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SERVING SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY COMMUNITIES

DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Summer

camps

25 cents

BY THE NUMBERS

BY JEFFREY B

Every summer, millions of youths are enrolled in camps. The American Camp Association, the largest camp organization in the United States, breaks down the nation’s numbers for the 2,400 ACA-accredited camps as follows:

LYLES

S STAFF WRITER

TAKE AIM AT

Average cost of a day camp per week

P

See CAMPS, Page A-8

BY CHASE COOK STAFF WRITER

$304

Trends reveal top TV shows, movies are having an impact on county youths’ choices

n

9,500 Estimated number of camps run by nonprofits

2,500 Estimated number of private camps

11

MILLION Number of children and adults who attend camps annually

Below: Campers at Good Knight Child Empowerment Network’s World of Wonder summer day camp in Beltsville practice archery.

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Options available to battle summer learning loss n

Number of camp staff from outside the U.S. hired to expose youth to different cultures

Some camps and at-home activities can reinforce classroom teaching

60

PERCENT

INSIDE n Questions to ask when selecting a summer camp. n School may be out, but social lessons don’t have to be.

Overall female enrollment at camps

The prevention of summer brain drain, also known as summer learning loss, is a priority for many parents when choosing camps, but there are also options youths can do at home to keep up to date on academics.

“During the summer time or any long break from school and academic learning, it’s hard to get them back into gear,” Ebonie Spreight of Springdale said of her sons, Kalen, 9, and David, 8. “So if there were some

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PERCENT Camps in which youths with disabilities can participate CONTINUED ON PAGE A-8

See LOSS, Page A-8

SPORTS

A LOOK AT THE LEADERS The best coaches know how to relate to their players and adapt. A look at the qualities of a great coach.

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FILE PHOTO

Automotive

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Calendar

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Classified

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Community News

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Entertainment

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Opinion

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Sports

A-10 Please

RECYCLE

While acknowledging the limitations in preventing such a scenario, some Prince George’s County mall and police officials say they are confident in their current evacuation and active shooter plans in the wake of a shooting at a Columbia mall that left three dead, including the shooter.

“You can do the best you can based on Inside: Parents say your plan,” said Sgt. schools are betAmir Reeves, Beltway ter protected as Plaza Mall security shift officials continue supervisor. “No plan is going to be perfect.” efforts to increase Those plans are student safety. called active shooter Page A-6 drills, and they are common evacuation or response plans to scenarios in which a person is loose in a large building or area while wielding a live weapon, said Lt. William Alexander, a county police spokesman.

These plans are common at large stores, developments or malls like the Beltway Plaza Mall

See PLAN, Page A-7

Baker: ‘Tough choices’ coming in next budget County executive says $2.79B proposal will require department cuts n

PERCENT

BY JEFFREY LYLES STAFF WRITER

SOPHIA WEST

Police say major adjustments not necessary in wake of Columbia mall shooting n

t

POPULAR HITS

op culture is coming i to Prince George’s County summer m camps.

Parents are now able to let their children hone archery skills used by characters in “The Hunger Games” movies, whip up desserts like contestants in the “Top Chef” television series or build robots based on the “Transformers” movies.

“Parents love to get their children involved in camps that specialize in a specific activity whether it is cooking, a specific sport, art, theater, etc.,” said Kathy Garrity, a program supervisor with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which offered 540 summer camps last year. “They like the variety we offer.”

Garrity said specialty programs like robotics, art, self-defense, nature and music production camps are becoming more popular with children and parents.

According to the American Camp

‘No plan is perfect’

BY JAMIE

ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

Prince George’s County’s budget is rising in fiscal 2015, but “tough choices” will have to be made due to sluggish revenues, County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) told residents Tuesday night.

County government is forecasting a $2.79 billion budget for fiscal 2015, an increase of 2.7 percent over the current fiscal year.

Baker said modest increases in revenues, due in part to an anticipated 2.2 percent increase in property taxes, are not keeping pace with increasing expenditures, and some cuts will need to be made.

“Unfortunately, like we did last year, we’re going to ask departments to make tough choices in what they can cut from their departments,” Baker said during the first of three budget forums at Oxon Hill High School. “... But the beautiful thing about Prince George’s County is ... we can see the growth on the horizon,” Baker said. “Tanger [outlet mall] is here, we can see MGM coming to National Harbor, Westphalia, the hospital in Largo. We have great projects that are going to increase our revenues.”

Baker said his administration’s priorities

See BUDGET, Page A-7

SPECIAL SECTION

PRIVATE SCHOOLS Religious schools welcome students of other faiths; how top technology benefits students; plus, a detailed directory of private schools in Prince George’s.

INSIDE TODAY

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THE GAZETTE

Page A-2

PEOPLE& PLACES More online at www.gazette.net

Temple Hills brothers earn Eagle Scout rank Two Temple Hills brothers have achieved the highest rank in The Boy Scouts of America.

Nathan C. Adams, 16, and Seth J. Adams, 13, both of Temple Hills, were awarded the rank of Eagle Scout in January, completing the badge requirements that included fitness training, personal management and a myriad of other tasks, said their mother, Monique Adams.

“It is a really, really great accomplishment,” Monique Adams said.

“My husband and I are both very proud of them.”

The boys have been part of the Boy Scouts of America for eight years, she said. The boys are not finished as they are earning their Eagle Palms, which are awards Eagle Scouts can earn by continuing work with the Boy Scouts, Adams said.

A court of honor will be held for the boys in June where they will receive congratulatory letters from members of Congress and other leaders, Adams said.

Bowie energy audit credits near deadline Bowie’s Energy Audit program is

nearing its completion and there are only 44 slots left for seniors to claim their $100 credit.

“We are over halfway there,” said Kristen Larson, Bowie’s sustain-

ability planner. “[Not signing up] is a missed opportunity.”

The city is offering residents 55 years and older a $100 credit on a Baltimore Gas and Electric energy audit, which checks homes for energy usage and efficiency, according to BG&E’s audit program. It normally costs about $100 for BG&E customers, but with this credit it will be free to seniors, Larson said.

Fifty-six seniors have signed up and the credit will be available until 100 seniors have made a claim or by the program’s Friday deadline, whichever comes first, she said.

Residents who want to sign up for the credit can apply at www. cityofbowie.org/eap or visit the city’s planning department at the Bowie City Hall, 15901 Excalibur Road, Larson said.

Camp Springs seeks special needs children’s artwork A February art show held at Anne’s Art Gallery in Camp Springs is requesting art work from special needs children.

Linda Grantham, event coordinator and a Largo resident, said the event was being held to celebrate the work of special needs children and to raise money for future special needs children events Grantham and her team wants to do.

“The art show will celebrate the work of the children and all money raised will go toward a good cause,” Grantham said.

EVENTS How to Invest in Real Estate, 6 to 8:30 p.m., MOVE Training Center, 1450 Mercantile Lane, Suite 157, Largo.

Have you been thinking about starting your own business or nonprofit? Have you recently retired or are you unemployed? Then attend one of our free workshops. Contact 301-772-1552.

Microsoft Word, 7 p.m., South Bowie Library, 15301 Hall Road, Bowie. Learn how to sign up for a free email account. Leave the library feeling confident knowing how to open, save and edit a document using Microsoft Word. No registration required.

Call for details. Contact 301-850-0475.

JAN. 31 The Subdivision and Development Review Committee Meeting, 9:30 a.m.,

County Administration Building, Room 4085, fourth floor board room, 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro. Meeting is open to the public, but is not a public hearing.

SDRC is a coordination and interagency meeting with the applicant and M-NCPPC staff where the public can be invited to speak. Contact 301-9523520, TTY 301-952-4366.

Denim Design at Huntington Community Center, 7 to 10 p.m., Hunting-

ton Community Center, 13022 8th St., Bowie. Add flair to old or new denim with a custom design by you at this event. Contact 301-464-3725;TTY 301218-6768.

“Funny Money” by 2nd Star Productions, 8 p.m., Bowie Playhouse,

16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie.

1884438

County police take icy plunge for charity Prince George’s County police dove into ice-cold water on Jan. 24 to raise money for Maryland’s Special Olympics.

The Maryland Polar Bear Plunge is a charity event sponsored by the Maryland State Police that brings out hundreds of participants who run out into the water in Annapolis’s Sandy Point State Park, said county police officer Harry Bond.

People raise money with teams competing to collect the most donations for charity, Bond said. It was colder than usual with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees, but Bond said it was worthwhile.

“It is extremely, extremely cold,” Bond said. “It is fun because it is for a good cause. It wouldn’t be the Polar Bear Plunge if it happened in the summer.”

As of press time, the amount of money raised by the police was not available.

County nonprofit offering utility assistance The nonprofit Mary’s Center of

Adelphi is offering up to $500 in en-

ergy assistance for qualifying families experiencing financial hardship,

BestBet

Send items at least two weeks in advance of the paper in which you would like them to appear. Go to calendar.gazette.net and click on the submit button.

Questions? Call 301-670-2070.

JAN. 30

Parents who want to submit their children’s work can contact Grantham at 240-688-3322 or send an email to specfoundationinc@ gmail.com. The art show will take place on from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 26 in Anne’s Art Gallery, 5814 Allentown Way in Camp Springs.

Henry A. Perkins, a mild-mannered C.P.A, accidentally picks up the wrong briefcase and discovers it is full of money. Henry’s inept attempts to extricate himself from the impossible state of affairs that results lead to increasingly hysterical situations.

Cost: $22, general admission; $19, seniors and full-time students. Contact 2ndstarbowie@gmail.com.

FEB. 1 Sports Breakfast for High School Students and Coaches, 10 a.m. to

noon, University of Maryland, College Park — College of Journalism, 1100 Knight Hall. Area high school coaches, players and parents can join experts in a discussion on encouraging student athletes to achieve academically.

Contact 301-801-2616, 301-801-2618, scholasticO@wordconsultingllc.com or thenry@jmail.umd.edu.

Live Animal Show, 10 to 11 a.m., Clearwater Nature Center, 11000 Thrift Road, Clinton. Meet and learn about some of the nature center’s live animals. Pre-registration encouraged; program may be canceled due to insufficient registration. Cost: resident, $2; non-resident, $3. Contact 301-2974575; TTY 301-699-2544.

Creatures Features, 10 to 11 a.m., Watkins Nature Center, 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro. Join us for creatures features, where the center’s live animals center stage for the children. Advance reservations required. Cost, resident $2; non-resident, $3. Contact 301-218-6702; TTY 301-699-2544.

Quilters Trunk Show, 1 p.m.,

SUN

2

Black History Month Opening Exhibit & Reception, 2

to 4 p.m., Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington. Visit this year’s exhibition, Celebrating Civil Rights Milestones: From Emancipation to Administration in Prince George’s County, 1864-1994. Guests will see the unveiling of the 2014 Black History Month Poster designed by art students from Suitland High School. Contact 301-203-6070; TTY 301-203-3803.

MORE INTERACTIVE CALENDAR ITEMS AT WWW.GAZETTE.NET Spauldings Library, 5811 Old Silver Hill, Road, District Heights. Age 10 to adult. Learn about different kinds of quilting patterns and how quilts were used in the Underground Railroad.

Participants will also create their own quilt square. Contact 301-817-3750.

Black Business Network Exchange, 1 to 5 p.m., Bowie Library Auditorium, 15210 Annapolis Road, Bowie.

In honor of Black History Month, the Black Business Network Exchange is kicking off with an entrepreneurial event designed to showcase numerous black-owned businesses and organizations. Contact 301-806-3546 or bbnetworkexchange@gmail.com.

Read to Rover, 2 p.m., SurrattsClinton Library, 9400 Piscataway Road, Clinton. Ages 7 to 10. Build your child’s confidence in reading. Specially trained therapy dogs will be glad to listen. Each child will read for 15 minutes. Registration required; call for details. Contact 301-868-9200.

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo through a grant from the Pepco Holding Inc. Community Foundation, said Emily Dreckshage, development coordinator.

Mary’s Center is a federally qualified health center offering comprehensive health care and social services, Dreckshage said.

“They must be a Prince George’s County resident, with income at or below the poverty level, whose gas or electric services is in danger of being disconnected,” Dreckshage said. “If their service is already terminated, that’s acceptable as well.”

To apply, contact Mary’s Center at 202-545-2024 or email energyassistance@maryscenter.org to schedule an interview.

Reminder: Don’t use plastic bags for yard waste The Prince George’s County Department of Environmental Resources is reminding residents they can no longer use plastic bags for yard waste.

A county law passed in 2012 prohibits the use of plastic bags for yard waste as of this year. Only yard waste is affected by the law.

Residents are advised to use paper bags or reusable containers with sturdy hands and tight-fitting lids clearly marked “yard waste,” said DER Director Adam Ortiz.

“Plastic bags clog the machinery, make a huge mess and contaminate our compost product.

Then we have additional costs disposing of them,” Ortiz said. “By using alternatives to plastic bags, residents will reduce needless pollution and costs and help our county go greener.”

A&E

Seeing green: 2nd Star Productions brings Ray Cooney farce “Funny Money” to Bowie.

SPORTS Check online for coverage of the best high school sports games as teams gear up for the final weeks of the winter season.

For more on your community, visit www.gazette.net

ConsumerWatch

FEB. 3 With Pen in Hand, 7 p.m., Bowie Library, 15210 Annapolis Road, Bowie.

The Bowie Branch Writer’s Group invites authors, published or not, to join in writing and critiquing members’ works. Contact 301-262-7000.

Knitting & Crochet Workshops, 7 p.m., Surratts-Clinton Library, 9400 Piscataway Road, Clinton. Contact 301-868-9200.

When a relative dies, is the family responsible for debt left behind?

LIZ CRENSHAW

WeekendWeather

FEB. 4 Fun Time at Oxon Hill Library, 10

a.m., 6200 Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill.

Newborn to 3 years old with caregiver.

Opportunity for children with special needs to participate in storytime with music and motor skill activities. Contact 301-839-2400.

Chess Club, 6 p.m., Bowie Library, 15210 Annapolis Road, Bowie. Learn to play and improve your game. Bring set and clock. Contact 301-262-7000.

Friends of the Baden Library Meeting, 4 p.m., Baden Library, 13803

Baden-Westwood Road, Brandywine.

Contact 301-888-1152.

Boys Read, 4 p.m., Oxon Hill Library, 6200 Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill.

Find out about the latest books, share your favorites, and practice your reading with games and other fun activities. Contact 301-839-2400.

Family Night at South Bowie: Game Night, 7:30 p.m., South Bowie Library,

15301 Hall Road, Bowie. Bring games or play one of ours. Families welcome.

Contact 301-850-0475.

FEB. 5 Special Storytime: Valentine’s Day, 10:30 a.m., South Bowie Library, 15301 Hall Road, Bowie. Ages 2 to 5. Featuring stories, songs and fingerplays about Valentine’s Day. Call the South Bowie Branch for details. Contact 301850-0475.

Liz takes charge on this important money matter.

FRIDAY

44

25

SATURDAY

47

SUNDAY

32

43

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Mobile Download the Gazette.Net mobile app using the QR Code reader, or go to www.gazette.net/mobile for custom options.

GAZETTE CONTACTS The Gazette-Star – 13501 Virginia Manor Road Laurel, MD 20707 Main phone: 240-473-7500 Fax: 240-473-7501

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

LOCAL

Pre-K, teacher pay may get state aid More teachers, wage increases, pre-kindergarten expansion slated n

BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

Thanks to a possible additional $46.8 million from the state, Prince George’s County Public Schools is expecting to have more money to expand full-time pre-kindergarten, improve wages and hire more teachers.

“We’re putting additional money into salary and wages to make our salaries more competitive with surrounding jurisdictions, and we have increased the number of teachers to address questions of class size and balance,” said schools CEO Kevin Maxwell during a budget work session and public hearing Monday night at the Sasscer Administration Building in Upper Marlboro.

The estimated increase comes from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s (D) proposed $39.3 billion budget, unveiled last week that includes increased spending for pre-kindergarten and K-12 education.

“This is all new information,” said Thomas Sheeran, acting chief financial officer, adding that details of the additional state funding are still to be determined.

Included in that amount, the school system is expecting approximately $885,000 in additional revenues dedicated to the expansion of full-time pre-k, which will allow the school system to expand from eight to 32 schools with full-day pre-k, said Monica Goldson, acting chief operations officer.

With the additional state funds expected, Maxwell’s proposed fiscal 2015 budget has increased to $1.8 billion from the $1.75 billion he requested in December.

Among the budget items are program expansions and additions. Those include the creation of three Spanish immersion specialty schools; increased funding for art, music and environmental studies; expanded enroll-

ment in the county’s existing French immersion, Montessori and Talented and Gifted magnet schools and expansion of the Judith P. Hoyer Montessori School to include seventh and eighth grades.

Hoyer is one of three Montessori magnet schools in the county. The northern and southern Montessori schools are both K-8.

James Wallace IV of Bowie, a fourth-grader at Hoyer, asked the board to support the expansion.

“This will allow the upper grade Montessori students to continue their Montessori education without interruption,” Wallace said.

A portion of the additional state revenues will be used to decrease the amount the school system is relying on from its reserve fund balance to pay for Maxwell’s list of program expansions, from $46.3 million to $42.8 million.

School board member Peggy Higgins (Dist. 2) asked Maxwell to explain the rationale behind dipping into the school system’s $144 million reserve funds.

“As excited as I am to be able to provide our students and our teachers all the things that this budget offers, the fund balance is obviously one-time funds,” Higgins said.

Maxwell said the school system generates a fund balance each year through positions that go unfilled, and that the school system expects to accrue approximately half the fund balance it’s spending by the end of the fiscal year.

“We’ve got a pretty robust fund balance of $144 million and we think that using some of that for some of the programmatic changes we’re trying to make is in our best interests and not hurtful to our bottom line at all,” Maxwell said.

