The monthly Reel and Meal events at the New Deal are one of the reasons I moved to Greenbelt not long ago, having attended several over the last couple of years with friends from my old ‘hood and loved the whole vibe and the aging hippies, like myself, who create it.

And last night’s Reel and Meal was filled with that same concerned, somewhat revolutionary spirit that had appealed to me in the first place.  A standing-room-only crowd watched and then discussed “Occupy Love,” a documentary about the Occupy movement.  Here are the highlights (for me) from the evening.

- That was such an exciting time and I’m so sorry the Occupiers aren’t occupying anymore.

- The CHEARS discussion circle recently discussed Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein, who is interviewed in “Occupy Love”.  In keeping with the message of the book, it’s free online.

- When Naomi Kline said in an interview that we’re fighting “neoliberalism,” defined as unfettered capitalism, my reaction was “Huh?”  Wikipedia doesn’t really explain this curious, almost assbackwards term.

- Greenbelt’s new Timebank - coming soon – is a great step in creating an alternative economy AND developing community.  Can’t wait!

- One audience member told us he was on his way to join a WWOOF location (Worldwide Opportunities in Organic Farming) and gave a short pitch for the experience.  As a garden writer I’ve followed WWOOFing both here and abroad and am a big supporter.

- My favorite character in the movie, by far, was Reverend Billy and his Church of Stop Shopping.  His message certainly resonated with Greenbelter Barbara Stevens, too.  Her after-movie comment to the audience was exactly that – “Stop Shopping!”  She also posted to the Greenbelters Facebook page this morning to recommend two more movies – “What the Bleep do We Know” and “I AM,” both available on Netflix (as is “Occupy Love”).

- My top take-away from the evening was to come back for more, which I’ll certainly do.  Thanks to the organizers!

Friday,  May 17

At the New Deal Cafe:

At the P&G Old Greenbelt Theatre:

- “Great Gatsby” with Leonardo diCaprio, Tobey MacGuire and Carey Mulligan opens.  Click here for show times.

Saturday,  May 18

At the New Deal Cafe:

- Bruce Kritt -  Classical Guitar (4 to 6pm)

 

At the Greenbelt Library:

- Gardening Workshop on Garden Pollinators – Bees, Butterflies, Bats, and More.  Pollination is essential for your plants, learn what you need to encourage the habitat of your local pollinators.  Presented by Prince Georges County Master Gardeners.  11:00 a.m.

Sunday,  May 19

At the New Deal Cafe:

- Deaf Brunch: Deaf and hearing people socialize together using sign language. Newcomers welcome! Interested in learning sign language? (10:30am to 12pm)

Monday,  May 20

At the New Deal Cafe:

- Reel and Meal at the New Deal:  This month’s movie is “Occupy Love,” an uplifting documentary that explores the heart of the Occupy Movement.  Admission to the film is always free, sponsored by several Greenbelt community organizations. An optional vegan buffet ($13) is served at 6:30pm.

At the P&G Old Greenbelt Theatre:

- “Great Gatsby” with Leonardo diCaprio, Tobey MacGuire and Carey Mulligan opens.  Click here for show times.

Tuesday,  May 21

At the New Deal Cafe:

- Poetry Night Open Mic!!! – come express your inner beatnik through the spoken word!! (7 to 9pm)

At the P&G Old Greenbelt Theatre:

- “Great Gatsby” with Leonardo diCaprio, Tobey MacGuire and Carey Mulligan opens.  Click here for show times.

Wednesday,  May 22

At the New Deal Cafe:

- Cajun Music Jam – bring your instruments and join us! (7 to 9pm)

At the P&G Old Greenbelt Theatre:

- “Great Gatsby” with Leonardo diCaprio, Tobey MacGuire and Carey Mulligan opens.  Click here for show times.

Thursday,  May 23

At the New Deal Cafe:

- Mid-Day Melodies with Amy C Kraft (12 to 2pm)

-Songwriters’ Association of Washington (S.A.W.) Open Mic with hosts Lynn Hollyfield and David Weaver!! (7 to 9pm)

At the P&G Old Greenbelt Theatre:

- “Great Gatsby” with Leonardo diCaprio, Tobey MacGuire and Carey Mulligan opens.  Click here for show times.

