February 2020 Hyattsville Life & Times

BACKYARD CHICKENS City council may be reconsidering lifting the ban on the bird. P. 2

SECONDHAND NEWS

Red Onion Records finds its groove in the neighborhood. P. 6

Employee of the Year extols her staff and mentors

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS Global nomad finds home in Hyattsville.

P. 9

Life&Times

By Heather Wright

On Jan. 14, the City of Hyattsville selected Saarah Abdul-Rauf as its 2019 Employee of the Year. Abdul-Rauf has worked for the city since fall 2015 and is currently the supervisor of Youth Programs. In an interview, Abdul-Rauf described how she saw the award as an honor for the Youth Programs staff as a whole.

“It’s not just Saarah, Employee of the Year,” said Abdul-Rauf.

“I feel like it’s Youth Programs.

We have accomplished a lot in the last year.” Youth Programs staff coordinate and oversee the Creative Minds Parent and Child

Vol. 17 No. 2

Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper

February 2020

IN APPRECIATION: MORGAN WOOTTEN (1931­2020)

ABDUL-RAUF continued on page 13

City council opposes liquor license transfer for Lee’s Liquor

By Sophie Gorman Oriani

At the city council meeting of Jan. 21, the council approved a motion authorizing the mayor to send a letter opposing the transfer of Lee’s Liquor’s liquor license. Lee’s Liquor has applied to transfer their license from 2903 Hamilton Street to a new location in the former Pizza Hut building at 5350 Queens Chapel Road.

The city requested the denial of the license transfer for a number of reasons. The motion raises LEE’S continued on page 13

CHRIS MCMANES

Former DeMatha Catholic basketball coach Morgan Wootten addresses the crowd in January 2015 in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stags’ 46-43 victory over New York’s Power Memorial. His wife of 55 years, Kathy, is just over his right shoulder in blue. Since 2010, DeMatha has played its home games in the Morgan and Kathy Wootten Gymnasium.

DeMatha coach leaves behind historic legacy

By Chris McManes

Morgan Wootten’s influence on people’s lives extends beyond those he coached or taught at DeMatha Catholic High School. He left such an impact on the world that even U.S. presidents honored him.

Morgan, who died peacefully Jan. 21 at his University Park home surrounded by his wife,

Kathy, and loving family, was 88. His obituary in The Washington Post ran on the front page.

Mark Asher, a Post sports reporter, wrote it prior to his own death in 2006 because the obituaries of prominent people are usually written beforehand.

Those attending Morgan’s viewing and funeral at DeMatha’s Morgan and Kathy Wootten Gymnasium could see photos of the beloved

coach at the White House with Presidents Reagan and both Bushes. Pictures of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson were signed and personalized.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (DMd.), Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax (D) and David Falk, WOOTTEN continued on page 12

CENTER SECTION: FEBRUARY 11, 2020 ISSUE OF THE HYATTSVILLE REPORTER — IN ESPANOL TOO! HYATTSVILLE MD PERMIT NO. 1383

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Page 2

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

City considers lifting the ban on backyard chickens

By Lindsay Myers

It’s hard to resist a good bird pun.

Luckily, nobody tried at the Jan. 21 city council meeting when Councilmember Danny Schaible (Ward 2) introduced an amendment to Chapter 52 of the Hyattsville Charter and Code that would strike the prohibition against backyard fowl in Hyattsville.

“You know, I almost chickened out to come here and testify for this bill,” said Greg Smith during the public comment portion of the meeting. “But I was feeling a little cooped up and didn’t want to duck my civic duty and be a turkey.”

The Backyard Chicken Act is the latest chapter in the grassroots effort of many Prince Georgians to

A community newspaper chronicling the life and times of Hyattsville Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781 http://HyattsvilleLife.com http://facebook.com/HyattsvilleLife http://twitter.com/HvilleTimes Hyattsville Life & Times is published monthly by Hyattsville Community Newspaper, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Editors welcome reader input, tips, articles, letters, opinion pieces and photographs, which may be submitted using the mailing address above or the email addresses below.

Managing Editor Maria D. James maria@hyattsvillelife.com Associate Editors Sophie Gorman Oriani sophie@hyattsvillelife.com Heather Wright heather@hyattsvillelife.com Webmaster Lindsay Myers lindsay@hyattsvillelife.com Layout & Design Editor Ashley Perks Copy Editor Nancy Welch Advertising advertising@hyattsvillelife.com 301.531.5234 Writers & Contributors Victoria Boucher, Stuart Eisenberg, Julia Gaspar-Bates, Lauren Flynn Kelly, Chris McManes Board of Directors Joseph Gigliotti — President and General Counsel Chris Currie — Vice President Reva Harris — Treasurer Rosanna Landis Weaver, Gretchen Brodtman, Debra Franklin, T. Carter Ross, Emily Strab Maria D. James — Ex Officio Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. mail to every address in Hyattsville. Additional copies are distributed to libraries, selected businesses, community centers and churches in the city.

Total circulation is 9,300.

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make the county more friendly toward urban farming. Schaible said the issue came to his attention when he was canvassing the neighborhoods during election season last spring.

“I was … going around knocking door-to-door and hearing [about it] from several people.

It’s sort of a surprising topic.

There are a lot of passionate opinions about it in Hyattsville,” said Schaible.

Many of the residents who spoke at the council meeting argued that backyard hens improve health and sustainability for individuals and communities.

“Raising domestic fowl and poultry yields a lot of rewarding things, including offering a glimpse at what small-scale sustainability and farming looks like, [providing] a healthful means of accessing food at a local level, and also forming very valuable fulfilling relationships with animals and truly understanding that entire food cycle,” said Bridgette Comanda.

Schaible agrees with one resident who suggested that backyard chickens have a way of fostering friendships between neighbors.

“I lived next to a woman who had a number of chickens, and I would say it’s a community builder,” said Schaible. “She would barter her eggs, [and] if she was out of town, she needed someone to come feed and water her hens — I think it sort of supported community interaction and provided a little bit of a taste of self-reliance in the community [as well as] local sustainability and agriculture,” he said.

Some residents, however, expressed skepticism about the benefits of backyard fowl.

Deirdre Dorsey cited “the noise, the waste … the smell” as problematic and argued that the birds’ feed would attract pests and rodents.

Kurt Brintzenhofe wondered whether backyard chickens would lead to an increase in salmonella in local schools as a result of “improper student hygiene after feeding or cleaning up after domestic fowl.”

Brintzenhofe also raised the

primary concern of the council: Who would regulate the birds?

If Schaible’s amendment passes, the city will lift the ban on backyard fowl, but the county’s prohibition will remain legally binding. Essentially, the city would agree to turn a blind eye to backyard hens, leaving the county to enforce the code themselves. Schaible compared the measure to the city’s silence on the legality of pit bulls, which are prohibited by county law (Sec. 3-185.01). “[This amendment] will not make raising chickens in Hyattsville legal because county code trumps city code,” clarified Schaible. “[Rather,] anyone who took the personal gamble to raise hens in Hyattsville wouldn’t have to worry about Hyattsville code enforcement doing anything to intervene with that; that would become strictly a county function.”

One disadvantage to striking the ban from the books is that the city wouldn’t be able to regulate against bad behavior. Residents who complained to the city about a neighbor’s dirty coop or “free range” chickens wandering into their vegetable gardens would have to wait for the county to intervene, which Jim Chandler, director of Community and Economic Development, said could take a very long time.

“Generally, in dealing with the county in different areas, either we don’t hear from them, or we repeatedly follow up and [the complaint has been] closed out, and it’s unclear what the action was …. I don’t have a high degree of confidence that they would respond in a timely manner to this particular issue,” he said.

Councilmember Joseph Solomon (Ward 5) also raised concerns about the side effects of unregulated entrepreneurial enterprises related to small-scale chicken farming.

“What else are we signing ourselves up for?” wondered Solomon. “When I first read over the motion, [I thought] maybe people wanted chick-

“We can’t regulate something that is illegal at the county level because then we would be informing our residents on how they can do something that is a violation of the law.”

Ward 2 Councilmember Danny Schaible

ens as pets, but then I hear people talking about them as food sources and distributing eggs throughout the City of Hyattsville, which raises a bunch of concerns,” he said.

Unfortunately, the city cannot simply pass an ordinance that makes raising chickens in Hyattsville legal under certain parameters.

“We can’t regulate something that is illegal at the county level because then we would be informing our residents on how they can do something that is a violation of the law,” said Schaible.

Councilmember Edouard Haba (Ward 4) said that he would be in favor of sending a letter to the county asking them to repeal their own ordinance so that Hyattsville would have the ability to regulate backyard fowl within the city.

“For me, personally, I think we should … lobby the county to change the underlying laws so that we will have the mechanism [of] having something that is safe for everyone because we have to take into account all residents’ concerns,” he said.

Prince George’s County is the only county in the DMV that has a ban on backyard

chickens. Counties Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Montgomery, as well as nearby municipalities like Annapolis, Baltimore, Rockville and even Washington, D.C., all permit residents to raise backyard fowl under a variety of regulations. Montgomery County, for example, requires chicken coops to be at least 100 feet from neighboring property, and many municipalities ban roosters outright.

Keeping backyard fowl hasn’t always been illegal in Hyattsville.

For most of the city’s history, residents could obtain a permit to raise domesticated birds like hens or ducks. In 2004, however, the Code Compliance Advisory Committee found several discrepancies between city and county laws and encouraged the city to nest itself properly within the county’s jurisdiction. The city council president and chair of the committee at the time, Stuart Eisenberg, defended the proposed prohibition against backyard fowl on the grounds that the “permitting process wasn’t being applied consistently, leading to a concern about liability due to discriminatory behavior.”

A group called Prince George’s Hens, established in 2010 and largely based out of Mount Rainier, has been petitioning the county for years to reconsider its ban on backyard fowl. Their most recent attempt to influence the county occurred in 2016, when the county overhauled many of its zoning laws. The county upheld the ban, however.

The group expressed its frustration with the setback on its Facebook page.

“We have been disheartened, and I think we need to both regroup and develop more involvement if we are going to ensure resident [sic] of Prince George’s County can legally raise poultry,” reads a post from February 2017.

The group encouraged its Hyattsville residents to attend the Jan. 21 meeting and speak out in support of Schaible’s bill.

In addition to sending a letter to the Prince George’s County Council asking them to reconsider the ban on backyard fowl, Schaible said he’s hoping to bring the act to a vote sometime in the next several weeks.

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

Page 3

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MOUNT RAINIER PUBLIC LIBRARY REOPENS AFTER RENOVATION THE SENTINEL PAPERS SHUT DOWN ON JANUARY 30 Publishers of the Prince George’s Sentinel and the Montgomery County Sentinel produced their final issue of the newspaper on Jan. 30. The news of the closure was announced to readers in a letter to readers written by CEO/ Publisher Lynn Kapiloff. “It is with much sorrow that I announce that Berlyn Inc t/a the Montgomery County Sentinel and the Prince George’s Senti-

On Jan. 27, the Mount Rainier Public Library hosted an event to celebrate the reopening of the newly renovated building, which had been closed since 2018. The City of Mount Rainier, Pepco and the Prince George’s County Public Library System sponsored the event. Hours of operation for the library are Monday from 3:30 to 7 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

So much more than building robots and coding

By Heather Wright

COURTESY OF LEIGH HIGGINS

Hy-Lights team members prepare for the Robot Game at the First Lego League qualifying tournament, held at DeMatha Catholic High School on Feb. 2.

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On Feb. 2, students across the state, including at least two teams from Hyattsville, competed in the First Lego League (FLL) qualifying tournament, held at DeMatha Catholic High School.

In the most well-known portion of the tournament, autonomous robots — designed, built and coded by individual teams — had 2½ minutes to perform as many “missions” as possible on a large Lego-filled game table. A mission could involve, for example, the robot raising a flag or releasing a swing.

BUILDING COMMUNITY The Robot Game is only one element of the FLL competition, however. The other two (perhaps lesser-known) parts are the Innovation Project and Core Values. For this year’s Innovation Project, teams were to identify a problem with a building or public space in their community and then design, share and refine a solution. On Jan. 4, a neighborhood FLL team, Hy-

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ROBOTICS continued on page 7

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Lights, presented a proposal for a multi-use micro-community center to three City of Hyattsville councilmembers.

The Hy-Lights team includes seven students, who range in age from 10 to 13 and hail from three different area public schools: Hyattsville Elementary, Hyattsville Middle and Glenarden Woods Elementary.

At FLL tournaments, each team gives a 5-minute presentation during which they discuss the problem they identified, their solution and how they shared it. According to the scoring rubric, a team can score higher on sharing if they present their challenge solution to “multiple professionals” or “more than one audience who may benefit.”

According to Hy-Lights parent coach Matt Higgins, Hy-Lights’ members identified an underutilized space in Hyattsville and envisioned it as a learning center and meet-up space for all ages. Tom Behrens, the other parent coach, said the team’s proposal involved adapting the building in ways that would also make it more environmentally friendly and increase accessibility.

Councilmember Ben Simasek (Ward 3) attended the Jan. 4 presentation and was impressed

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

SecondhandNews

LAUREN FLYNN KELLY

A customer flips through the bins built by Forty Third Place at the new Red Onion Records location on Gallatin Street.

Red Onion Records finds its groove on Gallatin Street

By Lauren Flynn Kelly

In late 2017, a mysterious “Coming soon ...” sign and a few LPs appeared in the window of the long-empty commercial property at 4208 Gallatin Street.

It only made sense that after craft beer, specialty coffee and vintage clothing, Hyattsville residents would be treated to a bona fide record store. But when?

Two years and a few setbacks later, Red Onion Records officially moved to Hyattsville.

Owner Josh Harkavy opened the popular record store in Northwest Washington, D.C. — a consequence of collecting too many books and records at yard and estate sales on Long Island in his 20s — back in 2007. He’d imagined the Gallatin Street spot as a second location for Red Onion, but ultimately decided that the “inevitable conclusion” to his years in D.C. was to bring the store closer to home. Harkavy and his wife, Alyssa, have lived in Hyattsville for a decade.

The space itself has just the right throwback vibe to feel like a record store that’s always been here, or at least since the 1970s.

Harkavy left the original wood paneling on the walls and enlisted local businesses to help with the design. Hyattsville’s Forty Third Place constructed waist-

high shelving perfect for flipping through records and a divider wall that features the striped handiwork of local designer Betsy Martin and husband, Jeremy Glunt. Her green, black and white design wraps around the interior and all the way out to the storefront. Harkavy said it was partly inspired by a beloved green chair he owns and partly by an apartment he saw on the Netflix series “Mindhunter.” “I took a picture and Betsy had already seen [the episode], so it was really good serendipity.”

Harkavy said he doesn’t know how long the store had been empty, but it was filled with office furniture when he moved in, and he learned that it at one time housed Mike Franklin’s toy distribution company before the toy store/restaurant/brewery opened on Baltimore Avenue.

About 80% of the store is stocked with used albums by artists representing a variety of genres and decades. There are also a couple bins of new records and a shelf of books, CDs and DVDs. Although Harkavy said he’s always looking to acquire records even when he’s on vacation, he’s having to be a bit more selective these days, as storage space is limited, and things tend to sit on shelves longer than they did in the old store. That said, Harkavy

LAUREN FLYNN KELLY

Owner Josh Harkavy hopes to stock more books, CDs and cassettes in the near future.

called the move to Hyattsville “low risk,” with less overhead than his previous locations (Red Onion relocated once during its time in D.C.), shoppers frequenting local businesses nearby and loyal customers willing to make the trek to Hyattsville.

“It’s basically like starting over.

Every day is a new experience, and I’m kind of gauging the needs of the community, but I feel like I’ve already met some really nice locals that are coming in every weekend,” he said. “People seem to like to have something to go to in the neighborhood that’s not [a place] to eat or drink but another space to hang out in.”

And Red Onion is, indeed, a great spot for hanging out. Light streams from a south-facing window onto a cozy reading spot, and there’s a small stage that’s perfect for an in-store performance or a DJ set, which Harkavy had for the grand opening party in December.

“Overall, I’m so happy with the response. We started strong, opening after Thanksgiving, getting that rush of Black Friday and Christmas shopping. I feel like that probably set the bar pretty high for my expectations.”

The store remains a work in progress, as Harkavy hopes to add a listening station, enhance the music selection with more CDs and cassette tapes, improve the signage and maybe even host a game night.

When asked what records he would be most interested in reselling if folks were doing some spring cleaning and wanted to bring them in, he recommends “the classics … the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis” — basically anything on Rolling Stone’s 100 greatest albums of all time.

“I feel like no matter where you have a record store, everybody wants mostly the same things.

Anything that was popular back in the day is pretty much still popular, but we get people looking for obscure things, which is always good, and people who like to sample stuff are always looking for things with cool drum breaks.

But the standards that everybody wants to have in their collection — those are the things that are hardest to keep in stock. Good music never goes out of style!”

Red Onion Records is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., although hours are subject to change. Visit Red Onion Records on Facebook for updates on stock and hours.

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

Page 7

ROBOTICS

continued from page 4

with the team’s solution and their presentation. Simasek said, “I think [the community center] is a great idea! I loved their thoughtful and inclusive approach. I especially liked their emphasis on sustainability.” Simasek pointed out how some of the team’s vision overlapped with what the city is creating at the Teen Center (including its in-the-works second site), while noting that Hy-Lights designed their center to serve a wider age range.

Simasek commended Hy-Lights’ Jan. 4 presentation. “They demonstrated a collaborative and creative approach to solving community problems. The presentation was also engaging; they opened with a funny skit, then each of them took turns presenting different aspects of their innovation. I was very impressed and thankful for the opportunity to hear their ideas and learn about their awesome project,” he said.