The school system will hold two further budget hearings at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 and 24 at the Sasscer Administration Building. The board’s Feb. 27 regular meeting has been rescheduled for Feb. 25 at 7 p.m., when the board will vote on the budget. janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

Page A-3

Air rider

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Jayden Thompson, 7, of Upper Marlboro floats on a leaf blower-powered hovercraft during the Mad Science of Washington demonstration of the principles of air at the College Park Aviation Museum on Saturday in College Park.

Critics question Six Flags minimum wage plan Supporters say effort protects jobs for youths n

BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

For John Staton, assistant manager of Big Planet Comics in College Park, a proposal to exempt Six Flags America amusement park in Largo from higher minimum wage laws is far from comical.

“Maybe it’s because I spend all day around comic books about truth and justice, but it strikes me as venal and draconian to subvert a law of the land that is designed to raise people’s standard of living,” Staton said.

Other business owners questioned why their businesses wouldn’t be eligible for the proposed amendment by Prince George’s County Councilman Derrick L. Davis (Dist.

6) of Mitchellville that would allow seasonal employees at amusement parks to be exempt

from the county’s Minimum Wage Increase Law passed in November. The law is set to increase the minimum wage — which is currently $7.25 per hour — to $8.40 per hour in October, and incrementally to $11.50 per hour by Oct. 1, 2017.

Davis said the goal of the bill is to ensure summer jobs for county youth, stating that Six Flags generally hires young people looking for summer work, not individuals supporting families.

Davis said raising the minimum wage could put a financial hardship on the county’s largest summer youth employer and noted there is already an exemption to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for seasonal amusement park workers.

“This is just ensuring that we are taking care of our unique situation here in Prince George’s County and reflecting the national exemption,” said Davis, whose district includes Six Flags America.

The county’s minimum

wage increase does not include tipped employees and has an exemption for employees younger than 19 working 20 hours or less.

Havilah Ross, a spokesperson for Six Flags America, said in an email to The Gazette that the park hires more than 2,000 seasonal employees each year.

Ross stated that Six Flags had no comment on the pending legislation.

Jonathan Morgan, general manager of #1 Liquors in College Park, said other than management, his store’s employees are seasonal college students.

“Where’s the point where you’re not big enough to get an exemption? Why couldn’t we get an exemption?” asked Morgan, who said the liquor store hires about three or four college students each semester.

“It’s because they’ve got lawyers who can put pressure on county government.”

David Harrington, president and CEO of the county Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber supports an ex-

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emption for Six Flags — and only Six Flags.

“They hire literally thousands of youth from Prince George’s County, and we don’t want that hindered in any way,” Harrington said. “These are seasonal employees, hired on a part-time basis. Most of them are students trying to earn a little extra money for college.”

Harrington said Six Flags expressed concern about the increase to $11.50 per hour in 2017.

“They came to us and said they might have to reconsider the number of youth they hire,” Harrington said.

Davis said doesn’t think there should be other business exemptions.

“Six Flags is in a very unique situation,” Davis said, pointing to the number of summer youth they hire. “I don’t see any other similar situation in Prince George’s County.” janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Page A-4

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Suitland High makes Brazilian connection n

Exchange program to culminate in mural projects

BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

At first, a group of Suitland High School students found it tough to talk to a group of their Brazilian counterparts. Then, they found common ground.

“The language barrier made it awkward in conversation. It was constant translation on both sides,” said junior Ryien Cypress, 17, of Largo. “But the cool part was when we started to name some of the celebrities here, they’d be like, ‘Oh, Beyoncé!’”

Since August, students in Suitland High’s “Culture Keepers” weekly after-school program and students at Escola Municipal de Ensino Fundamental e Médio, or EMEFM, High School in São Paulo, Brazil, have been studying the African slave trade and comparing its effects on their respective regions.

“It was surprising to me to see that their perspective is similar to ours,” said junior Naima Shaw, 16, of Suitland.

“The only thing that separates us is the language. When the slaves were emancipated, many formed communities here [in Prince George’s County]. In Brazil, it’s very obvious that the same thing was going on there, as well, with black people starting their own communities.”

The Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center at North Brentwood hosts the Culture Keepers program. The center received a $90,000 U.S. State Department grant in conjunction with the

n

Upper Marlboro group considers property usage

BY CHASE COOK STAFF WRITER

While the Upper Marlboro Historical Committee is trying to find a way to save a 1948 stone building set for demolition, other community members want what they call “an eyesore” torn down.

The one-story stone building is located on Church Street near Old Crain Highway and was used as a telephone switch station and a Prince George’s County Fire/EMS district command center, but has since been vacant for several years, said Town Commissioners’ President Steve Sonnett. The building has been damaged from an earthquake and a car running into it, he said.

County officials asked if the town wanted the land after the condemned building was demolished, so the town said yes and there was talk of putting in a garden, Sonnett said.

“When someone offers you a gift, with conditions, you take the gift with the conditions,” he said.

That demolition has been put on hold now after the town’s Historical Committee discovered on Jan. 21 that the building was set for demolition, said Kate Germano, committee chairwoman and Upper Marlboro resident.

The Historical Committee is a group of residents who meet on weekends to archive historical documents and items related to town history.

“We had no idea it was

Board chairman says intent is to promote cultural proficiency

BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Suitland High School teacher Maria Saldana (back, right) talks about the language and culture of Brazil with Suitland students (from left) junior Kenetia Pinkett, 16, of Clinton; sophomore Yasmine Eubanks, 15, of Mitchellville; and sophomore Karima Winter, 15, of Fort Washington as part of the Culture Keepers cultural exchange program.

Museum Afro-Brazil for the purpose of cultural exchange, said Chanel Compton, the center’s director of education.

“This is the first time either museum has done ... a youthcentered cultural exchange, so it’s been really exciting,” Compton said.

The Suitland High students converse with their Brazilian counterparts via Skype.

“It was interesting to see how normal they looked. They looked just like someone you’d be sitting next to in class,” said junior Bryanna Rather, 17, of Suitland.

Outside of the regular meeting time, the Suitland students interact with the Brazilian stu-

Residents work to save historic building site n

‘Dangerous’ wording delays school policy

going to be demolished,” Germano said.

The building is within the town’s National Historic Registrar boundaries, so if the town wants to protect its history the building should be reused, Germano said.

“Taking the building down would be a negative thing for the town while trying to capitalize on our history,” Germano said. “We think it adds value to the town.”

Helen Ford, a former town commissioner and resident who lives near the building, said the county isn’t using the building and a new garden would have been an improvement over the building, which is an eyesore.

“If it was a historic building I would be all in favor of saving it,” Ford said. “Just because something is over 50 years old doesn’t make something historic.”

Sonnett said he conditionally supports the committee’s efforts to save the building.

“Everybody likes that building ... but it has been in disrepair for years,” Sonnett said. “It is worth putting the demolition on hold to see if the committee can come up with something feasible.”

Germano said she wants to poll residents on the building’s use. The committee is working with the county to get it on the county’s historic registrar as well.

“We need to have a couple of ideas put forth in the local community to find what they want to do with the space,” Germano said. ccook@gazette.net

dents in their free time via social media such as Facebook and Instagram, Shaw said.

“We use what very little phrases we know, or we use Google Translate to communicate with each other,” Shaw said.

The program will culminate in the Suitland students traveling to Brazil in April to help their counterparts complete a mural relating to the history of black culture in their community.

“I’m looking forward to meeting them, and I’m excited to see how much alike our ways of life are,” Cypress said.

The Brazilian students will come to Maryland in June to help the Suitland students com-

plete a mural relating to their history. The mural will be designed at Suitland, but its final location hasn’t been set, Compton said.

“The mural is going to communicate a vision of what the African Diaspora is, and through the Diaspora, Prince George’s County’s relationship with the world,” Compton said. “It’s going to be out of this world.”

Compton said she hopes the program could be expanded in future years to include partnerships with schools in other countries. janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

Prince George’s County school officials are reworking their wording.

A policy draft aimed at improving cultural and minority diversity included statements that were deemed “dangerous” and could open the school system up to lawsuits.

David Cahn, a lawyer and co-chair of the education advocacy group Citizens for an Elected Board, applauded the intent of the policy but said language promising “culturally relevant instruction to ALL students” could lead to lawsuits if the board cannot accommodate every cultural group.

Cahn also noted the policy establishes several “outcomes,” including welcoming environments and empowering all families.

“The board can’t establish an outcome,” Cahn said.

“It can work towards it, it can desire the outcome, but it can’t establish the outcome, because the outcome will be established by the work done under this [policy].”

Diversity in the school system came to the forefront

recently when concerns were raised about the lack of Latino administrators when compared to the county’s Latino population. According to information from the Maryland Department of Education, 24.4 percent of county students are Latino, yet school system information indicates only 2 percent of teachers and 1 percent of administrators are Latino. There are no Latino members on the school board.

School board chairman Segun Eubanks said the intent of the policy is to make the school system more welcoming to minority groups by supporting cultural awareness, involving more minority families, and hiring faculty and staff that reflect the county’s cultural diversity.

“As an educator, I’ve done a lot of work on the idea that when you respect and embrace the culture of a student in a positive way, it helps them learn,” Eubanks said.

The board voted to table the measure and rework the language.

Board member Beverly Anderson said the policy needed more work.

“I love the ideas. I think it’s wonderful,” Anderson said. “[But] I think some of the language is a bit loose, and I would like to see some stated objectives.” janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

Bowie considers entrants for top city honor Seven years have passed since last induction into exclusive group n

BY CHASE COOK STAFF WRITER

There’s a high bar to get into Bowie’s Hall of Honor. It’s been seven years since the last person was inducted.

The Hall of Honor, which is a posthumous recognition, has been around since 1991. In those 23 years, 18 residents or former residents have made it in. The first award was given in 1994.

Officials say it’s the most prestigious award the city gives out, so the criteria are tough.

Nominees must have “made both a major and lasting contribution to the City of Bowie,” lived in Bowie at the time of their contribution and been deceased for a year as of the filing deadline.

Officials said the award is meant to recognize all of an individual’s contributions, not just particular moments, which is why a nominee must be deceased.

“I think it is intended to be that way so that it doesn’t lessen

and cheapen the stature of the award,” said Dennis Brady, an at-large city councilman for 20 years. “It is more a recognition of the life of the person.”

The most recent selection, in 2007, was John Ainsworth, who is considered the father and champion of Bowie’s Ice Arena, according to the Hall of Honor’s records.

Awardees have a ceremony in their honor and a plaque is placed in the City Hall lobby, said Matt Corley, Bowie’s special events coordinator.

Corley said he receives the nominations for the Hall of Honor. The application deadline is Feb. 7.

Applications are sent to the Community Outreach Committee, which views the applications and asks questions.

It makes a recommendation to the council, which gives final approval.

Bowie Mayor G. Frederick Robinson said people who have a plaque on that wall have helped turn the city “from a development into a community.”

“Everybody that is up there now has been an incredible contributor to the success of the city,” Robinson said. “We try to extend our appreciation to those people and their families. It is

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Matt Corley, Bowie’s special events coordinator, stands in front of the city’s Hall of Honor. hard to get in there.”

The Community Outreach Committee tries to ensure the award is given only to people who have made “lasting” and “major” contributions to the city, said Dale Grant, committee chairman.

Grant said the committee doesn’t receive many applications, which might be a testament to how tough the criteria are. When a nominee is turned down, that person usually isn’t nominated again, he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, it is the most prestigious award,” Grant said. “We feel obligated ... that the person actually meets the criteria.”

The committee has recommended against some nominations, Grant said.

I think we feel we’ve been given this opportunity, therefore we take it very seriously,” Grant said. ccook@gazette.net

County to feature shorts in independent film festival The Brentwood Arts Exchange will showcase the talent of local video producers Saturday in its new event, the AllScreened Video Fest.

The festival will feature 29 short films created by residents of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, said Phil Davis,

Arts Exchange acting director.

Two local artists will judge the films and will award a $300 cash prize to the “Best in Festival” winner, he said.

The event is free and open to the public.

Davis said it will also be a way for community members

to watch, discuss and become inspired by independent film, Davis said.

“I want to see people come together to really enjoy watching independently-produced film and video,” he said. “The region is full of really great film and video editors. There are so

many opportunities to participate in that kind of art.”

The All-Screened Video Fest will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Gateway Arts Center, located at 3901 Rhode Island Road in Brentwood.

— EMILIE EASTMAN

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Page A-5

Upper Marlboro’s Mattaponi Elementary loses in Science Bowl BY

EMILIE EASTMAN STAFF WRITER

After three grueling rounds of science trivia that even judges described as “intense,” Berwyn Heights Elementary School is the first of four teams to obtain a coveted spot at this year’s Science Bowl finals.

On Tuesday, the team beat Northview Elementary School of Bowie 235 to 170 in the final round after beating Mattaponi Elementary School of Upper Marlboro 215 to 185 in the first round.

“I’m just sorta like ‘what in the world happened?’” said winning team member Alexander Swisdak, 10, of College Park.

“I thought we were going to lose because we were 30 points behind them and then we became a lot more behind them, but we won.”

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It was a frigid nine degrees when Prince George’s County police received a phone call Jan. 22 that an elderly woman, who may have dementia, had gone missing from her Beltsville apartment complex.

“Because it was so cold we knew time was of the essence,” said Cpl. Bo Corser, the county police pilot who handled the rescue mission.

The daughter of an 80-yearold woman called the police at about 7 p.m. to let them know her mother wandered off from her apartment, Corser said. The daughter was concerned her mother was outside in the cold, he said.

Police have not released the name of the woman or the daughter who made the call, said Lt. William Alexander, a county police spokesman.

Police mobilized a helicopter with a thermal imaging camera to scout out the area near the apartment complex. After the police helicopter made it to the complex, the camera easily picked up a heat signature in a wooded area near the complex’s parking lot, Corser said. Even though it was dark outside, the camera’s monitor made it look like daylight, according to a video of the rescue.

“It is our bread and butter tool,” Corser said.

The helicopter crew radioed a nearby cruiser and officers rescued the woman, who was sitting in the snow and looked as if she couldn’t get up, Corser said. As the woman was on a steep hill, without the air support, officers on the ground likely wouldn’t have spotted her, he said.

When police found the woman she had been outside for about 30 minutes, Alexander said.

“It is always a great feeling,” Corser said. “We knew if she wasn’t found the outcome could have been worse.”

The county’s two helicopters use thermal imaging cameras regularly to pick out heat signatures during air patrols or missions, said Cpl. Brian Catlett, county tactical flight officer.

The thermal imaging camera is a tool that officers use on a routine basis, when they fly over impound lots and schools to monitor trespassing or other potential activity, Catlett said.

“It won’t read license plates, but we can distinguish between cats, small animals, like deer, and people,” Catlett said. ccook@gazette.net

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EMILIE EASTMAN/THE GAZETTE

Alexander Swisdak, 10; Elias Herrera, 12; and Owen McCloskey, 11, all of College Park, advanced their Berwyn Heights Elementary School team to the Science Bowl finals on Tuesday.

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around 30 points.

Northview Principal Jason Simmons attended the competition and said he was very pleased with the performance of the Northview team members, who wore white lab coats during the competition.

“I’m very proud of all the hard work they’ve done,” he said. “These guys do a really great job because lot of times they’re going against kids who are older than them and they do a really, really good job.”

Owen McCloskey, 11, of College Park said his team practiced diligently for the Jan. 28 competition.

“We kept doing practice rounds of Science Bowl with questions from previous [Science Bowls],” he said.

But even with all the preparations, Owen said he was in shock over winning.

Team captain, Elias Herrera, 12, of College Park, agreed.

“I’m still not sure if I won,” he said.

The Science Bowl is an annual tournament where Prince George’s County elementary and middle schools compete in teams of three and answer Jeopardy-style questions related to science. The Berwyn Heights team will have a chance at the county title during the April 1 elementary school finals.

Esther Woodworth of Cheverly has been judging the Science Bowl competition for several years and said the very close rounds are her favorite.

“This type of game is just wonderful,” she said. “I can’t get enough of these where you don’t know until literally the last question who is going to win.”

Woodworth said that the competition on Tuesday was an enjoyable one to watch and judge.

“We’ll have a lot of games where its close, but very few where it’s this close,” she said.

All four teams were neckand-neck during the two preliminary rounds, with Northview and Berwyn Heights each edging out their opponents by

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Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Parents in county say schools are safer Officials enhance security measures to help prevent active shooter incidents n

BY JAMIE

ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

In the wake of Saturday’s shooting at the Mall in Columbia that left three dead, including the gunman, Prince George’s parents say schools are better protected as officials continue efforts to increase student safety.

“I feel we’re definitely moving in the right direction,” said Rex Barrett, Prince George’s County Public Schools’ acting director of security services.

Barrett said a new visitor identification system will be installed in all school offices by the start of the 2014-2015 school year.

Additionally, Barrett said electronic entry controls and panic buttons have been installed in 60 of the county’s 204 schools and that the remainder will have such security systems by the start of the next school year.

School officials say they hope their efforts will help prevent a mass shoot-

ing similar to Saturday’s incident.

Darien Aguilar, 19, of College Park, opened fire in the Mall of Columbia on Saturday, killing two before committing suicide, according to the Prince George’s Police Department.

Ernest Moore, Prince George’s County PTA council president, said the school system has put in place new procedures to ensure that doors are not left unlocked and that visitors must come to the main entrance.

“A lot of schools have a new camera, so they can see who’s buzzing in,” Moore said. “You hear about these incidents in other parts of the country, but when it happens in your backyard, it reminds you that this is a universal thing, and these events can happen anywhere.”

Moore said the PGCPTAC also reminds parents and students not to leave school doors propped open, or to let strangers into the building.

“We have a Prince George’s police department officer assigned to the school and a new security system, and a lot of cameras, so I really believe we’ve got a lot of security,” said Steffanie Jackson of Upper Marlboro, parent of a student at Frederick Douglass High School

in Upper Marlboro.

Abraham Ajenifuja, president of the High Point High School PTSA in Beltsville and parent of a student at the school, said he feels that the Beltsville school is “very safe.”

