| commercial
sponsors. Nor have the companies, merchants, etc. that are mentioned given
their approval or endorsement for this site, or for the listing of their
products. The list is provided strictly as an informational service to
you, the reader.
Auto Repair
- Dave's CSE Automotive,
6306H Old Branch Ave., Camp Springs, 301-449-0417
Dave Ditrick is impeccably honest. He won't take your car unless the
repair is something he knows he can fix. His prices are very reasonable..
- Forestville Amoco,
7614 Marlboro Pike, Forestville, 301-420-2455, Ask for Robbie.
Top notch garage. One of the few in our area that was favorably reviewed
in the Mechanic-X-files at cartalk.cars.com.
They got my old Dodge Mirada running after I had messed up the carburetor.
- Branch Auto Electric,
3200 Branch Ave., Hillcrest Hts., 301-894-3118
On the right side near the skating rink just before Southern Avenue
going toward the District. I haven't used them myself, but some other
people have mentioned that they do good work. Also mentioned in the
Mechanic-X-files.
- Dick's Auto Service,
Aaron Lane, Clinton, 301-868-3113
This outfit got high praise from Charlie T. He calls them the best shop
he's dealt with.
- Autoworks, Beltsville,
301-595-0900
It's a bit out of the way for us, in an industrial park off Route 1,
but I know folks who swear by this place.
- Tommy's Auto Body,
Kirby Road, Clinton, 301-449-5277, www.tommysautobody.us
Great body shop. Friendly, professional service at very reasonable prices.
These guys are good.
Bicycle Shop
- College Park Bicycles,
4360 Knox Road, College Park, 301-864-2211 www.bike123.com.
Shop has been in business for a very long time - decades. Same owner
also has a shop in Mt. Airy.
- Spokes Etc., 1506 Belle View Blvd.,
Alexandria, VA 22307, 703.765.8005 www.spokesetc.com.
In the Belle View shopping plaza. Closest bike shop to Camp Springs.
Recommended by folks in the dc.biking newsgroup. Other locations on
Quaker Lane and Maple Ave., Vienna.
Plumbers, HVAC
All of these folks are pros. They are local, and have
been in business for a number of years.
- R.V. Upperman Sons, Inc.
301-894-3551
- B. McCall, Clinton
301-868-7080.
- James Price Plumbing,
301-702-1798, 24 Hour Service, Recommended by Sally L. of Camp Springs
.
Heating and Air Conditioning
- Compton, 7916 Old
Branch, 301-856-2200 ... heating and AC. Solved the problem with my
"booming" gas furnace.
- Dick's Air Conditioning & Heating,
7603 Allentown Rd., 301-248-6000
Electricians
- B. Electrical Service,
301-888-1509 ... Got this name some time ago, but have never actually
used them. I believe they're out of Waldorf
- SIMCO Electric, ,
Gregory Simmons. 301-423-6396 Electrical contractor in Prince
Georges County. Recommended by Gale A. - Did work for her condo association
for 7 years. Specializes in fuse box replacements, ceiling fans and
security lights.
Carpentry, Home Improvement
Painting and Drywall
- Hoyer Enterprises.
703-799-4326. Out of Mechanicsville, St. Mary's, but they do work in
our area. (The Virginia phone number is an answering service.) Highly
professional work. They do give written estimates.
Cement and Brick Work
- Jose Lima. 301-864-3574.
Good work, reasonable prices. Recommended by neighbors.
Waterproofing
- Kopper's Quality Waterproofing.
301-324-4797. Capital Heights. Installed a 30 foot "polymeric flow channel
system" in my neighbor's house for $1760 in 2000. System worked well
to protect his house from recent heavy snow and rain that would have
otherwise flooded his basement. These are the folks to call if you have
a recurring problem with ground water seeping in around your foundation.
Roofing Contractors
- Boones Roofing. 301-292-1333
Outfit out of White Plains highly recommended by Jackie B. Also do gutters
and shingles. In business for 35 years.
