“WHAT DO YOU DO?” First in a series of people with interesting jobs: a part-time magician. PAGE 4
In deep water: When it rains, some residents feel swamped by Susie Currie
About 25 residents met recently to discuss the flooding that has plagued their neighborhood for years. The area, which some call “Soggy Bottom,” is bordered by 40th Avenue and Crittenden, Banner and Buchanan streets. It includes a trailhead used to access Magruder Park. The January 23 public meeting was led by Julia McTague, who was assigned to manage various city engineering projects in August. Photographs of the situations causing the drainage problems were on display, but many residents seemed not to need the visual aids. “When it rains, my yard turns into a swamp,” said Chris Salazar, of the 4700 block of Banner Street. “And my neighbor’s turns into a lake.” That problem dates to 1993, when the sidewalks there were raised to allow space for tree roots. But they were raised higher than residents’ yards, so water that should have flowed onto the street from the sidewalks instead formed pools on private property. “Some [homeowners] couldn’t even open their front gates because the sidewalk was in the way,” recalled Doug Dudrow, who repre-
REQUIEM FOR SAFEWAY
KEEPING IT REEL
What one grocery store’s closing means for society. PAGE 2
Hyattsville library hosts indie-movie screenings and discussion. PAGE 3
Hyattsville Life&Times
Vol. 9 No. 2
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
Redrawing the boundaries
by Paula Minaert
Hyattsville’s population has grown almost 20 percent in the last decade, according to 2010 census data. It had 17,557 residents on April 1, 2010; on that date in 2000, it had 14,733. This and other information was presented at a sparsely attended public hearing on January 30. David Rain, chair of the city’s redistricting committee, led the meeting, which was
held to get residents’ input on the process. Last month, the city council appointed Rain, Christine Hinojosa and Lisa Pineda to the committee. Its job is to evaluate ward boundaries in light of the new census data and propose needed adjustments to them. This task is required by law, to ensure the city’s compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Rain attributed the growth to new construc-
tion and annexation, pointing to EYA on Route 1, University Town Center along EastWest Highway and the addition of University Hills. “What these numbers mean,” he added, “is that each of the city’s five wards needs to have about 3,500 people.” He explained that federal law requires there be no more than a 10
FIT FOR A
KING
DRAINAGE continued on page 11
REDISTRICTING continued on page 12
Whole Foods moves closer to reality County Planning Board approves Cafritz rezoning by Paula Minaert
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February 2012
CATHOLIC STANDARD Worshippers gather at St. Jerome on January 14 for a concert and Mass honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The annual Mass is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washingtonʼs Office of Black Catholics.
The Prince George’s County Planning Board unanimously approved on February 2 a rezoning request for a 37-acre wooded property in Riverdale Park. The approval opens the way for the land, owned by the Cafritz family, to be turned into a mixed-use development that would feature a Whole Foods grocery store as its anchor. The proposed development, which is located 1,400 feet from the intersection of Route 1 and East-West Highway, calls for 995 residential units, a 120-room hotel, 22,000 feet of office space and 162,000 feet of retail space. The ambitious plan has been the subject of intense controversy in the towns near the property. Supporters claim the CAFRITZ continued on page 13
Included: The February 7, 2012 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section