“We have a new security system now. No one can just walk in like they used to,” Ajenifuja said. “You have to go to the main door to get buzzed in.”

David Gardiner, dean of students at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, said officials have been proactive in their security preparations.

Gardiner helped draft the school’s crisis management plan, and helped arrange an active shooter drill in December 2012 with the Hyattsville Police Department during a regular school day, with students role playing the parts of victims and innocent bystanders.

“Our students are very well prepared because we drill this into them continuously,” Gardiner said.

Gardiner said the school also has security cameras, automatic locks on doors and maintains a close relationship with local law enforcement.

Prince George’s police conducted an active shooter drill at High Point on July 19 to help prepare for the scenario,

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Prince George’s County police recruits, pretending to be students, run from a mock school shooting on July 19 at High Point High School in Beltsville. The police department hosted a joint active shooter to better prepare for the incident and to test strategy effectiveness. police officials said.

PGCPS also holds yearly active shooter drills with law enforcement and other first responders in the summer as well as lockdown drills four times during the school year.

“The reality is, it could happen

anywhere, so we drill during class, we drill during lunchtime, we drill during arrival and during departures,” Barrett said. janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

POLICE BLOTTER This activity report is provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department as a public service to the community and is not a complete listing of all events and crime reported.

District 2 Headquarters, Bowie, 301-3902100 Glenn Dale, Kettering, Lanham, Largo, Seabrook, Woodmore, Lake Arbor, Mitchellville and Upper Marlboro.

JAN. 20 Commercial property breakin, 9400 block Lanham Severn

Road, 2:38 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 3500 block St. Johns Place, 6:28 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 9800 block Good Luck Road, 7:17 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 9800 block Good Luck Road, 7:49 a.m.

Vehicle stolen and recovered,

9400 block Lanham Severn Road, 9:24 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 10200 block Prince Place, 9:32 a.m.

Robbery, 800 block Largo Center Drive, 12:02 p.m.

Theft, 16300 block Heritage Blvd, 12:59 p.m.

Theft, 15600 block Everglade Lane, 2:42 p.m.

Theft, 14500 block London Lane, 2:45 p.m.

Theft, 8900 block Walkerton Drive, 4:53 p.m.

JAN. 21 Commercial property break-in,

3500 block Crain Highway Nw, 3:02 a.m.

Vehicle stolen and recovered,

8500 block Greenbelt Road, 7:03 a.m.

Theft, 3300 block Lottsford Vista Road, 9:05 a.m.

Vehicle stolen and recovered,

9400 block Lanham Severn Road, 9:25 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 8500 block

Greenbelt Road, 11:46 a.m.

Theft, 7900 block Wingate Drive, 12:42 p.m.

Break-in, 9800 block Dolby Ave, 12:49 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 10100 block Martin Luther King Jr Highway, 1:40 p.m.

Theft, 10400 block Campus Way, 5:36 p.m.

JAN. 22 Vehicle stolen, 9000 block

Harness Way, 10:48 a.m.

Theft, 12700 block Marquette Lane, 11:49 a.m.

Theft, 800 block Capital Center Blvd, 2:20 p.m.

Vehicle stolen, 1000 block Falls Lake Drive, 2:36 p.m.

Theft, 15900 block Excalibur Road, 5:06 p.m.

Vehicle stolen, 3500 block Madonna Lane, 6:10 p.m.

Theft, 15500 block Emerald Way, 6:32 p.m.

Residential break-in, 9700 block Good Luck Road, 7:23 p.m.

JAN. 23

JAN. 24 Vehicle stolen, 1200 block Stockport Court, 6:54 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 13200 block Anthem Greenfields Drive, 7:41 a.m.

Vehicle stolen and recovered,

Firethorn Court/Joyceton Drive, 10:51 a.m.

Theft, 2800 block Campus Way N, 12:15 p.m.

Residential break-in, 5400 block Marshalls Choice Drive, 12:31 p.m.

Theft, 15200 block Hall Road, 1:38 p.m.

Vehicle stolen and recovered,

6200 block Brightlea Drive, 2:07 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 9100 block Flemming Road, 4:48 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 9100 block Flemming Road, 5:22 p.m.

Theft, 9800 block Lake Pointe Court, 7:51 p.m.

Robbery on commercial property, 10400 block Campus Way S,

8:41 p.m.

Theft, 2700 block Beech Or-

chard Lane, 10:47 p.m.

Commercial property break-in,

4400 block Mitchellville Road, 2:29 a.m.

Commercial property break-in,

2400 block Crain Highway Nw, 8:43 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 3600 block Seth Court, 9:25 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 800 block Shoppers Way, 9:50 a.m.

Theft, 3300 block Marchwood Place, 9:53 a.m.

Theft, 3300 block Winterbourne Drive, 11:30 a.m.

Residential break-in, 4000 block Hobart Court, 3:42 p.m.

Theft, 3200 block Sage Lane, 4:08 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 800 block Shoppers Way, 4:24 p.m.

Theft, 14600 block London Lane, 4:36 p.m.

Vehicle stolen, 9000 block Lanham Severn Road, 5:36 p.m.

JAN. 25 Vehicle stolen, 1000 block Winged Foot Drive, 1:20 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 4400 block Saddle River Drive, 7:03 a.m.

Theft, 7000 block 96th Place, 9:01 a.m.

Theft, 600 block Crain Highway Sw, 9:04 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 8400 block Greenbelt Road, 9:40 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 8400 block Greenbelt Road, 9:58 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 5100 block John Rogers Blvd, 3:56 p.m.

Theft, 3200 block Shekhar Court, 4:59 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 1200 block Golf Course Drive, 6:46 p.m.

Theft, 1300 block Pennypacker Lane, 8:31 p.m.

Residential break-in, 9500 block Tuckerman St., 11:17 p.m.

ONLINE For additional police blotters, visit www.gazette.net

JAN. 26 Vehicle stolen, 5600 block Whitfield Chapel Road, 1:11 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, Nb Crain Highway Se At Marlboro Pike, 1:25 p.m.

Theft, 16000 block Annapolis Road, 3:55 p.m.

Theft, 800 block Shoppers Way, 5:34 p.m.

Assault, 5600 block Whitfield Chapel Road, 7:20 p.m.

District 3 Headquarters, Palmer Park, 301-772-4900. Chapel Oaks, Cheverly, Glenarden, Fairmount Heights, Kentland, Landover, Palmer Park, Seat Pleasant, Forestville, Suitland, District Heights and Capitol Heights.

JAN. 20 Vehicle stolen, 800 block Rachel Court, 6:10 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 7200 block Flagstaff St., 7:04 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 2500 block Oak Glen Way, 7:23 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 6700 block Marlboro Pike, 9:22 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 7800 block Barlowe Road, 11:22 a.m.

Theft, 1600 block Willowood Court, 11:47 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 500 block Ritchie Road, 12:25 p.m.

Residential break-in, 3400 block Dodge Park Road, 3:42 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 100 block West Mill Ave, 5:45 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 3300 block Donnell Drive, 7:01 p.m.

Assault, 7700 block Burnside Road, 7:32 p.m.

Theft, 3000 block Victory Lane, 8:41 p.m.

Theft, 4600 block Addison Road, 9:43 p.m.

Theft, 1900 block Rochell Ave, 10:24 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 4400 block Covington St., 10:32 p.m.

Vehicle stolen, 6600 block Hansford St., 11:51 p.m.

JAN. 21 Theft from vehicle, 7500 block Winlaton Court, 4:26 a.m.

Commercial property break-in,

9100 block Central Ave, 5:04 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 900 block Bending Branch Way, 5:42 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 100 block Hampton Park Blvd, 5:49 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 6400 block Elmhurst St., 6:53 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 1900 block Brooks Drive, 9:00 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, Benning Road/Wb Marlboro Pike, 9:42 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 8500 block Martin Luther King Jr Highway, 10:02 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, Nb Martin Luther King Jr Highway/Eb Sheriff, 10:32 a.m.

Theft, 7600 block Barlowe Road, 11:48 a.m.

Theft, 4700 block Quadrant St., 12:36 p.m.

Theft, 8300 block Ardwick Ardmore Road, 1:24 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 7200 block G St., 2:28 p.m.

Vehicle stolen, 5800 block L St., 3:26 p.m.

Robbery, 4100 block Southern Ave, 5:41 p.m.

Robbery, Addison Road South/Flag Harbour Drive, 8:58 p.m.

Robbery, Shady Glen Drive/ Gould Drive, 9:05 p.m.

Assault, 4800 block Blk Marlboro Pike, 10:24 p.m.

JAN. 22 Vehicle stolen, 4100 block Southern Ave, 5:29 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 4900 block Marlboro Pike, 7:40 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 3100 block 75th Ave, 8:08 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 7100 block East Cedar St., 10:40 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 1400 block Ritchie Marlboro Road, 11:20 a.m.

Theft, 200 block Unicorn Place, 11:27 a.m.

Theft, 7600 block Barlowe Road, 12:13 p.m.

Vehicle stolen, 6000 block Beacon Hill Place, 1:01 p.m.

Theft, 6700 block West Forest Road, 2:34 p.m.

Theft, 8300 block Ardwick Ardmore Road, 2:48 p.m.

Assault with a weapon, 3700 block Donnell Drive, 3:14 p.m.

Robbery on commercial property, 4100 block Southern Ave,

4:29 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 1300 block Farmingdale Ave, 5:20 p.m.

Robbery on commercial property, 3300 block Walters Lane,

5:42 p.m.

Robbery, Addison Road/ Eastern Ave, 7:46 p.m.

Vehicle stolen, 3100 block Lakehurst Ave, 8:32 p.m.

Theft from vehicle, 3400 block Regency Pky, 10:19 p.m.

JAN. 23 Vehicle stolen, 7100 block Mahogany Drive, 7:00 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 6400 block Seat Pleasant Drive, 7:16 a.m.

Theft from vehicle, 6100 block Hil Mar Drive, 7:22 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 1400 block Ritchie Marlboro Road, 8:09 a.m.

Vehicle stolen and recovered, 1700 block Ritchie Station

Court, 8:09 a.m.

Residential break-in, 6300 block Martin Luther King Jr Highway, 9:57 a.m.

Vehicle stolen, 3400 block Jeff Road, 10:14 a.m.

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THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

PLAN

Continued from Page A-1 in Greenbelt and the National Harbor development in Oxon Hill. These plans usually incorporate cooperation between police and security forces working together to subdue an active threat as quickly as possible while removing civilians from threat area, Alexander said.

The need for such plans was reinforced Saturday when Darion Aguilar, 19, of College Park, allegedly walked into Zumiez, a store at The Mall in Columbia, armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, Howard County police said.

Aguilar allegedly killed Brianna Benlolo, 21, of College Park and Tyler Johnson of Mount Airy before he turned the weapon on himself, Howard County police said.

Reeves said Beltway Plaza did increase its security over the weekend in response to the attack, but he said he is confident in the mall’s current evacuation and active shooter plans. There aren’t really any adjustments to be made at this time, but security trains each year and modifies training if standard practices change, he said.

“Our evacuation plan cov-

BUDGET

Continued from Page A-1 are public safety, education and health, but added, “We want to hear from residents what they feel the county’s priorities should be, and what ideas they have for helping us.”

Chloe Jackson of Fort Washington asked officials to expand homeless services.

“I see so many homeless individuals in our neighborhood,” Jackson said. “When I see them, I worry about them, and I just wish we had more outreach, especially on these cold, cold winter nights.”

Jackson also urged the county to consider sidewalks for Oxon Hill Road, toward Old Fort Road.

“I see so many people walking up that hill, and it’s really,

ers different scenarios [such as] a person acting suspicious,” Reeves said. “We have a procedure in place to get people out.”

Kent Digby, senior vice president at National Harbor, said he was confident in the active shooter training offered at the 350-acre development.

There are police and emergency responders present on the property, which gives National Harbor an advantage when planning for active shooters because police actively train there, he said.

Digby said there weren’t any current plans to change or adjust the development’s security in the wake of the Columbia shooting, but he did say those plans do experience change over time as police create new tactics or make changes to training standards. The harbor’s upcoming active shooter training will take place in April as planned, he said.

“Things do change based on what is happening in the world,” Digby said. “We continue that training over the years and the police department makes sure the latest scenarios and techniques are known to everybody.”

Alexander said active

shooter training really hasn’t changed too much since the Columbine incident 1999 where two high school students went on a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Colorado that left 15 dead, including the two shooters. Before that incident, active shooters were approached by creating a perimeter and waiting for special operations units, but now officers are told to enter the building and put a stop to the shooter as soon as possible, Alexander said. This change occurred because police departments began seeing situations where shooters were out to kill, not take hostages, he said.

Alexander said the police department doesn’t have any current plans for active shooter training reminders, but he did say that the police department always makes efforts to remind large businesses, stores, residents and municipalities about the training.

“We continue to train and prepare for the eventuality that it might or could occur,” Alexander said. “It is our responsibility to get in there as quick as possible and take care of bad guys.”

really dangerous,” Jackson said.

Poet “Sistah” Joy Alford of Camp Springs urged more spending for the arts, as well as the county’s public access channel and youth activities.

“The arts have proven to provide a financial base in communities where the arts have been embraced,” Alford said.

“Opportunities for artists can and need to be funded by our county government, as well as and in collaboration with state and federal entities.”

Tommi Makila of Accokeek suggested the county cut spending by reducing trash pickups from twice a week to once a week.

“It is ... my observation that the vast majority of my neighbors make use of only one of the weekly trash collection days,” Makila said. “Some of

the cost savings from reduced collection frequency could be directed to other efforts to combat littering. For example, illegal dumping is a particular concern here in the southern part of the county.”

Baker said once-a-week trash collection is an “excellent example” of the sort of responses he hopes to get from the public and one that will be given serious consideration this budget cycle.

There will be two additional public forums, Tuesday at Dr. Henry A. Wise High School in Upper Marlboro and on Feb. 12 at Laurel High School. Both forums begin at 7 p.m.

Baker is expected to present his budget to the County Council in March.

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THE GAZETTE

Page A-8

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

SUMMER CA MPS IN PR INCE GEORGE’S

School’s out, but social lessons don’t have to be Some camps focus on providing self-esteem boost, conflict resolution tips n

BY JEFFREY LYLES STAFF WRITER

Social lessons learned during the school year don’t have to take a break during the summer. Many camps offer programs that reinforce peaceful ways of handling problems and emphasize good self-esteem — options lauded by school officials.

“Having summer camps with peer mediation/conflict resolution is absolutely an asset,” said Richard Moody, supervisor for the Prince George’s County school system’s student affairs/safe and drug-free schools division of student services. “Prince George’s County has had a long history of supporting peer mediation programs, and people are seeing the need for students to learn those skills and be better able to resolve

conflicts.”

Beth McCracken-Harness of Cheverly said such camps provide good lessons for children, and she makes sure her 16-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter attend one each year: Little Friends for Peace in Mount Rainier. The nonprofit’s weeklong sessions encourage nonviolent, peacekeeping efforts to resolve conflicts.

“It’s a wonderful camp,” McCracken-Harness said. “... It’s useful for them to learn nonviolent communication. It’s a good healthy way of being in the world.”

Beyond peer mediation and conflict resolution, some camps provide programs to enhance youth’s confidence.

In 2009, Rachelle Chase of Fort Washington founded Butterflyz Inc., a female enrichment program and annual summer camp for girls ages 11 to 17 in Oxon Hill.

“It was birthed through God and through my own experience as a young girl without a mom as my mom died when I was 8,”

Chase said. “... I saw the need that I had and I wanted to give back to the community I grew up in.”

Through wellness workshops, campers learn about subjects such as alcohol and drug prevention, and how to embrace their body image, and fitness and health workshops teach girls about childhood obesity.

“They learn it in a way they can apply in their daily lives,” Chase said.

Hoping to provide a summerlong camp that would help 6- to 12-year-olds become leaders in their community, Adrian Vaughn of southern Prince George’s County debuted Motivation Optimism Victorious Empowerment, or M.O.V.E., Kids Summer Camp in Largo last year.

“Bullying is a really big thing these days, especially at this age, so I wanted kids to learn how to resolve conflicts, what to ignore and how to respond,” Vaughn said. jlyles@gazette.net

1. What is the counselor-to-child ratio?

2. How are medical situations, such as an injury, handled?

3. How long has the camp been operating?

4. What are the costs, and does it include before- and after-care (and what activities are available during before- and after-care programs)? Is financial aid available?

RACHELLE CHASE

8. Is lunch provided by the camp and, if so, what kind of food is served?

How are food allergies handled?

t

9. Does the camp provide transportation, and do vehicles have seatbelts?

17

10. Does the camp have an emergency plan?

PERCENT Camps that offer female-only programs

Camps that offer male-only programs

87

PERCENT Camps that offer swimming

67

PERCENT Camps that include camping skills

48

PERCENT Camps that feature climbing/rappelling skills

38

PERCENT Camps that offer horseback riding

74

PERCENT Camps that do not allow the use of personal electronic devices

90

PERCENT Camps that provide some measure of financial assistance

SOURCE: AMERICAN CAMP ASSOCIATION

6. What training does staff receive?

7. What is the age range of campers that will be in your child’s group?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1

PERCENT

5. Are background checks (with criminal record searches) conducted before hiring camp staff?

Members of Butterflyz Inc., a female enrichment program and summer camp, participate in a rock-climbing exercise in Potomac.

CAMPS

BY THE NUMBERS

10

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN SELECTING A CAMP

PHOTOS FROM KENYA RUSSELL

Samples of dishes made by children attending a Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission camp are displayed on a table.

CAMPS

Continued from Page A-1 Association, a national organization that serves the organized camp industry and includes 2,400 accredited camps, Prince George’s camps echo national trends.

In its 2013 Emerging Issues survey, ACA stated that more camps have added adventure camps, nature/environment, gardening, college preparatory and service learning programs.