Hauling, Odd Jobs
Hardware, Lumber
- Clinton True Value,
9005 Woodyard Rd, Clinton, 301-868-2233 ... They have everything from
paint to tools to garden supplies. A locally-owned alternative to the
Home Depots and the Lowes. www.clintonhardware.doitbest.com
- Fischer Hardware,
Backlick Road, Springfield, Virginia, 703-451-3700 ... If you can't
find it anywhere else, check with Fischers. Very knowledgeable staff
can answer questions about almost any home repair project.
Locksmith
- Brooks Lock & Key,
Walker Mill Road, Capital Heights ... 301-420-7307 ... call for mobile
service or walk in to have keys made on the premises.
Arts and Crafts Supplies
- Pearl Discount Crafts,
Telegraph Road, Alexandria, 703-960-3900 ... Near the Huntington Metro
station. The best art and craft supply store in the area.
Signs
- Waldorf Signs ...
301-645-3868. Custom made signs at very reasonable prices.
Fabric Stores
- Discount Fabrics ...
108 N. Carroll St., Thurmont, Maryland ... 301-271-2266. This place
is 80 miles from Camp Springs, off Route 15 north of Frederick, but
it's worth the trip if you're looking to buy a quantity of material
for drapes or upholstery. This is quite a unique store. Actually, it
doesn't so much resemble a store, as it does a warehouse. Huge selection
of fabric on rolls stacked up to the roof. I was able to find 23 yards
of drapery material I liked for $6.00/yard.
Carpet Installation
- Rafael Cazzol ...
703-914-1481, 202-497-4852 ... The guy is very good, a real pro, and
his pricing is rock-bottom. Did a great job with my basement carpet.
You won't find a better deal.
Furniture, Antiques
- Thieves Market ...
8101 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria ... 703-360-4200 ... A dozen or so dealers.
Mostly furniture. Neat place to browse. Not the cheapest place, but
you won't get ripped off, despite what the name says.
The Thieves Market is still there, but under a new name ... something
like "Mount Vernon Antique Center".
- Gerstel ... 301-927-2215 ... 4511A
Rhode Island Ave, Brentwood ... If you're looking for a computer table,
filing cabinet, desk or any kind of office furniture, this place has
the best bargains. Everything is second hand, but the merchandise cleans
up quite well. I purchased a used computer chair - a swivel rocker on
wheels - for $15, dusted if off and it looks like new. I believe these
folks bought out the furniture guy who used to be up on Route 1 north
of College Park. They also have a store in Virginia, but the Brentwood
showroom has the lowest prices. The only way to get a better price on
used furniture is to go to yard sales in Northern Virginia. But if you
need something right away, visit Gerstel.
Landscaping, Lawns
- Ken Steward, 301-589-3199
.. Ken will prune your trees, plant your shrubs, and quote you a scripture
or two. A good guy. Lives in Takoma Park, but has done work for several
Westchester residents in the past.
- Moe Goldfarb, 301-856-3437
... Lawns and shrubs. Does Mrs. M.'s yard on Lansing.
Tree Service
- Moran's, Accokeek,
301-283-6565 ... Have taken down two trees, and limbed-up a third in
my yard. Many years experience in the tree business. Reasonable prices.
... www.moranstree.com
Plants, Nurseries
- Roozen Nursery, 8009
Allentown Rd., Ft. Washington, 301-248-2500 ... Annuals, perennials,
bulbs, shrubs, trees, landscaping materials. The best selection of spring
bulbs, imported from Holland. Roozens seems to have grown more ecologically
sensitive over the years, though they still do carry the full array
of synthetic pesticides and herbicides.
- Plant City, Old Branch
Ave., Camp Springs, 301-423-3662 ... Seasonal. Flowers, plants, mulch,
firewood. Good selection of annuals at low prices. Often have annuals
for sale late into the season. I buy the Rappahanock pine bark mulch
from these folks in 3 cu.ft. bags.
Doctors, General Practitioner
- Dr. Richard A. Farson,
12825 Old Fort Rd, Fort Washington, 301-292-4440 ... recommended by
Jay O.
