Takoma Park, Maryland

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Takoma Park, Maryland
Seal
Location in Maryland
Coordinates: 38°58′48″N, 77°0′8″W
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	Montgomery
Founded	1883
Incorporated	1890
Government
- Mayor	Kathryn H. Porter (D)
Area
- City	2.1 sq mi (5.5 km²)
- Land	2.1 sq mi (5.5 km²)
- Water	0 sq mi (0 km²)
Elevation	400 ft (121 m)
Population (2000)
- City	17,299
- Density	8,152.4/sq mi (3,150.6/km²)
- Metro	5,139,549
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-6)
Website: http://www.takomaparkmd.gov/

Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, USA. The name reportedly comes from an American Indian word meaning "high up near heaven." The population was 17,299 at the 2000 census.

Contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Law and government 4.1 Mayor 4.2 Representative body 4.3 Voting Methods 5 Neighborhoods and Neighborhood Associations by Ward 6 Sports 7 Education 7.1 PK-12 7.1.1 Elementary 7.1.2 Middle 7.1.3 High 7.2 Colleges and universities 8 See also 9 External links

[edit] History

Takoma Park was founded by Benjamin Franklin Gilbert in 1883 and incorporated in 1890. It was the first planned commuter suburb in the area, and also bore aspects of a spa and trolley park. For many decades it was world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist church denomination, which has a college, hospital, and radio station there. Since before the incorporation of Takoma Park in 1890, the Montgomery/Prince George's County boundary cut through the current city boundaries, but pursuant to a popular referendum, and subsequent approval by both counties' councils, and the Maryland General Assembly, on July 1, 1997 the county line was moved to include all of the city in Montgomery County, including some territory newly annexed to the city at the time. (Residents in the Prince Georges portion disliked having to pay higher insurance rates, and being part of a County noted for its much higher crime and lower public school scores). At one time an extension of Interstate 70, also known as the North Central Freeway, was proposed that would have cut the city in two. Sam Abbott and others successfully campaigned to prevent this.

Also dividing the community is the boundary line of the District of Columbia, which contains part of the original Gilbert tract. This area is now known as Takoma, DC. While politically separate from Takoma Park, MD, it shares its history and much of its culture.

[edit] Geography

Takoma Park is located at 38°58′48″N, 77°0′8″W (38.980060, -77.002341)^GR1.

The city of Takoma Park is just northeast of Washington, D.C. at latitude 38°59' North, longitude 77°0' West. The Takoma Park community (as distinct from the actual incorporated area) spills over the D.C.-Maryland line into the Takoma neighborhood of the District, the Carole Highlands neighborhood of Prince George's County, and parts of Silver Spring. However, these neighborhoods are politically separate from the City of Takoma Park. (Benjamin Franklin Gilbert's original planned community included land on both sides of the D.C.-Maryland line.)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²), all land. although Sligo Creek and Long Branch (both tributaries of the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River) flow through the city.

[edit] Demographics

Takoma Park is an ethnically diverse city, with a large proportion of the population being recent immigrants.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 17,299 people, 6,893 households, and 3,949 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,150.6/km² (8,152.4/mi²). There were 7,187 housing units at an average density of 1,308.9/km² (3,387.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.79% White, 33.97% African American, 0.44% Native American, 4.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 7.44% from other races, and 4.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.42% of the population.

There were 6,893 households out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.5% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 35.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $48,490, and the median income for a family was $63,434. Males had a median income of $40,668 versus $35,073 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,437. About 8.4% of families and 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 20.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Law and government

Takoma Park is known as an extremely liberal community, sometimes called "the Berkeley of the East" [1], [2] or, more sarcastically, "the People's Republic of Takoma Park." (The City Council voted unanimously in l983 to become a nuclear free zone. As a result, no city purchases or investments can be carried out with entities that make nuclear weapons, components or delivery systems) In accordance with the town's principles, a law allows even non-citizens to vote in municipal elections. The city is also forbidden, by statute, from doing business with any entity having commercial ties with the government of Burma(Myanmar) and from purchasing any World Bank financial instruments.