Nancy Canter, executive director for the ACA Chesapeake field office, which covers Maryland and Washington, D.C., said pop culture plays a strong role in what youth and parents seek for summer camp options.

“All the kids love archery, and with ‘The Hunger Games,’ archery took a real jump in popularity,” Canter said. “It always helps with what’s going on in the media.”

Sophia West, chief of staff for the Good Knight Child Empowerment Network’s World of Wonder summer day camp in Beltsville, said young adult movies like “The Hunger Games” have increased the popularity of adventure camps. The Beltsville camp offers youth ages 5 to 13 an opportunity to take part in sword and feather duels, swim and hone archery skills.

“Our camp is an adventure empowerment camp,” West said. “The parents really love the way we structure learning. ... We let the children take the responsibility and charge them to become knights.”

Another rising summer camp trend is culinary programs where youth learn the importance of nutrition and how to make meals.

“Because of all the cooking shows on TV, the cooking camps have become popular,” Canter said. “They all get that hands-on time and they get to

“As a parent, you want to provide your kid with some sort of enriching experience they’ll enjoy. ... It was a good opportunity to be in a team and to have a specific job on the team.”

SUSIE FOUSHEE, PARENT OF CAMPER enjoy what they prepare and get to say, ‘Hey mom and dad, let me make what I learned at camp,’ and they take a little skill back to the whole family.”

Due to the popularity, parents shouldn’t delay in making reservations for their children in the M-NCPPC’s Culinary Camp at the Glenn Dale Community Center, said instructor Kenya Russell of Bowie. Russell said the four two-week sessions last summer were maxed out at 40 participants with a waiting list.

“It lets us know the children like what we’re doing,” Russell said.

Participants, ages 6 to 12 years old, took part in themed lessons such as dessert week; smoothie week; and cold week, which included dishes like tuna fish, deviled eggs, potato salad and macaroni tuna salad.

“We took field trips to the Wegmans grocery store, where they learned about different types of cheeses and did

Mckenzie Griffith of Glenn Dale works on a dish during Culinary Camp. a cheese tasting,” Russell said. “They learned about cooking temperatures of different types of meat. It wasn’t just them cooking, but learning the art of cooking and the presentation of your plate.”

Susie Foushee of Bowie said her 11-year-old son has taken part in different summer camps, with his favorite being Robotics Camp at the Wayne K. Curry Sports & Learning Center in Landover.

“As a parent, you want to provide your kid with some sort of enriching experience they’ll enjoy,” Foushee said.

“He really loved that one. He liked the fact that he was building a robot. It was a good opportunity to be in a team and to have a specific job on the team.” jlyles@gazette.net

Campers at the World of Wonder summer day camp participate in a sword and feather fencing duel.

LOSS

Continued from Page A-1 academics during the summer, it would be easier to engage them when it’s time to go back to school.”

According to the National Summer Learning Association, a network hub for summer learning providers, youths who fail to take part in educational activities over the summer experience learning loss and most lose about two months of gradelevel equivalency in mathematical computation.

Pamela Demory of Hyattsville said she’s still buzzing after enrolling her son, Nazavier, 7, and daughter, Nia, 10, in The Brilliant, Educated and Empowered, or B.E.E. Academy, educational enrichment program last summer in Landover.

“I wanted them to be in something more focused on academics and character-building,” Demory said. “As a parent in this economy, everything is about the price, but it’s so well worth the price.”

Demory said her children visited colleges, took part in wilderness activities and started mock businesses together, complete with coming up with a business plan and deciding what items to sell.

In addition to finding summer programs that have an education or enrichment focus, the National Summer Learning Association advises parents to take children to libraries, which often offer summer reading programs; encourage children to write about books they read or keep a journal; take educational trips to museums and parks; and incorporate math in daily activities, such as learning fractions while cooking.

The Prince George’s County school system offers a summer activity packet to help students practice school lessons.

“It’s two-fold,” said Simone McQuaige, the school system’s elementary reading supervisor. “Many parents want to continue the learning. Traditionally, teachers close up for the school year and have packets of activities students can use as a review, but we wanted to keep that momentum moving forward not just as review, but preview of the upcoming school year.”

McQuaige said summer camps that emphasize academic skills are helpful.

“There are many camps through the county that have academic skills in either reading or math and any of that kind of work in being proactive is quite helpful to any of the participating students,” McQuaige said.

Staff Writer Vanessa Harrington contributed to this report. jlyles@gazette.net

Gazette-Star OUROPINIONS

The shooting Saturday at the Mall of Columbia that left three dead, including the shooter, hit home for Prince Georgians in many ways.

Not only was one of the victims, 21-year-old Brianna Benlolo, a resident of College Park, but so too was the shooter, 19-year-old Darion Aguilar. The third victim, Tyler Johnson, 25, was from Mount Airy.

And, as is inevitable anytime there is a shooting — especially one so close by with community ties — it makes residents question their own safety.

Fortunately, Prince George’s officials have been preparing for such emergencies for quite some time.

County and municipal police have been conducting acMALL SHOOTING tive shooter drills in schools, IS STARK malls and other public places REMINDER OF for years. The training often includes workers at the sites IMPORTANCE so they, too, can be prepared OF EMERGENCY for a crisis.

TRAINING AND Schools have become POLICY REVIEWS significantly more secure in recent years, with electronic entry controls and panic buttons being installed in all buildings along with visitor identification systems that allow screening of visitors before they can enter school facilities.

Malls and other businesses are also taking precautions.

National Harbor has police and emergency responders on the property, and has active shooter training coming up in April, according to Kent Digby, senior vice president at National Harbor. Such training has become commonplace since the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, county and municipal officials said.

While public places are becoming more secure, however, there is a much more difficult challenge to address: how to prevent mass shootings from occurring at all.

As the Columbia mall investigation proceeds and details are released, there are sure to be questions regarding the shooter’s mental health and whether adequate services were available to him. Arguments about firearm regulations are also sure to resurface given that many are still debating the effectiveness of the state’s Firearms Safety Act of 2013. The law, which went into effect in October, added requirements for firearm purchases, banned 40 semi-automatic rifles and restricted gun ownership for some people with a history of mental illness.

It’s important in the coming weeks — especially with election season gearing up — that the mall shooting not become a political football and instead be a chance to learn lessons that may prevent another senseless tragedy.

Clearly, officials have come together to improve facility security, but there’s still much more work to be done.

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

A snowplow works on Watkins Park Drive in Upper Marlboro as heavy snowfall and swirling winds decreased visibility for drivers Jan. 21.

The good news about bad weather As snow piled up as much as 5 inches high Jan. 21 in Prince George’s, it would have been easy for residents to plow their walkways and turn a blind eye to the mounds of snow in neighbors’ driveways — but many didn’t.

Instead, in communities around the county, neighbors pitched in to clear senior citizens’ sidewalks or that of the entire block to make the day a bit easier for everyone.

Children who reveled in the closing of schools pitched in as well, learning lessons about community service and, in some cases, how to earn a few dollars.

It’s a stark contrast to measures taken before snowfall.

Residents stock up on food and supplies as though they won’t see the light of day for weeks, and parents look for options to prevent cabin fever as children bemoan being stuck in the house. Much of the pre-snow preparations are done in anticipation of being secluded, and yet the activities after the snowfall are just the opposite.

Neighbors who generally just give a friendly wave as they come and go home each day actually take time to catch up on each others’ lives as they help dig out a safe path or remove piles of plowed snow from behind cars.

The saying goes that every cloud — even a snow cloud — has a silver lining. Clearly, the sense of community that has been evident proves the saying true.

Douglas S. Hayes, Associate Publisher

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Page A-9

Teachers’ realities clash with career perception In social settings, the topic of discussion will frequently turn to public education, and acquaintances will discuss teacher compensation, class size, academic apathy, non-stop standardized assessments or inadequate resources. Almost invariably, some arm-chair educator will admonish even COMMENTARY the most commitKENNETH HAINES ted, career educator by observing, “Well, you knew what you were getting into when you became a teacher.”

Nothing could be farther from the truth. A wide chasm yawns between the heartfelt desire to teach and actually learning what it means to be a teacher. Prior to entering the profession, few teachers ever anticipate the travails they will confront.

That knowledge must arise from cumulative experience.

In methodology class, teacher candi-

The glow of altruism fades a little with each report of suspected bruising, peer bullying, neglect, altered consciousness or sexual abuse. dates will learn that meaningful homework is critical for reinforcing recently introduced academic skills. In real life, after scolding a student for not having his assignment, they might discover that he has been living in a van with his family for months.

A professor of pedagogy might warn that future students will face self-esteem issues and that “praise of desired behaviors” is a critical part of the instructional program. In no way does that prepare for

Brown aids domestic-violence victims I am in writing in response to an article [that] discussed a possible change in allowing hospitals to help abused women due to domestic violence.

There has been a significant decrease during the time that [Lt. Gov. Anthony] Brown has been in office. He has helped decrease the rates in domestic violencerelated assaults, homicides, and killings of women and children.

[He] should be able to stay in office due to his many successful output results; he is giving back to the community.

Many more lives are greatly impacted with Brown in office. He will bring a wellneeded program across the state that can help women in need.

Brown knows how it feels when someone you know has been affected by domestic violence. He is willing to make a change so when there is an attack on another individual, they will be able to receive the adequate services needed to recover.

Anna Higgins, Brentwood

the day you notice the multiple scars of self-inflicted mutilation on your first “cutter.”

Most teachers are simply looking to “pay it forward” for a teacher that changed their lives, but the glow of altruism fades a little with each report of suspected bruising, peer bullying, neglect, altered consciousness or sexual abuse, especially when followed by the realization that sufficient resources to intervene effectively on behalf of every child will not be forthcoming.

The blogger Alan Kazdin recently opined, “When someone is drowning, that is not the time to teach them to swim.” It may not be time, either, to expect them to pass a swimming test.

One thing is clear: The pandemic of disenchantment with careers in public education is the direct outcome of the hopes of practitioners not meshing with the reality they encounter.

Kenneth B. Haines is the president of the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association.

Send your letters Letters must include the writer’s name, address and telephone number.

The phone number will not be published; it is for verification purposes only. We reserve the right to edit all letters. Letters selected may be shortened for space reasons. Send letters to: Editor, Gazette Newspapers, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707. E-mail them to princegeorges@gazette.net.

Maryland’s Best/Worst 2013, Part II Pests of the year The IRS The NSA Federal government shut-downs The Redskins name debate Lyme disease Dennis Rodman Concussions Surveillance drones Gov. Rick Perry Cellphones during air flights Traffic lane “cutters” Miley Cyrus Copper thieves MY MARYLAND Athletes on steBLAIR LEE roids Target credit card hackers Cruise ship norovirus Bullying Obamacare’s religious mandate Toilet-clogging “flushable” baby wipes

Most bizarre moments • A Baltimore jury awards $1.42 million to a patient, Nadege Neim, whose doctor, Maureen Muoneke, mistakenly removed her right ovary instead of her left one. When Neim returned for a checkup a month after the surgery, Dr. Muoneke realized her mistake but did not tell Neim.

• Howard County police bust an “inhome” licensed child day care center that had a hydroponic marijuana growing operation in the basement.

• Public health officials warn of rabid raccoons attacking people and pets in Ocean City.

• When a Bethesda couple, watching TV, see a black bear walk by their window they call police, who, after a chase through the neighborhood, tranquilize it.

• Donald Pray, after getting drunk and arguing with his passenger, gets out of his car, lies down on Suitland Road and is struck and killed by a car.

• A Maryland Lottery employee pleads guilty to stealing 7,500 scratch-off tickets worth $90,000 and redeeming them for $67,000.

• When Baltimore scrap metal thieves steal numerous 54-pound backup traffic light batteries costing $428 a piece, the city padlocks and alarms traffic light facilities.

• A woman dressed in pink with a pink cellphone robs two P.G. County banks in December.

• A man wearing a fake Santa beard holds up a Laurel bank in December.

• Frederick police, investigating a possible break-in, are surprised when two burglars fall through the dry wall ceiling.

• A portable speed camera stationed outside Glenelg High School is set on fire by unknown vandals.

• After leading police on a 100 mph chase through Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, Dock Workman is arrested after ramming a state trooper’s car four times.

He was seen lighting a cigarette between his strikes against the police cruiser.

• Ocean City police witness a man hijacking a taxi and pursue him up Coastal Highway, where the hijacker abandons the taxi and runs into the surf, where he’s arrested.

• Montgomery County pays Bethel World Church $1.25 million not to build a church on its environmentally sensitive 119-acre Germantown property.

• On New Year’s Eve, a Silver Spring mother has twins born three minutes apart but in two different years, one in 2013 and the other in 2014.

• Golfers attending Baltimore’s Scunny McCousker Memorial Elvis Invitation Golf Dinner are asked to “dress like Elvis or an actress from any Elvis movie.”

• Ralph Jaffe (D) files for governor with Freda Jaffe, his sister, as his running mate.

• Baseball star Cal Ripken Jr.’s mother Vi Ripken, who was kidnapped in 2012, is the victim of an attempted carjacking in October 2013.

• Bethesda resident Lois Lerner, who resigned after becoming the central figure in the IRS-Tea Party scandal, volunteers for a Montgomery County panel that screens applications for tax-exempt status.

• Police suspect a possible suicide when a College Park man locks himself in a portable toilet and sets it on fire.

• An Anne Arundel jury awards $800,000 to a woman who suffered hundreds of bites when she moved into a bedbug-infested Annapolis apartment. Her attorney, Daniel Whitney, specializes in bed bug lawsuits.

• A Virginia woman, represented by Daniel Whitney, sues for bed bug bites she suffered at a National Harbor hotel.

• A lactose-intolerant federal employee suffering from frequent flatulence is reprimanded by Baltimore Social Security Administration officials for “creating a hostile work environment.”

• A woman with a Cheshire cat tattoo on her neck slips a $1,200 Maltese puppy into her purse and flees a Rockville pet store.

13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707 | Phone: 240-473-7500 | Fax: 240-473-7501 | Email: princegeorges@gazette.net More letters appear online at www.gazette.net/opinion

Vanessa Harrington, Editor Jeffrey Lyles, Managing Editor Glen C. Cullen, Senior Editor Copy/Design Meredith Hooker,Managing Editor Internet Nathan Oravec, A&E Editor

|

LETTERS TOT HE EDITOR

Tragedy close to home

Gazette-Star

Forum

Ken Sain, Sports Editor Dan Gross, Photo Editor Jessica Loder, Web Editor

Dennis Wilston, Corporate Advertising Director Doug Baum, Corporate Classifieds Director Mona Bass, Inside Classifieds Director

Jean Casey, Director of Marketing and Circulation Anna Joyce, Creative Director, Special Pubs/Internet Ellen Pankake, Director of Creative Services

• When Baltimore police arrest a prostitute at a BWI hotel they discover that her pimp, waiting outside in his car, is a Baltimore city policeman.

• After a 22-year-old woman driving across the Bay Bridge is rammed by a tractor-trailer, sending her car 40 feet into the water, she frees herself and swims ashore.

• When three of Frederick’s five county commissioners participate in a local call-in radio show, a political opponent complains to a state board, which rules it an “open meeting law” violation because, as a quorum, they discussed county business at a “meeting” without prior public notice.

• Montgomery County public employee unions boycott the county Democratic Party’s annual spring fundraiser because, they say, the county party has grown too conservative.

• Instead of endorsing either gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur, a lesbian, or Doug Gansler, the first state official to advocate same-sex marriage, Equality Maryland (the gay lobby group) endorses Anthony Brown.

• When a Silver Spring real estate agent turns her house into an extravagant Halloween display and invites hundreds of clients to view it, county officials take her to court for operating a business in a residential neighborhood. The judge, after three hours of testimony, permits the display for two nights.

• After being sworn in as Glenarden’s new mayor, Dennis Smith discovers IRS fines for $150,000 accrued by the outgoing administration for failing to file tax records.

• Diamonde Grant (aka Dimez) sues the Oasis club, where she’s an exotic dancer, for taking a portion of her tips and private dance money in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. • The St. Mary’s County school board bans hugs between children and any adult who is not their parent.

• Attorney General Doug Gansler says prison inmates should be issued free tablet computers to help further their education.

• A National Guard A-10 Warthog fighter jet inadvertently ejects an inert 500-pound bomb, which lands in a Queen Anne’s County tavern parking lot, leaving a 3-foot-deep hole and some shaken patrons.

Blair Lee is chairman of the board of Lee Development Group in Silver Spring and a regular commentator for WBAL radio. His past columns are available at www.gazette.net/blairlee. His email address is blairleeiv@gmail.com.

POST COMMUNITY MEDIA Karen Acton, Chief Executive Officer Michael T. McIntyre, Controller Donna Johnson, Vice President of Human Resources Maxine Minar, President, Comprint Military Shane Butcher, Director of Technology/Internet

FLOWERS SENIOR LEARNS QUICKLY IN BECOMING ONE OF BASKETBALL TEAM’S TOP PLAYERS, A-11

SPORTS BOWIE | LARGO | UPPER MARLBORO | CLINTON

www.gazette.net | Thursday, January 30, 2014 | Page A-10

HOW THEY RANK BOYS The 10 best boys’ basketball teams in Prince George’s County as ranked by The Gazette’s sports staff:

Rank 1.

School

Record Pts

DeMatha

17-2 58

2.

Henry A. Wise

13-2 54

3.

Riverdale Baptist 18-4 50

4.

Potomac

5.

Clinton Christian 13-4 36

6.

Bowie

7.

Eleanor Roosevelt 11-4 22

8.

Charles H. Flowers 11-4 19

9.

Largo

10.

National Christian 9-5 6

13-3 42

12-3 30

10-4 11

Others receiving votes:

Central, 1.

BEST BET

Largo at Potomac, 7 p.m.

Friday: One of the hottest 2A

teams (Potomac) hosts one of the coldest (Largo). Wolverines have a chance to reverse their only league loss. Lions won Round 1, 68-64.

