Saturday, November 11, 2017

More additions to speakers list for cemetery rally Sunday in Bethesda

More Montgomery County faith community leaders are standing with Macedonia Baptist Church in their fight to save the historic African-American cemetery on the Westwood Tower property in Bethesda from development. Just added to the speakers list for a major protest march to be held tomorrow, Sunday, November 12 at 1:30 PM are the Rev. Haywood Robinson, pastor of The People's Community Baptist Church in Silver Spring; the Rev. Tim Tott, of Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ; the Rev. Dr. Mary Newton, pastor of Lee Memorial A.M.E. Church in Kensington; and Hamza Khan, representing several Muslim organizations.

Sunday's march will begin at Macedonia Baptist Church at 5119 River Road in Bethesda, and move across River Road to the cemetery site, around to the Kenwood Station shopping center (Whole Foods), and back to the church.

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

“save the historic African-American cemetery on the Westwood Tower property in Bethesda from development”

So it’s completely undeveloped now?

Anonymous said...

Robert - your coverage of this story is appreciated. However, you’ll never win elected office. You’ve never held an elected position and never will. Hans Reimer would beat you by 100,000 votes next time, in my opinion.

Anonymous said...

The article in today's Washington Post is excellent.

Anonymous said...

"The long-lost cemetery is said to have been located on land north and northeast of the Westwood Tower Apartments in Bethesda, which was paved over as a parking lot decades ago. For years now, the county’s Housing Opportunities Commission has met fierce backlash from activists from nearby Macedonia Baptist Church — a surviving vestige of the area’s historic black community — who claim any development on the property, as well as the existing parking lot, desecrates their ancestors’ bones.

"Yet the commission, which controls the site, has had no intention of building a parking garage on the lot, said Shauna Sorrells, the commission’s director of legislative and public affairs. The allegations are based on sketches drawn up two years ago as part of a master plan process that were never acted upon."

Anonymous said...

If Federal Realty, Westfield, or Greenhill wanted to build a new shopping center on this land, instead of Regency and Equity One, you can bet that Robert Dyer would be in favor of it.

Andy Van Slyke said...

I love seeing folks of all faiths and backgrounds coming together to stand against this outrageous plan to build a parking garage on a cemetery. Shame on you Regency Centers.

Andy Van Slyke said...

7:20am Regency are from out of town- they could care less about Bethesda history or our local community. It's about maximizing every square foot for profit, bodies be damned.

Anonymous said...

6:59 PM - FIND: "Robert Dyer" - 0/0

LOL

Anonymous said...

7:31/7:33 - Fake cemetery, fake commenter.

Andy Van Slyke said...

7:36am oh, I'm very real, my friend.

You attack anyone standing with the church against this potential atrocity. My conscience is clear and I can sleep at night. Can you say the same?

Anonymous said...

"and I can sleep at night."

Judging from your 3 AM peeping in construction sites, and unhinged (signed) comments to readers at the same hour, I'd say no, you can't.

Andy Van Slyke said...

7:49am lol..I have no idea what your word salad means. Translate for us?

I'm standing firm against Regency's insane plan to build a parking garage on a historic African American cemetery. From Robert's reporting, I see the cavalry is coming and we're getting backup.

Anonymous said...

I'm standing firmly for Regency's plan to build a parking garage on a parking lot.

Anna said...

Andy, Andy, Andy...what brings you out today? You and Dyer must talk often, you use many of the same phrases (i.e.word salad.) And you always have the exact same opinion on everything as Dyer does. Peculiar.

Of course you're real. I seriously doubt that this little blog warrants the St Pete folks to deploy the bots. You just aren't named "Andy Van Slyke" so therefore, you're no more than an anonymous shill, selling his soul to a local blogger by providing atta-boys and taking on the bloggers who don't toe the party line. What a fopdoodle.

Anonymous said...

Andy Van Slyke said...

"7:36am oh, I'm very real, my friend."

Good thing you didn't say "old sport".

Anonymous said...

9:24 AM - PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!

Anonymous said...

More nobody speakers talking about fake news. Yay!

Roald said...

Now is a good time to remind everyone that this current Westbard plan has no support from Bethesda residents.

Anonymous said...

Why is this so complicated? The land where this supposed cemetery was, was owned by a black benevolent society. They sold it. Blame the society for selling it, not the current owners.

Anonymous said...

In which Robert Dyer blames a fatal lover's quarrel in Wheaton on "the coming turf war between MS-13 and a new spin-off rival".

Anonymous said...

Whether you like or dislike the Westbard development, it's hard to defend the way the county has conducted itself. It's worth asking how the county ended up needing a mediator between the planning board and the church. The planning board should be the mediator between the landowners and the greater community.

Robert Dyer said...

4:27: How many "lovers" steal their "lover's" purse and cell phone after the "quarrel," old sport?

Robert Dyer said...

10:15: Taking the phone and purse would magically eliminate all of the other physical/DNA evidence and nearby surveillance camera footage? Don't sign up for criminal justice classes anytime soon, old sport. LOL

Anonymous said...

Stolen purse and cell phone?

Absolute proof that MS-13 gang members committed this murder.

(At least in Dyer's mind.)

Anonymous said...

Over/under is that no more than 25 people will show up. BTW, nobody really gives a rats ass about this. Why do you keep reporting on matters (such as this) that the general public has no interest in, or is for your own personal interest?

Anonymous said...

Dyer: "How many 'lovers' steal their 'lover's' purse and cell phone after the 'quarrel,' old sport?"

@ 10:15 PM - "Lovers who are trying to destroy evidence that they killed their lover."

Dyer: "Taking the phone and purse would magically eliminate all of the other physical/DNA evidence and nearby surveillance camera footage?"

Notice how Dyer just can't stop putting words in other people's mouths? Who said that the purse and cell phone were the ONLY evidence? Who said that it is not desirable to dispose SOME evidence - that which is easiest to dispose?

Anonymous said...

9:28am Dyer should ignore the biggest social justice issue currently in Bethesda?
As a journalist, he is doing his job.

Anonymous said...

Looks like no one showed up. LOL

Robert Dyer said...

12:32: How would you know without being there? Are you in the remote viewing program of the Deep State?

Anonymous said...

Deep Basement

LOL

Anonymous said...

8:11 AM (EST) the next day, and still no story?

I guess no one showed up. A couple of speakers, speaking to no audience.