January 2013 Hyattsville Life & Times

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK A Hyattsville Preservation Association event showed residents the basics of home-history sleuthing. PAGE 4

Charter school to open in Hyattsville

by Rosanna Landis Weaver

A new public charter school will be opening for 6th and 7th graders this fall. Though it is called the College Park Academy (CPA), its first home will be the former St. Mark’s School in Hyattsville.

The public charter school was founded by the College Park City-University Partnership, an 18-year-old nonprofit that brings together the university and the city in collaborative initiatives.

Initially, organizers had hoped to open the CPA in the old College Park Elementary School on Calvert Road. It had been vacant since 2007, when Friends Community School moved from that property.

But that plan met with some resistance from neighbors, whose concerns included a shortage of parking, and it became clear it would have been difficult to open in fall 2013 if using that building.

At that point, the CPA representatives approached St. Mark’s about leasing the Adelphi Road property for two years or more.

St. Mark’s School building had been largely empty since 2010, when declining enrollment

CITY CLERK JOINS STAFF

DOUBLE GRAMMY

With Laura Reams, the city moves to fill some longstanding high-level staff vacancies PAGE 5

Nominations for two city residents. PAGE 3

Hyattsville Life&Times

Vol. 10 No. 1

Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper

Hyattsville police nab home invasion suspect

News comes as annual report shows overall crime down in 2012

by Susie Currie

Hyattsville police have made an arrest in connection with a January 4 burglary that occurred while the homeowners were sleeping, and the suspect may be responsible for a

similar case two months earlier.

On January 11, Wilbur Sibert was arrested for theft after a television, stolen during the burglary in the 5500 block of 43rd Avenue, was found in his apartment. Police are searching for a second suspect in the case, accord-

ing to sources familiar with the investigation.

The next day saw a break in the case of a similar home invasion, which happened in the 5300 block of 42nd Avenue on November 6.

CRIME continued on page 13

Art will bloom at former florist’s

by Rosanna Landis Weaver

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 43 Easton, MD 21601

ACADEMY continued on page 10

Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781

January 2013

JULIANA ALLEN Eight year old Ella Williams and her sister Charlotte (age 5) are big fans of Art Works Studio. The girls, both students at Hyattsville Elementary, have attended summer camps and sculpture classes at the Mount Rainier studio and were “elated” to learn of the planned move to Hyattsville.

A new art school is coming to Hyattsville. Art Works Studio School of Mount Rainier will be moving into the Route 1 building in Hyattsville that for many years housed Marche Florists.

William Marche started the family business in 1908 in Washington, D.C. After he died in 1919, his widow, Augusta Marche, moved the business to their Hyattsville home. The current retail space, built in 1951, replaced a smaller shop on the site.

It remained in the family for 50 years until another florist bought it in 2001.

It’s changed hands at least once since then, but the building hasn’t been used since the Marches left. Art Works founder Barbara Johnson hopes to change that.

Her plan is to complete renovations this year, in time for a holiday open house in December 2013. In addition to its primary role as classroom space, the building will provide gallery space, offices and other opporART WORKS continued on page 12

Included: The January 15, 2013 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section

Page 2

Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

FromTheEditor

‘Where are you from?’

by Rosanna Landis Weaver

The simple question: “Where are you from?” can be viewed as banal cocktail party chatter, an intrusive means to identify outsiders, or as a core question of the modern-day examined life.

I’ve thought about this question a great deal: taking a “local history” class in high school three decades ago, studying for my Master’s in American Studies at University of Notre Dame, and raising my three internationally adopted children. Sharing those thoughts seemed to be a good way to introduce myself as the newest member of the HL&T staff.

Is where you are from the place where you grew up? I was born in Pennsylvania, halfway between Philly and Allentown near a road we called the “old 309.” Old and new are relative terms in the world of my heritage. I remember being surprised as a child that the schism between “old Mennonites” and “new Mennonites” (common terms in my world at the time) happened over 100 years before my birth. How could something over 100 years old be new?

I once read a statistic about Pennsylvania that claimed it was the state with the highest percentage of residents who were born there and never moved away. Whether this was factually accurate I do not know, but it rang true to me. When I moved to Washington, D.C., after at-

tending Goshen College in Indiana, I was only a three-hour drive away from where I was born, but some peers considered it moving far away.

In this nation of immigrants, is where you are “from” the country of your genetic origin? That is what people often seem to mean when they ask my children. It sometimes frustrates them when the answer, “Maryland,” is dismissed, and it becomes obvious that the question of origin is being asked on the basis of their physical appearance. Yet, I’ve asked the question myself in a genuinely wellmeaning attempt to find out whether someone’s country or city of origin is shared with one of my children. I can see how it could be offensive, though, if one has encountered anti-immigrant

resistance in the past.

Almost every American’s ancestors came here from somewhere else, and by this definition, my family is from Germany. Though my ancestors began emigrating over 300 years ago, they spoke a German dialect at home, church and school for the first 200 years they lived in North America.

Even in my childhood, this dialect, by then known as Pennsylvania Dutch, was the language used to keep Christmas presents secret from children. This personal history inspires me to be patient with more recent immigrants who by the glacial-assimilation standards of my family’s past are rapid adapters.

Sometimes I wonder if where you are from is the place you raise your children. Certainly our home in Hyattsville, where we moved from Mount Rainier in 2005, is the building that has the highest association of sentimental memories for me, more

A community newspaper chronicling the life and times of Hyattsville

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781 Hyattsville Life & Times is published monthly by Hyattsville Community Newspaper, Inc., a 501c(3) nonprofit corporation. Interested reporters should send their e-mail addresses to the editor to be reminded of deadlines and receive internal news. Articles and news submitted may be edited. The deadline is the last week of the month for the following month’s issue. Letters to the editor and opinions are encouraged. For all e-mail correspondence with HL&T: news, features, tips, advertising and business write to hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail. com. To submit articles, letters to the editor, etc., e-mail susie@hyattsvillelife.com.

I recently received a copy of an article you printed last year about Lawson’s pharmacy in Hyattsville. I really enjoyed reading the article about Mr. Sabatelli and the brief history of the store because it was I that opened that drugstore back in 1948. I operated it successfully for almost 40 years before I retired and sold the business to Mr. Sabatelli.