Doctors, Pediatric
Dentists
- Arthur Fridley, DDS,
4400 Stamp Rd., Marlow Hts., 301-899-6366 ... Office hours are Monday
to Thursday
- Allentown Family Dental, Drs. Good
and Gately, Woodyard Road, Clinton, 301-868-6200
Ophthalmologists, Optometrists
Lawyers
- Don Noble, Noble & Lipstein
7801 Old Branch Ave. Clinton, 301-868-8950
- Martha Saenz, Potomac
301-983-1197; A rare lawyer with a heart. Specializes in immigration.
Produce, Groceries, Markets
Skip the Safeway and buy your groceries at these smaller
markets; support local business and local growers. (See also Agriculture
links for market baskets from CSA co-op farms)
- Earthfood Farms ...
6321 Curtis Rd., Upper Marlboro, 202-801-7293 ... Che Axum, agronomist.
Organic produce.
- Biggs Farm ... farm and farm-stand
at the corner of Brinkley & Allentown Rd, Camp Springs ... Family
has been in business for 80 years. In addition to their acreage here,
Biggs has a larger plot in La Plata. They regularly take their produce
to Old Town for the Alexandria farmer's market on Saturday morning.
Also carry annuals, vegetable flats for planting, firewood, hay.
- Miller Farms, Piscataway
Rd., Clinton ... 301-297-9370 ... farm and farm-stand ... produce, flowers,
feed, hay, mulch, firewood ... pick-your-own strawberries, greens, tomatoes,
peppers, squash, beans .. also has a booth at the new flea market across
from Andrews. Call them to find out with the pick-your-own season is
starting.
- Cherry Hill Farm,
Gallahan Rd., Fort Washington ... farm-stand, pick-your-own strawberries,
peaches in season. Also a bakery with cakes, pies and donuts baked on
the premises.
- Farmer's Market ...
Prince George's Plaza parking lot, 3500 East-West Hwy., Hyattsville
... Producer only. Baked goods, strawberries, greens, asparagus, broccoli,
cauliflower, peas, bedding plants, herbs, jelly, honey, jams, apples,
pears; Tuesdays, 2:00 to 6:00, weekly from May to mid-November (301-627-0977).
- Adel's International Foods,
Old Branch Ave., Storefront next to the Camp Springs Market. African,
Caribbean and Hispanic foods - including fresh produce, canned, dried
and pickled items.
- Nick's Deli, 7601
Old Branch Ave., Clinton ... 301-868-7100 ... For meat eaters, this
is the only true butcher shop in the area. Nick makes his own sausage.
- Catoctin Mountain Orchard,
U.S. Route 15, Thurmont ... 301-271-2737 ... Neat roadside orchard and
farmstand just north of Thurmont. They sell only what they grow themselves:
plums, peaches, apples, grapes, pumpkins, squash, cantaloupes, nectarines,
pears, peppers, cabbage, kale, tomatoes. Drive out there around the
1st week of November, take in the fall foliage and come home with a
bushel of apples. www.catoctinmtorchard.com
- Apple Jack, Fort
Washington, If you want locally grown apples, but would rather not drive
80 miles to Thurmont to get them, check with Jack Bartley. "Apple Jack"
as they call him, has been selling apples out of his garage for 16 years.
A bushel of Staymans, Yorks, Red or Golden Delicious will run you $15.
Smaller apples for juicing are just $10 a bushel. Jack makes periodic
trips out to West Virginia to replenish his stock during the apple growing
season, which runs until about the third week of December. He lives
at 2203 Brown's Lane, off Bock Road in Fort Washington. I can give you
his phone number if you send an Email.
Restaurants
- Regina Pizzeria,
6339 Allentown Road, Camp Springs, 301-449-6785. Excellent lunch buffet.
Nice, bright dining room.
- Everlasting Life, 9185 Central Avenue, Capitol Hts., 301-324-6900
.. vegan restaurant and catering
Bakery
- Desserts by Gerard,
6341 Oxon Hill Rd., Oxon Hill, 301-839-2185 ... The only true pastry
shop in our area. Superb French cakes, tortes, pastries, scones, croissants,
mousse cups, desserts. Call on Friday to order fresh bread from the
Firehook bakery in Alexandria, delivered to Gerard's on Saturday morning.
A gem of a shop in the otherwise hideously ugly Oxon Hill shopping plaza
(next to the now-closed Salvation Army store).
Catering
- Pineapple Alley ... Clinton.
