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Dear Readers:

Welcome to the Bowie Business Report! Thisspecial publication will present you with anupdate on our wonderful city at the crossroadsof Annapolis, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Bowie has always been at the center of what’sgoing on in the region. It is an excellent locationto live, work and play. With more than 3.5million square feet of retail space and more than1.8 million square feet of office and flex spaceyou’ll find easy access to workers and customers.

Bowie is a dynamic community, recognized in 2007 by Forbes Magazine asone of the top communities in the Washington, D.C. area. It is a great placeto locate your business, to live and to raise a family. We are proud of ourheritage and we are excited about our future. We have grown from a smallagricultural and railroad town to one of the largest cities in Maryland.Along the way we have also developed into one of the most family-orientedcommunities in the country.

We are a city of 18 square miles and approximately 55,000 residents. We haveover 1,100 acres set aside as parks or open space, and 72 miles of trails,including on and off road paths, the Washington Baltimore and Annapolis(WB&A) bike trail, and neighborhood trails. We also have 77 popular ballfields in Bowie. We have three community centers, an ice arena, a playhouseand five museums. Since 2000 we have also added a large, welcoming seniorcenter and a municipal gymnasium and just last year our new City Hall openedin the heart of the city. The new facility has already received awards for itsdesign and energy efficiency. Bowie is home to a variety of visual andperforming arts groups, civic associations, fraternal groups, sports groups,veterans groups and houses of worship. All are eager to welcome you to Bowie.

Whatever your business needs, Bowie has something to offer. Call ourEconomic Development Office at 301-809-3042, or your commercial realestate broker. Let’s have your next ribbon cutting here in Bowie!

Sincerely,

Bowie City CouncilG. Frederick Robinson

Mayor

BOWIE BUSINESS & LIVING | AUGUST 2012 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT

Associate Publisher | Doug Hayes Marketing consultant | Chauka ReidEditor | Kimberly Bamber Designer | Lorraine Walker

Writer | Karen Finucan Clarkson

Bowie Business & Living is a special advertising supplement to GazetteStar and The Gazette of Politics and Business, produced in conjunction withthe City of Bowie and the Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce.

ON THE COVER: Photo courtesy of City of Bowie, Grimm + Parker ArchitectsA kinetic sculpture, hanging in City Hall, pays tribute to Bowie's Triple Crown heritage. Crafted by Philadelphia artists Kate Kaman and Joel Erland,“Triple Crown” consists of three golden flowers. Black-eyed Susans, the Maryland state flower, are used to adorn the winner of the Preakness Stakes.

MAYOR’SLETTER

Open 24 Hours

Emergency Services atBowie Health Center

1844281

Bowie Health FairSeptember 22, 2012 11:00-3:00

Greater Bowie is the heart of the region’seconomy. When families go shopping,they come to Bowie. When couples arelooking for a white tablecloth culinaryexperience, they come to Bowie. Whennationally recognized companies lookfor a corporate headquarters location,they come to Bowie.

TheGreaterBowieChamberofCommerceis the voice of the business community inthis area. We are committed to providingour members with excellent programs,outstanding networking opportunities, funevents and opportunities for businessdevelopment. Our members advocate onbehalf of business interests. We network tofoster our business contacts. We hear fromleading experts to develop our businesses. Ifyour business in not a member of theGreater Bowie Chamber of Commerce,

you are missing out on a valuableexperience. A recent edition of the PrinceGeorge's Suite Magazine stated that theGreater Bowie Chamber of Commerce is“oneof themost effective,business forwardchambers in the Washington, D.C. metroregion.” If you haven't joined us yet, thennow is the time. Get ready for an excitingand productive year as we celebrate our30th anniversary!

Bowie has been my home for just aboutall of my life. My wife and I bought ourhome from my parents because we knewit was the best community in which toraise a family. I have watched this citygrow from a fledgling crossroads to athriving center of commerce. There is nobetter place in which to live and workthan Bowie, Maryland.

Len LucchiGBCC President

O'Malley, Miles, Nylen& Gilmore, P.A.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE CONTENTS4 Bowie Business Report

6 Certifiably Green in Bowie

7 Cultivating New Businesses in Bowie

8 Bowie’s Thoroughbred Past Lives On

10 Business Spotlight

- Chesapeake Grille & Deli

- Mama Cocoa’s Delights

- MOM’s Organic Market

- Inovalon

13 Historic Sites TellAfrican-Americans’ Stories

14 Bowie Cultural & Recreational Venues

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT BOWIE BUSINESS & LIVING | AUGUST 2012 3

BOWIE BUSINESS & LIVING | AUGUST 2012 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT4

It is Bowie’s diversity—its mix of residents,companies, cultural and recreational opportunities, andeducational offerings—that makes this city of 58,000 anattractive place to do business. Bowie is a microcosm ofAmerica, according to Mayor G. Frederick Robinson,who called the city “a dynamic, future-focused, large,small town with…charm and beauty.”

