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NAACP and residents push for community center in Lexington Park, collect petitions
Summary
NAACP St. Mary's County and several residents urged commissioners to support creating a community or recreational center in Lexington Park; organizers said they formed a steering committee and collected more than 200 petition signatures in under a week.
Representatives of the NAACP St. Mary’s County and other residents urged the commissioners on Sept. 1 to support a community center in Lexington Park and to prioritize facilities and programming for youth.
Roderick Lewis, speaking for the NAACP St. Mary’s County, said the organization convened a community meeting the previous Thursday, formed a steering committee to lead an effort to obtain a community center, and planned to produce a proposal for the commissioners. “We do have a petition that we've started…we've already collected 200 over 200 signatures. That's less than a week,” Lewis said.
Shamia Bowers, a Lexington Park resident, said she supported the NAACP effort and described local youth needs and the unused teen center on Chancellor’s Run Road. “As I attend a lot of meetings in the community, I hear a lot of ‘we need a center,’” Bowers said, and she encouraged ongoing organizing.
Alfonso Gasket, a county native who spoke about recreation facilities, said the southern end of the county has particular need and urged the commissioners to allocate funds and allow community-driven programming. He said there was disagreement with a commissioner over location — he favored Great Mills while the commissioner preferred Nicholls State Park (as described in his remarks) — but emphasized that the community should set programming priorities.
Speakers asked the county to consider location options and funding and to work with community groups to develop a realistic, achievable facility that serves youth and broader neighborhood needs. No formal county commitment was recorded at the public forum; speakers said they would present a proposal to the commissioners in the future.