Even though I am now 90 years old, I still work as a staff pharmacist in Fredericksburg, Va. I’m sure that there are folks there in Hyattsville that not only remember me, but remember my father, Dr. Lawson, who operated Cottage City pharmacy that opened for business in 1926 and continued until he sold it and came to work for me in my Hyattsville store.

Because I spent so many years in Hyattsville, I feel close to the town and would like to receive a copy of your monthly publication. It is interesting to me to read about all the changes in the town that occur over the years. I can remember when Route 1 was still a two-lane dirt road and there was not a bridge over the railroad tracks at Rhode Island Avenue.

Executive Editor Susie Currie susie@hyattsvillelife.com 301.633.9209 Managing Editor Rosanna Landis Weaver rosanna@hyattsvillelife.com 301.277.5939 Editorial Intern Scarlett Salem Production Ashley Perks Advertising advertising@hyattsvillelife.com 301.531.5234 Writers & Contributors Victoria Hille, Bill Jenne, Valerie Russell, Kimberly Schmidt, Fred Seitz, Hugh Turley Board of Directors Joseph Gigliotti - President and General Counsel Chris Currie - Vice President Susie Currie - Secretary Peggy Dee, Bart Lawrence, Karen J. Riley, Valerie Russell Rosanna Landis Weaver - Ex Officio Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. Mail to every address in Hyattsville. Additional copies are distributed to libraries, selected businesses, community centers and churches in the city. Total circulation is 9,300.

HL&T is a member of the

than any other place on earth.

Here is the background to all the best photos, of Snowmageddon, of first days of school, of cotillion, of toddlers and teenagers.

Maybe where we are from is where we live right now. We help create where we are from, when we build community. Perhaps the roots we put out are more broad than deep these days, but they are roots nonetheless and their living strength is vital.

Some of us have relatives that grew up here, others are recent transplants but (as noted in the article on page 4) have taken a deep interest in the history of their homes.

When we become part of Hyattsville’s present we become the caretakers of its past and the creators of its future. We are from Hyattsville, no matter where we may have lived before.

Rosanna Landis Weaver joined the HL&T as managing editor in December.

Yours truly, Alfred Lawson CATIE CURRIE Tangled Skein co-owner Lawrence Paulson at the Baltimore Avenue store. Paulson and Cheryl Hoffman will be closing the store in March after six years, bringing an end to the regular gatherings of knitters, spinners and crocheters that could often be found in the cozy shop. During the first days of the liquidation sale, which began on January 10, customers waited in line for hours with their purchases.

Ed. Note: We are happy to add Mr. Lawson and other former residents of Hyattsville to our mailing list. Please send requests to Subscriptions, P.O. Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20871.

Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

Page 3

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Recipient of Checkbook Magazine’s “Check of Quality” susie currie Recording engineer Pete Reiniger, flanked by his two Grammys, is up for a third for his work on “Woody at 100,” a Smithsonian Folkways Recording marking Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday.

Double Grammy Two residents earn nominations

by Susie Currie

Many of your neighbors will be watching the 55th Annual Grammy Awards on February 10. But how many will be listening for their names?

Longtime Hyattsville residents Pete Reiniger and Stephen Wade have been nominated for projects they completed for Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, the nonprofit record label of the national museum.

Woody at 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection, a comprehensive boxed set marking the singer’s 100th birthday, is up for Best Historical Album. Reiniger, the label’s chief engineer, was nominated for his work on it.

Another Folkways project, the album Imaginaries, was nominated for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album. Reiniger also worked on that one; if the group, Quetzal, wins the Grammy, so will each member of the production team.

“For the Queztal recording to be nominated is kind of fun,” he said, “because it’s rock — an unusual genre for Folkways.”

Reiniger already has two of the coveted golden gramophones. In 1997, his work on the Anthology of American Folk Music helped earn it Best Historical Album; in 2009, he shared credit for Best Tejano Album, Borders Y Bailes, as its engineer.

For Stephen Wade, getting his first Grammy nomination capped a year of professional milestones. His book The Beautiful Music All Around Us, 18 years in the making, was published in September, the same week that his album Banjo Diary: Lessons from Tradition was released.

Wade both performed on the album and wrote the accompanying 44-page text that made him a contender for Best Album Notes.

That news came soon after he got word that Bill Stepp, one of the musicians he’d written about in Beautiful Music, would be one of this year’s 27 Grammy Hall of Fame inductees. Stepp was being honored for his 1937 arrangement of “Bonaparte’s Retreat,” which was one of the pieces Wade had uncovered in his field research for the book.

Glad that Stepp was finally getting his due, if posthumously, Wade thought no more about the Grammys. Until he got an e-mail a couple weeks later.

“I had no idea” the album notes were in the running, he said. “I came downstairs with this look on my face. My wife, Michaelle, could tell something was up.”

The couple has lived in Hyattsville for over 20 years. Wade first came to the area to perform his one-man show, “Banjo Dancing,” at Arena Stage. Booked for a three-week run in January 1981, the show ran for 10 years.

“That was a long three weeks,” said Wade.

Reiniger first came to Washington in 1973 to work for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, a two-week event staged on the National Mall every July. In 1975, he became the technical director for the event, a position he held for various stretches until 1999.

He met his wife, Arlene, in the early 1980s, when both worked on the festival. Arlene continues to work as a program coordinator at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, where she also manages the intern program. They moved to Hyattsville in 1988.

On February 2, Wade will be performing selections from the album and signing copies of his book at Busboys & Poets. The event is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. in the Zinn Room.

Don’t expect to get a glimpse of either man on the red carpet the following week, though. The live telecast shows the winners of only a handful of the 81 categories. The rest are announced in a ceremony that starts hours earlier in the same venue, the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Besides, said Reiniger, “being nominated is almost better than winning, because there are only five nominees in each category.

To get peer recognition for your work is always pretty awesome.”

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Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

Uncovering the secrets of old homes

by Rosanna Landis Weaver

More than 50 Hyattsville residents took time out of the busy holiday season on December 13 to attend “How to Conduct Historic Research on Your Home,” co-sponsored by the Hyattsville Preservation Association (HPA) and the University of Maryland Historic Preservation Program.

Though many came for the “how to” presentations, they also heard entertaining stories on everything from duckpin bowling to hydrophobia.

Each of 13 graduate students in Kirsten Crase’s Historical Research Methods course was assigned in September to research a historic property in Hyattsville.

They presented biographies of the homes, which dated from between 1865 and 1928, complete with slide presentations. Many students shared contrasting photos, such as the same intersection or the same building shot a century apart.