Bowie’s strategic location allows local businessesto serve a diverse clientele. “Whether they cater tothe federal government in Washington, the stategovernment in Annapolis, manufacturing inBaltimore, businesses here have easy access to theircustomer base,” said Michael Ahearn, chairman ofthe city’s Economic Development Committee (EDC).

Strong infrastructure—particularly in the areasof telecommunications and transportation—enhances Bowie’s desirability among businesseslarge and small, according to Keith R. Dunleavy,M.D., president, CEO and chairman of the boardof Inovalon, a health care technology firm and thecity’s largest nongovernmental employer. “Threemajor airports are just a short distance, as is thenortheast railroad corridor connecting Washingtonand New York...Routes 50 and 97 are greatarterial connectors,” he said.

Inovalon, one of Bowie’s 1,500 businesses,employs about 700 of the 20,600 people whowork in the city, according to John Henry King,Bowie’s economic development director. Of thecity’s top 10 largest private employers, seven aremajor retailers, such as Best Buy, which wasrecognized by the city and chamber this year witha community service award.

“All businesses—from national chains to singleentrepreneurs—have a place in supporting thelocal economy and contributing to theoutstanding quality of life in the community,” saidKelly L. Pierce, executive director of the GreaterBowie Chamber of Commerce. She pointed tobusiness support of the local schools. “Somelarger companies have adopted a school, whilesmall businesses provide mentoring or supportfinancial literacy. Each contribution is valuableand adds to the community in different ways.”

Bowie’s highly regarded schools contribute tothe city’s educated populace. About 95 percent ofresidents age 25 or older are high schoolgraduates, 7 percent higher than the state average,and 46 percent have a bachelor’s degree, 10 pointsabove the state as a whole, according to the U.S.Census Bureau. Whitehall Elementary School wasnamed a Maryland Blue Ribbon School earlier thisyear, one of six schools in the state to be sohonored. The school will learn in Septemberwhether it will receive a national blue ribbonaward from the U.S. Department of Education.Meanwhile, Bowie State University, one ofMaryland’s historically black colleges, has joined

forces with the city and chamber to encourage thegrowth of small business through theestablishment of the Bowie Business InnovationCenter on campus.

“There’s a strong entrepreneurial spirit in thecommunity,” said Pierce, “and as the economybegins to improve, people are moving forward andlooking to grow their business here.” Just over 55percent of Bowie’s businesses are considered small,having four or fewer employees, according to theCensus Bureau. Of the small businesses located inPrince George’s County, 12 percent call the Bowiearea home.

What drives the success of businesses in the cityis community support. “We have a very responsivelocal government and very responsive consumerbase,” said Pierce. “Many government officials atthe city, county and state levels live here in Bowie.

All are very approachable and willing to help withwhatever issues arise.”

Residents also appreciate local businesses andpatronize them. It was that community support thatled Tamarra Thomas to open Mama Cocoa’sDelights. During a test run at the Bowie FarmersMarket, “I got very, very good feedback frompeople both on my test recipes and price range.They encouraged me to the point I finally decided,‘Let’s find a way to open this and make it bigger,’”she said.

With more than 2.6 million square feet of retailspace in Bowie, just 7 percent is vacant, accordingto a February report from the city. “If you look atsaturation rates, I think, with what we have invacancies of retail space, we have come close tohaving found the sweet spot,” said Boyd Campbell,a retired EDC member whose roots in the area goback to 1828. “That’s not to say we have everytype of store imaginable…but there’s a good mix.”

That mix is better in some centers than in others.“I think the $64,000 question is whether there areany retail gaps and, if so, how do we fill them?”said King. There is space available for new retail inBowie, though mostly in older centers such asPointer Ridge Plaza and Bowie Marketplace.“Older centers need to think long and hard aboutreinventing themselves to attract tenants.”

Included in the tenant mix throughout Bowie aremore than 90 restaurants, both franchises andhomegrown. There’s an eatery to please virtually everypalate and pocketbook. Ethnic restaurants representmany of the cultures present within the community.“We’re finally starting to get some visibility in Zagat,”said King. The Zagat website includes memberreviews of several Bowie restaurants, such as Grace’sFortune, recognized as the 2012 Business of the Yearby the city and chamber.

As Bowie seeks to further diversify its businessbase, the city is focused “on filling the gap betweenheavy industrial and retail with businesses thatwant attractive properties and appreciate the manyamenities found here,” said Ahearn. The MarylandScience and Technology Center (MSTC) at Melfordseeks to attract those types of firms. With anassessed value of about $120 million, the mixed-usecenter contains more than 485,000 square feet ofoffice space and 243,000 square feet of flexibleresearch-and-development space. MSTC tops thelist of principal property taxpayers in Bowie.

“Economic development needs to remain apriority, but we have to strike a balance betweenembracing development and preserving quality oflife,” said Campbell, who would like to see thecommunity increase its support for mixed-usedevelopment. “Bowie is a big town with a smalltown feel and that’s important to a lot of businessesas they look to locate or choose to stay in Bowie.”

