Local news covering Laurel Lakes, Victoria Falls, Oakcrest, Montpelier, and the Route 197 corridor
Drama at the Beltsville Fire Department
A few years ago, a health scare in our family required a call to 9-1-1. When the ambulance showed up on our street in the Oakcrest neighborhood, it wasn’t from one of the Laurel fire stations, but rather from Beltsville. This was not an unusual occurrence: fire stations often cover calls in other geographic “boxes,” particularly at times when many calls come in at once, or when a fire or other emergency requires a larger response than the local stations are able to provide.
So, when it was announced in January that the Beltsville Volunteer Fire Station 831 planned to pull all of its career—or paid—staff from the station and reassign them elsewhere in the county, many South Laurel residents were among those who protested the move. According to various news reports, 20 of the station’s 38 firefighters are career firefighters and the other 18 are volunteers. The volunteer firefighters, as well as the public, reacted quickly to the news, pointing out that removing more than half of the station’s firefighters would threaten public safety by increasing response time and leaning more heavily on neighboring stations—including those in Laurel—to cover emergency calls.
Some questioned the reason given by Prince George’s County Fire Chief Tiffany Green for the move—namely, unsafe conditions at the station. A special inspection in December reportedly had found that dangerous diesel fumes, electrical issues, and sewage problems threatened the health of the firefighters. But some of the firefighters pointed out that the station had undergone an inspection in October 2023, with no critical issues cited. The situation also raised the obvious question of why, if the station was unsafe, was the county waiting two months before removing the careerists? And why would the volunteer firefighters still be expected to operate out of a supposedly unsafe building? Reporters from the Beltsville News reviewed the special inspection report and concluded that the county’s claims that the building was uninhabitable were exaggerated. They also dug into Prince George’s County capital improvement plans going several years back and found that Beltsville Station 831 was not listed as needing improvements. Things didn’t seem to add up—and the public noticed. Buoyed by a social media blitz, constituents called and emailed Fire Chief Green and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks to express their dismay over the situation. At a late-January meeting on the issue, over 200 people showed up to demand transparency and an assurance that the station would remain fully staffed.
A few weeks later, Green announced that the career firefighters would remain at the Beltsville station. A county public safety representative credited the public’s response as the reason the original decision was reversed. It was announced at that time that three trailers would be brought to the site to serve as temporary housing for both career and volunteer firefighters until the safety issues at the building are resolved.
For now, at least, Beltsville and South Laurel residents can rely on Station 831 to remain fully staffed. But questions still remain about the situation, especially the seemingly contradictory information from county officials, so it’s something we all should stay informed about. For me, personally, it was nice to see change actually happen as a result of the public showing up to make their voices heard—especially after covering the rent stabilization issue in Laurel over the last two years.
“Shakespeare in the Parks” Coming to Montpelier in July
Exciting news for local theater and Shakespeare fans! The Arts and Cultural Heritage Division of the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission will present an outdoor performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Montpelier House Museum on Friday, July 12, from 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Newly appointed Artistic Director Randy Snight will direct the 90-minute presentation. The event is free, but attendees should bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on; picnic dinners may also be brought to the event.
CAVA is Latest Addition to Laurel Food Scene
It seems like it has taken forever since the first rumors started about a CAVA coming to Laurel Lakes, but the restaurant is finally open and getting rave reviews. I’m a huge CAVA fan, having frequented the one in Columbia with my BFF for years. For those not familiar, CAVA serves “Mediterranean-inspired” food in a casual setting: order at the front and build your bowl as you move down the line. A large selection of grains, greens, proteins, veggies, and dips and sauces means that you can choose from about a million (give or take) combos. Or you can go with the suggested bowls created by CAVA chefs, featuring in-season produce. Whether you’re a vegetarian, a meat lover, or on a specialized diet like the Keto or Atkins plans, it’s easy to build a delicious meal that meets your dietary needs.
CAVA prides itself on giving back to the communities where its restaurants are located. According to the corporate website, a Community Day is held just prior to the opening of each new location, at which customers can eat for free and are encouraged to donate toward a local cause; the company matches those donations up to $1,000 and has raised nearly $500,000 in donations since 2019. The Laurel Lakes restaurant earmarked its donations for Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services (LARS), and also donated unused food from the employee training period to Food Rescue US—Howard County.
With Amigos, Checkers, and now CAVA all opening within a short walk of my house, I foresee a lot of great meals in my immediate future. Guess I’d better get back on the treadmill.
I’d love to hear from South Laurel residents! Send me your story ideas or tell me about an upcoming event—a neighborhood yard sale, a from-home business venture, a milestone birthday or anniversary, or a family celebration.
Diane Mezzanotte holds a Journalism degree from Penn State University. She retired from the Department of Defense in 2019, following a 34-year career.