As the stories unfolded throughout the evening, attendees heard tips on how to conduct similar research. Most homeowners should start with historic deeds.

“Deed records give you names, which are a tremendous asset” for any other sort of research, noted Ethan Cohen, who researched 5006 42nd Street.

The Hyattsville Preservation Association web page, at www. preservehyattsville.org, has a section on property research under its resources tab that walks one through that process. Deeds can

be confusing though, since several streets in Hyattsville have had multiple names. The last series of major renaming took place in the 1940s — Littlefield and Wine became Farragut and 42nd, for example — frustrating some returning World War II veterans.

The recorded tax value of a property over time, available at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis, can provide insight on when properties were built or improved. For example, Stephen Neuhauser, who researched 5004 42nd Street, discovered that the reported value jumped from $250 in 1907 to $2050 in 1908, suggesting that the house was built sometime between the two assessments.

Another often-mentioned resource: the Sanborn Fire Insurance maps. For decades, beginning in the late 1800s, the Sanborn Company created these maps to help estimate fire insurance liabilities. An original color-coded map (copies of which can be found in the Maryland Room at the university’s Hornbake Library) provides detailed information on home building materials (yellow for frame house, pink for brick).

Students also diligently reviewed census records. Matthew Grooms, who researched 4107 Farragut Street, described census records as the “single most valuable resource” in learning about past families that lived at the property. He noted that such records allowed him to determine “the occupation of my property’s

owners, the composition of the family, their levels of education, whether or not they owned property and their ages.”

Census records are only public through 1940, however, and are only available online via academic institutions and paid subscription services, such as Ancestry.com.

At the Hyattsville branch library, the Maryland Room has not only census data, but also wills and estates, city telephone books, and birth, marriage and death certificates, among many other resources. If you have a Prince George’s County library card, you can also gain online access to an extensive database of newspapers, which were also cited as an important historical source.

In addition, the Chronicling of America website, run by the Library of Congress, also has digitized, searchable versions of over 800 newspapers covering 1836 to 1922.

Some students shared entertaining or quirky trivia they uncovered this way. Who knew, for example, that Joseph Costinett, whose family lived on 40th Place from 1919 to 1959, played a major role in the rejuvenation of duckpin bowling as a competitive sport? Or that in 1912, 13 Hyattsville residents sought treatment because they had drunk milk from a cow that subsequently died of rabies? “Never before has Hyattsville been so wrought up over a matter,” declared the Washington Herald.

One theme in the evening’s pre-

rosanna landis weaver Sanborn Maps were designed to assess insurance liability but have become an important tool in historical research.

sentations was the interaction of Hyattsville with Washington, D.C., as it evolved from country retreat to suburb. The District as a source of employment opportunities was dependent on transportation. For example, Kristen Fox found a 1919 advertisement for 4914 42nd Avenue that noted the home was “two blocks from electric cars.”

A different form of transportation mapping proved useful to another student, who found an 1896 bicycle map of DC that included portions of Hyattsville. At that time, bicyclists

weren’t looking for bike paths through parks, but for maps that illustrated the degree of steepness and the quality of the roads. Given the bikes of the day, dirt roads of mud and ruts could easily strand a bicyclist.

“The evening piqued my interest,” said Hyattsville resident Kevin Oakley, attending his first HPA event. “I’m looking forward to doing some research on my own home.”

HPA is preparing for for the 2013 Historic Hyattsville Tour on Sunday, May 19. Want your house to be on it? Contact 301.699.5440.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

Page 5

Local resident joins city staff as clerk

by Rosanna Landis Weaver

If you apply for a permit to hold a yard sale to get rid of your holiday excess, or a permit to host a block party this summer, you will have the opportunity to meet the City of Hyattsville’s newest staff member: City Clerk Laura Reams.

“We’re pleased we have identified a city resident with the skills necessary to help the city move forward,” said Mayor Marc Tartaro, who has said he prefers to fill staff vacancies with locals when possible.

“The clerk is a key position, and Laura is a great addition to the team.”

Reams, who started December 10, is excited about the job, and her enthusiasm for the town she has lived in for two years is contagious.

“I love it here. I’ve always loved the character of the town and the good sense of community,” she said.

Reams grew up in Silver Spring and attended University of Maryland, but began to spend more time here when she began dating her now-husband, Dustin Franco. Franco grew up here, and his parents still live on Longfellow Street.

He and Reams live nearby with their two children, both under age 4.

Before taking the job, which had been open since April, she worked in Rockville at Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ where she worked her way up from office manager to business analyst. When she heard about the city clerk position in Hyattsville she thought it sounded like “a great opportunity” and one that matched her background in organizational

about life in Hyattsville is “the high level of engagement. It makes you want to get more involved and see what you can do to support the community.”

For her part, Reams is active on the HNMoms listserv, which she describes as another benefit of living here, as well as the Hyatt Park Community Garden. Soon after she moved to town, she saw mention of the garden on another local listserv and knew it was something she wanted to be part of.

She recalls walking into the information session, picking up an application and checking several boxes in the “How do you want to be involved?”

category. She has been plot manager of the Hamilton Street garden ever since, keeping track of the 30 plots as well as the waiting list for them. It’s a big effort, she says, but also a wonderful way to get to know many people in town.

“We put a lot of effort into maintaining standards,” she notes. “We want the neighbors to look out their windows and say, ‘That is something nice to look at.’”

This year she grew tomatoes, basil, parsley and peas in her patch in the garden. But the sense of community that grows there is without a doubt her favorite crop.

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she will do in coordination with the five-member election board.

Reams says what she likes best about the job so far is the sense of teamwork she has found at City Hall: “Everyone is gracious and welcoming.”

She concedes that not spending hours of her life on I-495 and I-270 is also a plus.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

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chris currie Reaching for the stars: Arthur Sandel helps remove part of the permanent exhibit at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C. The center donated most of its collection to Saint Jerome Academy, and 25 volunteers came to help dismantle and move it.

Wishes granted for local schools

by Susie Currie

Two area schools started 2013 with major donations. Hyattsville Elementary School’s Rainy Day Games campaign, set up in December as a Wish List on Amazon.com, brought in more than 100 new games in its first month.