Bowiez Business Report

“ALL BUSINESSES—FROM NATIONAL CHAINSTO SINGLE ENTREPRENEURS—HAVE A PLACEIN SUPPORTING THE LOCAL ECONOMY AND

CONTRIBUTING TO THE OUTSTANDINGQUALITY OF LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY.”

Kelly L. PierceExecutive Director, Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce

COURTESY OF INOVALON INC.

A rendering of Inovalon's headquarters in Bowie.


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“Businesses are a vital part of ourcommunity so they must be involved ifwe are to become a sustainable society,”said John Allender, a member of Bowie’sEnvironmental Advisory Committee.Realizing that government alone can’tpaint the city green, Bowie is developinga program to recognize environmentallyfriendly businesses.

“We want to know who is green—beit places where we shop or companieswe do business with,” said Kay Kane,the member of Bowie’s Green Teamwho is spearheading development of avoluntary green business certificationprogram. “We want to encourage andreward businesses that are working tomake Bowie more sustainable.”

Earlier this year, the city and GreaterBowie Chamber of Commerce bestowedthe first Green Business of the Yearaward on MOM’s Organic Market. Themarket not only features a green design

but forgoes selling bottled water andhosts numerous recycling events. Itsstated mission is to protect and restorethe environment.

After registering with SustainableMaryland Certified—a new initiative thatsupports Maryland’s 157 municipalitiesas they seek to protect their natural assetsand revitalize their communities—Bowieopted, among other things, to pursuegreen business recognition. “Sustainable

Maryland…gave us new impetus and aframework to help us help Bowiebusinesses go green,” said Allender.

As the Green Team explores optionsfor a certification program, it iscognizant of the fact that more than halfof Bowie’s businesses have four or feweremployees. “Whatever process we comeup with cannot be so onerous orburdensome that small businesses can’tparticipate,” said Allender. “A big

business with a large staff has thepersonnel to perform other duties asassigned. But a small business with justone person who is already up to his earsin alligators doesn’t have time to take onone more thing.”

“We have to be careful not to set thebar too high,” said Kane. “Better to setit then raise it over time as capabilitiesand technology increase. If we want tosucceed, the program needs to bemanageable and doable.”

That said, the program needs to havesome gravitas. It can’t be fluff, somethingthat will allow almost any business todeclare itself green and put somethingoutside its door,” said Allender.

Kane and the Green Team have begunsurveying Bowie businesses to ascertainexisting green practices, uncoverbarriers to going green, and determineknowledge and utilization of green

Certifiably Green in BowieProposed Program to Endorse Environmentally Friendly Businesses

See Green on page 14

“WE WANT TO KNOW WHO IS GREEN—BE IT PLACES WHERE WE SHOP OR COMPANIES

WE DO BUSINESS WITH.”Kay Kane

Bowie’s Green Team

BUSINESS DIRECTORY

Chauka Reid-

[email protected]

Contact me for all of youradvertising & marketing needs!

www.bowiechamber.org

KELLY L. PIERCEExecutive Director

1525 Pointer Ridge PlaceBowie, MD 20716

301-262-0920FAX 301-262-0921

[email protected]

Yoga & Wellness Center3120 Belair Drive, Bowie, MD 20715

(in the Community Building behind Christian Community Presbyterian Church)

443-510-6308or [email protected]

www.ImagineThePlace.com


“Given the current economy, is thisreally the time to start a company?Entrepreneurs say, ‘Yes.’ They’reoptimists,” said Lisa Smith, executivedirector of the Bowie BusinessInnovation Center (BIC). “If you getstarted in an economy like this, whenthe good times come you’ll be poisedfor growth.”

Having opened its doors in April,Bowie BIC, a business incubator, serveseight up-and-coming firms. “We workwith companies in two ways,” saidSmith. Resident companies have anoffice, phone number, use of theconference room, and access to supportand marketing services from the BICstaff. “Affiliate companies are not atthe point in their business life or cashflow where they can afford offices, but

they still need help developing businessor marketing plans.” The incubator,which currently houses one company,can accommodate a maximum of 12resident firms.

The BIC’s mission is twofold.“There’s the obvious economicdevelopment mission—to acceleratethe growth of companies so they canadd jobs and move into thecommunity,” said Smith. “The secondpart is to provide experiential learningopportunities for students at BowieState University (BSU).”

Bowie BIC is the first businessincubator to be located on the campusof a historically black institution. “Ourlocation allows us to leverage andoptimize the link between business andacademia through research and practice.

The university is keen to be surestudents have real-world opportunities,”she said.

BSU students in the College ofBusiness assist the BIC staff witheverything from day-to-day oper-ations to marketing to special events.BIC businesses are free to use studentsfrom any of Bowie State’s four collegesto assist with projects. “The MBAprogram invites companies to come inand provide a presentation on whatthey do. One of our companies, VerticalWind Ventures, is bringing a disruptivetechnology to market and they plan tospeak to a class,” said Smith.