TOP SCORERS

Name, school M. Reed, Capitol Christian A. Bundu, Largo D. Taylor, Central J. Grimsley, Capitol Christian A. Fox, Eleanor Roosevelt D. Stockman, Pallotti E. Hill, Surrattsville R. Broddie, Potomac D. Wiley, Potomac J. Gray, Bowie B. Better, Crossland G. Gray, Suitland J. Davis, Clinton Christian B. Dawson, Forestville B. Hawkins, Clinton Christ.

J. Moore, Friendly F. Williams, Laurel

PPG 30.7 26.2 24.9 21.4 20.4 20.4 20.2 18.4 18.3 18.0 17.8 17.8 17.6 17.1 17.1 16.9 16.9

The 10 best girls’ basketball teams in Prince George’s County as ranked by The Gazette’s sports staff:

Rank 1.

Record Pts

Eleanor Roosevelt 14-0 59

2.

Riverdale Baptist 13-3 55

3.

Elizabeth Seton 14-4 46

4.

Charles H. Flowers 10-1 44

5.

Bowie

12-4 34

6.

Largo

11-5 29

7.

Capitol Christian 12-6 25

8.

Gwynn Park

12-3 20

9.

Crossland

10-4 12

10.

St. Vincent Pallotti 8-6 6

Others receiving votes: None.

BEST BET

Crossland at Gwynn Park, 7 p.m. Friday: Two top Prince

TOP SCORERS

Name, school M. Fletcher, Potomac D. Boykin, Charles H. Flowers K. Conteh, Parkdale C. Ray, Riverdale Baptist C. Jackson, Riverdale Baptist C. Tyler, Suitland K. Charles, Eleanor Roosevelt Tak. Ellis, Gwynn Park S. Ragin, Northwestern J. Harris, Crossland C. Lee, Henry A. Wise C. Musgrave, Elizabeth Seton I. Quinn, Fairmont Heights I. Yates, Potomac M. Sisco, Friendly A. Long, Largo L. Jing, Laurel M. Brown, Laurel B. Hughey, Capitol Christian B. Ogunrinde, Pallotti

PPG 23.8 22.9 21.0 19.6 18.6 18.2 17.7 17.7 17.5 17.4 17.4 17.3 17.1 17.0 16.4 16.0 15.5 15.4 15.1 15.1

Charles H. Flowers High School boys

FILE PHOTO

MIKE GLICK

Gwynn Park High School boys

Great coaches share one attribute

n

Coaches say finding a way to relate to their players is key to success

T

his was supposed to the perennial Prince George’s County power Gwynn Park High School boys’ basketball team’s worst season. Or so eighth-year Yellow Jackets’ coach Mike Glick heard.

How, many county high school basketball pundits seemed to wonder, would a team historically reliant on size and strength employ its traditional game with just one true “big [man]?” To answer simply: They don’t, because Glick knows how to coach to his talent. Rather than attempt to overpower their

opponents, the Yellow Jackets (115, 9-2 Prince George’s 3A/2A/1A League) have taken to a more guard-oriented approach this winter, and they are doing just fine.

Gwynn Park is 136-55 overall in Glick’s tenure.

Similarly, Eleanor Roosevelt has been one of the biggest teams in the state in recent history. This year, the Raiders (11-4) don’t have anyone over 6-foot-3 in their starting lineup, but they still remain on pace to compete for another state championship, just with a different style of play.

“Some coaches try and make a team fit into their style, we change our style according to players,” Glick said.

Added Charles H. Flowers coach Mark Edwards following the Jaguars’ loss to Roosevelt earlier this month: “[Roosevelt] might not

have as much talent offensively, but [coach] Brendan [O’Connell] has them so disciplined. He does a great job getting guys to understand their roles and what they want to do.”

Prince George’s has been privy to some pretty spectacular basketball players, but not every team is fortunate enough to have future NCAA Division I- or NBA-caliber stars on it every year, or ever. Nevertheless, there are programs that are able to produce some of the county’s best play year in and year out, and much of that has to do with coaches’ ability connect with and bring out the best in their student-athletes.

It takes a certain type of patient person to get through to and build prosperous coach-athlete relation-

See COACHES, Page A-12

An old friend is the new guy on campus Wolverines add another high-level recruit to winning boys’ basketball team

Thriving with longtime coach, teammate n

Senior Musgrave leading Seton to top of WCAC ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER

TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER

It has been a roundabout high school basketball journey for Quadree Smith, one that started in the Washington, D.C. before moving to Fairfax, Va. Now, four years after enrolling at Archbishop Carroll and two-plus years under the tutelage of Glen Farello at Paul VI, Smith has come home.

What a homecoming it has been.

Wolverine students took to Twitter to express their delight in Smith’s enrolling at his hometown public school two weeks ago, including teammates Dion Wiley and Randall Broddie. Smith quickly immersed himself into the school, midway through the academic and basketball year, surprising even coach Renard Johnson.

“It’s interesting,” he said after Smith made his Potomac debut,

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Elizabeth Seton’s Camden Musgrave shoots during practice on Monday.

BY

n

BY

George’s County 3A/2A/1A League teams face off for the second time.

The Yellow Jackets won in round one, 57-53.

MARK EDWARDS

FILE PHOTO

Flexibility: Frederick Douglass High School boys

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

GIRLS

School

TYRONE MASENBURG

FILE PHOTO

GEORGE P. SMITH/FOR THE GAZETTE

Potomac High School’s Quadree Smith (right) battles Lake Clifton’s Joshua Parks for a rebound during Saturday’s Basketball Academy Tournament held at Morgan State University in Baltimore. in which the 6-foot-7, 285-pound big man went for 13 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists in an 8472 win over Crossland, “because

the minute he walked into school, he knew more people than I knew.

See CAMPUS, Page A-11

Elizabeth Seton High School’s Camden Musgrave doesn’t remember many specifics from when she played Amateur Athletic Union basketball under Roadrunners’ coach Jonathan Scruggs about eight years ago.

But one thing she does recall from her Maryland Hurricane days is the ball-handling drills.

“Crossover, behind the back, between the legs,” Musgrave said, “As many times as we could, just as our warm up.”

Musgrave, now Seton’s leading scorer, has since refined her dribbling, as well as her shooting, driving and defense. But off the court, the senior isn’t all that different from her 10-year old self, Scruggs said.

“There’s a few things that haven’t changed and I don’t think are ever going to change. She’s always had a big smile and a big personality,” Scruggs said. “And that hasn’t changed.”

Musgrave, a 5-foot-9 guard, is averaging a team-high 17.3 points for the Roadrunners (15-4, 8-2), who are competing for the top spot in the Washington Catholic Athletic

See THRIVING, Page A-12

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Eleanor Roosevelt High School’s Bryant Best (right) drives the ball against Charles H. Flowers’ Patrick Johnson during a game earlier this year.

New to the game,

but it doesn’t show One of Jaguars’ top players started playing three years ago n

BY

TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER

It’s quite astonishing that the two best players on the Charles H. Flowers High School basketball team own less than seven years of playing experience between them, about half the amount of nearly every other lightly-to-heavily recruited senior in the Prince George’s County 4A League.

Yet there they are, Clint Robinson and Patrick Johnson — the lesser known of the pair — taking the Jaguars out to an 11-4 record in a hyper-competitive league boasting Division I recruits who have played since they were old enough to hold a ball.

Johnson, a football player his whole life, was drawn in by a kid who lived down the street named James Robinson, then a star at DeMatha Catholic.

An eighth grader at the time, Johnson marveled at the way Robinson, an undersized guard now starting for the University of Pittsburgh, could carve up his challengers at the local park, dominating neighborhood pickup games.

“He was the one that really pushed me into it,” Johnson said of Robinson. It wouldn’t be long before curiosity completely got the better of him, and if it were Robinson who gave Johnson the initial nudge towards basketball, it was a 6-foot-9 wiry shooting guard named Kevin Durant who indirectly tipped him over the edge.

When Johnson was a sopho-

CAMPUS

Continued from Page A-10 I’m not exaggerating — him and Dion have probably played 100 games together. He’s a neighborhood guy. This is where he’s from, this is his school, he’s just returning to his school. I don’t even see him as a transfer.”

Johnson may not see Smith as a transfer, but the rest of the surrounding area certainly does.

With the added presence of another Division I recruit — Smith maintains he is still leaning towards UNC Greensboro despite reneging on his verbal commitment — numerous websites, writers, athletes, and even a few area coaches took to social media to dub the Wolverines the Class 2A state champion favorites.

With Wiley, a University of Maryland signee and the previous top-ranked recruit in the state, Broddie, another likely Division I-bound guard, Anthony Smith, a power forward garnering interest from upperlevel schools, and now Quadree Smith, there are no visible weaknesses in this year’s Potomac team.

“He’ll dominate the public schools,” said Keith Stevens, who coaches both Wiley and Quadree Smith for the wellknown Amateur Athletic Union program, Team Takeover. “Especially with guards like Dion and Broddie around him be-

more, again teetering on the edge of trying out for the junior varsity basketball team after opting out his freshman year, he flipped on the TV and saw Durant scoring truckloads on one unfortunate team or another, and recalled thinking, “’I could probably do some of this stuff.’”

And in just his third year playing on an organized basketball team, with rules and referees and coaches and the like, Johnson is doing a lot of that “stuff” he spoke of, though quite a bit more rugged than the National Basketball Association’s scoring leader.

“What helps Patrick is he’s a tremendous athlete,” Flowers coach Mark Edwards said. “He’s a power guard, a power forward who just finds a way to get to the rim.”

He has been a viable complement to Clint Robinson, who picked up the game as a freshman, teaming up with the 6-foot-7 big man for a bit more than 28 points per game, and already has a dunk contest title to his name.

“I feel like I came a long way after starting my sophomore year,” he said. “I could barely touch the rim back then and now I’m winning dunk contests.”

Dunk contests mean very little in the grand scheme of things, but what high school student doesn’t want to win a dunk contest? Edwards took the Jaguars to Salisbury over the winter holidays for the Governor’s Challenge, which so happened to include a dunk contest. The 6-2 Johnson was thrown in the mix despite standing a good five inches shorter than the majority of his soon-to-be-losing competitors.

“There was literally one

dude who was smaller than me,” he said.

Regardless, his post-practice dunk sessions with Robinson proved invaluable, as Johnson rammed home a pair of windmills in Salisbury to earn the title of dunk champion.

“I always wanted to do it,” he said of his winning, windmill dunk, “and I knew I had enough bounce to get it.”

That’s all fun and good, but any football player with “bounce” can put on an aesthetically pleasing aerial show without necessarily knowing the first rule of basketball. As Johnson said, however, he has “come a long way” since those tryouts his sophomore year. Basketball is “where my heart is now,” he said.

“I think the only guy I’ve seen pick it up as fast as Patrick is Clint,” Edwards said.

His ball-handling, though still a hair on the raw side, came around over the summer Amateur Athletic Union circuit and he would often spend anywhere from three to four hours in the gym alone, honing his game much like he once did with football. Those hours have paid off, both for him and Flowers.

Though he still plays more like a tight end than a shooting guard — he has yet to make a 3-pointer — preferring power to finesse, Johnson has been giving teams plenty of fits.

“We didn’t play good defense and we didn’t rebound,” DuVal coach Lafayette Dublin said after a 62-53 defeat at the hands of Flowers. It’s tough to do both when a 6-2, 190-pound guard named Patrick Johnson scores 20 points and grabs 18 rebounds. That’s something not even James Robinson did.

cause they can’t double him or he’ll just kick it to Dion, and they can’t double Dion because he’ll get it to ‘Q.’” As could have been expected, the movement of such a high-profile athlete so late in the season did not come without grumblings or rumors. Several sites listed a recruiting argument between Quadree’s father, Rob, and Farello as the sole reason for Quadree’s leaving.

Farello encouraged Quadree to sign with UNC Greensboro during the early signing period, according to Rob, but the Smiths preferred to wait and see if Spartan coach Wes Miller would be offered a contract extension.

The Smiths wanted to ensure Quadree was going someplace where he would be coached by the same man who recruited him.

“It made sense to see what kind of system they were running, who was going to change jobs,” Rob Smith said. “Because a lot of the times they’ll sell you on it and then they’ll leave the school and your son is still signed to go there.”

So Quadree reopened his recruitment, which caused a rift between the family and Farello.

This, however, is “probably the fourth or fifth reason,” according to Rob, that Quadree ultimately decided to transfer to Potomac.

Because Paul VI is about 2 to 2½ hours away from his Oxon

Hill home, Quadree’s alarm was set at 4 a.m. weekday mornings. He would regularly return home around 11 p.m., crank out homework until past midnight, take a glorified nap, and then repeat the process. The mental and physical toll wore on him.

At Potomac, he is able to wake up nearly three hours later and arrive home sometimes up to five hours earlier. His allotted time for studying has nearly tripled, the financial cost of a two-hour commute each way reduced to nearly nothing, and any politics removed entirely. Smith is just playing basketball again.

“Everything’s been great,” he said a few days prior to scoring 21 points and grabbing 21 rebounds in a 113-41 win over Friendly. “I know basically the whole school. It felt like I was just going from one home to another.”

The senior spoke kindly of his time at Paul VI, which came with a WCAC championship his sophomore year and a top 10 national ranking this season. But he appeared generally content, relaxed with longtime teammate, Wiley, and Broddie, whom he attended middle school with, in the backcourt.

“Dion knows how I like to play and I know how he likes to play,” Smith said. “The IQ that I have with Dion on the court, it’s like a tag team out there.”

tmewhirter@gazette.net

tmewhirter@gazette.net

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THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Holton, Georgetown Prep kick off championship season on high note n

Elderly soccer players travel to Florida for tournament

Swimming and diving championship season officially kicked off with the weekend’s Independent School League hosted by Holton-Arms School and the East Coast Catholic Classic held at the Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex.

PREP NOTEBOOK

BY GAZETTE STAFF Holton-Arms School won its ninth ISL title in 11 years with Friday’s 267-180 advantage over defending champion and crosstown rival Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart. Holy Child improved on last year’s sixth-place finish to move into fifth.

Georgetown Prep’s thirdplace finish at the East Coast Catholic Classic Sunday was the highest of any Washington, D.C. area programs at the East Coast Catholic Classic Sunday.

Holton won all three relay events — worth more points than individual events — and a team-high three individual events. Caroline McTaggart, Isabelle Jubin, Emma Raynor and ALexis LeMone closed the championship with a meet record (3 minutes, 36.59 seconds) en route to winning the 400yard freestyle relay. McTaggart (50-yard freestyle, 100-yard butterly) and Stone Ridge junior and Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky (200- and 500-yard freestyle) were the meet’s only double individual race winners.

“Our league has come so far, it’s so much stronger, than it’s been in the 11 years I’ve been coaching, it’s a real privilege to be on top of the league,” Holton coach Graham Westerberg said.

Juniors Brandon Goldstein, Carsten Vissering, Grant Goddard and Adrian Lin helped Prep off to a good start by winning the meet opening 200yard medley relay. Goddard (200-yard individual medley, 100-yard freestyle), Carston Visstering (100-yard breaststroke, 100-yard butterfly) and Adrian

Elizabeth Seton’s Camden Musgrave shoots during practice on Monday.

THRIVING

Continued from Page A-10 Conference.

The third-year varsity player is helping lead Seton’s offense and defense, averaging five rebounds, four assists and four steals per game.

She’s a different — much improved — player from what she was with the Hurricanes, said Seton senior Casey Davis, who played AAU basketball with Musgrave. But she’s still the same, fun teammate, Davis said.

“She’s just always been the same,” Davis said. “She’s always had a good personality, always really goofy.”

Musgrave started high school at the Academy of the Holy Cross and transferred to Seton as a sophomore, reuniting with Scruggs and Davis after

COACHES

Continued from Page A-10

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ships with high school basketball players, but the county has seen its fair share of coaches who seem to perennially draw the best out of whatever talent, or lack thereof, they are dealt.

The ability to communicate and get players to buy into one’s coaching system should be at the top of every coach’s list of priorities, Glick said. But what does it take to earn that respect in the first place? Coaches agreed finding a way to relate to their players plays a major role.

“I kind of try to relate to the kids in a way where I try to teach them that sports and life are challenges and we use a lot of examples of real-life situations and apply them to [basketball],” said sixth-year Frederick Douglass boys’ coach Tyrone Massenburg, who has been coaching in the county since 1987. “The kids have to understand the meaning of why they should try to achieve certain goals. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in three

Lin (500-yard freestyle) all won individual races.

— JENNIFER BEEKMAN

D.C. United?

Try D.C. Reunited While the Montgomery County high school athletes were off relaxing, enjoying a few snow days courtesy of Mother Nature, a troop of senior athletes made their way down to the Sunshine State for the Florida Classic, an international soccer tournament hosting teams from the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.

Four teams from Montgomery County — over ages 50, 55, 60, and 65 — competed while the eldest of the bunch, the amusingly named “D.C. Reunited,” returned home with a second-place finish after losing in penalty kicks in the finale.

“What a wild ride!” Cliff Moy, a player on the over-65 team, wrote in an email. “We almost won first place but we are happy with a second place finish.”

— TRAVIS MEWHIRTER

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

about four years apart.

“I knew she was really good,” Davis said. “… I was excited for her to come to Seton and help us out.”

Musgrave, who signed to play basketball with Central Connecticut State University, has developed into one of the WCAC’s top scorers. Using a well-rounded offensive game, she has hit a team-best 25 3-pointers while converting 83 percent of her nearly seven free throws per game.

“It was really funny because she was like a post player at that age,” Davis said. “… It’s pretty hard for people to guard her because she can either drive or shoot.”

The two-way star scored a game-high 19 points in a Jan. 16 win 58-57 over Paul VI Catholic, a top WCAC team.

“She has another gear to be

able to push herself in a way that other people can’t,” Scruggs said. “... That competitiveness, that high level of competitiveness is what really [makes her] one of the best players.”