Principal Julia Burton worked with the staff to identify items that could be brought out on indoor-recess days, when inclement weather keeps the more than 500 HES students inside. PTA President Bart Lawrence reports that many of the games are in circulation already, adding that the “heartening show of community support ... will benefit hundreds of students for years to come.” To contribute, see the list at http:// amzn.to/WSvxyG. On January 3, when a parent at St. Jerome Academy learned that the new owners of the former Pope John Paul II Cultural Center were offering much of its

permanent collection to the first groups who could dismantle and move it, parents and staff sprang into action. Two days later, 25 volunteers met at the center with ladders, packing material, and all manner of tools. After nine hours of toil and not a little ingenuity, several vans, SUVs and trucks full of the museum’s treasures arrived at the school. Among the items now awaiting installation at St. Jerome’s: a 50-foot-long timeline of metal and glass; backlit ceiling panels depicting planets and stars; and many larger-thanlife reproductions of famous art, including Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes.

The center, located near the Catholic University of America, was a museum, performance and events facility dedicated to the legacy of the late pope. Last year, it was purchased by the Knights of Columbus, who plan to renovate it as the Blessed John Paul the Great Shrine.

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Page 7

MissFloribunda Dear Miss Floribunda, I am thinking about getting a head start on my garden by planting indoors and know that soon seeds will be appearing in supermarkets and grocery stores. I am curious about what I’ve heard termed “heirloom” seeds. What does this mean other than they come from obsolete varieties that somehow got passed down? Is there any reason other than nostalgia for planting them? I would assume the newer seeds would be improved.

Not Sentimental on Nicholson Street Dear Not Sentimental, The new seeds are hybrids and some are indeed improved in certain ways.

Watermelons have been developed with flat bottoms that stack better on grocery shelves. Cucumbers have thicker skins that help them travel long distances with less damage. This doesn’t matter much in the home garden, but we all like the newer varieties of pumpkins that are less stringy, carrots without warts and tomatoes that are enormous or develop early. Not to mention flowers that are bigger than

their predecessors or come in new colors or petal combinations.

On the other hand, old-fashioned sweet peas have a much headier fragrance than new varieties and old varieties of tomatoes have more flavor. The nasturtiums grown by Victorians reportedly were phosphorescent and glowed in the dark.

It’s true that some hybrids are more resistant to disease, but in most cases it’s the old varieties that have successfully adapted over time to their climate and soil. They have passed on through seeds the characteristics that have ensured their survival. It would really be more accurate to term many of these varieties classic rather than obsolete.

This brings us to the main botanical difference between “modern” and “heirloom” seeds. Modern hybrids result from cross-breeding different varieties. When a hybrid plant sets seeds, these will either be sterile or produce plants unlike the parent. So far, attempts to develop hybrids that reproduce true to type have met with little success.

Heirlooms, on the other hand, are openpollinated and always produce seeds true to type. As a result, “sentimental” types have given to friends and family a wide range of seeds that have successfully per-

Both hybrid and heirloom seeds will be available at the fourth annual Hart Seed Sale on February 9.

petuated the old varieties — and it is they who have affectionately termed these family treasures “heirlooms.”

If this doesn’t move you, my practical Cousin Parsimony points out that you can collect their seeds and grow the same plants year after year at no further expense.

You have a golden opportunity to sample the best of both hybrid and heirloom seeds on Saturday, February 9, when the Hyattsville Horticultural Society holds

its fourth annual Hart Seed Sale. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hyattsville Municipal Building (4310 Gallatin Street), you can browse a selection of seeds — handpicked for our climate — from the venerable Hart Seed Company, the oldest family-owned business of its kind in the country. You’ll find seeds no longer available to the average home gardener as well as cutting-edge new varieties; none are genetically modified.

In addition to the seed displays, information tables and pamphlets, there will be members of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society and the Community Garden on hand to answer questions. Other tables will offer gardening books, catalogs and magazines for sale as well as interesting pots and gardening implements. And members of HHS are as adept at the culinary arts as they are at the horticultural.

For a nominal price you can sample hot soups and baked goods. Children are welcome.

Should you wish to help plan this event, please come to the next meeting of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society on Saturday, January 19, at 10 a.m. at the Municipal Building. In the meantime, all questions may be directed to floribundav@gmail.com.

Surf’s Up!

Parent and Child Dance Party Saturday, February 23, 2013, 5 - 7 PM City Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street

Catch a wave! Kid-friendly music and refreshments Tickets: $5.00 per guest

Children must be accompanied by an adult throughout the evening Reservations required - 301/985/5021 or www.hyattsville.com/surfsup

Hyattsville Reporter Page HR1

Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

the

www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Call-A-Bus service Need to go somewhere?

If you are a senior or an adult with a disability, call the Hyattsville Call-ABus! The Call-A-Bus operates Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays by appointment only. Transportation is available throughout the greater Hyattsville area, including Greenbelt, for trips to the grocery store, medical appointments, pharmacies, area senior centers, and more.

Our earliest pick-up is 9:00 AM. The day’s service typically ends around 3:00 PM. Appointments must be made by 5:00 PM the business day prior to the trip – but feel free to plan ahead. We’ll take reservations weeks in advance!

Rides are just $2/each way.

Theresa Wilson is the City’s Call-A-Bus driver. Theresa has been with the City for three years. She’s energetic, upbeat, and as a grandmother herself, has a lot in common with her passengers. “This job is about more than driving from Point A to Point B. It is about connecting with our seniors and residents with disabilities,” said Colleen Aistis, the City’s Community Services Manager. “Theresa’s professionalism and the level of service she delivers far exceed the role of driver. She’s truly a member of our community and dedicated to helping residents live fully engaged lives.”

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call India Kea at 301/985-5020.

Other senior-related questions? Call Emily Stowers, Senior Services Coordinator, at 301/985-5058 or email her at estowers@hyattsville.org.

Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

No. 256 • January 15, 2013

Surf ’s up!

Small Town Energy Program Working in Hyattsville

The annual Parent & Child Dance party is scheduled for Saturday, February 23 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the City Municipal Building. This year’s theme is Surf ’s Up! Hula skirts and Hawaiian shirts encouraged. Princess dresses are always appropriate attire at the Parent & Child Dance, too!

The event includes kid-friendly music and refreshments, plus a photo booth to snap a picture of you and your little one. $5 admission per person. Registration is open now at hyattsville.org/surfsup or by calling 301/985-5021.

IN OTHER NEWS...