Clark Training Solutions LLC becamethe BIC’s first resident company in June,

Incubator Encourages Growth of Entrepreneurial Firms

COURTESY OF BOWIE BUSINESS INNOVATION CENTERDavid Clark, president and CEO of Clark Training Solutions LLC,

and Magdalena Gebrekristos, president and CEO of MagadiaConsulting Inc., work on some joint proposals at the

Bowie Business Innovation Center.

Cultivating NewBusinesses in Bowie

See Incubator on page 12

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Of the 20 Thoroughbreds in this year’sKentucky Derby, all can trace their lineage toBowie’s Belair Stable. It’s been more than 75 yearssince the stable, now a museum, produced a TripleCrown winner, but Belair’s continuing influenceon horse racing is undeniable.

“Nashua was the most prolific producer of futurechampions,” said Pamela L. Williams, manager ofhistoric properties and museums for the city of Bowie.Horse of the Year in 1955, Nashua “not only excelledon the track, but he excelled as a dad.” Belair’s mostpowerful racehorse sired 77 stakes winners after beingretired to stud at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky.

Several recent winners of Churchill Downs’ Run forthe Roses descend from Nashua through his daughter,Gold Digger, the dam of Mr. Prospector. They includeI’ll Have Another, who also won this year’s PreaknessStakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, but missedthe Belmont Stakes due to a tendon injury, andBarbaro, who won the 2006 Kentucky Derby butshattered his leg two weeks later in the Preakness atBaltimore’s Pimlico Race Course. “It was such atragedy; we felt a great sense of loss when Barbarowent down,” Williams recalled.

Belair has been associated with Thoroughbredsfor 265 years. When Lord Baltimore sent Sparkand Queen Mab as gifts to Gov. Samuel Ogle in1747, Belair spanned 3,600 acres and included adeer park, racetrack and kennels for hunting dogs,according to the museum’s website. The estatechanged hands twice over the years, but Belair’sThoroughbred tradition continued through 1809.

It would be almost a century before Thorough-breds returned to Belair. An English Tudor-stylebrick-and-stone stable was constructed in 1907 tohouse the Thoroughbreds purchased by WilliamWoodward, a New York banker with a passionfor racing. His initial investment of $360 for threemares and a stud horse launched Belair Stable’sglory years.

A few years later, three miles north of Belair,another venue would deepen the city’s connectionto Thoroughbreds. Bowie Race Course opened itswindows for wagering on Oct. 1, 1914.

“Bowie had an excellent racing surface,” saidRuss Davies, a former Thoroughbred owner whonow works as a museum facility specialist at BelairStable. “The key to its success came in 1957 whenthey started racing during the winter. Other tracks inthe Northeast halted racing in the early months of theyear. So, Bowie became a mecca for racing in Januaryand February. Fans used to come from New Yorkand Philadelphia by bus or train. The motto was,‘When it snows, Bowie goes.’”

While Bowie Race Course did not have the samecachet as some of the higher stakes tracks, it didattract its share of notable names. Former FBIDirector J. Edgar Hoover was reported to havefrequented the track. Hall of Fame jockeys EddieArcaro, Chris McCarron and Bill Shoemaker racedthere. And Thoroughbreds such as Kelso, the onlyfive-time U.S. Horse of the Year, and Maryland-bred Kauai King, who won the first two legs ofthe Triple Crown in 1966, demonstrated theirprowess at Bowie.

After the race course closed in 1985—“Therewas a lot of opposition from church groups whenSunday racing was introduced,” said Davies—itbecame a training facility. Some 600 horses trainthere, including Pretension, who finished adisappointing 11th in this year’s Preakness Stakes.The Maryland Jockey Club, which operates theBowie Training Facility, has proposed closing itover the past few years but without success.

Despite Belair’s proximity to Bowie Race Course,few of its Thoroughbreds raced there. “The Belmont,the most grueling of the three Triple Crown races, wasMr. Woodward’s big deal,” said Williams. “He bredhis horses for that.”

Belair boasted five Belmont Stakes winners over 25

years: Gallant Fox (1930), Faireno (1932), Omaha(1935), Johnstown (1939) and Nashua (1955). Thestable is the only horse farm to have fielded father-sonTriple Crown winners, Gallant Fox and Omaha.

It is Gallant Fox, Williams surmised, who wasWilliam Woodward’s favorite Thoroughbred. “Heloved that animal so much, even wrote a self-published book about the horse known as the Fox ofBelair,” she said.

“Of course, Mr. Woodward did not live to seeNashua’s incredible success, which is sad becausehe was such a monster animal,” said Williams.

Bowie’s Thoroughbred Past Lives OnBelair’s Bloodlines Continue to Make Headlines

COURTESY OF CITY OF BOWIE MUSEUMS

Nashua, Belair's last great champion, races around his paddock in 1956.

See Thoroughbred on page 14

William Woodward and friends—on a coaching trip from New York City—arrive at Belair Mansion in the spring of 1916.


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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

It was the Old Bay potatoes, dished up hot andspicy at the Annapolis Market, that served asinspiration for the Chesapeake Grille & Deli.“We cook with a lot of Old Bay, but will leave itout upon request,” said Mark Torsani, therestaurant’s owner/operator.

