[RP TownTalk] FW: suspicious activity?

Thu May 17 22:25:32 UTC 2007

-----Original Message-----
From: CHRISTINA DAVIS [mailto:book-smart at verizon.net] 
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 6:12 PM
To: 'Roland Walker'
Subject: RE: [RP TownTalk] suspicious activity?

Yes, I now live in Hagerstown, and as other former elected officials on this
list, will put in my two cents when barraged with requests to do so.

For those who are new, I lived in Riverdale Park from 1965 to 2005. I guess
you can figure out how old I am.

I grew up on Oglethorpe Street, in the shadow of Riversdale, and attended
Riverdale Elementary, Hyattsville Middle, and Bladensburg Senior (Class of
1983, valedictorian, attending the same school as my grandfather). I still
consider myself a fourth-generation Riverdale Parker. I am descended from
blue-collar workers who saw some of their children and grandchildren move
into professional positions. But we're proud of all of us, regardless of
career path. 

>From 1990 to 1994 I held various positions on the Town Crier. From 1995 to
early 2005 I was a member of the Riverdale Park Town Council, chairing the
Public Works, Public Safety, and Economic Development Committees. I was Vice
Mayor for 4 of those years and could run a full meeting with public comments
in 20-30 minutes.

As the first president of the Preservation Association of Riverdale Park, I
led the successful efforts to obtain 2 historic districts. I wrote the
enabling legislation changing the town's name from Riverdale back to
Riverdale Park, the original subdivision name, to help us differentiate
ourselves as a municipality with full services to residents. I edited and
led the group that wrote the award-winning town history book, From Mansion
to Municipality. I served for 1.5 years on the Prince George's Preservation
Commission.

I rode the MARC train for 15 years; I run a publishing company now, having
worked in my first job for a woman who still lives in Riverdale Park. I saw
the Town Center every day and worried about its future (and it has looked
like that since I was a kid).  

Most importantly, for a decade I sat at the council table and worked to find
solutions each budget issue. Early in my career, I averted a town-wide
service shutdown by brokering an agreement between two factions that would
not budge (and would not pass any budget that didn't have it their way). I
saw years when employees received no raises and years when we could catch
up. Years when we did not purchase new police cars or public works vehicles
and years when we re-outfitted the fleet. Years when infrastructure
improvements were covered only by grants and years we borrowed money. When I
left my council seat, only 1 street in the Ward needed to be repaired; the
remaining were done in my predecessor's or my term.

And, partly as a result of those experiences, I returned my council salary
to the town to use for infrastructure improvements. And was attacked for
doing so in a public meeting once I moved away (I had the town financial
services company's blessing for returning my salary, as did Cleo Ness, a
former Ward 6 Councilmember who served before my time).

What I never had the benefit of was the wild increase in assessments that is
currently bolstering the town's finances. Wow, what we could have done with
that money.

Thanks for inviting me to go down memory lane--and reminding me of why I
should still care very deeply for Riverdale Park.

Chris Davis

-----Original Message-----
From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
[mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Roland Walker
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 8:44 AM
To: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] suspicious activity?

> This increase deserves a brick wall.
...
> (upgrade the salaries over several years--and they must be upgraded
...
> You need to call the mayor and council and talk it over with them. Or talk
to Jack Jones
...
> And show up to the meetings.

When you reach the point at which you are advocating specific policies
for the town and advocating specific actions by its citizens, I think
you should also provide some important context by revealing to readers
that you do not live here.