NEW YEAR, NEW YOUTH! A.G.E.S. MEETS JANUARY 23

In 2013, the Aging Gracefully Educational Series moves to Wednesday mornings at 10 AM. Our January session topic is New Year, New Youth! Kick off 2013 with an overview of this year’s calendar and a discussion of health and wellness issues for seasoned adults. The workshop is free and open to the public. All A.G.E.S. workshops take place at the City Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street, in the First Floor Multi-Purpose Room.

FAMILY BINGO NIGHT RETURNS

Join us at the Magruder Park Recreation Center on Friday, February 1, for Children’s Bingo. Kids ages 10 and under are welcome to play. $3 per player. Refreshments and prizes included! The games begin at 7:00 PM.

SNOW ORDINANCE

City Council recently made changes to the City’s snow shoveling ordinance.

In the event of a heavy snowfall, the City may extend the time allowed for clearing sidewalks. Look for details in the next edition of the Reporter.

HYATTSVILLE AGING IN PLACE OFFERS TRAINING JANUARY 26

A comprehensive training for Hyattsville Aging in Place (HAP) volunteers is scheduled for Saturday, January 26 from 9 AM to 12 NOON in the City Municipal Building.

HAP is a nonprofit organization committed to helping older Hyattsville residents stay in their homes and remain active in the community.

HAP volunteers assist older neighbors with their shopping and errands, light housekeeping chores, and getting to medical appointments. Volunteers also make daily reassurance calls.

The January 26th workshop is a continuation of the orientation for would-be HAP volunteers held in November. Focus of January 26th workshop is the nuts-and-bolts of being a HAP volunteer and will include the information, hands-on experience, and written materials that will ready volunteers to respond to requests.

Questions? Please contact Sally Middlebrooks at 301-9275432 or smidbrooks@gmail.com.

LEAF COLLECTION SEASON OVER

Please note that leaf vacuuming season officially ended in January. Residents served by the Department of Public Works may bag their leaves and place them out for collection with any regular Monday Yard Waste collection.

TRASH SCHEDULE CHANGES – WINTER 2013

For households served by the Department of Public Works, there is no Yard Waste collection on holiday weeks. Two changes are scheduled this Winter.

• No yard waste will be collected on Monday, January 21. The City is closed in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. • No yard waste will be collected on Monday, February 18. The City is closed in observance of Presidents Day. Questions? Contact the Department of Public Works at 301/985-5032.

AGELESS GRACE EXERCISE PROGRAM COMES TO MAGRUDER PARK

Announcing Senior Fitness Fridays! Ageless Grace is a fitness and wellness program that consists of 21 simple exercises designed to improve healthy longevity. The exercises are designed to be performed in a seated chair and almost anyone can do them, regardless of most physical conditions. Class meets Fridays, January 11 through March 22 at the Magruder Park Recreation Building, 3911 Hamilton Street. The cost is only $2.00 per session!

Please note that we had initially announced the time as 9:00 to 10:00 AM. We are now shifting the class to the afternoon, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM. As of press time, the class was almost filled. Please inquire about available spaces by contacting Emily Stowers, Senior Services Coordinator at 301/985-5058 or estowers@hyattsville. org

MISSED MONDAY’S MEETING? CATCH THE REBROADCAST

The City’s cable station is now rebroadcasting City Council Meetings at a variety of times. Tune in on Monday at 10 AM; Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 AM, 3 PM, and 10 PM; Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 AM and 9 PM; or Saturdays and Sundays

Almost 80 of your Hyattsville neighbors are already preparing to keep their homes warm and their energy bills low this winter through the Small Town Energy Program (STEP). Let STEP do the same for your home!

STEP covers $300 of the $400 cost of your home energy evaluation report. If you decide to make any of the report’s recommended improvements, STEP then helps you get up to 60% of the costs back through rebates.

STEP Energy Coach Suzanne Parmet helps you every step of the way, making the whole process easy.

To learn more about STEP or to attend a STEP house party at the home of a Hyattsville neighbor, contact Suzanne at energycoach@smalltownenergy.org, call 240-695-3991, or visit the STEP web site at http://www. smalltownenergy.org.

at 12 NOON. We will broadcast the most recent Council Meeting. The City’s channel is 71 on Comcast and 12 on Verizon. Questions? Comments? Please talk to Jonathan Alexander, the City’s cable coordinator, at jalexander@hyattsville.org or 301/985-5028.

CHRISTMAS TREE COLLECTION

Remember that Christmas trees are collected as Yard Waste by the Department of Public Works during any Monday pick-up. There is no pick-up on Monday, December 31 or Monday, January 21. Simply de-trim your tree and place it curbside. No bag or trimming is required. Trees are processed by Prince George’s County and re-used as mulch.

THINKING SPRING

The 127th City of Hyattsville Anniversary Parade will take place on Saturday, April 13. It’s not too soon to think about marching! We welcome community groups of all types, from neighborhood watches to school clubs and beyond. A little bit of creativity and some decent walking shoes are all that is required! Watch for more information later this month, or contact Cheri Everhart at 301/985-5021 or ceverhart@hyattsville.org.

WARD BOUNDARIES UPDATED

The next City-wide election takes place on Tuesday, May 7, 2013. Do you know your Ward? Check www.hyattsville.org/map or contract City Clerk Laura Reams at 301/985-5009. A Special Edition of the Hyattsville Reporter mails to homes next month with more details.

MORE SAVE THE DATES

The Great Magruder Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast returns on Saturday, March 23. Uncle Pete will be back to entertain the crowds, and the high school art programs at Northwestern and DeMatha are already

Page HR2

CALENDAR JANUARY - FEBRUARY Friday, January 18

Senior Fitness Friday: Ageless Grace Exercise Class, 1:00 PM Magruder Park Recreation Center 3911 Hamilton Street

Monday, January 21

HOLIDAY - Martin Luther King Jr. Day Administrative Offices closed. No Yard Waste collection, City-wide

Tuesday, January 22 Council Meeting, 8:00 PM

Wednesday, January 23

A.G.E.S. Workshop: New Year, New Youth!, 10:00 AM

Friday, January 25

Senior Fitness Friday: Ageless Grace Exercise Class, 1:00 PM Magruder Park Recreation Center 3911 Hamilton Street

Friday, February 1

Senior Fitness Friday: Ageless Grace Exercise Class, 1:00 PM Magruder Park Recreation Center 3911 Hamilton Street

Friday, February 1

Children’s BINGO, 7:00 PM Magruder Park Recreation Center 3911 Hamilton Street

Monday, February 4 Council Meeting, 8:00 PM

Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at the City Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street. working on the 2013 souvenir eggs.