After a quarter century in the restaurant business,Torsani opened the first Chesapeake Grille & Deli inDunkirk in 2008. Bowie is his second location.“From the beginning, our plan was to encircle theChesapeake Bay with restaurants, offering freshcooking and high-quality food,” he said.

The combination of a grill and deli providescustomers with options. “A family of four cancome in and get everything from kiddie food todeli sandwiches to wraps to a full-scale dinner.”

Meals come with a free smile. “We greet andsay goodbye to every guest—and it’s heartfelt,”said Torsani. Given the growing number ofrepeat customers, the restaurant offers five ormore specials daily. “There’s always somethingnew for the regulars.”

But what brings many regulars back is thecream of crab soup and the crab cakes—therestaurant’s top sellers. The chicken and shrimppasta is also popular. The restaurant serves avariety of local beers and wines, as well.

While the service at Chesapeake Grille &Deli is exceptional, there’s no obligation to tip.“When people do, we donate the money—more than $26,000 since we opened in 2008—to local charities.”

Chesapeake Grille & Deli

About the BusinessOOwwnneerrss:: Mark Torsani & Chad WagamanFFoouunnddeedd:: 2011LLooccaatteedd:: 6786 Race Track Road

OOppeenn:: Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.;Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

PPhhoonnee:: 301-262-4441

WWeebbssiittee:: www.chesapeakegrille.com

AAwwaarrddss:: 2012 Bowie Entrepreneur of the Year(Mark Torsani)

SSppeecciiaallttiieess:: Cream of crab soup, crab cakes

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

While the hand-rolled truffles are her top seller, itis the lollipops that transport Tamarra Thomasback to her childhood. “Lollipops are magical.They make everyone giggle. Even adults lookforward to them with glee,” she said.

Thomas, also known as Mama Cocoa, describesherself as “part gypsy, part chocolatier, part madscientist and part pastry chef—all mixed with alarge helping of whimsy.” She also is a savvyentrepreneur growing her confectionary businessfrom a stand at the Bowie Farmers Market to aquaint shop on 9th Street.

An artisan candy maker, Thomas creates treatsthat are “natural, handmade and fun—a beautifulcombination of traditional and less traditionalcandies.” Among the less traditional is a proprietarycandy called Fig Kelly. “It’s dried figs that arechopped and drenched in rich, buttery caramel thendropped into dark chocolate and covered in sea salt.It has a cult following and is very addictive,” she said.

Thomas, a trained pastry chef, also createscustom-made cakes and specialty desserts. “I reallylove what I do. When I’m there and in the moment,I have an amazing amount of fun,” she said. “Ienjoy sharing my passion with my customers.”

Mama Cocoa’s is all natural—no artificial flavorsor colors and the packaging is green. “We recycle,reuse and repurpose,” said Thomas, standingbehind her PaperStone service counter. “Being earthfriendly is important to us.”

Mama Cocoa’s DelightsAbout the BusinessOOwwnneerr:: Tamarra ThomasFFoouunnddeedd:: 2011LLooccaatteedd:: 13015 9th St.

OOppeenn:: Thurs.-Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.;(extended daily hours during the holidays)


WWeebbssiittee:: www.mamacocoasdelights.com

AAwwaarrddss:: 2012 Bowie Small Business of the Year

SSppeecciiaallttiieess:: Hand-rolled truffles and otherdecadent homemade sweets


BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

“Our Bowie store is upbeat and welcoming—and that’s as much due to the customers as it isto the employees,” said Brian Michal, assistantgeneral manager at MOM’s Organic Market inthe Hilltop Plaza shopping center. “We have adiverse group of customers, some of whom knewvery little about organic and natural food whenthey first started shopping here.”

MOM’s, which opened in Bowie two yearsago, was designed with the environment in mind.The store showcases the site's original terrazzoflooring and features energy-efficient closed-doorcoolers with LED lighting and countertopscrafted from renewable resources such asbamboo and sunflower hulls.

The organic market’s commitment “to protectand restore the environment” goes beyond itsdesign and product offerings. “We areeliminating as much plastic on our shelves aspossible. We’ve stopped selling bottled water andhave switched to compostable plastic bags,gloves and water cups,” said Michal.

MOM’s encourages Bowie residents to recycle.A recent drive yielded five palettes of electronics.The market offers ink cartridge, plastic bottlecap and CFL bulb drop-off recycling as aservice. MOM’s also purchases carbon creditsfrom TerraPass to cover the emissions

resulting from its customers’ shopping trips.Residents regularly take advantage of market

tours. “It’s not just the typical school groups,” hesaid. “We get senior citizens as well as lifecoaches…The people here in Bowie have reallyembraced what we’re doing. It’s awesome.”

MOM’s Organic MarketAbout the BusinessOOwwnneerr:: Scott NashFFoouunnddeedd:: 2010

LLooccaatteedd:: 6824 Race Track Road

OOppeenn:: Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.;Sun., 9 a.m.-8 p.m.