[edit] Mayor

Takoma Park is governed by a city council comprised of a mayor and council members for each of six wards. The city administration is run by a City Manager, since 2004, Barbara Burns Matthews. The current Mayor of Takoma Park is Kathryn H. Porter (1997-). Former mayors are:

• Benjamin Franklin Gilbert (1890-1892)
• Enoch Maris (1892-1894)
• Samuel S. Shedd (1894-1902)
• John B. Kinnear (1902-1906)
• Wilmer G. Platt (1906-1912)
• Stephens W. Williams (1912-1917)
• Wilmer G. Platt (1917-1920)
• James L. Wilmeth (1920-1923)
• Henry F. Taff (1923-1926)
• Ben G. Davis (1926-1932)
• Frederick L. Lewton (1932-1936)
• John R. Adams (1936-1940)
• Oliver W. Youngblood (1940-1948)
• John C. Post (1948-1950)
• Ross H. Beville (1950-1954)
• George M. Miller (1954-1972)
• John D. Roth (1972-1980)
• Sammie A. Abbott (1980-1985)
• Stephen J. Del Giudice (1985-1990)
• Edward F. Sharp (1990-1997)
• Kathy Porter (1997-present)

[edit] Representative body

Takoma Park has a non-partisan City Council elected by wards. Council members serve terms of two years, and are elected in the odd-numbered years. Non-U.S. citizens may register and vote in the municipal election. The members of the council elected in 2005 are:

• Ward 1: Joy Austin-Lane
• Ward 2: Colleen Clay
• Ward 3: Bruce Williams
• Ward 4: Terry Seamens
• Ward 5: Reuben Snipper
• Ward 6: Doug Barry

[edit] Voting Methods

In the 2005 election, an advisory referendum on the institution of Instant-Runoff Voting(IRV) for municipal elections passed with 84% approval (source: The Takoma Voice). The City Council is widely expected to pass legislation encoding IRV into law; this will make Takoma Park the first political jurisdiction in the state of Maryland to use such a voting system, and it will join a small but growing number of municipalities across the nation who have chosen IRV, such as Burlington, Vermont and more recently, Ferndale, Michigan.

[edit] Neighborhoods and Neighborhood Associations by Ward

Ward 1:

• Hodges Heights
• North Takoma
• Old Town Residents' Association (OTRA)

Ward 2:

• B.F. Gilbert
• Long Branch-Sligo
• South of Sligo Citizens Association (SOSCA)

Ward 3:

• Pinecrest
• Westmoreland Area Community Organization (WACO)

Ward 4:

• Ritchie Citizens Association

Ward 5:

• Hillwood Manor
• New Hampshire Gardens Citizens Association

Ward 6:

• Between the Creeks

[edit] Sports

• Baseball
• Softball
• Takoma Fire Girls Fastpitch Select/Travel Softball
• Soccer

[edit] Education

[edit] PK-12

The city is served by the Montgomery County Public Schools.

[edit] Elementary

Elementary schools that serve the city include:

• Piney Branch Elementary School (3-5)
• Rolling Terrace Elementary School (PK-5)
• Sligo Creek Elementary School (K-5)
• Takoma Park Elementary School (PK-2)

Most Takoma Park residents are zoned to Takoma Park ES and Piney Branch.

[edit] Middle

Middle schools that serve the city include:

• Silver Spring International Middle School
• Takoma Park Middle School (most Takoma Park residents are zoned to Takoma Park MS)

[edit] High

All of the city is served by Montgomery Blair High School. However, with the new Downcounty Consortium, students have limited opportunity to enroll in one of four other schools, including Kennedy, Northwood, Einstein, and Wheaton.

[edit] Colleges and universities

• Columbia Union College
• Montgomery College (Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus) (a 2-year institution)
• Strayer University (Takoma Park Campus), just across the state line in Takoma, DC
• Washington Theological Union, just across the state line in Takoma, DC

[edit] See also

• List of Famous People from the Washington Metropolitan Area

[edit] External links

• Official City Government Website
• Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library
• Historic Takoma
• Sustainable Takoma advocacy group
• Takoma Foundation
• The Takoma Park Film Festival
• The Takoma Park Folk Festival
• Takoma Park Maryland Library
• The Takoma Park Gazette newspaper
• Takoma Pork Satirical Newspaper
• Takoma Voice

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 38.98006° -77.002341°
  • Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
  • Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA