NEWS AROUND TOWN
Interim route on Trolley Trail expected to open near Riverdale Park Station. P. 2
CELEBRATION OF SERVICE
Local day center for the homeless celebrates its first anniversary. P. 3
City police add electric car, motorcycle to fleet
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Columnist Julia Gaspar-Bates tells why an Australian woman loves Hyattsville. P. 4
Life&Times
By Holly Brevig
The Hyattsville City Police Department (HCPD) has added a Chevrolet Bolt electric car and a Zero Electric motorcycle to its fleet. “Now, this is not a unique idea,” said Sgt. Richard Hartnett. “There are police departments across the country that have taken in electric cars.” The difference, however, is in the make and model of the car. New York City is turning to the Chevrolet Volt, which, according to Harnett, “only goes about 35 to 40 miles on a charge, and
Vol. 14 No. 10
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
October 2017
A NEW LEASE ON LIFE
ELECTRIC CARS continued on page 12
Hyattsville transportation study gets rolling By Ben Simasek
The City of Hyattsville is launching a study to develop the Hyattsville Transportation Plan. This plan will help the city improve existing transportation infrastructure and carry out new projects, and it will determine priorities for the next 20 years. Two of the city’s departments — Public Works and Zoning and Planning — have teamed up, and are working with Toole Design Group to carry out a comprehensive transportation study and make recommendations, which will be presented to the public as part of an action plan in the spring. The data collection phase of the study will be carried out TRANSPORTATION continued on page 11
JULIETTE FRADIN PHOTOGRAPHY Construction is underway at the Mall at Prince Georges. The mall is now going by the acronym MPG.
The new face of the Mall at Prince Georges Real estate investment firm hopes to breathe new life into the mall with new stores, renovations
By Maria D. James
Between the large construction equipment and huge colorful banners with the words “new” and “coming soon,” it’s hard not to notice that major changes are happening to the Mall at Prince Georges. According to the mall’s owners, these exterior and interior changes are part of a major transformation driven by the goal of improving the customer shopping experience. “Our hope is to enhance curb appeal and create a bright, modern, welcoming environment,” said Heather Crowell, senior vice president of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations with Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust (PREIT), the MALL continued on page 6
CENTER SECTION: OCTOBER 10, 2017 ISSUE OF THE HYATTSVILLE REPORTER — IN ESPANOL TOO! HYATTSVILLE MD PERMIT NO. 1383
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