WWeebbssiittee:: www.momsorganicmarket.com

AAwwaarrddss:: 2012 Bowie Green Business of the Year

SSppeecciiaallttiieess:: Organic foods and beverages

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two months after CEO David Clarkbegan working with BIC staff ondevelopment of a business plan. “Iwould come over and they would giveme milestones and homework. Theygave me direction. Without them I’d stillbe walking around aimlessly,” Clarksaid. Tired of meeting prospectiveclients for coffee at a local café—“it sentthe wrong message to some people”—Clark takes advantage of the BIC’sconference room.

“There are many places you can leasebut few places you can lease smart officespace,” said Smith. Or affordable officespace, for that matter. “Incubatorcompanies are not in a position to enterinto a five-year lease. We fill a void.”

The eventual goal is for BIC firms tosecure commercial space in thecommunity. “Typically companies thatare not life science companies, as theyhave a longer gestation, are with anincubator for 18-24 months. Theyrealize this is not a permanent real-estate situation.”

After joining Bowie BIC, Clark metMagdalena Gebrekristos, whoseaffiliate company, Magadia ConsultingInc., provides technology consulting

services. The two CEOs are working onsome joint proposals. “It’s great whencompanies create synergies within theprogram,” said Smith.

A BSU alumna, Gebrekristos learnedabout the BIC from a former professor.“When I mentioned to him that I wasthinking of moving my company out ofthe house, he told me about theprogram,” she said. Gebrekristos, likethe owners of the other six affiliatecompanies, hopes to grow her businessto the point that she can afford officespace at the BIC.

Bowie’s 600-plus home-basedbusinesses are considered prospectiveBIC clients, provided “they are growthoriented,” said Smith, “and want tobuild a company with employees, notjust provide a service.”

Clark is optimistic about being able togrow his firm, a training anddevelopment company specializing inproject and risk management andleadership and customer-service training.“I’ve done more and gone further in theone month that I’ve been here than in theyear prior,” he said. “I have people hereto mentor me and resources that I canaccess. They’ve taken me further than ifI’d continued on my own.”


BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

“Inovalon truly representswhat this country is all about.It started here in Maryland,grew organically…and now isa national leader in data-driven improvements in healthcare,” said Keith R. Dunleavy,M.D., Inovalon’s president,CEO and chairman of theboard. “There’s a pride that comes from havinggrown up here and achieved such a level of success.”

It is the corporate culture—one that embracespassionate people and a strong team ethic—thatdrives Inovalon’s success. “We have atremendous technology development team andclinical support and oversight team. This strongteam atmosphere allows us to accomplish ourimportant mission and vision—that of improvinghealth care in the U.S.,” he said.

By blending ingenuity, dedication andcompassion, Inovalon has crafted a new approachto health care that has touched the lives of some

120 million Americans. The company’s tagline—Turning Data into Insight, and Insight intoAction®—crystallizes Inovalon’s ability to combinedata analysis with highly targeted interventions toenhance clinical outcomes and financialperformance across the health care landscape.

As it continues to expand—Inovalon currentlyhas some 300 openings nationwide—Dunleavy isoptimistic about the firm’s potential. “This is acompany that is growing and delivering value byembracing people who are passionate aboutwhat they do....Our story is a positive one and arare one in any industry let alone in health care.”

Inovalon

About the BusinessCCEEOO:: Keith R. Dunleavy, M.D.

FFoouunnddeedd:: 1998

LLooccaatteedd:: 4321 Collington Road


WWeebbssiittee:: www.inovalon.com

SSppeecciiaallttiieess:: Leveraging technology and health data

to improve patient care and outcomes

Incubator continued from page 7

COURTESY OF INOVALON INC.

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Historic Sites Tell African-Americans’ StoriesBowie Plantation, Stable and Ballpark Provide Insight to the Past

Tobacco, horses and baseball—theseicons help chart the history of Bowie’sAfrican-American community over thecourse of three centuries. While some ofthat history has been physicallypreserved, a large part of it lives throughthe stories that have been handed downfrom one generation to another. Still,many of these stories are enhancedthrough visits to places where African-Americans went about their daily lives.

A visit “grounds people and givesthem a clearer sense of the past,”said Donald Creveling, manager ofthe archaeology program for TheMaryland-National Capital Parkand Planning Commission in PrinceGeorge’s County.

On the outskirts of Bowie, amidst theNorthlake townhouse development, sitthe remnants of two slave quarters. “One,from the 1790s, appears in taxassessments from that time. The larger,brick quarters was constructed in the1840s. You can tell by the architecturalstyle and artifacts,” said Creveling.

The dwellings were part ofNorthampton, a 1,000-acre tobaccoplantation established in 1673 througha land grant from Charles Calvert, thethird Lord Baltimore, to ThomasSprigg. African-Americans were integralto the plantation’s viability, working thefields and staffing the manor home.

“Enslaved African-Americans and theirdescendants lived on the property untilthe 1930s,” said Creveling. “Weworked with several descendants ofElizabeth Hawkins, born into slavery atNorthampton, who assisted us with theexcavations, historic research andinterpretation of their ancestors’ lives.”

