for the College Park Volunteer Fire Department and $458,400 for the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute at the University of Maryland were secured through federal grants.