AUNTIE DILUVIANA A new column premieres, highlighting the collected wisdom of Hyattsville’s Aging in Place group. PAGE 4
Challenges for new city HR director By Paula Minaert
Chris Vermillion, Hyattsville’s newly hired human resources director, started work on February 27. It’s a new position, created by the city council last year. Vermillion, by all accounts, has his work cut out for him. During his first week on the job, Public Works Director Patrick Ryan resigned, effective March 16, to accept a job in his native Midwest. That makes the fourth directorlevel position without a permanent, full-time staff person. The department of code enforcement has had an acting director, senior inspector Chris Guinta, since 2009. Police Chief Douglas Holland is acting city administrator and Communications Manager Abby Sandel is acting director of recreation and the arts. Longtime city employee Julia McTague has been recommended to take over as acting DPW director, although at press time no announcement had been made. Last August, she was assigned to oversee various continuing DPW construction projects. The city has struggled with staffing issues for some time. Recently, it had two parks directors and two treasurers in the space of two years. In addition, the assistant city administrator and
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CHALLENGES continued on page 13
THE TRADITION CONTINUES
HELPING FAMILIES
City Easter egg hunt marks 76 years. PAGE 2
A snapshot of The Parenting Time Center, based at St. Matthew’s Church. PAGE 7
Hyattsville Life&Times
Vol. 9 No. 3
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
March 2012
raise a
GLASS BILL JENNE It was a busy month for Franklins Restaurant, Brewery and General Store. The Second Annual Beer Dinner, featuring five courses paired with beers, sold out well before the February 22 event. Later that week, on February 26, the local landmark celebrated its 10th anniversary with brewery tours, wine tastings and more.
Council members may land in new wards by Susie Currie
Federally mandated redistricting could displace up to six city council incumbents, according to plans unveiled at the March 5 council meeting. The 2010 census showed that Hyattsville’s population grew from 14,733 on April 1, 2000, to 17,557 a decade later, an increase of almost 20 percent. Much of that was in Ward 3, where annexation led to an imbalance of 1,000 residents. Making sure they get evenly distributed was just one consideration for the three-member redistricting committee. Committee chair David Rain presented six plans to the council. He described the existing boundary lines, drawn based on
2000 census data, as “jagged and irregular.” One reason for that, he said, “had to do with moving the lines around [to keep] incumbents in their wards. We did pay attention to that, but we didn’t focus on it
exclusively.” They also focused on drawing “compact, contiguous” boundaries and, in keeping with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, creating a minority-opportunity ward, with a minority population of at least
50 percent. But that proved harder than expected, because “there aren’t a lot of pockets of concentrations,” explained Rain. “It’s a virtue [for REDISTRICTING continued on page 12
School loses federal funds, five staff members by Julia Duin
Hyattsville Elementary School is facing the loss of five crucial staff after the school’s Title 1 status was removed earlier this year, reducing its budget by $200,000. To receive Title 1 funds, 75 percent of a school’s students must be from families whose income qualifies them for free or reduced-priced meals in the school cafeteria. This year, that percentage dipped to 73.4 percent, barely missing the cutoff. The
school’s free breakfast program will not be affected by the reduction. Among the five positions to be cut is the bilingual parent liaison, Cecilia Penate. Of 511 enrolled students, 150 take English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. And 48 percent of school families are Spanish-speaking. On March 6, anguished Spanish-speaking parents protested the loss during an early afternoon FUNDING continued on page 11
Included: The March 13, 2012 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section