Oral histories, artifacts and historicdocuments offer a detailed picture ofAfrican-American life during the 18thand 19th centuries. The resultinginterpretative signs at this smallneighborhood park “feature photos ofthe recovered artifacts and relate themto the daily lives of the people wholived there,” said Creveling. Thecolorful, insightful signs provide aself-guided tour, while two benchesinvite contemplation.

It was the keen eye of AndrewJackson, born into slavery inKentucky in the late 1850s, thatprompted the purchase of four horsesand established a racing legacy thatcontinues today, according to the BelairStable Museum’s website. The stable’smost valued employee, Jackson was thetrainer of record for its first Thor-oughbred victory—a 1909 race at theMarlboro Track won by Aile d’Or.


Henry Thomas poses with a 1937 Ford V8.

See Stories on page 15

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ARTS

2nd Star ProductionsPerforms at Bowie Playhouse301-832-4819www.2ndstarproductions.com

Annapolis Shakespeare CompanyPerforms at Bowie Playhouse410-415-3513www.annapolisshakespeare.org

Bowie Center for the Performing Arts301-805-6880www.bowiecenter.org

Bowie Community TheatrePerforms at Bowie Playhouse301-805-0219www.bctheatre.com

Bowie PlayhouseWhitemarsh Parkwww.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?nid=108

City Hall Art Galleries301-575-5601www.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=528

Prince George’s Little TheaterPerforms at Bowie Playhouse301-937-7458www.pglt.org

CULTUREBowie Coin ClubMeets at Bowie City Hall301-848-7657www.bowiecoinclub.com

Bowie Community Media Corporationc/o Bowie Studio301-809-3057www.bowie77.org

Bowie Farmers MarketSundays through Oct. 28www.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?nid=103

Bowie Freecyclehttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/bowie_freecycle

Bowie Interfaith Pantry andEmergency Aid Fund301-262-6765www.bowiefoodpantry.org

Bowie Producers Onlinehttp://mysite.verizon.net/vzeo7zhz/

Bowie-Crofton Camera ClubMeets at All Saints Lutheran Church410-827-3369www.b-ccc.org

Bowie-Crofton Garden ClubMeets at Kenhill Center301-262-6816www.bcgardenclub.org

Prince George’s CountyGenealogical Society Library301-262-2063www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mdpgcgs/library/index.htm

FRATERNAL & BUSINESS

American Legion Disney-Bell Post 66301-464-9814www.alpost66.org

Benevolent and ProtectiveOrder of the ElksBowie Lodge No. 2309301-261-3260www.bpoe2309.org

Bowie Lions Club301-262-2665www.bowielions.org

Bowie Rotary ClubMeets at Old Bowie Town Grille301-503-0833http://bowie.rotary7620.org

Greater Bowie Chamber of Commerce301-262-0920www.bowiechamber.org

MUSEUMSBelair Mansion301-809-3089www.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=288

Belair Stable Museum301-809-3089www.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=289

Bowie Railroad Museum301-809-3089www.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=293

National Capital Radio andTelevision Museum301-390-1020www.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=292

Old Town Bowie Welcome Centerand Interactive Children's Museum301-575-2488

RECREATIONBelair Bath & Tennis Club301-262-5522http://bbtbowie.org

Belair Swim & Racquet Club301-262-3349http://bsrbarracudas.com

Bowie Baysox301-805-6000www.baysox.com

Bowie Golf & Country Club301-262-8141www.bowiegolf.com

City of Bowie Municipal Gymnasium301-809-2388www.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=104

City of Bowie Ice Arena301-809-3090www.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=105

SENIORSBowie Senior Center301-809-2300www.cityofbowie.org/index.aspx?NID=109

Bowie Parkinson’s Support GroupMeets at the Bowie Senior Centerhttps://sites.google.com/site/bowiepsg/home

Bowie Seniors Computer ClubMeets at the Bowie Senior Centerhttp://home.comcast.net/~BSCClub/index.htm

Bowiez Cultural & Recreational Venues

resources. “Part of our analysis is tofind out what businesses see asbeneficial, what will make them stepup and go green,” she said.

While some local businesses haveyet to embrace green practices,others have done so withoutreservation. Mama Cocoa’s De-lights on 9th Street, Bowie’s 2012Small Business of the Year, featuresa service counter made fromPaperStone® and display shelves ofreclaimed teak. The business usesboth biodegradable-cellophane andrepurposed-cornmeal bags topackage its candies and buyslocally—purchasing coffee fromThe Cosmic Bean and mint andherbs from Richard’s HundredNatural Farm.

Sometime this winter, the GreenTeam intends to have the outline ofa program in place so that it can

begin piloting certification in fiscalyear 2014. “There’s a wide range ofpossibilities. If it’s something thatrequires the auditing of informationcoming from companies, that wouldtake time and require a budget forstaffing,” said Allender. “I’m big onwhat volunteers can achieve but youneed staff to make a program suchas that sustainable.”

