In and Around Morningside-Skyline 
By Mary McHale 301-735-3451

Suitland Duckpin Alley closing by July 31

After 73 years, Suitland Bowl is closing its doors. Owners Megan Adkins and Thomas Osbourne, a married couple who took over the 24-lane duckpin bowling alley in 2015, announced in a May 31 Facebook post that their building has been sold, and they will need to vacate by July 31.

Duckpin bowling, with its short, squat pins and hole-free wooden balls about an inch larger than a softball, has been a tradition in the Mid-Atlantic. While it might not have been invented in Baltimore, the city long has been a major center for duckpin bowling. In the years after World War II, its popularity spread across Maryland.

Sadly, those days are over. According to the National Duckpin Bowling Congress, in 1963, there were nearly 450 duckpin alleys in America. By 2016, that number had fallen to 41. No doubt, it has shrunk even further in the ten years since then, and the loss of Suitland Bowl will make it even harder to enjoy this regional tradition.

Suitland Bowl is planning to have one final farewell event this month. You might call them at 301-893-4160 to get details.

Once they’re gone, it looks like Harbor Social sports bar at National Harbor has a handful of duckpin lanes tucked in the back. But I think your closest option for a proper duckpin alley is going to be White Oak Duckpin Lanes in Silver Spring, which dates back to 1959. You’d better hurry and get in a game there while it’s still around.




Former Fire Chief Groom dies

The Morningside Volunteer Fire Department (MVFD) draped its firehouse in black bunting to mark the passing of beloved former fire chief and president, life member Thomas “Thumper” Groom, who died on June 1, the day before his 70th birthday.

Born in Washington, Tommy moved to Morningside as a child. He grew up in a home at the corner of Morgan Road and Marianne Drive, attended Benjamin D. Foulois, and graduated from Crossland High School.

He joined the MVFD in 1973, which began a life devoted to fire service. He volunteered with the MVFD for more than fifty years and is remembered as someone who “consistently demonstrated his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty.”

Chief Groom was active in a variety of area fire-fighting associations and even did a stint as a federal firefighter at what is now the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda.

In recognition of his decades of dedicated work, he was inducted into the Prince George’s County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his sisters, Mary Elizabeth Parks and Ann Marie Groom. His funeral will be private, but the family is planning a public celebration of his life. If I get the details in time, I’ll be sure to share them.




Exxon Station Closes For Renovation 

The Exxon gas station at the corner of Suitland Road and Skyline Drive, a half block from me, is closed for a month-long renovation. You can still buy gas there during the day, though in the evenings the screens on the pumps say, “Dispenser Has Stopped,” so the pumps seemed to be turned off overnight.

Apparently, in the last couple of days before the closure, they were handing out free pies and snacks to customers, just to help clear off the shelves. Too bad I missed out.

They are replacing the refrigerator cabinets and soda fountain and giving the entire shop an upgrade. But you won’t have to wait much longer to grab your chips or milk or lottery tickets. They expect to reopen on July 8.




Morningside’s 4th of July Parade coming up

The parade steps off at 11:30 and marches to the VFW. It will be followed by a day of fun in Patterson Park. There’ll be food, a DJ, games and prizes, and more. It’s all free, but you might want to get there early. The free coupons for the food trucks are first-come, and when they’re gone, you will need money to get a snack from the trucks.

The Patterson Park event wraps up at 3. And then at dusk, the big show starts, as Morningside presents its always-impressive fireworks display.

I hope to be watching the parade from my usual spot under the tree at Suitland Road Baptist Church. Stop by and say hi. And who knows, maybe I’ll make it to the fireworks, too. It takes a little more effort at 97, but I went with my grandson Michael Gallegos last year, and we had a great time!



 
Morningside Meeting was moved to June 23

The general town meeting was rescheduled from June 16 to June 23, to allow Morningside officials to attend the Maryland Municipal League convention in Ocean City. The meeting was also moved from the regular 7 p.m. to 6 p.m. to make time for a tax-rate hearing and budget meeting.

Included in the budget was a new, separate public works building that will be added to the Town Hall grounds, to give them their own space for storage and work. Morningside has received a $350,000 grant for this project, to which they are planning to contribute an additional $500,000 to build the much-needed facility.

Also, Morningside is allotting $200,000 for road repairs on Lou Lane and Pickett Drive. In particular, the town will fix the sections that do not have curbs or gutters, installing uniform aprons and improving drainage.

On June 28 at 3 p.m., the Recreation Committee will hold its last planning meeting for the 4th of July. The next work session for the town council will be July 14.




School is out!

As of June 18, Prince George’s Public Schools are out for the summer. Drive carefully and keep an eye out for kids playing. I hope kids still play outside these days.




Want a kitten?

A good neighbor of mine in Skyline has kittens that need a good home. If anybody is interested, let me know, and I’ll pass along your contact info.




Donuts with Dad

This year’s Donuts with Dad event was a big success. The thirty attendees dug into six dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, and also got to grab a paper Krispy Kreme hat. They painted rocks and played games, and, most delightfully, also just sat around and chatted. It came on the heels of last month’s Mother’s Day event, where the participants got to decorate flowerpots and then plant seeds in them.

Keep your eyes open for these events next spring. Your family can be part of the fun.




Milestones

Happy Birthday to Angela Booth and Mable Hemmes, June 26; Charles “Chuckie” Henry, Rose Hoffman, Veda Curcio, Shawn Kumra, and Cathryn Cordero Pracht,
 
June 27; Mike Dudding, Juanita Eppard, Erica R. Webb, EvaMarie Anthony, and granddaughter Leah Sharp, June 28; Faith “Dycki” Brown, Alexis Schuler, and great-grandson Wesley McHale, June 29; Linda Carson and Karen Ellis, June 30; Ruth LaBelle and Jordan Foster, July 1; Sharon Simms, Matthew Clark, and Megan Frostbutter, July 2.

Happy Anniversary to Jack and Kimberly Hay, June 28; Carl and Sue (Stine) Mason, June 29.
 

 

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