Jul 9, 2021

Welcome Back Annapolis!

July 9, 2021

Hello Neighbors,

It was wonderful to celebrate the re-opening of the City of Annapolis for the 4th of July with so many of you. It was so beautiful to see our city full of life and community during the Independence Day parade & activities throughout the holiday weekend. Thank you to everyone who joined us in walking in the parade, I truly appreciate your time and support.

I am looking forward to having a summer full of community events and seeing so many of you out in your neighborhoods.

Team DJ Summer of Giving

The unofficial motto of my office is “Food in Bellies, and Diapers on Bottoms”. While I work to serve and represent you in the House of Delegates, I also aim to serve our community and want to ensure our neighbor’s basic needs are met. This was the driver behind the “Delegate Dana Jones Summer of Giving.”

Anne Arundel County Public Libraries is opening a new supply pantry to help our community members gain access to essential supplies. As part two of our Summer of Giving, we have partnered with Discoveries Mama and Baby Community Pantry for a July diaper drive. This drive will begin Saturday, July 17, and run through Saturday, July 31st.

If you wish to contribute, you can bring your donation of diapers directly to Discoveries: The Library at the Mall OR you can make a purchase from their Amazon wishlist to be delivered directly to the pantry.

Visiting The Harbour School to Celebrate Independence Day

The Harbour School has been a regional leader in providing a personalized education experience to so many kids who have learning differences for nearly 40 years. I got to see these amazing teachers, staff, and students in action during their annual Independence Day Festival.

Thank you to everyone at the Harbour School for all the work you do to support our students!

Creating Beauty in Our Community

What an honor it was to paint with some amazing kids from Anne Arundel County Public Schools’s PVA (Performing and Visual Arts) Magnet program at Studio 39! Thank you to Future History Now for partnering with AACPS to help create such a beautiful mural.

Preparing for Extreme Weather

On July 1, a tornado downed branches and trees in the greater Annapolis area. Fortunately, no one was hurt but these situations are becoming more common.

On July 8, our community began to experience the effects related to Tropical Storm Elsa. Please take steps to prepare yourself and your family as this time of year can produce wild weather conditions. Follow Anne Arundel County Office of Emergency Management on Twitter and Facebook for more information on how to prepare for weather emergencies.

Stay Healthy in School Next Year

Parents and guardians of upcoming seventh graders, are your kids vaccines up to date? Students must have documentation of receipt of their TDAP and meningitis vaccines prior to attending their 7th-grade classes. The County Health Dept is offering pop-up clinics at area middle schools to ensure these vaccines are up to date (and COVID vaccines will be available if legal guardians would like their children to opt-in for receiving that vaccine as well).

Supporting the Arts

My husband & I had the distinct pleasure of attending the final dress rehearsal of The Colonial Players of Annapolis “Love, Lost & What I Wore” last night. My friend, & our very own Board of Education member, Joanna Tobin & the entire cast was brilliant! The show runs from July 9th - July 25th. Get your tickets here!

Prayers for the USNA Family

On June 29, a horrific & senseless act of gun violence occurred that took Michelle Jordan Cumming’s life here in Annapolis. Mrs. Cumming’s family was in Annapolis to attend Induction Day & the beginning of Plebe Summer to support her son, Midshipman Candidate Leonard Cummings III. She, along with another USNA family were sitting on the patio of the Graduate Hotel catching up with one another when stray gunfire took her life.

I am deeply saddened by this act of violence and will continue to pray for the Cummings family. If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Anne Arundel County Police Department at 410-260-3439. If you are able to - a fellow USNA Football mother has set up this Go Fund Me page to assist in the memorial fund. Please keep the Cummings family in your thoughts and prayers.

You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to learn about volunteer opportunities, community resources, COVID-19 updates, and much more. If you have any questions or concerns, you can always contact my office by email at Dana.Jones@house.state.md.us or by phone at 410-841-3211.