BUILDING A TEAM According to Higgins and Behrens, HyLights members and parent coaches met for three hours each week — two hours on a weekend night and one hour during the weekend — to prepare.

Both Higgins and Behrens noted, in a Feb. 1 interview, that each team member contributed to all FLL components, including the research project. Higgins said, “The big difference I’ve seen in terms of this year and previous years is really the quality of the research project,

COURTESY OF LEIGH HIGGINS

Hy-Lights team members and parent coaches at the First Lego League qualifying tournament, held at DeMatha Catholic High School on Feb. 2

the time they’ve spent on it, the depth of the research that they’ve done, and that all of them have done.”

After a discussion of teamwork and the importance of each member’s contribution, Higgins added, “That’s why I think this year’s research project has been such a wonderful thing. I feel that there’s no one who has been the slacker in the group. They’ve all taken the ball and run

with it, and they’ve done a fantastic job.”

Both parent coaches saw numerous benefits in having students participate in the FLL program, beyond an early introduction to coding and understanding how programmable devices work. “It’s not magic that’s making this happen,” quipped Behrens.

Behrens underscored that the FLL program helps students develop valuable

social skills. “I think actually that’s the biggest part of it, whether the kids know it or not. This is building social skills that they’ll have to use in high school and college when they’re on teams doing projects.”

Higgins agreed and noted that being part of an FLL team was a good way for students to learn how to work both on their own and as a team. “I think it’s good for teaching them compromise — that although your idea might be very good, it might not win approval with the group, so working in terms of how do you build coalitions in the group or explaining why your idea should be used.”

One of the team highlights for Higgins was “when things came together” during the presentation to councilmembers. “We see how they interact with us and with parents, but they were in front of other adults, and they did a great job,” he explained.

Overall, Behrens said, “I’m hoping they are getting the building blocks in place to make them better people, better citizens, better friends and better competitors — because there’s a good way of competing and a bad way of competing.”

After the tournament, Behrens was excited and proud that the team placed second in the Robot Design category and noted, “Matt, myself and the parents were so pleased with how poised and upbeat the team was all day!”

The FLL Maryland State Championship will take place on Feb. 23 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

the

Hyattsville Reporter No. 383 • February 11, 2020

www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

Programs & Events

Coffee with a Cop: Meet with Hyattsville’s Finest for a cup of coffee on Wednesday, February 12, 8 – 10 a.m., at the Starbucks on 3601 East-West Highway! Stop by to say hi, or voice questions or concerns. See you there!

Hyattsville Corridor Community Meeting: Join Councilmember Haba for the next Hyattsville Corridor Community Meeting on Wednesday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m. Now that phase two of the Queens Chapel Road project has begun, input is needed on ways to keep the neighborhood safe and pedestrian friendly. The meeting will take place at the Mt. Rainier Police Station. For more information, contact hyattsvillecc@gmail.com.

Field Permits Meeting: The City is hosting a Spring Field Permits Meeting on Thursday, February 13, at 7:30 p.m., on the second floor of the City Building. Organizations interested in applying for permits to use the fields at Magruder Park, Melrose Park, and 38th Avenue Park for spring games and practices are required to attend. This meeting provides organizations an opportunity to negotiate schedules that’ll work for everyone. Please note that permits will not be issued at the meeting.

For more information, please contact Cheri Everhart at (301) 985-5021 or ceverhart@hyattsville.org.

Volunteer Opportunity: Join us at Magruder Park on Saturday, February 15, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., to learn how to identify and properly remove nonnative, invasive plants from Magruder Woods. A set of safety guidelines and cotton work gloves are provided. Please note that participation helps satisfy the Maryland Student Service-Learning Requirement. To learn more or confirm if an invasive removal event is cancelled due to inclement weather, please contact Dawn Taft at (301) 852-8790.

Ward One Check-In: Hyattsville City Councilmembers Bart Lawrence and Kevin Ward invite those who live, work, and play in Ward One to come learn more about what’s happening in their community. This month’s Ward One Check-In is Wednesday, February 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Maryland Meadworks!

African Americans and the Vote: Black History Month is a time for all to celebrate the history and achievements of African Americans and their role in shaping our nation’s history. Join us on Wednesday, February 26, at 6:30 p.m., at the City Building to celebrate African Americans and the right to vote with a community discussion panel and art experience event. Light refreshments will be served. No RSVP is required. To learn more about this event, call (301) 985-5021 or email ceverhart@ hyattsville.org.

Bike Rack Request Program: We’ve partnered with Arrow Bicycle to add more yellow bike racks around the City!

The additional bike racks will support cyclists and casual riders while reducing traffic for motorists. Business and property owners can recommend a bike rack location by completing a request form at www.hyattsville.org/bikerack.

For more information, please call (301) 985-5085.

Mayor Hollingsworth is all smiles alongside WUSA’s #GetUpDC morning show crew at Vigilante Coffee. La Alcaldesa Hollingsworth sonriendo junto al equipo de programación #GetUpDC de la estacion WUSA en Vigilante Coffee

Notices & Updates

Holiday Trash Collection: City offices will be closed on Monday, February 17, in observance of Presidents Day. There’ll be no yard waste collection that week and compost will be collected on Tuesday. Regular trash and recycling routes will follow their regular schedules.

Open Committee Vacancies: Looking to make a difference in your community?

Join one of the 13 advisory boards or committees that have open vacancies!

Members help the Hyattsville Mayor and Council create policies and procedures for the City. To learn more and apply, visit www.hyattsville.org/committees.

Closed Captions for Council Meetings: We’re pleased to announce that we’ve added live closed captioning to the web stream broadcasts of the Hyattsville City Council meetings!

As a reminder, Council meetings can be viewed live and on replay on cable channels 12 (Verizon) and 71 (Comcast), and online at www.hyattsville. org/committees.

Good Neighbor Reminder: If you live within a residential area, please respect your neighbors by keeping loud noises within the designated 60 (daytime) and 50 (nighttime) decibel levels. Exceeding loud noises can cause a headache for nearby residents and could even result in a citation for yourself. Have questions or concerns? Please call (301) 985-5000.

Local Artists Needed: The Health, Wellness, and Recreation Advisory Committee is looking to commission local artists to create original pieces of art for display. The artwork must convey a message of healthy living – this can include but not be limited to paintings, photographs, or digital illustrations. Applications are now being accepted until March 2. For full details and guidelines, please visit www.hyattsville.org/health-and-wellness.

Sign Up for City Alerts & Notices: The City uses multiple methods of communication to inform residents about events, programs, and emergency alerts. To learn more about them and to sign up for your preferred method, visit www.hyattsville.org/communications or call (301) 985-5000.

Youth Programs

Camp Magruder: Register your youngster (Grades K – 5) for Spring and Summer Camp Magruder! While schools are on break, enroll your child for fun-filled days of sports, arts, dance, indoor/outdoor activities, and awesome educational experiments. Summer registration is now open, and spring registration opens on February 19. Visit www.hyattsville.org/campmagruder to check out the sessions and details.

Camp Coaches in Training: Teens ages 13 – 17 that are interested in working with children and developing leadership skills are invited to take part in Camp Magruder’s Camp Coaches in Training Program! Coaches in training play a key role in leading activities for Camp Magruder’s campers, and each summer have many opportunities to grow as leaders, communicators, and problem solvers. Participating can also help satisfy at least 50 hours of the State of Maryland’s community servicelearning requirement. It may even land a future job at Camp Magruder! The program is $50 upon acceptance through an application and interview. Applications open February 22. Visit www. hyattsville.org/CCIT for full details.

Age-Friendly Hyattsville

Home Modification Program: The City has partnered with Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland and Hyattsville Aging in Place to offer free home modification services to eligible residents. Services may include therapy for functional limitations, fall prevention, and recovery strategies, and structural

modifications to make homes more age friendly. To learn more about the requirements, visit www.hyattsville.org/ capable. To request a mailed application, please call (301) 990-0014 ext. 19 or email rebecca.arce@habitatmm.org.

For help completing the application or to volunteer, contact (301) 887 3101 or email HAPCares@gmail.com.

Valentine Social: Love and friendship is in the air! Join us Friday, February 14, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., for our FREE Valentine’s Day social. We’ll have music, games, prizes, and plenty of treats! To make your reservation, call (301) 985-5058.

Lunch & Lecture Series: Each month, the City’s Senior & Disability Services Coordinator Beryl Johnson hosts a lunch and brings on a guest speaker to talk about a topic important that’s important to you. On February 25, at 12:30 p.m., Kenneth Pasquale and colleagues from Podiatry Associates will be at Friendship Arms Apartments to share information about peripheral artery disease, blood pressure, strokes, risks, and proper treatment options. To RVSP for this event or to learn more about the monthly Lecture series, call (301) 985-5058.

