MAIL MISDELIVERIES
Residents voice concerns over local mail delivery. P. 3
Community discussion on Islam debunks stereotypes By Caroline Selle
On Sunday, Feb. 28, more than 60 people gathered at the Hyattsville Municipal Building to hear three female Muslim panelists answer questions about the Islam religion and to further explain their faith. Panelists included Raheemah Abdulaleem, a Hyattsville resident employed as Associate General Counsel in the Executive Office of the President; Jamiah Aniece Adams, a media producer; and Luby Ismail, who received the 2012 Arab American Anti-Discrimination Honoring the Achievements of Extraordinary Arab-American Women Award. The event was moderated by Hyattsville resident and Hyattsville Life and Times contributor Julia Gaspar-Bates. “The political rhetoric, lately, lashing out against Muslims has really shaken a lot of people,” GasparBates said. “Given that Luby and I are both interculturalists, we try to build bridges and break down barriers. I thought, what can we do on the grassroots level to support this?” The program was a collaboration between the City of Hyattsville and 20,000 Dialogues, a non-profit for which Ismail is an advisor, and it began with a few words by each
NEW BOOKSTORE OPENS
Robert Harper Books opened across from the Riverdale Marc Station. P. 6
DOCUMENTARY SCREENING
No Justice, No Peace screening hosted by Friends of the Hyattsville Branch. P. 6
Life&Times & &Times
Vol. 13 No. 3
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
Trolley Trail groper pleads guilty By Rebecca Bennett
On March 4, a sheriff ’s deputy led away the somber Joshua Charles Price from a Prince George's County courtroom in handcuffs to immediately begin a one-year sentence. The 23-year-old pled guilty to a second degree sexual assault and an
indecent exposure that occurred on the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail in a section that connects Riverdale Park and the City of Hyattsville. A series of incidents occurred in 2015 targeting women, even those with children, and made local residents fearful of using the trail for some time.
Riverdale Park Police Lt. Andrew Powell said the number of cases in multiple jurisdictions made this a hard case. "In the end, the sheer determination of the community working with law enforcement developed a suspect which
THREE LITTLE PIGGIES
TROLLEY continued on page 12
City predicts 2017 budget shortfall amid property tax income rise By Andrew Marder
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID EASTON MD PERMIT NO. 43
ISLAM continued on page 12
Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781
March 2016
COURTESY JULIETTE FRADIN On Feb. 20, the Hyattsville Preservation Association sponsored the production of The Three Little Pigs Hyattsville-style, put on by Blue Sky Puppet Theatre. Visit www.HyattsvilleLife.com for a slideshow.
At the Feb. 24 Hyattsville City Council meeting, City Administrator Tracey Nicholson presented the Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 city budget, running from July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017. With revenue forecasted to reach $16.76 million and expenditures forecast at $17.21 million, the city is currently predicting a $448,332 shortfall, according to Treasurer Ron Brooks. The FY 2017 $17.21 million budget is a 4 percent increase over the FY 2016 budget of $16.55 million. Revenue is forecast to increase 7.5 percent from $15.59 million to $16.76 million. According to figures provided by Brooks, both real property taxes and personal property taxes are expected to rise in fiscal 2017, up 4.4 percent and 5.9 percent respectively. Real property, which covers taxes on homes and land, make up the bulk of the city's revenue and are predicted to provide $11.29 million in fiscal 2017. BUDGET continued on page 11
CENTER SECTION: MARCH 9, 2016 ISSUE OF THE HYATTSVILLE REPORTER — IN ESPANOL TOO!