BLACK LIVES MATTER
NPR's Kojo Nnamdi joins race discussion at Hyattsville's Busboys and Poets. P. 4
DEMATHA'S 3-PEAT
DeMatha Football's championship victory was a true team effort. P. 7
The sacrifice of brewing craft beer
FINDING FITNESS
Fitness options vary for Hyattsville residents and their resolutions. P. 3
Life&Times & &Times
by Scarlett Salem
Washington City Paper recently posted it’s annual “Beer Issue,” reporting on the region's surging craft brewery scene. In a series of posts, beer enthusiasts highlighted the more glamorous aspects of craft brewing: the taste and taxonomy of micro-brews. But for Hyattsville resident Matt Humbard, brewing requires sacrifice. “We brew in Virginia, but are based in Hyattsville. It’s an hour commute to the brewery. Every weekend I drive out there. ... And that’s time away from my kids,” said Humbard, whose Handsome Beer label became available to the public in September. Humbard has a Ph.D. in cell biology and previously worked as a cancer researcher at the National Cancer Institute. He writes the homebrewing blog A Ph.D. in Beer. Handsome Beer is a newcomer in the world of craft brewing, and co-founder Humbard is still balancing a full-time job with his new project. “I have another source of income because I have a family. We self-finance the entire brewery, no loans, ” said Humbard. Handsome Beer’s other cofounder, Graham MacDonald, has taken on the label as a full-time job. “Yep, I'm working on this seven days a week,” he said. MacDonald, a Washington, D.C. resident,
Vol. 12 No. 12
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
Rezoning sought for controversial development Proposal allows 210 townhouses instead of only 58 detached houses
By Sam Stern
A representative for the Marvin R. Blumberg Co., which owns the Clay Property — a 12.87 acre undeveloped parcel of land south
of University Hills — presented updated development plans at the Nov. 16 Hyattsville City Council meeting. The landowner wants the city to support a proposed rezoning and a land swap.
GREASED LIGHTNING
“University Hills loves those woods. If you take them away from us, they can never be replaced,” said Ward 3 resident Jim Menasian DEVELOPMENT continued on page 8
Route 1 traffic safety continues to plague local businesses, residents By Talib I. Karim
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID EASTON MD PERMIT NO. 43
BREWING continued on page 11
Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781
December 2015
MICHAEL DOMBROSKI The cast of Northwestern High Schoolʼs production of “Grease,” which opens Dec. 10. For a list of showtimes, check the community calendar on page 9. From Left to right in the back row: Keyon Douglas and Jonathan Palmer. From left to right in the front row: Enoch Wilson, Pedro Aviles Gamez, and Nicholas Fountain-Sykes.
As the numbers of residents and businesses along Route 1 (Baltimore Avenue) increase, so too has the incidence of traffic accidents. In the seven days between Nov. 15 and 22, Arts District residents posted on Facebook about three collisions. In one instance, a driver ran a red light and slammed into another car. After the collision, the reckless driver climbed out his car window and fled the scene, one eyewitness said. Accidents have become commonplace along Hyattsville’s share of the busy U.S. Route 1. In Maryland, Route 1 spans over 80 miles, starting in Mount Rainier and continuing through to Pennsylvania. The street’s role as a major interstate artery is a key factor in HyTRAFFIC continued on page 12
CENTER SECTION: DECEMBER 9, 2015 ISSUE OF THE HYATTSVILLE REPORTER — IN ESPANOL TOO!