Musgrave is happy to be back playing under Scruggs on Seton’s basketball team even though “he can be really hard on you,” she said.

“He’s an amazing coach,” Musgrave said. “That’s why I wanted to come back to him so badly. He knows the game really well.”

Musgrave believes Seton, which had a seven-game win streak snapped by the WCAC’s St. John’s College High, has what it takes to win a title.

“I want to help my team the best I can to get to the championship,” Musgrave said.

areas of the county, I’ve seen all types of kids in this area and I know what buttons to push to be consistent.”

Part of relating to players, Glick added, is keeping up with the times — five years ago he said he would never have texted his athletes but does it quite often these days. Adolescents are pulled in all different directions these days and don’t receive criticism the same way they did 20 years ago, so it’s important for coaches to convey constructive criticism in a positive manner.

“If coaches don’t criticize in a positive way, if they berate the kids, they’re just going to tune them out,” Glick said.

It’s also imperative, coaches agreed, for them to show their players they truly care about their well-being. Whether it’s attending a game during another sports season or listening when a player is in need, the kids need to know their coach genuinely cares.

Coaches also agreed there is a correlation between consistency within a coaching staff and a program’s success. Most

of the county’s perennially successful teams have longer standing coaches. Within that, Glick said, is the development of a good junior varsity program to ensure that players are familiar with the Gwynn Park system and ready for varsity ball. Glick said hiring 2002 Gwynn Park graduate Spencer Way six years ago to head up the Yellow Jackets’ junior varsity team was the best decision he’s made for his program.

O’Connell said he is a players’ coach. Many of the county’s most effective leaders probably are. They remember what they enjoyed most as a player and speak to their charges in those terms.

“I think the fun part about coaching public school basketball is that we coach who’s there,” O’Connell said. “We don’t get to go get players like colleges or some of the private schools do. One year you can have a ton of big guys, the next year all guards. That’s kind of the fun part.”

egoldwein@gazette.net

jbeekman@gazette.net

&

The Gazette’s Guide to

Arts & Entertainment

MOVIE REVIEW

A MIXED BAG

Animated caper is an offense to squirrels.

Page B-4 www.gazette.net

BY

CARA HEDGEPETH

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Thursday, January 30, 2014

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Page B-1

STAFF WRITER

n choreographer David Roussève’s “Stardust,” making its world premiere at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center this weekend, the protagonist doesn’t utter a word. In fact, he never even appears on stage.

STARDUST n When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday n Where: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Stadium Drive and Md. 193, College Park n Tickets: $10-35 n For information: 301-405-2787, claricesmithcenter.umd.edu

Dancers perform “Stardust.” The show makes its world premiere this weekend at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

“Stardust” is the latest production from Roussève, the artistic director for REALITY, his multi-disciplinary, multicultural ensemble. He is also a professor of choreography at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“Stardust” explores the ever-changing nature of human relationships in our technology-obsessed world.

“In the age of technology, it’s really a question of what constitutes a human being,” Roussève said.

“What makes a person who they are?”

“Stardust” centers on an AfricanAmerican, gay urban teenager who the audience never sees but instead gets to know though a series of text messages and social media posts. The messages are projected onto large screens on the stage. Roussève said originally he wanted to have the messages sent directly to audience members on their smartphones, but that became too complicated.

“Stardust’s” conception began four years ago as “a collection of ideas [Roussève] was trying on [his] students …”

“When it originally began, I was very

See STARS, Page B-3

VALERIE OLIVEIRO

SIDESHOWS and STUNTS n

Cheeky Monkey performs at Joe’s Movement Emporium with guest contortionist BY

Money, money, money

VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER

Anyone in the Washington area who likes death-defying stunts, oddities and laughs doesn’t have to travel north to n When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Coney Island to be entertained Feb. 1 by them.

They can instead go a lon Where: Joe’s Movement cal performance by the Cheeky Emporium, 3309 Bunker Monkey Sideshow, which is Hill Road, Mt. Rainier returning to Joe’s Movement n Tickets: $15 Emporium in Mount Rainier on Saturday. n For information: With the troupe will 301-699-1819, be special guest Jonathan joesmovement.org, Burns, a contortionist who’s cheekymonkey been known to pass his body sideshow.com through the head of a tennis racket.

The last time Cheeky Monkey visited Joe’s in 2011, it presented a show with a story line, said Stephon Walker of Silver Spring, who founded the troupe in 2005.

CHEEKY MONKEY SIDESHOW

See SIDESHOW, Page B-2

FRED NELSON

Eugene Valendo stars as Henry Perkins, a mild-mannered CPA who suddenly discovers he is an extremely rich man, in 2nd Star’s upcoming production of “Funny Money.”

n

Show features shenanigans of the highest order BY

WILL C. FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER

JOE’S MOVEMENT EMPORIUM

Stephon Walker of Silver Spring, performing here as Swami YoMahmi, founded the Washington, D.C.-based Cheeky Monkey Sideshow in 2005. The group will return to Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mt. Rainier on Saturday with a show featuring magicians, fire eaters, glass walkers and escape artists.

Henry Perkins is a typical, middle-aged certified public accountant who is headed home for the evening where his friends and wife are preparing his birthday party. Henry, who rides the subway home, puts down his briefcase, but the one he picks up isn’t his. The one he picks up has money in it.

A lot of money.

The drop whatever it is you’re doing, grab your wife and head off to some remote location and start over kind

See MONEY, Page B-3

THE GAZETTE

Page B-2

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Complete calendar online at www.gazette.net

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY’S ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR For a free listing, please submit complete information to noravec@gazette.net at least 10 days in advance of desired publication date. High-resolution color images (500KB minimum) in jpeg format should be submitted when available.

THEATER & STAGE Bowie Community Theatre, “Dark Passages,” coming in February, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, 301-8050219, www.bctheatre.com.

Bowie State University, Adventure Theatre MTC presents “Three Little Birds,” 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Jan. 30-31, Fine and Performing Arts Center, Bowie State University, 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie, 301-860-3717, www.bowiestate.edu.

Busboys & Poets, Hyattsville, TBA, 5331 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, 301-779-2787 (ARTS), www.busboysandpoets.com.

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, David Roussève/Reality:

“Stardust,” 8 p.m. Jan. 31, Feb. 1; “for colored folks...” 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1, 3 p.m. Feb. 2; Grand Masters of Persian Music, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 2, University of Maryland, College Park, claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.

Harmony Hall Regional Center,

Kids’ Day Out Smithsonian As-

sociate Discovery Theatre, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 5; Movie, “Glory,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7, call for prices, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301-203-6070, arts.pgparks.com.

Greenbelt Arts Center, “The Vagina Monologues,” to Feb. 8, call for prices, Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway, Greenbelt, 301-441-8770, www.greenbeltartscenter.org.

Hard Bargain Players, TBA, 2001 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, www.hbplayers.org.

Joe’s Movement Emporium, Cheeky Monkey Sideshow, 8 p.m.

Feb. 1; Inner Loop & Coup Sauvage and the Snips, 7 p.m. Feb. 6; BOOMscat & Proverbs Reggae Band in Concert, 8 p.m. Feb. 7; Joe’s Movement Emporium Valentine’s Day Swing Dance, 7 p.m.

Feb. 14, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier, 301-699-1819, www.joesmovement.org.

Laurel Mill Playhouse, Neil Simon’s “45 Seconds from Broadway,” To Feb. 8, call for ticket prices, times, Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St., Laurel, 301-452-2557, www.laurelmillplayhouse.org.

Montpelier Arts Center, Dinner and a movie: “Bird,” 6 p.m. Feb. 15, 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, 301-377-7800, arts.pgparks.com.

Prince George’s Little Theatre, “You Never Know,” coming in May, call for tickets and show times, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, 301-957-7458, www.pglt.org.

Publick Playhouse, “Dream Carver,” 10:15 a.m. and noon January 31, 11 a.m. Feb. 1; “Raisin’ Cane: A Harlem Renaissance Odyssey” starring Jasmine Guy and the Avery Sharpe Trio, 10:15 a.m.

Feb. 7, 8 p.m. Feb. 8; Masterclass with Jasmine Guy, 11 a.m. Feb. 8; Songs of Freedom, 10:15 a.m. and noon, Feb. 11, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly, 301-277-1710, arts.pgparks.com.

2nd Star Productions, “Funny Money,” Jan. 31 to Feb. 15, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, call for prices, times, 410-757-5700, 301-8324819, www.2ndstarproductions. com.

Tantallon Community Players, August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars,” coming in February, Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301-262-5201, www.tantallonstage.com.

SIDESHOW

Continued from Page B-1

A CLOSER LOOK

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Dinosaur Park, Dinosaur Park programs, noon-4 p.m. first and third Saturdays, join paleontologists and volunteers in interpreting fossil deposits, 13200 block Mid-Atlantic Blvd., Laurel, 301627-7755.

Mount Rainier Nature Center, Toddler Time: hands-on treasures, crafts, stories and soft play, 10:30 a.m.-noon Thursdays, age 5 and younger free, 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier, 301-927-2163.

Prince George’s Audubon Society, Bird Walks, 7:30 a.m. first Satur-

MICHAEL HORAN

EARLY ‘BIRDS’ Adventure Theatre MTC’s “Three Little Birds,” based on the book by Cedella Marley and the song by her father, Bob Marley, will head to Broadway following workshops at Bowie State University this weekend. Visit bowiestate.edu.

VISUAL ARTS Brentwood Arts Exchange, Bill Harris, to March 8, opening reception on Jan. 18, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood, 301-277-2863, arts.pgparks.com.

Harmony Hall Regional Center, TBA, gallery hours from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301-203-6070. arts. pgparks.com.

David C. Driskell Center, “Charles White - Heroes: Gone But Not Forgotten,” opens Jan. 30, University of Maryland, College Park. www.driskellcenter.umd. edu.

Montpelier Arts Center, “Direct Current: A Multimedia Exploration of Black Life Within Prince George’s County,” to Feb. 24, gallery open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, 301377-7800, arts.pgparks.com.

New Deal Cafe, Marjorie Gray. collage, opening reception from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 2, through March, 113 Centerway Road, Greenbelt.

301-474-5642, www.newdewalcafe.com.

University of Maryland University College, Joseph Sheppard

formed by characters, he said.

“It’s more of a carnival-style sideshow,” said Walker.

Walker performs as a character he created called Swami YoMahmi who plays host to

1884412

This year’s show will be more like a series of acts per-

OUTDOORS

- “The Art of Portraiture,” opens April 1, 3501 University Blvd., Adelphi, 301-985-7937, www. umuc.edu/art.

NIGHTLIFE Hand Dancing with D.C. Hand Dance Club, free lesson from 4 to

5 p.m., dancing from 5 to 9 p.m.

Sundays at the Coco Cabana, 2031-A University Blvd. E., Hyattsville, $10 cover, www.dchanddanceclub.com.

New Deal Café, Mid-day Melodies with Amy C. Kraft, noon, Jan. 30; Open Mic with Tom Gleason, 7 p.m. Jan. 30; John Guernsey, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31, Feb. 1; Marv Ashby and High Octane, 8 p.m. Jan. 31; The TV John Show, 11 a.m. Feb. 1; Bruce Kritt, 4 p.m. Feb. 1; Karen Collins and the Backroads Band, 8 p.m. Feb. 1; Ruthie & the Wranglers, 7 p.m. Feb. 4; Kathy & Vince, 7 p.m. Feb. 5, 113 Centerway Road, 301-474-5642, www.newdealcafe. com.

Old Bowie Town Grill, Wednesday Night Classic Jam, 8 p.m. every Wednesday, sign-ups start at 7:30 p.m., 8604 Chestnut Ave., Bowie, 301-464-8800, www.oldbowietowngrille.com.

various performers who eat fire, walk on glass, wiggle out of straightjackets and hammer spikes into their noses.

Walker also takes on the role of the “outside talker” (often referred to as a barker) who draws people into the side show. He also performs in some of the acts.

Sideshow performers tend to be people who are a little out of the mainstream, Walker said.

He described himself as a nerd and a little bit of an outsider growing up.

“I wasn’t an athlete, and I loved to read,” he said. “[I was into] science fiction, comic books and computers.”

Later Walker earned a bachelor of arts in theater from Penn State University and has since performed with Comedy Sportz and Last Ham Standing improv groups.

Walker co-founded the Picked Punks with like-minded performer Steve Wannall of Baltimore. He and Wannall also perform with Shakespeare’s Skum, a troupe that presents comedic versions of Shakespeare tragedies, at the annual Maryland Renaissance Fair in Crownsville.

Always interested in expanding his range, Walker had heard about the Jim Rose Circus popular during the 1980s, but the style of the show didn’t appeal to him.

“It was more like an arena rock concert with loud, fastpaced acts with music,” Walker said.

In the late 1990s, he happened to see Todd Robbins on “Penn & Teller’s Sin City Spectacular,” a weekly variety show on the FX network featuring sideshow acts.

A magician, carnival performer and author, Robbins had once worked on Coney Island and was known for swallowing thousands of light bulbs throughout his career.

“I thought he was gentlemanly and erudite,” Walker said about Robbins’ performing style, which he thought he could eventually pursue himself.

“He’s one of the people who inspired me,” Walker said.

days, Fran Uhler Natural Area, meets at end of Lemon Bridge Road, north of Bowie State University, option to bird nearby WB&A Trail afterward; 7:30 a.m. third Saturdays, Governor Bridge Natural Area, Governor Bridge Road, Bowie, meet in parking lot; for migrating and resident woodland and field birds, and waterfowl. For beginners and experts.

Waterproof footwear and binoculars suggested. Free. 410-765-6482.

REC CENTERS Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex, Senior Days at

the Sportsplex, 8 a.m.-noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, seniors allowed free use of the fitness center and pool, age 60 and up, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, 301-583-2400.

Seat Pleasant Activity Center, Line Dancing, 6:30-8 p.m.

Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Saturdays, $40 series, $6 drop-ins, age 18 and up, 5720 Addison Road, Seat Pleasant, 301-773-6685.

ET CETERA College Park Aviation Museum, Peter Pan Club, 10:30-11:30 a.m. second and fourth Thursdays of every month, activities for preschoolers, $4, $3 seniors, $2 ages 2-18; Afternoon Aviators, 2-4:30 p.m. Fridays, hands-on aviationthemed activities for age 5 and up, $4, $3 seniors, $2 ages 2-18, events free with admission, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park, 301-864-6029, www.collegeparkaviationmuseum.com.

Women’s Chamber Choir Auditions, by appointment for the con-

cert season of women’s chamber choir Voix de Femmes, 7:45-9:30 p.m. Thursdays, 402 Compton Ave., Laurel, 301-520-8921, annickkanter@gmail.com.

Married with children, Walker knew he didn’t want to join a traveling sideshow. With none existing in the Washington area, he decided to start his own.

“It was an opportunity to use my acting background to do a different style of performance,” said Walker, who ran ads and recruited local performers.

“Our intent is less to be shocking and more to be entertaining, and to work in a lot of comedy,” he said in comparing his troupe to the Rose show.

Walker also settled on the name Cheeky Monkey, a British expression for someone who’s flip or irreverent but in a funny way.

“I thought it spoke to what we were doing,” he said.

Historically some sideshow acts have been “freaks,” like P.T. Barnum’s Bearded Lady, the Siamese twins and General Tom Thumb in the 1800s.

“Freaks were the royalty of the show — they’re what sold tickets, they were what people wanted to see,” Walker said.

But sideshows were one of the few places where people with deformities could find work and earn a decent living, Walker said.

“These were people who never asked for help,” he said. “A lot of them did very well, making money and working in a world where couldn’t get other jobs.”

Over time the general public began to feel uneasy about freak shows.

“It also began to cost too much for a circus or carnival to also travel with a troupe of sideshow performers,” Walker said.

But the sideshow stunts are still going strong in Coney Island, with one act succeeding another.

“It’s called a ‘grind,’” Walker said. “It goes all day long.”

And there are still people coming up with new acts to entertain the crowds.

“It’s definitely changed,” said Walker about the sideshow tradition. “We’re not on a mud lot or under a tent – we’re in theaters and clubs.”

“It’s evolved. … We’re happy to keep it going,” he said. vterhune@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

STARS

Continued from Page B-1 interested in the relationship between intimacy and technology, in particular with younger people,” Roussève said.

“We always battle with technology in the classroom … Rather than being so hardnosed about it, I thought, ‘I’m going to kind of explore why all of us are mediating our human contact through technology.’ That was really the jumping off point.”

After cultivating ideas with his students, Roussève used his summer, winter and spring breaks from school to work with his company to “deepen and expand” those concepts. He also brought in dramaturg Lucy Burns to develop the storyline.

“The text is so little so I have to pay attention to the economy of the words and pay attention to the character coming through and a story being told,” said Burns, who is also an associate professor in Asian American Studies at UCLA. “That’s primarily what I was asked to pay attention to …”

Burns said she has seen Roussève’s work over the years and has even given him feedback on some of his pieces, but this marks the first official partnership between the two.

Through its main character, “Stardust’s” narrative deals with “issues of homosexuality and acceptance, bullying, the power of art and technology’s

influence in our society.” “[I thought], who would be the most marginalized person possible?”

Roussève said. “Someone who really needed technology as his only … form of communication … He’s ostracized from the broader world but his own African-American urban community is [also] ostracizing him for being gay.”

Dancer Kevin Williamson said part of the thrill of being in “Stardust” is the opportunity to bring his own experiences and background to the stage.

“I think I bring a really, really intense interest in the work,” Williamson said. “I get to weave my own experiences with gender and [what that means, and] my own experience as a gay man.”

Williamson is a graduate student at UCLA and called Roussève a mentor.

The two met while Williamson was an undergraduate student at the university.

“His show inspired me so much and gave me freedom to move with my own choreographed show,” Williamson said.

The pair reconnected at an awards show in 2008 and Roussève invited Williamson onto the “Stardust” project in 2010.