- Everlasting Life,
9185 Central Ave., Capital Hts., 301-324-6900 www.EverlastingLife.net
... Soul vegetarian restaurant and catering. In the Home Depot plaza
on Central Avenue, just inside the Beltway. This may be the only purely
vegan restaurant in Southern Prince George's. Hot and cold dishes are
served cafeteria style. Pleasant atmosphere. Nice change of pace from
your typical chicken & ribs lunch counters.
Herbs, Organic Produce, Natural
Foods, Spices
- L.D. Green Grocer,
Pen Mar Shopping Center, Forestville, across from J.C. Penny ... The
nearest thing we have to a health food store in southern P.G. County.
Fresh produce, groceries, herbs, herbal remedies, food supplements.
They also have a store in Alexandria, about a mile and a half outside
the beltway, in the plaza with Shopper's Food Warehouse at the intersection
of Rt. 1 and N. King's Highway.
- Cash Grocer, Duke Street, Alexandria
... The closest store to Camp Springs for organic produce, but you have
to cross the river to get to it.
- Whole Foods Market (Fresh
Fields), Little River Turnpike at Braddock Road, Annandale ...
Of all the Whole Foods/Fresh Fields in the area, the Annandale store
is probably the easiest to reach, at least by car but don't go during
rush hour). A new one opened up in downtown DC that might be easier
to get to by Metro. Fresh Fields does have a selection of organically
grown produce, but not nearly as much as My Organic Market. Decent organic
greens. Good selection of fruit (including West Virginia Mountaineeer
apples), cheeses, grains. Breads are okay. Deli and bakery dishes are
expensive.
- Smile Herbs, Berwyn
Road, College Park ... 301-474-8791 ... A unique shop that specializes
in herbs, but a bit out of the way for us.
- My Organic Market,
9827 Rhode Island Ave., College Park ... 301-220-1100 ... A newly opened
MOM's in the REI shopping plaza near the corner of Edgewood Rd. (The
original is in Rockville). Excellent produce and grains. All organic.
Beats Whole Foods on prices, and it's not a chain. Not in the most accessible
location, however. Traffic on Route 1 can be a nightmare. Looks to be
within walking distance of the Greenbelt Metro stop. Note that there's
another MOM's up on Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria that may actually
be easier to get to from Camp Springs. It's at the intersection of Russell
Road, a couple of blocks from the Birchmere. Great selection of organic
produce at the best price.
- Glut Food Co-op,
34th Street, Mt. Ranier ... Some herbs and organic produce. A down-home
store in an interesting neighborhood. Shop seems a bit disorganized.
As the crow flies it's not that far, but it seems you really have to
go around the world to get there. It's much easier to cross over to
Virginia if the traffic is right.
Schools
- Henson Valley Montessori
School, Allentown Road, 7007 Allentown Road, 301-449-4442 ...
This school is unique in south county. The Montessori method relies
on specially trained teachers ("directors"), a carefully prepared
learning environment, and special Montessori materials. Other than the
yearly SAT, there are no tests and no grades. The "normalized"
student self-constructs in this environment with the ultimate aim of
developing his or her cosmic vocation. Parents enroll their kids in
the Primary program starting at age 2 1/2 or 3, and they continue until
age 11. Henson Valley is also opening a Montessori middle-school in
the fall of 2001 www.hvms.org
Programs for Youth
- Maryland Suburban Swim Club,
(formerly Allentown Road Aquatic Club), 301-236-9343 ... coached by
Charlie Taylor at the new Sports Complex next to Redskins Stadium in
Landover ... If you want your kid to have some extracurricular fitness
activity, there is no better program than this. Charlie Taylor is a
master coach, with more than 25 years experience in swimming programs,
most of it at the Allentown Recreation Center in Camp Springs. Charlie
IS swimming in south county. More than just a coach, Charlie is a teacher,
a counselor, and a highly spiritual, natural-born yogi - a specialist
in mind-body development. (See the article on Taylor in the December
'99 Westchester Watch newsletter.) MSSC is the union of the ARAC
club with the Fairland club in Laurel. It has developmental as well
as competitive training for swimmers. Kids participate in local and
regional meets sanctioned by the U.S. Swimming organization (the group
that produces our Olympic swimmers.)
www.mssc-inc.com
Charlie Taylor quit coaching this club a while back. The last I knew,
he was continuing to coach the swim team at the Temple Hills Swim Club
(301-894-1875) during the summer, while working for local developer
Leo Bruso (Land and Commercial, Inc.).