Friday,  May 24

At the New Deal Cafe:

- Jazz and blues piano by Takoma Park’s own John Guernsey (6:30 to 8pm)

- Fast Eddie & The Slow Pokes – a blend of Chicago, West Coast, Swing and Jump Blues peppered with Soul that serve up a menu to get the joint jumpin’! (8 to 11pm)

 

At the Greenbelt Arts Center:

- A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O’Neill opens, directed by Eliot Malumuth.  This emotionally charged drama examines the lives of three people. Josie feels that no man would ever want her, so she cultivates a coarse reputation. Tyrone, haunted by the death of his mother, has taken to drink and sleeping with whores. Phil, Josie’s father, plots to get the two of them together for his own purposes. Over the course of one bittersweet night together under the moonlight, Josie and Tyrone let down their guard and learn the truth about each other and themselves.  Ticket prices: $17 General Admission, $14 Students/Seniors/Military, $12 Child (under 12)  Buy Tickets  8:00 pm

 

Saturday,  May 25

At the New Deal Cafe:

-Jazz Jam w/Greg Meyer – bring on your jazz groove and join in this community jam session!! (1 to 5pm)

- Jazz and blues piano by Takoma Park’s own John Guernsey (6:30 to 8pm)

- Cold Hard Cash – tribute to the legendary Johnny Cash, featuring spot-on recreations of both the sound and spirit of the originals. (8 to 11pm)

At the Greenbelt Arts Center:

- A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O’Neill opens, directed by Eliot Malumuth.  This emotionally charged drama examines the lives of three people. Josie feels that no man would ever want her, so she cultivates a coarse reputation. Tyrone, haunted by the death of his mother, has taken to drink and sleeping with whores. Phil, Josie’s father, plots to get the two of them together for his own purposes. Over the course of one bittersweet night together under the moonlight, Josie and Tyrone let down their guard and learn the truth about each other and themselves.  Ticket prices: $17 General Admission, $14 Students/Seniors/Military, $12 Child (under 12)  Buy Tickets  8:00 pm

Sunday,  May 26

At the New Deal Cafe:

- Medium Gauge – singer/songwriter, folk/rock, arrested development. (5 to 8pm)

To receive Arts and Entertainment Weekly Alerts, follow this blog (here’s how) or follow us on Facebook.Use the A&E Weekly Alert to Promote your Event.   If you have an event you’d like included on one of these Alerts just email the details, including any helpful links and photos.

Venues – Click for address and other vital info.

• New Deal Cafe
• Greenbelt Arts Center
• Old Greenbelt P&G Theater
• Greenbelt Library
• Greenbelt Community Center
• Roosevelt Center
• Eleanor Roosevelt High School
• New Chicago Dance Studio
• Mishkan Torah Synagogue

We’ve all been following the progress of Club 125,  Greenbelt’s new community activity center, since renovations began in September.  What had been a dry cleaning store has, through both the sweat and financial equity of George Boyce and Eva Fallon, been transformed into a happening for all things technie and creative.

And just days ago the Grand Opening was a happy event, and the enthusiasm and energy for Club 125 that I saw and heard bode well for its success.

That’s clubhouse mascot Sam on the right.

Eva Fallon and George Boyce had smiles for everyone.  Their dream has become a reality.

Eva showed me the plants she’s growing in a window box behind the storefront glass. She’d researched the NASA website to find out how many plants she’d need to clean the air for a space the size of Club 125.  (Turns out it’s 15 12″ pots.)  The little garden is a nice teaching moment.

Honestly, I don’t know what this is – a science project, I’m assuming but beyond that I have no idea.  If I get an answer I’ll come back and add the info.

George talks with long-time Greenbelt City Councilman Edward Putens.

This train set did something unusual and cool but darn if I remember what it was.  (No senior moment jokes, please.)  Again, to be continued.

Geeks of all ages gathered among their kind.  Behind the monitor is Richard Bates.   I don’t recognize his pal.

