Upcoming District Heights and Capitol Heights Community Days
The towns of District Heights and Capitol Heights are working to offer positive opportunities for youth, families and the community to come together.
District Heights Community Day was held on Saturday, June 1, while Capitol Heights Day, will be held on Saturday, June 15. The festivities in Capitol Heights will begin with a parade through the town from 10 a.m. to noon, followed by a festival in Freedom Square from noon to 4 p.m.
“Having a free public event in my opinion is an excellent way to build community involvement,” said Capitol Heights Councilmember Victor James. “They are designed to bring out all the citizens of the neighborhoods to gather together in the spirit of celebration and fun, build a positive community that encourages neighborly connections, and allow our residents to reflect on our Town’s history, whether it’s good or bad.”
District Heights First City in State to Use OpenGov
District Heights is modernizing their financial accounting technology, and will be the first city in Maryland to use OpenGov to move from paper documents to a cloud-storage system.
“In District Heights, our vision is to provide excellent resident services through cost-efficient, evidence-based programs that are sustainable and accessible,” said District Heights Mayor Cynthia Miller in a statement to publicize the tech overhaul. “Our public servants partner with solutions like OpenGov to help improve the quality of life for our residents. I’m eager to publish our first online, public-facing budget book.”
Disclaimer: Anthony Tilghman, a photographer with The Washington Informer, is an elected official in the City of District Heights.
New Black-Owned Restaurant and Lounge Options Soon To Open in Laurel
Prince George’s County foodies will be happy to hear of two newly opening eateries in Laurel: Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen and Skyvibe Restaurant and Lounge.
Miss Toya’s Southern Kitchen, a Black-owned, woman-owned, and family-owned gourmet soul food offering, already had two locations in the Montgomery County and just added Laurel to their list of locations. The menu features chicken wings, salmon bites, gumbo, and spins on shrimp n’ grits and oxtails. While the downtown DC location focuses on Creole dishes and the Gaithersburg location focuses on soul food, the Laurel location intends to blend Miss Toya’s mastery of both cuisines. Miss Toya’s plans to open the week of Juneteenth.
“I had the pleasure of meeting the owners Miss Toya and Chef Jeffeary Miskiri, who are both exciting and hardworking,” said former Laurel Councilmember Martin Mitchell. “I’m glad they came to Laurel because I can now get gumbo, shrimp and grits, and so much more comfort food… Miss Toya is a great addition to the Laurel Towne Center and we are so pleased to have another wonderful Black-owned small business come to the city. Many folks have recognized Laurel as a restaurant paradise because of the many eateries throughout the town. Restaurants like this are necessary and desired in Laurel. We are a majority-minority town now. so there should be a plethora of good homestyle southern cooking spots to indulge in.”
The Skyvibe Restaurant and Lounge held a soft opening on May 31, and are planning for a grand opening on June 21. The rooftop lounge, located on Laurel’s Main Street, will focus on a cozy atmosphere and delicious African cuisine. The project has been underway for years, and the owners are proud to finally open their doors to the public.
World’s Largest Bouncy House Comes to Prince George’s
The world’s largest bouncy house, standing 32 feet tall and covering over 25,000 square feet, will be at Fort Washington’s Rosecroft Raceway until June 9.
While there are no fees to enter the event grounds and witness the marvel, tickets are required to enter the bouncy house. There is also a slide and obstacle course available.
Tickets are $22 for children age 3 or under and their parents or care providers, $38 for children ages 4-15, and $48 for adults-only sessions.
Big Bounce America says the limited time fun, which started May 31, will happen rain or shine unless there is a serious weather emergency such as high winds. All of the attractions at the site have a weight limit of 245 pounds and a height limit of 85 inches.
In addition, for those who can’t visit Fort Washington this weekend, the bouncy house will return to Baltimore in mid-August. For tickets and more information, visit thebigbounceamerica.com.