Libraries
- Prince George's Public Library
– Branches across from Rivertown Commons in Oxon Hill, and in Clinton
on Piscataway Road. Both are accessible by public transportation. Collections
aren't anything to write home about. Interlibrary loan is expensive
and very slow. Internet terminals are okay, but you have to stand when
using the ones in Oxon Hill. Ugly landscape around the Oxon Hill branch
adds to the generally dilapidated appearance. Looks like they finally
finished fixing the leaky roof at the Surrattsville Branch. Seems like
it was under repair forever. (At the taxpayers expense, no doubt.) Now
they're in the process of renovating the Oxon Hill Branch. We'll see
how many years that takes. Check out the Infotrac on-line databases,
(www.prge.lib.md.us/ref/comdata.html)
accessible with your Internet browser. Enter your library card barcode
to access: full text of articles from hundreds of magazines and newspapers
(including the Washington Post), plus, business directory, nationwide
phone directories and more.
Dial-up catalog and Maryland Sailor:
301-925-2400 (8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity)
Note that Sailor provides free worldwide web access with its text-based
browser, "Lynx". You can also access the Infotrac databases
(with a library card.) Check out the Gutenberg Project: transcribing
books to electronic format.
On-line catalog: www.prge.lib.md.us/index.html.
Sailor is one of the best bargains out there
for your taxpayer dollar.
- Fairfax County Public Library
– Fine facilities, great collection. Prince George's residents
can establish an account and borrow books from any branch. Only difference
is that interlibrary loan is free for Fairfax residents, but not for
us. Fairfax offers on-line, card holder access to a similar collection
of databases. (Wash. Post archives back to 1986, vs. 1998 for P.G.)
Closest branch is Martha Washington, on Fort Hunt Road in the Mt. Vernon
area of Alexandria. Next closest is Sherwood Regional at 2501 Sherwood
Hall Lane, also in Mount Vernon. Note that upstairs at Sherwood there
is a "Tech Lab" with 18 Internet terminals, in addition to
the 5 downstairs. Upstairs terminals also allow word processing. Workstations
are available to the public in the evenings from 6:30 to 8:30, and on
weekends 1:00 to 5:00.
Dial-up catalog: 703-802-7447. At the MP EXL prompt enter "HELLO
DIALUP.PUBLIC
On-line catalog: www.co.fairfax.va.us/library/
- Arlington Public Library
– If you can't find a book in P.G. or Fairfax, try Arlington.
Central Library on N. Quincy Street, near Ballston, is the main branch.
It's open late Sunday through Thursday. Arlington does issue library
cards to Prince George's residents.
On-line catalog: www.co.arlington.va.us/lib
(If you're wondering about the University of Maryland library system
out in College Park, forget it. Prince George's residents aren't allowed
to borrow materials.)
Civic Groups and Contacts
- Prince George's Civic Federation
... Earle L. White, President, nacohhssorg@aol.com ... 301-731-4885
... This is an umbrella group with at-large memberships and representatives
from individual civic associations countywide. They are very much concerned
with development and zoning issues. Members regularly attend hearings
and public forums to voice citizen concerns. You get the idea that without
such input, the developers would be in total control of the legislative
process. This organization has existed since 1928, but participation
has waned in recent years. Why? Meetings are held at the Hyattsville
Municipal City Office Building, 8:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of the
month.
- Camp Springs Civic Association
... Beverly Taylor, President, PO Box 1071, Camp Springs, MD 20757 ...
The CSCA is concerned above all else with the quality of life in Camp
Springs. They try hard to be nonpartisan. They are the only folks who
put up a fight when sleazy nightclubs try to open in the area. They
were able to get the infamous "Bumpers" disco shut down; the
bring-your-own-booze place where teens would go to get crazy till some
ungodly hour of the morning, and where there were a number of violent
incidents and altercations, including fights, shootings and stabbings.