Now for some info about the club.

What’s Happening There

George describes the club as part “makerspace”, where you can come and work on craft and technical projects, alone or on a team, and  part “workspace,” or where you can come and write or study.  But it’s also a learning center and a cybercafe, he told the Gazette, so maybe it’s whatever we make of it.   George loves building robots and is passionate about promoting science and engineering, but the Club will host all sorts of other activities, including writing clubs, knitting circles and who-knows-what.  Resources at the Clubhouse include a computer lab, high-speed Internet, micro-electronics, 3D printer, craft tools and supplies and an HD projector.

Funding

George and Eva founded GreenSTEMs as a nonprofit to run and seek donations for Club 125.  The Club will rely on funding from five sources: membership fees, retail sales, grants, sponsorships, and our donations.  They hope to keep costs down by using contributed labor and materials, but it will take time to get all of their funding sources up to speed.  To help, donations can be made via Paypal.  Donations are tax deductible (tax ID 27-2281084).

I’ve added GreenSTEMS to the recommended list of local nonprofits here on Greenbelt Live.

I’ve blogged before (as the designated “blogger ambassador” for the theater and also just because) so this time I’ll show you some shots from the awards event this morning, and some parting impressions of the whole campaign.

Above, the opening slide showed the 24 competing historic sites, which we learned were chosen from about 100 that were initially studied.  Our theater is in the top row, center.

Eagerly waiting for the event to start are Celia Craze and Beverly Palau with the City of Greenbelt, showing their support.  They already knew that the theater had won $75,000 – because I told them!  Yes, one occasional benefit of blogging is being given media a pack at events you’re blogging about, and the media pack for this competition revealed all the winners and the amounts they won.  I had to swear Celia and Beverly to secrecy, though – the info was embargoed until the event began at 10:00 a.m.

It all happened at the historic Decatur House on H Street, N.W., just off Lafayette Park.

The speeches were short and sweet, starting with representatives of Partners in Preservation and American Express (the primary donor), plus DC Mayor Vincent Gray.  Maryland and Virginia governors were invited and served as honorary chairs (as did Gray) but did not attend.

The top winner was, to no one’s surprise, the National Cathedral, which earned the most points via voting and social media.  They received $100,000, as did Mount Vernon, came in a close second.  All winners are listed here.

The 13 winning sites were each introduced in turn and here’s the slide announcing Greenbelt’s win.

People representing each site stood and applauded with the audience as their site was announced and here’s a shot of Megan Searing Young sitting down again.  She joined Celia and Beverly just in time for the announcement.

Parting Shots

Overall and in every detail, I found the PIP campaign to be extremely well done.  In my eight years of blogging I’ve been approached by dozens of campaigns trying to use social media to further their interests and none has come close to exhibiting the savvy shown by the PIP organizers.

And I’m betting we’ll see more cause marketing like this by corporations who can multiply their exposure exponentially by having the public participate through social media.  American Express has run this program in several cities before D.C. and has donated over $10 million for the cause of historic preservation.

For the competing sites and their supporters, the program was a win on so many levels, especially for a community like Greenbelt that’s so closely identified with the historic site.  Greenbelters really rallied for the cause.  Once again, the Little Town that Could showed its stuff and we’re all feeling an extra dose of civic pride about now.  Not to mention more enthusiasm and appreciation for the theater itself.

Another clear winner is the cause of historic preservation generally and specifically the preservation of the 24 sites we learned a bit about over the last two weeks, some of which I’ll be making an effort to visit.   I’ve heard great things about the Darby Store.

It was all such fun, and with such a happy ending.

I was soooo impressed with the “first-ever” Kale-a-Rama Festival that was a major happening recently in Roosevelt Center, I had to find out who or what was behind it.   Here’s what I found out via organizer Cam MacQueen.