VETERAN SERVICES

Looking for counseling, assistance with veterans’ benefits, or other information? The Prince George’s County Vet Center services County residents who have served their country. Services are provided at no charge to the veteran. For more information, visit www.vetcenter. va.gov, or call the Prince George’s County Vet Center, located at 7905 Malcolm Rd., Suite 101, Clinton, MD 21735, at 301/856-7173.

SENIOR SERVICES

Families, caregivers and seniors: Do you have any age-related questions or concerns? Please call Hyattsville’s Senior Services Coordinator, Emily Stowers at 301/985-5058, or email estowers@hyattsville. org.

NIXLE

The City is now using Nixle to send public safety alerts and information via both email and text message. This system replaces the SafeCity website previously in use. Many of our neighboring jurisdictions also use Nixle to send out information. Please note that Nixle won’t report on every incident – typically alerts are sent when the HCPD needs to alert the public to a potentially dangerous situation, or when we are asking for your help solving a crime. In other cases, Nixle messages relate to road closures, power outages, etc.

If you have a nixle.com account, there is no need to create a new one. Simply log in and add the City of Hyattsville to your wire. New to Nixle? Register at www.nixle.com or enroll using the widget online at http://www.hyattsville.org/stayinformed.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Are you on Facebook? You can now keep up with City events and happenings at www.facebook.com/cityofhyattsville. When you see Vainglorious, the silver metal bird sculpture at Centennial Park, you’ll know you’re in the right place. He is kind enough to serve as the City’s wall photo.

Page 8

Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

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Masked bandits suffer lost territory

by Fred Seitz

In November and December, several Hyattsville residents noticed the increased presence and occasional demise of some of Hyattsville’s cutest and cleverest burglars, raccoons.

The popular view of these often pudgy (8- to 30-pound) mammals as burglars comes from their distinctive black “mask” and their amazing skill at opening

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trash cans and other receptacles to consume the contents. Their “burglar” image is reinforced by raccoons typically acting alone and at night.

Early English and Spanish colonists in North America were very familiar with our local felon. Indeed, the word “raccoon” is derived from Virginia Native Americans’ name for the animal, which translates as “one who rubs and scrubs with his hands.” The idea that raccoons “wash their food” is actually a misconception. Raccoons feed near streams because crayfish and amphibians are among their favorite foods, and rub their hands together because water enhances their already acute sense of touch, useful in hunting.

While waterside dining is a popular view of the raccoon, these animals are among the most omnivorous of all of our local wildlife.

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Their trashcan feeding antics are well known, as are their raids on bird feeders and bird nests. They are also occasional predators, taking young squirrels, outdoor cats and other small mammals.

Residing in hollows of oaks and burrows left by other animals and often sleeping in the crotches of trees, raccoons are comfortable in urban environments (and often fattened from our trash).

Seeing raccoons in Hyattsville is not unusual. But seeing them during the day or after they’ve died is another matter, so I looked into it further.

While Prince George’s County Animal Management Division – or “Animal Control,” as most people still call it – has removed the carcasses, they do not test for disease unless the animals have had known contact with humans.

The staff there advised me that they do not have any statistics on the deaths of these animals.

Public-health departments, which primarily focus on human health, often cite raccoons as a major rabies carrier. They also carry diseases that, while less familiar, rarely infect humans but are more dangerous to racoons.

Distemper is a frequent cause of death for raccoons and in some urban areas they have spread roundworm through their scat.

The College Park Animal Control staff suggested that the animals were likely being displaced from their wooded habitats due to extensive development along Route 1 and elsewhere in Hyattsville. Pushed out of formerly wooded areas, the animals may have been forced into parts of our city where there is greater

Raccoon sightings have been on the rise in some parts of Hyattsville recently.

competition for food.

Another theory is that, due to the unusually warm weather last year, some raccoon kits (babies) may have been born at times other than spring. These off-season young may be having difficulty finding food, and possibly even dying from starvation. This food shortage may also explain why people are seeing the animals in daytime rather than evenings.

Still, raccoons aren’t going away anytime soon. Their range and population have increased in North America, and around the world. Their high cuteness quotient has led to introduction of raccoons in Japan and Germany. Since their introductions in those locations, they have gnawed on Japanese temples, infested German urban areas and have attained nuisance status amongst former human fans.

Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

Page 9

COMMUNITY CALENDAR January 17 The county’s G.E.A.R. (Girls Excited About Recreation) program hosts a variety of girls-only events for ages 10 to 17. Fulfill your New Year’s Resolution of getting into shape with a Fitness Power Hour, an intense workout designed for girls. Free with M-NCPPC Youth ID. 5 to 6 p.m.

Prince George’s Plaza Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Road. 301.864.1611.

January 18 County schools are closed for students today, and the Brentwood Arts Exchange is hosting a Creative Kids Day for ages 6 to 12. (Future dates are February 15 and 18.) Hands-on arts activities explore a different theme each day. $20. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration required; SMARTlink# 1023515. Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood.

301.277.2863. To register, visit arts.pgparks.com.

January 19 Join Mad Science for an interactive allages program that will touch on some of the science basics the Wright Brothers had to know before they could hope to achieve liftoff. All ages welcome. $5 fee includes museum admission. Showtimes are at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. College Park Aviation Mu-

seum, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park. 301.864.6029.

Nothing beats cozying up to a good book in the wintertime — except, perhaps, discussing it once you’ve finished. This month’s library book club selection: Téa Obreht’s The Tiger’s Wife, a book about a young doctor who uses her grandfather’s copy of The Jungle Book to unravel the circumstances surrounding his death. Free.

3 p.m. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 301.985.4690.

Start the New Year on a positive note with Created to Worship: A Praise and Worship Extravaganza, an evening of uplifting music. Free. 5 p.m. Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church, 6307 Riggs Rd. 240.528.8040.

Young choreographers from the Washington metropolitan area present original works that open a window onto the future of dance at the 30th Annual Choreographers’ Showcase. $25. Showtimes at 3 and 8 p.m. Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland, College Park. 301.405.2787.

January 21 Weather permitting, the Mount Rainier Bike Coop will hold a Northwest Branch trail cleanup this morning along a section

courtesy of peking acrobats The Peking Acrobats will appear at the Publick Playhouse on February 5.

of trail near Rhode Island Avenue. After meeting at the Melrose Skate Park parking lot (across from Shortcake Bakery), volunteers will split up into teams to tidy the trail and the green space around it. 10 a.m. to noon, beginning at the corner of Rhode Island Avenue and Charles Armentrout Drive. Contact robbins629@msn.com.