In commissioning the piece, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center has not only signed on to present the show, but the venue has also worked

FRED NELSON

Eugene Valendo and Michael Dunlop rehearse a scene from 2nd Star’s upcoming production of “Funny Money.”

MONEY

Continued from Page B-1 of money. The kind of money that usually belongs to nefarious people. The kind of nefarious people who come looking for guys who stole their money, accidentally or not.

2nd Star Productions will bring those hilarious hijinks to life in Ray Cooney’s farce “Funny Money.” The show, filled with mistaken identities and crazy misadventures, opens Friday at the Bowie Playhouse.

“Ray Cooney is sort of Great Britain’s answer to Woody Allen,” director Fred Nelson said. “… [Henry] has to rush to convince first his wife then his friends … that he has got to get out of the country with this money. … It’s a very over-thetop British bawdy comedy.”

During the course of the evening, Henry has to employ various tricks in order to get people to believe him while characters in the show pretend to be other people in an attempt to keep the money secret, Nelson said.

“The plot gets more and more convoluted until, in the end, all these people are rushing around playing all these different people trying to safely escape Great Britain with this money and their lives,” Nelson said.

Nelson has been a fan of “Funny Money,” for a long time.

He was in a production of the show 20 years ago in Guam, where he did other Cooney shows.

“They were the time of my life,” Nelson said. “Last year … at 2nd Star, I was in a Ray Cooney comedy with Eugene Valendo and I knew that if I ever got the opportunity to direct the other Ray Cooney comedy, which is ‘Funny Money,’ that [Valendo] would be perfect to play the nebbish character, which in this play is Henry Perkins.”

Things are also looking up for 2nd Star Productions. Nelson

FUNNY MONEY n When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 31 to Feb. 16 n Where: Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Dr., Bowie n Tickets: $22 n For information: 410-7575700, 301-832-4819, 2ndstarproductions.com

said the company recently found out they had been nominated for several Washington Area Theatre Community Honors awards for last year’s production of “It Runs in the Family,” which is also a Cooney play. “[Valdeno] and I have been nominated for WATCH best acting awards,” Nelson said.

“2013 was 2nd Star’s first year as a WATCH-eligible theater … and they came out of the gate as the underdog and garnered just a whole bunch of nominations and won several of them. I, myself, won best actor in a musical for playing Tevye in ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’

“2nd Star in Bowie is really making a big splash in the tristate area. I think it’s a justification of the hard work we’ve been doing.”

Nelson said he hopes people in the area realize now they don’t have to drive all the way to the big city and pay a lot of money to see quality productions.

“There is quality, awardwinning theater happening right here,” Nelson said. “I’ve done nearly 200 plays all over the world, from small theaters to big ones. I’ve done it all. The work that 2nd Star Productions has been putting out over the past couple of years is really world-class stuff. I’m hoping people will wake up to the fact that [this] kind of entertainment is easily available to them.” wfranklin@gazette.net

135657G

Page B-3

Text will be projected onto large screens during “Stardust,” opening Friday at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. closely with Roussève to engage the local community in a dialogue about some of the issues “Stardust” deals with. “[The Clarice Smith Center] has done some amazing innovative thinking about connection with the community,” Roussève said. “ … You get very

much used to the same set of ideas; we’ll do a master class or a Q&A session ... I mentioned to [the center] about the strong spiritual message in the piece.

What if we could contact a conversation with the African-American spiritual community?”

In November, Roussève came to

VALERIE OLIVEIRO

Washington, D.C., and visited several African-American churches to talk about marriage equality. “ … We had a great conversation around the African-American church and ‘Stardust’ and marriage equality,” Roussève said. “I thought that was so thrilling.”

THE GAZETTE

Page B-4

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

AT THE MOVIES

‘Ride Along’: An all too familiar dead end BY

MICHAEL PHILLIPS CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Early, bloggy reviews of “Ride Along” have rolled in this week with phrases such as “perfectly acceptable” and “beenthere-done-that,” suggesting the likely range of opinion. It’ll probably be a hit: Audiences are getting precisely what they’re promised.

RIDE ALONG n 2 stars n PG-13; 100 minutes n Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart n Directed by Tim Story

This is the ol’ odd-couple cops routine, rigged up to support the pairing of Ice Cube, in the role of a snarling Atlanta police detective on the trail of a mysterious arms dealer, and Kevin Hart, as the detective’s prospective brother-in-law, a high school security guard with aspirations to join the force.

Hart’s best bits in “Ride Along,” such as they are and

PHOTO QUANTRELL COLBERT

(From left) Kevin Hart and Ice Cube lead the lineup in “Ride Along.” such as it is, hark back to the panicking-ninny routines of many other comedians, from

March 14, 2014 - 7pm

Eddie Cantor to “Rush Hour’s” Chris Tucker.

The 2001 drama “Training

Day” is name-checked in “Ride Along,” and some of the stuff in this diversion isn’t much less vile than anything Denzel Washington got up to in “Training Day.” The story has a bizarre undertone. Cube’s character is so creepily protective of his sister, played by Tika Sumpter in various states of decorative undress, he comes off like someone who should be tailed, not someone doing the tailing.

Hart’s Ben Barber must prove his worthiness to his fu-

ture in-law and show he has what it takes to be this movie’s idea of a good cop, measured in how many innocent bystanders come in for friendly fire. The rest of the movie is sexual molestation jokes, misjudged brutality and a general glorification of assault weapons. (The film’s rated PG-13, and it’d be pretty stupid to take anyone under 12.)

The supporting cast features John Leguizamo and Bryan Callen as Cube’s colleagues and Bruce McGill as the tetchy lieutenant.

Director Tim Story can’t do much with the screenplay, which smells of the eternally rewritten paste-up job. After Story’s loose, ingratiating work on “Barbershop” and “Think Like a Man,” I hoped for something more fun here. “Ride Along,” trading in too much action and not enough comedy, is best considered as the latest restaurant to open in an Olive Gardentype chain. No surprises. Pretty much like the last one you went to. Plus lots of breadsticks.

FREE

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on the Campus at the University of MD

Will Arnett voices Surly, a squirrel on a mission, in the animated heist caper “The Nut Job.”

OPEN ROAD FILMS

Root for an animated jerk?

Nuts to that, moviegoers!

BY

MICHAEL PHILLIPS CHICAGO TRIBUNE

S P E L L I N G

C H A L L E N G E

Can You Spell... mozzarella • mät s ‘re l

e

e

Noun

This word is from a Latin.

Example

Mario dips each stick of mozzarella in spaghetti sauce before eating it.

1910983

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow, and all that, but “The Nut Job” didn’t work out that way. This 3-D animation job, a co-production of South Korea’s Redrover Co. and the Canadian outfit ToonBox Entertainment, generates such little interest in the fates of its urban park critters, you may find yourself pondering mixed-use development schemes to rid the film of its key setting altogether.

Director and co-writer Peter Lepeniotis’ movie comes from “Surly Squirrel,” an animated short the filmmaker made nearly a decade ago. It wasn’t much to look at and wasn’t funny either, and in that film the titular rodent was an unrepentant punk.

A revised, ultimately redeemed version of the same squirrel returns to take the lead in “The Nut Job,” this time voiced by Will Arnett.

The generic computer animation locates the story in a vague 1940s/early ’50s universe of big, boxy automobiles, underworld gangland figures and

THE NUT JOB n 1 star n PG; 86 minutes n Cast: Will Arnett, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Brendan Fraser n Directed by Peter Lepeniotis

phone calls that cost a nickel.

There are two narrative lines that crisscross. One follows Surly as he’s banished from the park’s threatened animal kingdom (Liam Neeson voices the raccoon leader) and, to get back in the park’s good graces, his scheme to steal a winter’s worth of food from a nut shop located suspiciously closely to a bank.

Storyline No. 2 hews to the human world, and a plan to rob that bank.

How the two tales intertwine becomes the main point of theoretical interest in “The Nut Job.” Other rodents come with the voices of Katherine Heigl (as Andie, the conflicted love interest for Surly) and, as a preening

rival of Surly’s, Brendan Fraser.

Stephen Lang growls his way through the role of the chief human thug.

Big problem straight off: tone. The violence isn’t slapsticky; it’s just violent. Another problem: Since Surly, even the new, redeemable model, spends so much of the story being a flaming jerk, “The Nut Job” fights its protagonist’s own charmlessness from the first scene. Turning a dislikable leading character a little less dislikable by the end credits sets an awfully low bar for this sort of thing.

Because a lot of the financing came from South Korea, over the end credits the unlikely pop star Psy pops up in computeranimated form to reprise “Gangnam Style” one more time. The script by Lorne Cameron and Lepeniotis pays lip service to the notion of community and family. But Surly is only that — surly — and “The Nut Job” feels not like an adventure, not like a job, but simply like a cynical expansion of an idea that barely worked at 11 minutes.

Kids deserve better. Even squirrels deserve better.

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Page B-5

Designing ‘Miss Nelson’ Graduate students earn credits with Adventure Theatre MTC production

n

BY

CARA HEDGEPETH STAFF WRITER

For the third year in a row, Adventure Theatre MTC has partnered with the University of Maryland’s design department to give students the opportunity to earn credits working on a professional production.

The theater’s 2011 production of “A Year with Frog and Toad” marked the first year of the collaboration. After that show earned nine Helen Hayes Award nominations, including one nod for design, Adventure Theatre MTC producing Artistic Director Michael Bobbitt chose to renew the partnership. The theater’s production of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” in 2012 featured University of Maryland design students as did last year’s “A Little House Christmas.” This year, three students — one in lighting design, one in costume design and one in set design — were selected for the crew on “Miss Nelson is Missing,” running now through March 9.

“When the university launched their master’s program in design, I was excited about the kind of work the students were going to head,” Bobbitt said. “These designers have great fresh approaches. They really do bring a fresh design.”

Bobbitt typically attends the university’s student design showcase in May to scope out talent for the following season at Adventure Theatre MTC. “ … They stand by their stuff and I usually go there and walk around the room, ask them questions,” Bobbitt said. “Once I decide on the three [students] I would like to use, I run those names by the department … they like us to look at their second-year students who will be in their third year.”

Set designer Ruthmarie Tenorio, costume designer Aryna Petrashenko and lighting designer Brittany Shemuga were the three students selected to work on “Miss Nelson is Missing.”

Based on the books “Miss Nelson is Missing” and “Miss Nelson is Back!” by Harry Allard, the musical tells the story of Miss Nelson’s unruly class in Room 207. Spitballs and paper airplanes send the quiet, longsuffering teacher over the edge, and one day, Miss Nelson goes missing. In her place is terrifying substitute teacher Viola Swamp.

“I had read the book many years ago and was aware that there was a musical based on the

book, but I had never seen it,” said director Jennifer Nelson. “I think for everyone involved it’s a priority to stay true to the spirit of the source material but understand in translating from one medium to another, you have to make some changes. This isn’t like a great introspective book but it’s harder to transfer things like what people are thinking from the page to the stage.”

The opportunity to bring the Miss Nelson text from the page to the stage is something Bobbitt said is an especially wonderful experience for the design students.

“The benefit is to go from script to production,” Bobbitt said. “[As a student] a lot of the work you do is never realized, but now you get a chance to realize how the work changes and is tweaked … [there’s] budget, execution, making sure that your designs can be executed well.”

Perhaps most significant is that the partnership allows students to earn professional credits, something that can be difficult when attending school full time.

“Opportunities are limited because school takes so much time,” Petrashenko said. “On the resume, it matters because it’s something outside of school.”

Petrashenko is a third-year design student at the University of Maryland. Born in the Ukraine, she moved to the states when she was 16. A professor at the community college she attended in St. Louis was the first to introduce her to costume design.

“I didn’t know it existed and it just opened a whole new world,” said Petrashenko, who always had an affinity for art. “It was a revelation for me.”

Though Petrashenko has spent the last two years working in design at the university, she said there are more challenges working on a professional production. In the case of “Miss Nelson is Missing,” those challenges include effectively using a small stage space and dressing adult actors to look like children.

But beyond the technical difficulties, Petrashenko had to fly home to St. Louis partway through production to tend to her sick mother, making the design process even more complicated.

“One of the challenges is just doing something long distance,” Petrashenko said. “I had to do [ordering] exclusively online since I was in St. Louis. And not being here for fittings. Luckily, when I came back, I still had enough time to buy things and be here for tech week.”

Despite the roadblocks, Pe-

BRUCE DOUGLAS

Calvin McCullough, Sherry Berg, Jessica Lauren Ball, Sean McComas and Rachel Viele in the Adventure Theatre production of “Miss Nelson is Missing.” trashenko said her experience with the partnership has been positive.

“When you spend three years in grad school and four years in undergrad before that,

it’s always a little scary for your first production outside of school,” she said. “But it was

actually a lot of fun … I hope everyone’s first work out of school is this stress-free.”

Gazette Health 2014 Special Issue featuring

Senior Health Children’s/Family Health Women’s/Men’s Health in partnership with local hospitals

GAZETTE HEALTH WILL PROMOTE THE FOLLOWING: • Front page of The Gazette the week of publication • Quarter page display ads in The Gazette • Gazette.Net homepage and local pages • Social Networking Sites (Facebook, Twitter) • Web version on Gazette.Net homepages

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ages 2yrs old to 8th grade

DEADLINES

Military Discount, Serviceman Discount= 15% OFF TUITION

Publication Date PRINCE GEORGE’S March 27 COUNTY June 26 Oct 2

Referral Discount= 5% OFF per student referred Quick Facts: Teaching with a Christian worldview Charles County Public School busing system is used PreSchool program is a full day program accepting students turning 2 yrs old by September 1st. No potty training needed for the 2 yr old class.

Walk-throughs are available anytime!

We also have summer camp available from June 23rd - August 22nd, at $170/camper per week which includes a t-shirt, 1 field trip a week, and two days at the pool. Students must be 3 yrs old by June 23rd, 2014 Please visit our website at www.phca.us or call us at 301-753-9350.

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1910991

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PLEASE CALL YOUR MARKETING REP Signature OR CALL (240)473-7532 TO RESERVE AD SPACE

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Feb 25 May 27 Sept 2

March 18 June 17 Sept 23

10% OFF FOR RESERVING AT LEAST 2 EDITIONS

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

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Page B-6

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THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Page B-7

RELIGION CALENDAR

FEB. 1 Alzheimer’s Association Support Group, 12:15 to 1:45 p.m., St.

Andrews Episcopal Church, 4512 College Ave., College Park. Groups provide a place for people with Alzheimer’s, their caregivers, family members and friends to share valuable information. Groups are free. Please call 800-272-3900 before attending a group to verify meeting information. Contact 301613-6087.

H.E.A.L. Workshop: Take Charge of Your Health, 4:30 to 6

p.m., Capitol Free Mission, 8201 Cryden Way, Forestville. An eight-

session lifestyle workshop for those who want to improve their health. The workshop will be led by a specially trained intervention coach, and there will be cooking and wellness demos. To register, call 301-494-5550 or visit www. capitolcitymission.org. Limited seating. Contact helpdesk@mygospelworkers.org.

UPCOMING EVENT Sweetheart Charity Ball, 7 p.m.

Feb. 7, St. Ambrose Church, Fannon Hall in Cheverly. A potluck dinner and dance fundraiser to support the anti-human trafficking work of Fair Girls and Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services and Refuge Center. Contact sweetheartcharityball@gmail.com.

ONGOING Women’s Bible Study, 9 to

11 a.m. every Thursday, Berwyn Baptist Church, 4720 Cherokee St., College Park. Study the book of Romans. Women of all ages are invited. Cost of $6.50 for textbook.

Contact 301-474-7117 or secre-

tary@berwynbaptist.org.

Mount Rainier Christian Church will conduct Praisercise, a Chris-

tian exercise group meeting at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at the church, 4001 33rd St., Mount Rainier. The exercise group will have exercise education about nutrition and more. Professional instruction from University of Maryland, College Park, kinesiology students and the program. Open to people of all ages and fitness levels. Free. Call 301864-3869 or visit www.facebook. com/groups/praisercise/ or email brianpadamusus @yahoo.com.

Largo Community Church is revising its fitness program, Mon-

days and Wednesdays, to include Latin-infused dance. Classes start at 7 p.m. and the fee is $5. The church is at 1701 Enterprise Road in Mitchellville. E-mail justfit4life @yahoo.com.

Body and Soul Fitness presents “I’m All In,” Bethany Community

Church, 15720 Riding Stable Road in Laurel. Sessions start with cardio/strength classes from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, with a co-ed session from 7 to 8:30

p.m. Tuesday. For more information, call Abby Dixson at 301-5491877, email abbyfitness@aol.com or visit www.bodyandsoul.org.

Touch of Love Bible Church, conducts weekly support group meetings for people who are separated or divorced, 11 a.m. every Saturday at the church, 13503 Baltimore Ave. in Laurel. Call 301210-3170.

Ladies Bible Study Class on the book of Esther, Maryland City

Baptist Church, 1:45 p.m. Tuesday afternoons at the church, 326 Brock Bridge Road in Laurel. Free nursery. Call Tammie Marshall at 301-498-3224 or visit mdcitybaptist @yahoo.com.

Free First Place 4 Health series, 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Berwyn

Baptist Church, 4720 Cherokee St. in College Park. Call 240-601-1640.

Anti-domestic violence and stalking support group meetings,

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday. Abigail Ministries offers the meetings in Hyattsville. Call 301277-3775 for exact location.

Maryland Family Christian Center’s Praise Dance Ministry, 7

p.m. Tuesdays at North Forestville Elementary School, 2311 Ritchie Road in Forestville. Ministry teaches people to dance. Call 240392-2633.

New Creation Church Bible study meetings, 7 p.m. Wednes-

days at the Bladensburg High School auditorium, 4200 57th Ave. in Bladensburg. Sunday services are at 10 and 11 a.m.

through Friday. Christian Outreach International Center calls for prayer warriors in intercessory prayer with Bishop Janie Carr at the church, 3709 Hamilton St. in Hyattsville. Call 301-927-1684.