Who Made it Happen

There were four organizers of the event, all vegans and active the animal rights community.  First Baltimore’s Javier de la Camara (of Vegan Fitness) had the idea.  Joining him and doing a large share of the work was Bob Pyle, a musician from Ellicott City who carries the vegan messages to kids through his music.  Bob imagined a Kale-a-Rama modeled after the successful Garlic Festival  in California (now in its 35th year!)  Bob was introduced to Cam, who suggested he check out the Roosevelt Center as a venue for the festival and Bob declared it the perfect spot and “the rest is kalestory,” as I was told.  The fourth organizer was graphic designer Reagan Kimball, who created the logo, organic t-shirt, program and roadway banners.  Reagan and Terri Rutledge also created   a new permanent for the New Deal Cafe noting that vegan options are available.  Cam was the “token Greenbelter” among the organizers.

The Result

• A celebration of community, cultural diversity, veganism and all things kale-tastic!!  Attendance is estimated to be at least 1,000.
• “Kale-luscious vegan food”-  kale donuts, kale smoothies, kale pate, kale non-dairy ice cream, the exciting debut of Everlasting Life’s Vegan Food Truck, and more “yummie goodness”!
• Incredible bands & vegan performers like Bushmaster Blues featuring Gary Brown, Christina van Norman & the Kale-tastics, Chris Colvin on Didgeridoo, Rakhel Israel professional drummer  and the many drummers who showed up to participate in perhaps the first-ever vegan drum circle in the Center.
• City Council member Konrad Herling, noting that the festival attracted many who’d never been to Greenbelt before, called it a terrific example of economic development for the town. ”In my 60 years of living in Greenbelt, I have never been to a more culturally diverse gathering of people in Greenbelt,” he proclaimed at a recent Council meeting.

Next year?

Cam says: “Absolutely!” and the organizers have lots of ideas for making it bigger and better.   Like adding mini-farmers market, selling kale plants, having additional vegan food vendor and vegan exhibitors, kids’ activities, and more surprises!

Thanks To
Proving that it takes a village to make a successful festival, the organizers asked me to thank all these folks:  Erin Marcus, Open the Cages Alliance in Baltimore wrote about the event for Pathways Magazine.  Some generous donors and great sponsors who enabled the festival to offer the opportunity to vendors at no charge. (The organizers also pitched in out-of-pocket.) The City of Greenbelt for promoting the festival and assigning its public works crew to help, Council Member Konrad Herling (he’s thanked for his “kale-mitment” to the fest).  New Deal Cafe (“the comrades there were so wonderfully supportive and enthusiastic”) especially Terri Rutledge who promoted the festival online and in the cafe and was our liaison, also Dorian Winterfeld, Amethyst Dwyer, Tim Howe, and John Cooper (who handled sound for the festival) and Chefs Karim and Maria prepared two delicious vegan kale dishes that were a huge hit!  The News Review helped promote the festival, Generous Joe’s let the crew wash the donated kale used to demonstrate solar cooking, and the Co-op stored the kale, which was donated by Calvert Farm & Pam Stegall. George Moore loaned the festival tables and chairs from the Fire Department and Rescue Squad.

Is Veganism the Next Big Thing?

So all this vegan activity has got me wondering if veganism is going mainstream – I mean even Bill Clinton is a vegan!  (And reportedly feeling better than ever.)  Of course living in Greenbelt, my impression may be skewed by the abundance of vegan choices and the monthly vegan event at the New Deal (Reel and Meal), but who knows?  The pro-vegan movie “Forks over Knives” that was a Reel and Meal selection not long ago was sure convincing.   Those kale donuts were pretty convincing, too.

The line was long for the food truck.

Photos by  yours truly and the Kale-a-Rama Facebook page.

Also, comments on these plants are welcome and will be added.

Photos wanted!  Please send web-sized photos up to 600 pixels wide to me via email (gardenersusan@gmail.c0m.) or use Dropbox or another photo-sharing program that compresses large files.  If you don’t have a photo of the plant you’re suggesting, that’s okay.  Thanks.

Acuba (Acuba Japonica)
Evergreen to 10 tall and wide, with smaller varieties available.  Either speckled with gold or solid green.  Easily pruned.  More here.  SH

Arborvitae ‘Emerald Green’.
Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald Green’.) Evergreen to 8-12 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide, popular as hedge.   Photos here of ‘Emerald Greens’ as hedges. SH

Unidentified decidous native azalea growing in NW DC.