Free Meal Delivery: The City is partnering with Meals on Wheels to bring free meals, three days a week, to residents who would otherwise have difficulty preparing regular, healthy meals. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, participants will receive a warm lunch along with a cold dinner and breakfast (nine meals per week in total). Meals can be tailored for residents with diabetes, food allergies, or other restrictions. To participate, residents must either be at least 60 years old or have a disability and have a monthly income below the amount that would qualify for the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

To learn more or join the program, please contact Beryl Johnson at (301) 985-5058 or bjohnson@hyattsville.org.

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

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el

Reportero de

Hyattsville

No. 383 • 11 de Febrero, 2020

www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

Programas y Eventos

claves para que el Camp Magruder sea exitoso diariamente. Participación puede satisfacer por lo menos 50 horas del requisito de aprendizaje-servicio del estado de Maryland. ¡Aún mejor, esta es una gran manera de ser competitiva para una posible posición de empleo en Camp Magruder! El programa cuesta $50 después de ser seleccionado por un proceso de solicitación y entrevista. Se aceptarán solicitaciones empezando el 22 de febrero. Visite www.hyattsville.org/ CCIT para más información.

Café con un Policía: ¡Reúnase con sus oficiales de Hyattsville a un cafecito el miércoles, 12 de febrero, 8 – 10 a.m., en el Starbucks de 3601 East-West Highway!

Puede ir a hacerles preguntas o simplemente a saludarlos. ¡Los vemos allí!

Reunión Comunitaria del Corredor de Hyattsville: Acompañe al Concejal Haba para la próxima reunión comunitaria del corredor de Hyattsville el miércoles, 12 de febrero, a las 6:30 p.m.

Ahora qué la segunda fase del proyecto de Queens Chapel Road ha empezado, se necesita su aportación para ideas sobre cómo se puede mantener la comunidad segura. La reunión tomara plazo en la Estación de Policía de Mt. Rainier. Para más información, contacte a hyattsvillecc@gmail.com.

Reunión de Permisos de Deportes: La Ciudad de Hyattsville estará sosteniendo una reunión para permisos de campo de sus parques el jueves, 13 de febrero, a las 7:30 p.m., en el segundo piso del Edificio Municipal. Organizaciones que están interesadas en permisos para usar los campos en Magruder Park, Melrose Park y 38th Avenue para prácticas y partidos esta primavera deben atender.

Esta reunión le proveé a organizaciones una oportunidad para que negocien calendarios entre sí mismo. Por favor noten que no se distribuirán permisos en la reunión. Para más información, contacten a Cheri Everhart al (301) 985-5021 o vía ceverhart@hyattsville.org.

Oportunidad para Voluntarios: Únase con nosotros en el Magruder Park el sábado, 15 de febrero, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m., para aprender a identificar y eliminar adecuadamente las plantas invasoras y no nativas de Magruder Woods. Proporcionaremos un conjunto de pautas de seguridad y guantes de trabajo de algodón.

Tenga en cuenta que la participación puede ayudar a satisfacer el Requisito de Aprendizaje y Servicio al Estudiante del Estado de Maryland. Para obtener más información o confirmar si se cancela el evento debido al mal clima, comuníquese con Dawn Taft al (301) 852-8790.

Reunión del Distrito Uno: Miembros del Concejo Municipal de Hyattsville Bart Lawrence y Kevin Ward invitan a la gente que vive y trabaja en el Distrito Uno para aprender sobre lo que está pasando en su comunidad. La reunión de este mes toma plazo el miércoles, 19 de febrero, a las 6:30 p.m., en Maryland Meadworks.

Afroamericanos y el Voto: El Mes de la Historia Afroamericana es un tiempo para que todos celebren la historia y los logos de la gente Afroamericana y lo tanto qué han hecho para esta nación. Acompañenos el miércoles, 26 de febrero, a las 6:30 p.m., en el Edificio Municipal para celebrar Afroamericanos y el derecho de votar con una discusión y evento de arte.

Se servirán refrescantes. No se requiere hacer cita. Para aprender más sobre este evento, llame al (301) 985-5021 o envié un correo electrónico a ceverhart@hyattsville.org.

Programa de Solicitud de Portabicis: ¡Nos hemos asociado con Arrow Bicycle para agregar más portabicis amarillas por la Ciudad! Las adicionales estaciones apoyaran a ciclistas y personas que

Programas Amigables con la Edad

The Clean and Safe Ambassador Team receive graduation certificates on behalf of the City and Employ Prince George’s. “The Dream Team” will greet residents and visitors, pick up trash and debris, and serve as points of contact to help report issues and concerns throughout Hyattsville. El Equipo de Limpieza y Seguridad reciben certificados de graduación por parte de la Ciudad y Employ Prince George’s. “El Equipo de los Sueños” saludará a residentes y visitantes, levantará basura y residuos, y servirán como puntos de contacto para ayudar a reportar asuntos o preguntas por todo Hyattsville.

usan bicis ocasionalmente mientras se disminuye el tráfico para motoristas.