Funds also would be needed tocreate plaques for certified businessesand to market the program. “Wewant to promote it and show thebenefits,” said Kane. “We wantbusinesses to understand that there’sa return on investment for goinggreen, such as saving money onelectricity and water. And, we wantresidents to step up and say,‘I’m coming to you because youare green.’”

Green continued from 6

“When Nashua got beaten in theDerby, the whole nation clamored fora match race. It was East meets Westwhen Nashua and Swaps raced inChicago. Nashua won and won well.”

Nashua was sold for a record $1.2million following the 1955 death ofWilliam Woodward’s son, Billy, whohad managed the stable since late 1953.Nashua’s career earnings were a recordbreaking $1,288,565, according to themuseum’s website. He was inducted inthe Racing Hall of Fame in 1965.

Four years later, the Bowie StableMuseum opened, commemorating thecity’s Thoroughbred past. It wasadded to the National Register ofHistoric Places in 1973. A $750,000renovation in 2000 has preserved this“Cradle of American Racing” forfuture generations. While the equinegiants are long gone from Belair, theirpresence is still palpable.

“I love being in the courtyardwhen a visitor activates the motionsensor and the sound of horsestalking to each other floods thestable,” said Williams. “It’s soevocative and gives you a real feel forthese magnificent animals.”

Thoroughbred continued from 8


Gallant Fox, winner of the 1930 Triple Crown,was often called “The Fox of Belair.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CITY OF BOWIE


Stories continued from 13

William Woodward, owner of BelairStable, referred to Jackson as his“trusted advisor in all things equine,”according to Pamela L. Williams,manager of historic properties andmuseums for the city of Bowie. “Mr.Woodward thought so highly of Mr.Jackson that he self-published a bookabout him.” “A Memoir of AndrewJackson Africanus” was written as anoral history “in affectionate memory ofa long and faithful service,” noted theauthor. Several copies of the 54-pagehardcover book, printed in 1938, stillexist and can be found online withadvertised prices as high as $2,000.

While Jackson lived to see GallantFox win the stable’s first TripleCrown, he died in 1932, three yearsbefore Omaha would make history,scoring Belair’s second Triple Crownand becoming, along with GallantFox, the only father-son recipients ofThoroughbred racing’s most covetedaward. Jackson is buried at theSacred Heart Church cemetery inBowie beneath a tombstone erectedby Woodward.

Jackson’s story is intertwined with thehistory of Belair, all of which isrecounted through exhibits at the BelairStable Museum. The work of two otherAfrican-Americans—Charles and HenryThomas—also was invaluable to thesuccess of Belair. “They were clearly heldin some regard and esteem as they tookcare of the horses,” said Williams, “andMr. Woodward wouldn’t trust a valu-able Thoroughbred to just anyone.”Many of the Thomas brothers’ de-scendants live in Prince George’s Countyand Williams has been discussing thepossibility of an oral history project.

Discrimination in the first half of the20th century “limited options forAfrican-Americans and meant thethings that they did for themselvesbecame very precious,” said GailThomas, manager of the black historyprogram for The Maryland-NationalCapital Park and Planning Commissionin Prince George’s County. Such wasthe case with sandlot baseball, whichflourished in Bowie and the regionfrom the 1930s to the 1970s.

“All major African-American com-munities seemed to have a baseball team.They’d play against each other in afriendly rivalry. A community defineditself by whether it could get a teamtogether, support it and buy uniforms,”said Thomas, who was instrumental in

developing “Rough Diamonds: The Mid-Atlantic Negro Leagues and SandlotHeroes,” an exhibit commemorating thecounty’s tricentennial in 1996.

Games were held on Sundays afterchurch and attracted both individualsand families. “It solidified ties withinthe community. People may even havemet and married that way. It was just awholesome, outdoor activity,” she said.

ABowie cornfieldwas transformed intoa community baseball field in the mid-1940s for the hometown MitchellvilleTigers. The team continued to play intothe 1960s, well after Jackie Robinson’s1947 barrier-breaking game with theBrooklyn Dodgers. Other teams would, atdifferent times, call the park home,including the Washington Blacksox,Brentwood Flashes, Brandywine A.C.’s,Laurel All-Stars, Glenarden Braves andOxon Hill Aztecs.

As the game of baseball evolved andsemiprofessional Negro-league teamsbegan recruiting from sandlot teams,“the community feeling was gone,” saidThomas. Combine that with “thegradual integration of the major leaguesthat siphoned off major talent” and theemergence of other sports, notablybasketball, and sandlot baseball becamea chapter in the history books.

Today, that history is commemoratedat Bowie’s Blacksox Park, the formercornfield. The 70-acre park featuresinterpretive signage and five ball fieldsthat beckon players of all ages, gendersand races.

The Bowie Baysox, the class-AAaffiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, haspaid tribute to the area’s Negro leaguesfor the past 11 years. During a specialpregame ceremony, the team honorsformer players and dignitaries and invitesthem to throw the ceremonial first pitch.

History informs the present andilluminates the future. “It reminds us ofhow we once were and how far we’vecome,” said Creveling.


Charles Thomas stands with Mrs. William Purdyand a horse around the 1930s.

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