January 25 This evening’s Tu B’Shevat Seder is a family potluck dairy dinner to celebrate the Jewish New Year of the trees in Israel.

There will be songs, humor and the symbolic tasting of the first fruits of Israel.

Free. 6 p.m. Mishkan Torah Synagogue, 10 Ridge Rd., Greenbelt. 301.474.4223.

January 26 Soul In Motion African Dancers and Drummers, founded in 1984 by a group of Howard University fine-arts grads, returns to the Publick Playhouse for a fast-paced evening of music and movement. $10, with discounts for students and seniors. 8 p.m. Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly.

301.277.1710. calendar continued on page 10

YOUR New Local Bookstore

BUSBOYS & POETS BOOKS presents author and Grammy nominee

Stephen Wade

discusses and plays selections from his new book

Sat, Feb 2, 2013 / 5:00 PM Busboys @ Hyattsville / Free

Page 10

Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

ACADEMY

continued from page 1

COMMUNITY CALENDAR calendar

continued from page 9

February 2 Maybe you have some thank-you cards to mail now that the holidays are over, or maybe you just want to show your gratitude to someone.

Expression of Thanks, a program for ages 10 to 17, can help. Hosted

by Xtreme Teens/Preteens, it’s free with a M-NCPPC Youth ID card. 7 to 10 p.m. Prince George’s Plaza Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Rd. 301.864.1611.

Spend an evening with local Grammy nominee Stephen Wade at this showcase of his two most recent works: The Beautiful Music All Around Us, a book 18 years in the making, and the album Banjo Diary: Lessons from Tradition. Free. 5 to 7 p.m. Zinn Room, Busboys & Poets, 5331 Baltimore Avenue. 301.779.2787.

February 5 Kick off Black History Month by attending a lecture on the Effects of African-Americans on the Civil War. Hari Jones, assistant director of the African-American

Civil War Memorial and Museum, will discuss the community’s extensive efforts to end slavery.

Ages 6 to 13. Free. 4 p.m. Berwyn Heights Community Center, 6200 Pontiac Street, Berwyn Heights.

301.345.2808.

As part of its 27th North American tour, the Peking Acrobats return to the Publick Playhouse with their signature blend of pageantry, juggling, tightropes, and, yes, acrobatics. $15, with discounts for students and seniors. 7 p.m. Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly.

301.277.1710.

February 9 Gardeners: Do you know a hybrid from an heirloom? Find out at the Hyattsville Horticultural Society’s 4th Annual Hart Seed Sale, featuring non-GMO seeds in cutting-edge varieties as well as those with a long lineage. Members of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society and the Community Garden will be on hand to answer gardening questions. Free admission. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street. floribundav@gmail.com or 301.277.7129.

Ongoing On Fridays, through March 22, seniors can participate in Ageless Grace, a fitness and wellness program that consists of 21 simple exercises designed to improve healthy longevity. The exercises are designed to be performed in a seated chair and almost anyone can do them, regardless of most physical conditions. $2 per session. 1 to 2 p.m.

Magruder Park Recreation Building, 3911 Hamilton Street. 301.985.5058 or estowers@hyattsville.org.

A group bike ride starts every Sunday at 9 a.m. at Arrow Bicycles, 5108 Baltimore Avenue. This is a 32-mile, moderately paced ride that emphasizes group riding techniques. New group riders welcome. The route can be found by searching ‘arrow hyattsville’ at mapmyride.com. 301.531.9250.

Community Calendar is compiled by Susie Currie and Scarlett Salem. It’s a select listing of events happening in and around Hyattsville from the 15th of the issue month to the 15th of the following month. To submit an item for consideration, please e-mail susie@hyattsvillelife. com or mail to P.O. Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781. Deadline for February submissions is January 27.

forced a merger with St. Camillus School, three miles away in Silver Spring. Renamed St. Francis International School, it operates largely out of the Silver Spring Campus, with St. Mark’s being used for summer programs and some sports practices and games.

Principal Tobias Harkleroad says that St. Francis has given its blessing to a temporary leasing of the space. By the time it outgrows its current campus and needs the Adelphi Road building for grades 5 to 8, CPA is expected to have found a more permanent home in College Park.

The school is intended to have a heavy online component, and a strong connection to the University of Maryland campus. The school will open in fall 2013 with 6th and 7th grades of up to 150 students each, and an additional grade will be added each year through high school.

In later grades, CPA students will be able to earn up to 25 University of Maryland credits for college courses before they graduate from high school. CPA and University of Maryland intend to continue to collaborate over time.

A charter school, for those unfamiliar with the term, is a public school that is governed by its own board.

Such schools receive money from the school districts in which they operate, in this case the Prince George’s County Board of Education, generally based on the number of students enrolled. Connections Education, a for-profit Educational Management Organization (EMO), owned by textbook company Pearson, will provide the web platform, initial curriculum and online courses.

Additional information about the school, which will be open to all Prince George’s County students, can be found at CollegeParkAcademy.com. The deadline for applications is January 31, and lottery drawing will be held February 6 if applications outnumber spaces.

M A CAGRU P Senior Fitness Fridays Ageless Grace Exercise Class

Ageless Grace is a fitness and wellness program that consists of 21 simple exercises designed to improve healthy longevity. The exercises are designed to be performed in a seated chair and almost anyone can do them, regardless of most physical conditions.

1:00 toto2:00 Fridays, noon 1:00p.m. p.m.

Jan. 11 - March 22 Magruder Park Recreation Building 3911 Hamilton Street, Hyattsville Only $2 per session!

Please register by January 7, 2013, by contacting Emily Stowers, Senior Services Coordinator at 301/985-5058 or estowers@hyattsville.org

M

DER

Registration opens for Spring & Summer Camps on Tuesday, January 22 for City residents General registration begins February 11 SPRING BREAK CAMP: April 1 - 5, $125/week Camp hours are 9 AM to 5 PM Before & After Care available SUMMER CAMP Session I: June 17 through June 28 Session II: July 1 through July 12 Session III: July 15 through July 26 Session IV: July 29 through Aug 8 Session V: Aug 12 through Aug 16* $210/Sessions I through IV $105/Session V Camp hours are 9 AM to 5 PM Before & After Care available

ONLINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE THIS YEAR!