R

On 5/16/07, CHRISTINA DAVIS <book-smart at verizon.net> wrote:
>
> Actually, the iteration of Neighborhood Watch you are speaking of was the
> offshoot of a program begun by Hyattsville and West Riverdale Park
residents
> near Crescent Cities and then later expanded by the council, of which I
was
> a lead, and the Riverdale Park Police Department. Mr. Archer and his
> neighbor patrolled the town, as did many current and former residents. He
> cannot take credit for starting the program.
>
> However, since this last program was before the widespread use of cell
> phones, it seems to me that it would be time to restart one or several
> programs given the rise in crime in all of the town's neighborhoods and
the
> "new" technology available. Crime in town is cyclical, with good and bad
> times, and is mostly of opportunity (MS-13 notwithstanding).
>
> And for the tax increase: What the heck is going on? My phone and email
have
> been buzzing like a hive of bees. I think back to when my husband and I
> bought our first house in town in 1990, for $104,900 and an FHA loan, and
it
> took everything we had to do it. A tax increase of any significant measure
> would have driven us out of Riverdale Park right then. I know all the
> tricks, after having served on the council for a decade (and being a good
> Democrat), and I and others even unsuccessfully campaigned to remove the
tax
> cap to allow for more moderate increases. What is proposed now is
> inexcusable, and given the town's long anti-tax history (caps,
referendums,
> borrowing within a set limit to do major road work in phases or make
capital
> improvements, special taxes with sunset provisions), residents and
business
> owners could rightfully call that a violation of public trust.
>
> Throughout the town's history, small increases have been met with moderate
> resistance. This increase deserves a brick wall. The town always has and
> will continue to need resources, but the expenses can be phased in over
time
> (upgrade the salaries over several years--and they must be upgraded--not
all
> at once; stop calling Douglas Jemal names on this list and sit down with
him
> and talk about the Town Center). I have given these and other suggestions
to
> the dozen or so people I have heard from in the past week. You need to
call
> the mayor and council and talk it over with them. Or talk to Jack Jones
and
> others about a new tax structure that penalizes derelict/underdeveloped
> properties and lowers the rate for people who improve and maintain their
> properties (Riverdale Park would be the first in the state to adopt this).
>
> And show up to the meetings.
>
> Chris Davis
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org
> [mailto:towntalk-bounces at riverdale-park.org] On Behalf Of Alan Thompson
and
> Sarah Wayland
> Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 1:13 PM
> To: Marc Molino
> Cc: TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] suspicious activity?
>
> I've suspected for a number of months that the parking lot is where some
> drug activity is happening. I've seen the exact behavior you describe a
> number of times back there. Also seen one car waiting, another drive up,
> and then both cars drive away.
>
> For a while, it was also happening on 48th St next to my house. I called
> the police every time. They don't do business there anymore.
>
> Lisa asked for guidance - the answer is "If it looks odd, call."
>
> Years ago, Vernon Archer set up a neighborhood watch program in town. We
> patrolled the streets regularly, and coordinated closely with the police.
> They provided scanners, and backup.
>
> I learned a few important things during that time:
>
> (1) If you think it's suspicious, it probably is.
>
> (2) Let the police sort it out. They are professionals, and they will not
> harass people if they are doing nothing wrong.
>
> (3) Patrols can work because when criminals see people on patrol, they
> know the neighbors are watching. But we can't be on patrol all the time,
> and many crimes actually happen during the day (as did the recent break-in
> on Queensbury.)
>
> (4) The MOST helpful thing is for neighbors to talk to each other and
> watch out for each other. Know your neighbors. Know their schedules. Watch
> for anything wierd. And if *anything* looks suspcicious, call the police.
>
> ---
>
> I think it might be a really good idea for us to have a "Neighborhood
> Watch" meeting with someone from the police department. Working together,
> we can really help them to do their job effectively.
>
> -Sarah
>
>
> On Wed, 16 May 2007, Marc Molino wrote:
>
> > I don't know if this quite warrants suspicious activity, but my son and
I
> > were out biking last evening a little after 7pm. We biked down to the
end
> of
> > Lafayette where it meets up with Rivertech Rd. At the corner was an old
> Chevy
> > pickup truck w/cab (light blue with silver doors) dropping off a guy who
> > walked through the path up to the train tracks.
> _______________________________________________
> TownTalk mailing list
> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
processing
> only
> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>
> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
> http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
>
> _______________________________________________
> TownTalk mailing list
> To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
> TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription
processing only
> http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk
>
> For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us
>
_______________________________________________
TownTalk mailing list
To post to the list, send mail to TownTalk at riverdale-park.org
TownTalk-request at riverdale-park.org is for automated subscription processing
only
http://riverdale-park.org/mailman/listinfo/towntalk

For more information about Riverdale Park, visit
http://www.ci.riverdale-park.md.us