Azalea.
Evergreen or deciduous, colorful, popular.  Heights vary – check the label.  Prefers dappled shade, not afternoon sun.  Asian and native varieties available. SH

Bottlebrush Buckeye ( Aesculus parviflora).
For large spots only.  Deciduous shrub grows to 8-15 feet tall and colonizes.  Bottlebrush-shaped flowers in summer.  Native to our region.  More here.  SH

Boxwood (Buxus)
Old favorite evergreen with a choice of heights to 8 feet.  Native and Asian options.  More here.  SH

'Otto Luyken' Cherry Laurel

Cherry laurels (Prunus laurocerasus)
Evergreen, varieties to 3-10 feet tall.  Reliable, popular against foundations.   More here.  SH

Cryptomeria ‘Yoshino’ (Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’)  Soft evergreen conifer grows quickly to maybe 30′ by 15′ in shade, larger in sun.  Okay in sun, too – just needs more watering.

Fothergilla blooming at Brookside Gardens.

Fothergilla ‘Mount Airy’  Small deciduous shrub native to the Southeast.  Nice mounding shape to 5′ tall by 5′ wide.  A popular variety for gardens.  Labeled as happy with partial to full sun, I’ve seen it in pretty full shade, where it doesn’t bloom as vigorously but still looked good.   Here’s more.

Koreanspice Viburnum in bloom.

Koreanspice Viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) is a great size for small gardens – ultimately just 4-6′ by 4-6′.  One of the most fragrant plants in the world.  Less spectacular are its fall color or honestly, appearance in the summer (kinda dull), but there may be berries.  Full sun to part shade.  More here.

Nandina (Nandina domestica).
Evergreen with colorful foliage and most varieties have red berries.  Heights from 2-6 feet and stays narrow, for tight spaces.  Common name “Heavenly Bamboo” is misnomer – it’s not a bamboo.  Invasive in other regions.  More here.  SH

Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
Deciduous with large cylindrical flowers summer, drying nicely into winter.  Nice exfoliating bark, too.  Native to the Carolinas and south.  More here.  SH

False Holly Goshiki (Osmanthus  heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’)
Evergreen in green and white.  Slow grower to 5 feet, eventually 10.  Also likes sun (just needs more watering).  More here.  SH

Viburnum nudum ‘Winterthur’.  Native deciduous shrub stays small, just 3-6 feet tall and wide, depending on how much sun it gets and other factors.   Mine above stayed at 4′ in afternoon sun.  Berries, and great fall color. Full sun to part shade.  More here.

Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica).
Deciduous, 3-5 feet tall depending on the variety.  Native to our region.  More here.  SH

__________________________________________________________________________________

Native to this region or Eastern U.S.:   Bottlebrush buckeye, deciduous azaleas, Fothergilla, Oakleaf hydrangea, Virginia sweetspire.

Need evergreens for screening? Taller varieties of  Acuba, Cherry Laurels, Nandina, Arborvitae and Cryptomeria.

Commenters:  SH is Susan Harris.

There will be a group vote, and a sing-along of songs from the movies with the Children’s Choir from St. Mary’s in Laurel.  Also, free keychains.

Bring your smart phones; actual computers will also be available for use in voting.  It’s all about the vote, which will end May 10.

Noon to 2, with a group aerial photo of Theatre supporters at 1:00.

The city also had some banners made up and they’re sending staffers around to photo assorted Greenbelt groups  holding the banner.   The photos are being posted on the City’s Facebook page.  It’s a full-on GOTV campaign (Get Out the Vote)!  Click here daily to vote.

Pre-School Art

Laura Bonkosky's Lunchtime Yoga

Mom's Morning Out

Staff of the City of Greenbelt

Bee Yoga

Greenbelt City Council

This year the Green Man Festival is May 11 and 12

If proof were ever needed that Greenbelters 1), care about Mother Earth and 2), know how to have fun, one need look no farther than the Green Man Festival, scheduled to return for the 9th year this coming weekend.  This year it’s dedicated to our forests (didn’t someone proclaim this Greenbelt’s Year of the Forest?)