For more information or to register, please visit www.hyattsville.org/camps

Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

Page 11

Hugh’sNews

Over the rainbow

by Hugh Turley

In February 2007, before the economic collapse, I wrote about Hyattsville’s connection to the popular fairy tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Written in 1900, L. Frank Baum’s story can be seen as a monetary allegory about a march on Washington in 1894 led by Ohio businessman Jacob Coxey.

The scarecrow (the farmer), the tin man (the industrial worker), and the lion (populist politician William Jennings Bryan) journeyed to the Emerald City (Washington). Among other things, the protesters wanted Congress to take the power to create money through credit away from private bankers and return it to the government, as Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers intended.

When police drove the group from Washington – reportedly for stepping on the grass at the U.S. Capitol – they fled to Hyattsville, taking refuge at St. Jerome Church before heading home.

A second, larger march occurred in 1914. Five years later, the nation’s first and only stateowned bank was established: The Bank of North Dakota. it was created by the state legisla-

ture in 1919 to ensure that money generated from loan interest stayed on Main Street instead of going to Wall Street.

For over 90 years the bank has served the people of North Dakota, and the model seems to be working. In 2010, when other banks needed government bailouts, the BND reported its best year ever, with a 19 percent return on investment.

Perhaps it’s time to try that model here. A Bank of Hyattsville would be run by the City of Hyattsville and own the city’s assets. The engine driving the bank would be tax revenues and fees collected by the city and deposited into the bank.

The City of Hyattsville will pay an estimated $380,000 in interest during the current fiscal year, which ends on June 30. This kind of taxpayer expense could be eliminated if the city becomes the bank that issues the credit.

When city funds are deposited into private banks, Wall Street bankers loan money as they please to suit their own purposes. Having access to credit would enable the city to have its own mini Federal Reserve.

A city-owned bank would not pay state and federal taxes. Taxpayers would be liable for losses.

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Hyattsville could offer loans to students, small businesses and homeowners, earning additional revenue from the interest. Dividends from a profitable Bank of Hyattsville would boost revenue for the city and lower the taxes for the citizens.

A Hyattsville Visa or Mastercard would allow citizens to make purchases anywhere in the world, with interest benefiting

the city. The Hyattsville credit card could offer rewards points redeemable at local merchants.

Private banks could continue to operate in the city. The Hyattsville public bank could form partnerships with private banks to share risk or buy down an interest rate to help spur economic development.

The Public Banking Institute

(PBI), a nonprofit organization that advocates for creating state and local publicly owned banks, has more information at its website, publicbankinginstitute.org.

For more background on the Wizard of Oz as allegory, our money system, and public banking, see PBI president Ellen Hodgson Brown’s book Web of Debt.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

crime

continued from page 1

Both times, in addition to stealing computers and other household items as the residents slept, the criminals took the homeowners’ keys and used them to steal their cars. On January 12, the Volkswagen Jetta stolen in the earlier burglary was recovered in Washington, D.C. Investigators are working to determine whether the two crimes were linked. Sibert, of 4310 Jefferson Street, lives less than a quarter-mile from both crime scenes.

At press time, he was in custody with a $7,500 bond.

But do these high-profile felonies point to a local crime wave? Not according to Hyattsville Police Department statistics released this month. Overall crime in 2012 was down 7.6 percent from the year before. The annual report shows a total of 1,365 crimes committed within the city boundaries last year, compared to 1,478 the previous year.

Crimes were down in every major category except rape (5, compared to 2 in 2011) and assault (104, up from 94 a year earlier). But assaults using a gun were down from 6 to 1.

Those are both considered crimes against persons, a category which rose slightly last year, from 180 to 183. The other offenses in that category — carjacking, homicide and robbery — all decreased. Homicides were down to zero, as they have been for three of the last four years.

Citizen robberies are down by 7 percent, but with 69 occurrences last year, were second only to assaults in this group.

Property crimes, which include the stolen vehicles and residential burglaries of recent headlines, were down nearly 9 percent last year. In 2012, there were fewer stolen vehicles (68) and fewer residential burglaries (127) than in 2011 (88 and 135, respectively). Theft is by far the most common crime committed in Hyattsville, accounting for 71 percent of last year’s total. Most are incidents of shoplifting from area businesses.

The number of thefts in Hyattsville nearly doubled in 2007, af-

Page 13

2012 Crime Report in Historical Context Category

Two-Year Peak Period

Average NUMBER of incidents during peak

2012 INCIDENTS

PERCENT CHANGE

Theft

2007-2008

1,357

973

-28%

Stolen Vehicle

2004-2005

204

68

-67%

Breaking & Entering, Residential

2010-2011

135

127

-6%

Breaking & Entering, Commercial

2007-2008

115

11

-90%

Assault

2009-2010

126

104

-17%

Robbery

2007-2008

126

74

-41%

Rape

2006-2007

6

5

-17%

Homicide

2007-2008

3.5

0

-100%

ter the city annexed the Mall at Prince George’s. But since then, that number has been steadily declining, along with most other types of crime — despite the fact that population rose 20 percent from 2000 to 2010, according to census data. Statistics seem to show that as Hyattsville has grown larger and more urban, it has also become a safer place to live and do business.

Still, says Hyattsville Police Department Chief Douglas Holland, “if you’re a victim of a crime, you don’t share that view.”

To lessen chances of being targeted, residents can request a free security survey from a member of the police Community Action Team. Call 301.985.5060 to make an appointment, and an officer will come to your house to evaluate ways to improve security there. Suggestions may include trimming shrubbery, getting motion-sensor outdoor lighting, or upgrading the locks.

Dr. Mark H. Sugar

and the Belcrest Surgery Center

practicing podiatry in Hyattsville since 1975 Are you experiencing heel pain, bunions, ingrown toenails, hammertoes, fungus toenails or any conditions associated with arthritis, tendonitis, nerve or circulation disorders or sport-exercise injuries?

We treat any and all foot problems both conservatively and surgically. Our hours are flexible and we accept most insurance plans. Feel free to contact us for any questions or information.

The Belcrest Surgery Center is fully accredited and certified and offers convenient and comfortable treatment for out-patient foot surgery.

6505 Belcrest Road, Suite One Hyattsville, 301-699-5900

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Page 14

Hyattsville Life & Times | January 2013

CELEBRATING

LARRY’S

36TH

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