St. Jerome gets new principal by Paula Minaert St. Jerome School, one of the oldest in the area, has a new principal. Mary Pat Donoghue, formerly the vice principal, has taken the position that was held by Sr. Joyce Volpini, SND, since July 1976. “I want to continue the good work St. Joyce did for thirtythree years,” Ms. Donoghue said. “I admire her sense of mission and serving God’s littlest ones.” Ms. Donoghue began teaching fifth grade at the Catholic school in 1990 and later taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. She is herself a graduate of St. Jerome’s. The school opened in 1943, with the Sisters of Notre Dame holding classes in the parlor and porch of the house that originally stood on the property. The current building was finished in 1946. By 1964, the enrollment was 850. Speaking of her years as principal, Sr. Joyce said her fondest memories are of the children. “They’re very much themselves, honest and loving. They keep you young," she said. "And it’s exciting to watch them grow. They come back, too, and bring their children with them. They
pUMpKIN TIME ALREADY?
READY YOURsELF TO RECEIVE
LOCAL ARTIsTs GET NEW spACE
Our guide to the premier pickyour-own pumpkin patches. PAGE 3
Cassie Johnson explains why you should take down your roadblocks on personal development. PAGE 4
Art gallery/studio Artdc gives artists a new lease on creativity. PAGE 9
Hyattsville Life&Times
Vol. 6 No. 9
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
the long and winding trail by Krista Atteberry Former Hyattsville City Council President Robert Trumbule loved the outdoors. An environmental policy analyst for the Library of Congress, he served for several years as the scoutmaster of a local Boy Scout troop. The trail named for him, near Magruder Park, has
by Sarah Nemeth
photo by susie currie PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 43 Easton, MD 21601
been transformed over the summer and will be rededicated this month. To find it, follow the asphalt path that runs to the right of the tennis courts in Magruder Park and turn left over the brand-new creek bridge. Notice the newly cleared TraIlS continued on page 10
New city treasurer touts strategic organization
PrIncIPal continued on page 11
A bump-out in the new Trumble Trail.
“It doesn’t matter if you have money if you don’t have a strategy,” said Anthony Rainey, Hyattsville’s new treasurer. Rainey makes strategy the beacon of his work, an approach he honed working for the cities of Seattle, Wash.; Gresham, Ore;
HEARD AROUND HYATTSVILLE
HLT asked, “What do you think about students having to wear school uniforms?” The respondents were all parents or grandparents of Hyattsville Elementary School students.
Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781
September 2009
“I guess it was a good idea. It’s just the money part.” — Deborah Hayes
“I think it’s great. I don’t know about the color, though, and it gets real hot.“ — George Samuel
“For summer, it’s fine. For winter, it’s not so good. The children need to put more clothes on.” —Carlos Velasquez
“It’s very good to have uniforms. It makes them look good in school, and there isn’t peer pressure.” — Elsa Rodriguez
Norfolk, Va.; and, most recently, Washington, D.C. “One of the things I’ve experienced with other governments … is bringing a more strategic approach,” he said. “Finance is only a tool to [implement] strategy.” Originally from California, Rainey lives in Waldorf and came to Hyattsville because of its “up and coming” status. “He brings some great experience in areas that we are moving into,” said Hyattsville Mayor William Gardiner, citing Rainey’s specific skills in budgeting, information technology and performance measures. “[The city is] now developing much more closely aligned department goals and outputs to the budget,” Gardiner said. “We haven’t done that before. [It is] an improved budget format process and [Rainey] will be a part of implementing that.” While in Oregon, Rainey worked on a 2020 plan – a community visioning process focusing on where the city would be in the TreaSUrer continued on page 11
Included: The September 9, 2009 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section