They don't always win, unfortunately, as evidenced by the new Dancers
strip joint that opened up on Old Branch Ave. last year. (Email me and
I'll tell you who owns it. You might be surprised.) The CSCA cleans
up roads, volunteers at schools, and acts as an interface to the county
bureaucracy, exerting the "bottom-up" pressure that is essential
to keeping the government responsive. It is about as close to a true
grass-roots community group (non-church) as you can get around here.
The only way to get closer to the grass-roots is to do what we're doing
in Westchester Estates and organize a neighborhood-level, Garden Zone
watch group.
- Auth Village Civic Association
... Meets at St. Philip the Apostle Church on Henderson Way. New president
is Phil Eppard (Email: authvillagecivic@yahoo.com). Group is very active
on quality-of-life issues (e.g., the prostitution that's been going
on in the area of Motel 6) in the Auth Road corridor. They are also
big on the "Camp Springs Town Center" development project (mixed-use
zoning approved - including apartments) at the Branch Avenue Metro Station.
They've had spokespersons for the developer give presentations at their
meetings.
On-line Resources
(For other Camp Springs and Prince George's web
links see the tables on the Community, Outreach, Agriculture, etc. resource
pages.)
- Community Ministry of Prince
George's County ...www.cmpgc.org
.. 301-499-2319. This site is partially down right now, but when it
comes back up, check out the "Answer Center". It's a unique
search engine that provides a local source for assistance in areas such
as emergency and support services; shelters; child care, youth, clothing,
disabled, crisis intervention, domestic violence, employment, food,
help for immigrants, housing, legal aid, mental health, substance abuse,
transportation, links to government agencies, and more. The service
is congregation-based, meaning that local churches (and yours is undoubtedly
on the list) provide the assistance. It's an interfaith operation. In
the Camp Springs area, churches belong to the Andrews-Camp Springs-Temple
Hills ("ACT") Cluster. Meetings are held at Bethany Christian
Church, coordinated by Rev. Bob Degges. (301-248-4600)
- BrandywineMd ... www.brandywinemd.com
... Best site I've found that focuses on South County. Lots of links;
businesses, organizations, churches, services, statistics, history,
map, news, voting and election info, archive, site sponsors;
- PGNow ... www.PGNow.com
... Serves Prince George's; schools, government, entertainment, sports,
traffic & travel; Maintained by CSP Media
- WETA CapAccess ... www.capaccess.org
... Public Broadcasting's community web site for greater Washington.
Arts, business, news, science, sports, community center, education center,
government center, library center, media center, social services center.
Started 10 years ago as a public access Internet on-ramp with Email
accounts. Connection was made with a terminal emulator (Dial-up: 703-671-9382).
Lynx browser allowed text-based web surfing. Emacs used for editing.
Kermit and X/Y/ZModem for downloading. You even got a small amount of
disk space to store files. It was great because it was free! Now they
are moving to a new system that runs the "FirstClass" mail
program. It's the same as is used in Montgomery County Schools. FirstClass
has DOS, Windows and Mac clients (i.e.., user applications), and can
even be accessed over the web using any browser (including Lynx): fc.capaccess.org..
From home dial into the new system directly at 703-671-0383. FirstClass
also has live chat, address books, resumes and discussion forums, (no
telnet, however.) Lots of useful and interesting postings appear in
forums from a group of well-informed CapAccess regulars.
- Washington Post ...
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/metro/md/princegeorges
... Washington Post Prince George's Extra; The Post has lots of useful
links and information, but with it you have to suffer an equal amount
of slow-loading commercial advertising. Weekly crime reports broken
down by district are skimpy on detail, but at least give you an idea
of what has been going on. Note: It's easier and faster to read the
Post on-line using the text-based browser, "Lynx", of the
Maryland Library's "Sailor" system (Dial-up from P.G.: 301-925-2400,
8 data bits 1 stop bit, no parity). You will need a decent terminal
emulator like ProComm Plus in order to capture articles to your hard
drive.
- Prince George's Journal
... http://cold.jrnl.com/cfdocs/new/pg
... Not so many commercials as the Post. Archive search works well and
is free.
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