Hidden Strengths Support Ministry Inc. Phone Line Prayer Ministry, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every

Wednesday. Email requests to hssministryinc@aol.com. Call 202372-7716.

New Broken Vessels Ministry Women’s Bible Study and Discussions, 9 a.m. every Friday at It’s

Victory Church International prayer services, 6 to 8 a.m. daily at

Vocalists/singers needed to harmonize “Inspirational Music,”

Heavens Best Healing and Deliverance Baptist Church revival services, 8 p.m. Monday through

God’s Choice Christian Bookstore, 1454 Addison Road South in Capitol Heights. Call 301-499-5799 for information.

every Saturday at 8221 Cryden Way in Forestville. Call 301-5990932 or 301-219-4350.

Baha’i devotions, 10 to 11:30 a.m., first and third Sunday of every month. Breakfast served at 10 a.m. All are welcome. The devotions are at 14200 Livingston Road in Clinton. Call 703-380-7267.

Urgent call for 50 prayer warriors, noon to 1 p.m. Monday

the church, 9308 Allentown Road in Fort Washington. Call 301-4497706.

Friday and at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Sundays at the church, 8311 Old Branch Ave. in Clinton. Call 301877-7702.

Church on the Hill “School of Healing,” 3 to 5 p.m. the first and

third Sunday of each month at the A.D. Headen Chapel, Refreshing Spring Church, 6200 Riverdale Road in Riverdale. For registration information, call 301-333-0499.

1905976

To submit a calendar item online, go to calendar.gazette. net and click on the submit button in the lower left-hand corner. To find an item, go to The Gazette’s home page at www. gazette.net. You can mail them to The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707; fax, 240-473-7501. Items must be received by Wednesday to appear the following week.

Page B-8

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Classifieds Call 301-670-7100 or email class@gazette.net

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NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING The Annual Meeting for the Forest Run Homeowners Association, held on October 29, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. has been rescheduled for February 20, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. at Longfields Elementary. The meeting is rescheduled pursuant to Section 6-506 of the Corporations and Association Article of Maryland Code, because of a lack of a quorum in October. Those present in person or by proxy will constitute a quorum and a majority of those present in person or by proxy may approve, authorize or take any action which could have been taken at the original meeting if a sufficient number of members had been present.

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Call Century Financial 1-800-931-1942

CITY OF SEAT PLEASANT LEGISLATION ADOPTED CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL SESSION MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2014 ORDINANCE O-14-10 AN ORDINANCE FOR the purposes of repealing the City’s current Personnel Rules and Regulations Manual (October 2011 edition); adopting a new Personnel Rules and Regulations Manual (December 2013 edition) to stand in place thereof; amending Chapter 31 (Personnel Policies), § 31-13 of the Code of the City of Seat Pleasant as it relates to the City’s Personnel Rules and Regulations Manual to refer and conform to the new Personnel Rules and Regulations Manual adopted hereunder; and generally relating to personnel matters in The City of Seat Pleasant.

Copies of this legislation are available from the Office of the City Clerk at: City Hall 6301 Addison Road Seat Pleasant, Maryland 20743-2125

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GC3195

A/R-A/P

(1-23, 1-30-14)

Truck repair shop in Hyattsville seeking part-time AR/AP help.

Multi tasking a necessity.

Email resume with references to: gail1trailerntractor@verizon.net

NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or about February 13, 2014, the City of Bowie - Office of Grant Development & Administration will submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for the release of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds under Title 1 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended to undertake projects known as the City of Bowie Senior Citizen "Green" Housing Rehab Program for the purposes of providing grants to eligible senior citizen single family homeowners for rehabilitation activities throughout the city of Bowie. This is a multi year project 2013 to 2014 where the City of Bowie funds energy efficiency related repairs for single family senior citizen homeowners. Actual CDBG funding for FY13 is $156,398 and estimated funding for FY14 is $156,400, the actual amount for FY14 will be identified in the Annual Action Plan. The project area for this program is the entire corporate limits of the City of Bowie although it is HUD’s policy to exclude homes in the 100 year floodplain. The proposed project is to perform minor rehab on existing single family residences. Proposed rehab activities include: Insulation, HVAC Roofing, Appliances, Siding, Doors/Windows, Plumbing and Electrical. In addition, each residence will receive a Home Energy Audit and a Lead based Pain Inspection. In the case of a building for residential use (with one to four units), the density is not increased in a floodplain or in a wetland, per 58.35 (a)(3)(i). It is estimated that approximately 30 single family homes will be rehabilitated over the two year period.

The rehabilitation activities proposed are Categorically Excluded under HUD Regulations at 24 CFR Part 58 from the National Environmental Policy Act requirements. An Environmental Review record (ERR) that documents the environmental determinations for these projects is on file at the City of Bowie - Office of Grant Development and Administration, 15901 Excalibur Road, Bowie, Maryland 20716 and may be examined or copied weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. An environmental review strategy has been prepared and it has been determined that the remaining site-specific 24 CRF Section 58.5 and Section 58.6 requirements for the subject programs are: Flood Insurance, Contamination and Toxic Substances, Explosive and Flammable Hazards, Floodplain Management, Historic Preservation and Noise Abatement Control. Each site shall be reviewed against these factors with compliance fully documented, before approving any specific grant. Site specific projects determined to exceed one or more of the environmental constraints established for the program will re(1-30-14) quire a separate environmental review.

PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the City of Bowie - Office of Grant Development and Administration, 15901 Excalibur Road, Bowie, Maryland 20716. All comments received by February 10, 2014 will be considered by the City of Bowie prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds.

RELEASE OF FUNDS The City of Bowie certifies to HUD that David J. Deutsch in his capacity as City Manager for the City of Bowie consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities, and allows the City of Bowie to use Program funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Bowie certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Bowie; (b) the city of Bowie has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs, or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58) and shall be addressed to HUD Washington, D.C. Field Office, 820 First Street, N.E., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20002. Attention: Mr. Michael Rose, Director, Community Planning and Development Division. Potential objectors should contact HUD at 202-275-6266 or 410-209-6546, to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

David J. Deutsch, City Manager

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2 Rooms starting at AIRLINE CAREERS MY COMPUTER WORKS Computer $750 shared bath util begin here - Get FAA problems? Viruses, incl. All furn! Near approved Aviation Maintenance training. spyware, email, printer metro. 240-421-6689 Housing and Financial issues, bad internet GET FREE OF connections - FIX IT CREDIT CARD W A S H I N G T O N Aid for qualified stuDEBT NOW! Cut DC: Brentwood NE, dents. Job placement NOW! Professional, payments by up to Lrg furn Br, priv Ba, assistance. CALL Avi- U.S.-based technihalf. Stop creditors cians. $25 off service. shrd kit & W/D, 1 blk ation Institute of Mainfrom calling 877-858Call for immediate frm bus & 5 blks from tenance 800-4811386 help 1-866-998-0037 Red/Metro $850/util 8974. inc 202-361-8087

GP2365

Welcome 3 lvl TH, 3br, 2.5ba nr 270/shops $1699/mo avail now Call: 301-906-0870

AIRLINES ARE HIRING - Train for hands

floor private ENT, KIT, BA, PARKING. $1100 quiet and Sunny! call 301-879-2868

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ANTI-AGING BUSINESS GOLDMINE!

(1-30-14)

CDL-A DRIVERS:

Looking for higher pay? New Century is hiring exp. company drivers and owner operators. Solos and teams. Competitive pay package. Sign-on incentives. Call 888705-3217 or apply online at www.drivenctrans.com

VETERANS NEEDED Use your GI Benefits NOW for training in Healthcare.

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Financial

TELLER/CLERK

Cash experience, typing skills, PC knowledge, HS Diploma or GED all required Call: 301-474-5900 Or apply at: 112 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD Or email resume to: greenbeltfcu@verizon.net

MECHANIC

The Recycling Center, located in Laurel (PG Co.), is accepting applications for the following positions: ∂ Heavy Equipment Mechanic ∂ Road Mechanic Must have experience & clean driving record Please email resume to info@mtlaney.com fax 410-795-9546 Top wages and a great working environment. EOE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Classifieds

Page B-9

Call 301-670-7100 or email class@gazette.net

HILTON, GAITHERSBURG, MD

Thursday, April 3, 2014, 9:00-2:00pm

Career Expo 2014 will provide employers with an opportunity to take a first look at local qualified applicants. Our mini seminars will command an audience of highly skilled professionals. Reserve your space today, log on to www.gazettecareerexpo.com or call 301-670-7100.

PREMIUM PACKAGE $495 EARLY BIRD PRICING*

EARLY BIRD

Registration Deadline January 31, 2014

• Booth at Event • 30 Day Banner on Gazette. net/Careers & DCMilitary.com/Career • Featured Advertiser, Hiring and Company profile • 2-Job postings (one print, one online)

*$695 after January 31, 2014

GC3194

TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE CALL 301-670-7100

Groomer Horse care & barn maint. 35-40 hrs, $525/wkly. Temp/seasonal. LAUREL PARK RACE TRACK, Laurel, MD: 3/1/14-12/31/14 w/travel to NJ Racetracks. Equip & trans provided. Lodging avail. 4 post. Call Carlos 410-963-8387.

Dental/ Medical Assistant Trainees Needed Now Dental/Medical Offices now hiring.

No experience?

Job Training & Placement Assistance Available 1-877-234-7706 CTO SCHEV

Pharmacy/ Phlebotomy Tech Trainees Needed Now Pharmacies/ hospitals now hiring.

No experience?

Job Training & Placement Assistance Available 1-877-240-4524 CTO SCHEV

Part-Time

Work From Home

National Children’s Center Making calls. For more info please call Weekdays between 9a-4p No selling! Sal + bonus + benes.

Call 301-333-1900

Saturday, February 1 at 9:00 a.m.

Presentation begins at 9:20 a.m.

Newspaper & Web Ad Sales Comprint Military Publications publishes 8 newspapers, 2 websites and 14 special sections and is looking for an energetic, organized sales representative to sell advertising into our media.

Must be able to work well under weekly deadlines and pressures of meeting sales goals.

Prefer someone with print and/or web advertising sales experience. Position is in Gaithersburg office and hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F. Territory is Northern VA.

GC3179

Web Developer A division of The Washington Post that publishes one of the largest community newspaper groups in the country is looking for an experienced web developer. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years’ experience and be proficient in CSS, HTML, JQuery and JavaScript. Experience with content management systems and responsive design preferred. Outstanding attention to detail and strong organizational skills are required.

We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package including pension 401(k) and tuition reimbursement.

If interested, please email your resume along with cover letter and salary requirements to: HRJobs@gazette.net Attn: Web Developer. EOE

We offer a competitive compensation & comprehensive benefits package including pension, 401(k) & tuition reimbursement.

If interested, please send resume and cover letter with salary requirements to: John Rives at jrives@dcmilitary.com. EOE

SKILLED TRADE

HVAC SERVICE TECH

IMMEDIATE Position Avialable for NATE and/or Journeyman HVAC service technicians. MUST have 2 yrs exp. Great hourly pay, commission, weekly bonus & insurance. Drug free, customer oriented, and motivated. Only qualified applicants apply.

301-670-1944 - Gaithersburg

SKILLED TRADE

PLUMBER IMMEDIATE Position Avialable for Plumber. MUST have 2 yrs exp.

Great hourly pay, commission, weekly bonus & insurance. Drug free, customer oriented, and motivated. Only qualified applicants apply.

301-670-1944 - Gaithersburg

FRONT DESK/RECEPTIONIST

Immediate Opening-Front Desk/ Receptionist- For primary care medical practice in Upper Marlboro, MD. Friendly work Environment, benefits offered. Prior medical & computer experience required. Must be team player, dependable & punctual. Hours 7:30am-4:00pm weekdays. Good communication skills mandatory. Fast-paced position includes answering phones, scheduling appointments, face-to-face interacting w/ patients, retrieving & filing medical charts, filing charges for insurance & assisting w/ submission of secondary claims.

Recruiting is now Simple!

Get Connected!

Local Companies Local Candidates

Qualified candidates should email resumes to jshutta@hotmail.com, Fax to 301-6271634 or contact Judy at 301-627-7926

Career Training Need to re-start your career?

Page B-10

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo

Automotive

Page B-11

Call 301-670-7100 or email class@gazette.net

CA H

FOR CAR !

ALL APPLICATIONS REVIEWED WE HELP EVERYONE!

ANY CAR ANY CONDITION

INSTANT CASH OFFER

(301) 288-6009

G558459

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED! Top

$$$$$ PAID! Running or Not, All Makes!

Free Towing! We’re Local! 7 Days/Week.

Call 1-800-959-8518

DONATE AUTOS, TRUCKS, RV’S. LUTHERAN MISSION SOCIETY.

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G558490

WE PAY TOP DOLLAR-FAST FREE PICKUP! SELL YOUR CAR TODAY! CALL NOW FOR AN

EMAIL US AT BUILDMYCREDIT@JIMCOLEMANAUTO.COM OR CALL

1-866-464-1618 Deals and Wheels to advertise call

301.670.7100

or email class@gazette.net

YOU ALWAYS GET YOUR WAY AT OURISMAN EVERYDAY

$5,000 OFF

2013 Beetles & Beet Convertibles le 19 Available In Stock Units On ly

OURISMAN VW

2013 MODELS SALE

2014 JETTA S

# 7373771, Power Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry

MSRP 17,810

14,999

$

#1679497, Power Windows/Locks, Sunroof, Auto, Loaded

MSRP $24,490 - $5,000 OFF

19,490

$

OR 0% for 60 MONTHS

2013 JETTA GLI

#7301806, Power Windows, Power Locks

MSRP 26,110 $

BUY FOR

#9009449, Automatic, Power Windows/Power Locks, Keyless Entry, Cruise Control

MSRP $22,765

$

2013 BEETLE

BUY FOR

#3096306, Automatic, Power Windows/Power Locks, Keyless Entry, Heated Seats, Bluetooth, Cruise Control

2014 PASSAT S 2.5L

MSRP 20,860

$

BUY FOR

2013 GOLF 2 DOOR

21,999

$

OR 0.9% for 60 MONTHS

BUY FOR

16,999

$

OR 0% for 60 MONTHS

18,999

$

BUY FOR

2013 JETTA TDI

2013 GTI 2 DOOR

#7234651, Automatic Power Windows, Power Locks, Bluetooth

#4125692, Automatic, Power Windows/ Power Locks, Keyless Entry

MSRP $25,155

19,995 2014 TIGUAN S BUY FOR

$

#13525611, Automatic, Power Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry

MSRP $25,235

BUY FOR

23,399

$

MSRP $26,095 BUY FOR

21,938

$

OR 0% for 60 MONTHS

2014 PASSAT TDI SE

#9060756, Automatic, Power Windows, Power Locks, Sunroof

MSRP $27,385 BUY FOR

23,399

$

OR 0.9% for 60 MONTHS

OURISMAN VW WORLD AUTO CERTIFIED PRE OWNED 24 Available...Rates Starting at 2.64% up to 72 months

1999 SAAB 9-5.......#V674887A, Green, 83,144 miles...............$5,492 2011 Jetta Sedan......#V0019A, Gold, 47,603 miles................$12,491 2009 GTI..................#V551811A, White, 99,448 miles.............$12,991 2009 Passat Wgn...#V059316A, Silver, 75,496 miles..............$13,491 2011 Toyota Corolla #VP0020, Black, 30,992 miles................$14,991 2010 Routan S..........#VP0021, White, 53,686 miles................$14,991 2012 Jetta Sedan...#V028517A, Black, 25,429 miles..............$14,995 2012 Mazda 6..........#VPR0023, Black, 44,340 miles...............$15,491 2012 Nissan Altima.#VPR0024, Gray, 42,366 miles...............$15,991 2013 Passat S….....#VPR0031, Silver, 34,132 miles...............$15,999 2012 Jetta SE...........#VPR6113, Silver, 34,537 miles...............$16,495 2011 Jetta SEL.......#V060018A, Black, 27,526 miles..............$16,991

2013 Jetta SE............#V693295A, Red, 3,179 miles................$18,492 2011 Honda CRV.....#V003776A, Gray, 37,086 miles..............$18,992 2013 Jetta SE............#VPR0012, Silver, 3,693 miles................$18,999 2013 Jetta SE............#VPR0011, Silver, 4,491 miles................$18,999 2011 CC.....................#VP0022, Black, 30,272 miles................$19,991 2013 Jetta SE............#VPR0030, Silver, 4,340 miles................$19,995 2011 Tiguan S..........#VPR0017, White, 32,529 miles..............$19,995 2013 Jetta SE...........#VPR0027, White, 6,101 miles...............$19,995 2013 Passat S...........#VPR0026, Black, 6,891 miles................$20,995 2013 Beetle Conv...#V827537A, Black, 20,496 miles..............$23,995 2013 Passat SE........#VPR0029, White, 5,964 miles...............$23,999 2013 Passat SE........#VPR0028, White, 5,010 miles...............$23,999

All prices exclude tax, tags, title, freight and $200 processing fee. Cannot be combined with any previous advertised or internet special. Pictures are for illustrative purposes only. See dealer for details. 0% APR Up To 60 Months on all models. See dealer for details. Ourisman VW World Auto Certified Pre Owned financing for 60 months based on credit approval thru VW. Excludes Title, Tax, Options & Dealer Fees. Special APR financing cannot be combined with sale prices. Ends 01/31/14.

Ourisman VW of Laurel 3371 Fort Meade Road, Laurel

1.855.881.9197 • www.ourismanvw.com Online Chat Available...24 Hour Website • Hours Mon-Fri 9 am-9 pm • Sat 9 am-8 pm

Selling that convertible... be sure to share a picture!

Log on to

Gazette.Net/Autos to upload photos of your car for sale

G558488

4 NEED AUTO FINANCING ASSISTANCE? 4 TIRED OF HASSLES? 4 WANT A FRESH START?

Page B-12

G544124

Thursday, January 30, 2014 bo