Festivities Offer Chance to Speak Up on Middle School Use

Students will head to the new middle school building this coming school year, but the future of the old building has not yet been decided. Greenbelters will get a chance to weigh in on the topic—and attend a festive celebration replete with mariachi, the , door prizes and more on Saturday.

"We're hoping to get a good crowd because we want to get more input from the community," said Greenbelt City Councilmember Leta Mach, who listed some of the choices for the old building, including:

• Before and after school care
• Recreation programs
• Art programs 
• Dance programs

It all begins on May 5, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the .

Attendees will get a chance to voice their preferences among the dozens of possible uses for the building, according to the The Greenbelt West Community Center website. The website also includes a program for the day's activities.

Mach said that there will be a community planning one-sticker-at-a-time activity, where participants will get colored stickers and place them next to the options they prefer.

Participants will not only get to voice their views, they will also gain 20 tickets for the day's raffles. Other ways to collect raffle tickets including signing in (five tickets) and going to information tables (two tickets).

Three separate raffle drawings for prizes will be held 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. And prizes include gift cards for nearby stores.

Take a look at some of the events planned for the day:

Activities

• Zumba demo
• Guided facility tours by a local architect
• DJ music
• Information tables with community organizations
• Sity Stars double dutch team
• Mariachi band
• Button-making by children
• GAVA/GATE information
• Food and drink for purchase

There will be shuttle service to the event within .

Contact Joe McNeal jmcneal@greenbeltmd.gov or the Greenbelt Recreation Department at (301) 397-2200 for more information.