Unlike so many rather academic eco-minded events, this one is more fun and more spiritual because it focuses on the Green Man, who’s made his way through the ages in folklore, songs, stone carvings in cathedrals and art in humble cottages. The Green Man is known to many as the Spirit of the Natural World and today is the unofficial voice for the environment.  Good to know!

WHEN:   Saturday, May 11th, 10 – 6 and Sunday, May 12th, 11 – 5

WHERE:  Greenbelt’s Roosevelt Center

WHAT:  Music, dancing, fun for kids and general craziness for the young at heart (aren’t we all?)    Here’s the full schedule

Song Rise DC will perform.

Kiva (L) and Fractal Cat (R) will perform.

Cool things for kids:  Maypole, face-painting, making mosaics, Eco-Scavenger Hunt, making fairy gardens, a fairy house-building workshop, glitter tattoos, storytelling, and a sing-along.  Oh, and the Green Man Parade! (Children encouraged to dress up as their favorite woodland creatures.)

Parents would be crazy not to come and bring their kids (imho)!

Also? Vendors and organizations we love – click here to find out who.

And Lots o’ Drumming!

I’m told that this year there will be more drumming than evah!  First the Greenbelt Drum Circle in the morning led by Trevor Siegel, then drums to add background for the opening ceremony, which is based in Native American traditions.  Next, the Green Man Parade with drums to set the rhythm.  Then finally, a lively drumming and dance circle led by one of the Washington area’s best known drum teachers and drum circle leaders – Katy Gaughan.  That’s Katy in the next photo, her usual shy self.

I like my men green, don't you?

Watercolor of Greenbelt Theatre by Enid Romanek

American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have $1 million in preservation grants and they want us to tell them where it should go.

Click here to vote for the Greenbelt Theatre (after simple registering, or logging in with Facebook).  Click here to see all the competitors and their current score.  As of right now, our theater is seventh out of the 24th competing properties – go Greenbelt!  And it’s not winner-take-all.   Votes determine what share of the total monies are allocated, up to $100,000 each, so vote away; don’t be deterred by the popularity of huge institutions like the Cathedral!

Vote OFTEN.  Only one vote a day is allowed, but come back every day and help.

The program’s called Partners in Preservation, with the mission of raising awareness of the importance of historic places, and I’m happy to report that they’ve selected Greenbelt Live as an “official blog ambassador”!  Woo-hoo!  See the cool “badge” they sent me?

The DC area is the eighth city to be targeted for these preservation dollars, and this may be our only chance at this yearly program.  Here are the previous seven cities in the program.

The Competition!

Twenty-four historic sites in Washington DC have been chosen to compete for the $1 million in grant funding, including the National Cathedral, the GALA Hispanic Theatre and Dumbarton Oaks Park. Each place has a different need in mind — basic maintenance, renovation, site expansion, you name it.

But of course here at Greenbelt Live we’re supporting the Greenbelt Theatre.  Here’s how Partners in Preservation describes our beloved theater and the town it’s in:

Settled in 1937 as a cooperative New Deal era community, Greenbelt is now nationally recognized for its unique design and strong sense of place. This old fashioned, single screen theater has been at the heart of Greenbelt’s commercial core for 75 years and is in danger of becoming a thing of the past. Renovation and installation of digital projection equipment will ensure the continued viability of this hidden treasure.

Didja notice it’s the only site in the running within Prince George’s County?  Hope that generates some extra votes.

V0ting ends May 10th at midnight. Winners announced May 13th.

More Ways to Get Involved

• Check in to Greenbelt Theatre on Foursquare, Post on Facebook, Tweet and Instagram using #PreserveDMV to earn more points
• Visit the sites! Open House Weekend on May 4^th and 5^th will be a great time to really interact with some of the DC’s best historic gems
• Join the newly formed Friends of the Old Greenbelt Movie Theatre group, part of the Greenbelt Community Development Corporation.  Contact Barbara Simon via email.