CAN THIS SAUCER BE SAVED? As the Hyattsville library turns 50, the vision for its next 50 years is up in the air. PAGE 8
New council members file to run for higher office by Rosanna Landis Weaver
Hyattsville City Councilmembers Patrick Paschall and Joseph Solomon, both elected for the first time in 2013, have filed to run for higher office in the June 24 Democratic primary. The implications for their future service to the city vary considerably. Paschall, who is running for an unpaid spot on the Democratic Central Committee, would not be required to leave the council; Solomon, who is running for the Maryland House of Delegates, would, because the state constitution says that “no person shall hold, at the same time, more than one office of profit.” If Solomon (Ward 5) is elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in November, he would need to resign his council role. And depending on the timing this could mean a special election to fill the remainder of his term. Under the city charter if a vacancy is created “by reason of death, refusal or inability to act, disqualification, resignation or removal beyond the corporate limits of the City,” then a special election must be held within 75 days. The city last held a special election
SATELLITE TO SCULPTURE
Local sculptor Alan Binstock will upcycle the broken satellite dish at the new Hyattsville CDC headquarters into a stellar piece of public art. PAGE 4
CREATIVE GRANTS AWARDED Joe’s Movement Emporium announces the winners of grants that will make the second season of Art Lives Here shine. PAGE 2
Hyattsville Life&Times
Vol. 11 No. 3
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
Moment of tragedy continues to reverberate for local family by Rosanna Landis Weaver
On the morning of January 13, Jose Martin Huaman headed to the bus stop shortly before 7 a.m. though the theater where he was employed didn’t open until 10 a.m. It was his habit to leave early, since the several buses he took to work made for a complicated commute to Arundel Mills. According to his family he often said, ‘I would rather get to work early and wait than be late for work.” But that morning he never made it to work.
Huaman, 24, was killed in a tragic accident, and his loss continues to torment his family. The accident occurred at around 7 a.m. in the 4800 block of Rhode Island Avenue, just a few blocks from the 42nd Place home he shared with his mother, stepfather and three sisters. An SUV heading north spun out of control, crossed the median, and hit Huaman before crashing into a nearby building. The driver, a 44-year-old woman who has not been charged or publicly identified, was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released.
At this time, the family says, the collision remains under investigation. It was a bitterly cold morning, cold enough to contribute to water main breaks and leaks that were originally considered to be a factor. But Prince George’s County Police Lt. Bill Alexander told the Washington Post late in January that the water main breaks were over 40 yards from the accident, and seemed unlikely to be the cause of the ice. TRAGEDY continued on page 13
Troop 224 leaders win district award by Susie Currie
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID EASTON MD PERMIT NO. 43
ELECTIONS continued on page 10
Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781
March 2014
BILL THOMAS Boy Scouts of America Troop 224 welcomed a record number of Eagle Scouts to its ranks in 2013. From left: John LaChance, Kevin Dominey and Sheldon Brown at their Court of Honor, held in the St. Jerome Gold Room on January 26. (Not pictured is Timothy Cain, who also earned the rank last year.) The troop has been meeting in Hyattsville since 1948.
Regional leaders of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have bestowed the district’s highest honor on a local couple for their work with Troop 224. “This is not the first time a married couple have received the award, but it is rare,” said Lenny Wertz, a vice chair of the Prince George’s County District Committee of the BSA’s National Capital Area Council. More often, he said, spouses are honored in different years. Troop 224 Scoutmaster Bill Thomas and his wife, Cathleen Hapeman, were among the five Award of Merit honorees at a February 8 dinner in Cheltenham, Md. The district serves more than 2,000 county youth in 103 scouting units. SCOUTING continued on page 12
Included: The March 12, 2014 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section