Dueños de negocios y propiedades pueden recomendar una ubicación para una estación de portabicis cerca de su negocio completando una forma de solicitud en www.hyattsville.org/bikerack. Para más información, por favor llame al (301) 9855085.

Avisos y Noticias

Cambios de Recolección de Basura: Las oficinas de la Ciudad estarán cerradas el lunes, 17 de febrero, en observación al Día de los Presidentes. No habrá recolección de residuos de yarda esa semana y el compostaje será recogido el martes. Las rutas de basura regular y reciclaje no cambian.

Puestos de Comités Abiertos: ¿Quiere hacer una diferencia en su comunidad? ¡Hágase miembro de uno de los 13 comités qué tienen puestos abiertos! Los miembros avisan a la Alcaldesa y a los Concejales de Hyattsville a crear pólizas y procedimientos para la Ciudad. Si está interesada/o y desea solicitar, visite a www.hyattsville.org/committees.

Subtítulos para Reuniones del Concejo: ¡Estamos felices en anunciar que hemos agregado subtítulos en vivo a las transmisiones emitidas por el internet de las reuniones del Concejo Municipal de Hyattsville! También les recordamos que las reuniones del Concejo son emitidas en vivo y repetidas en los canales de cable 12 (Verizon) y 71 (Comcast), y por el sitio web www.hyattsville.org/committees.

Como ser un Buen Vecino: Sí vive dentro de un área residencial, por favor respete a sus vecinos manteniendo ruidos fuertes no más de los decibelios designados por el código de la Ciudad. Es 60 decibelios en el día y 50 en la noche.

Ruidos excediendo esos niveles pueden darles un dolor de cabeza a sus vecinos y también puede resultar en una multa

para usted. ¿Tiene preguntas o desea más clarificación? Por favor llámenos al (301) 985-5000.

Se Necesitan Artistas Locales: El Comité Asesor de Salud, Bienestar y Recreación está buscando a comisionar a artistas locales para qué creen originales piezas de arte para el despliegue. Las obras de arte deben expresar un mensaje de vida sana – esto incluye pero no se limita a pinturas, fotografías o ilustraciones digitales. Solicitudes se aceptarán hasta el 2 de marzo. Para detalles y reglas completas, visite www.hyattsville.org/ health-andwellness.

Inscríbase para Alertas y Avisos de la Ciudad: La Ciudad usa varios métodos de comunicación para informar a residentes de eventos, programas y alertas de emergencia. Para aprender más y para inscribirse para su método de comunicación preferido, por favor visite www.hyattsville.org/communications o llame al (301) 985-5000.

Programas para Jóvenes y Menores

Camp Magruder: ¡Inscriba a hija/o (de grados K a 5) para las sesiones de primavera y verano de Camp Magruder! Cuando no estén en la escuela, su hija/o puede pasar días llenos de deportes, artes, baile, actividades divertidas y experimentos educativos. Ya están abiertas las sesiones de verano y la sesión de la primavera se abre el 19 de febrero. Visite www.hyattsville. org/campmagruder para más.

Entrenadores del Futuro: Jóvenes de 13 – 17 de edad que están interesados en trabajar con niños y en desarrollar sus capacidades de liderazgo están invitados a participar al programa de Camp Magruder para entrenamiento de consejero de campamento. Además de aprender como ser buenos comunicadores y saber cómo resolver problemas eficientemente, los Consejeros en Entrenamiento son

Programa de Modificaciones para Hogares: La Ciudad de Hyattsville se ha asociado con las organizaciones Habitat for Humanity Metro Maryland y Hyattsville Aging in Place para ofrecer servicios gratuitos de modificación de casa para residentes de mayor edad que sean eligibles. Estos servicios pueden incluir terapias para limitaciones funcionales, estrategias para la prevención o recuperación de una caída y modificaciones estructurales para hacer la casa más cómoda. Para calificar, residentes de la Ciudad deben Para aprender más, visite www.hyattsville.org/capable. Para solicitar una aplicación por correo, por favor contacte Habitat for Humanity al (301) 887-3101 extensión 19 o mande un correo electrónico a rebecca.arce@habitatmm. org. Si necesita ayuda con la aplicación, contacte a la organización Hyattsville Aging in Place llamando al (301) 887-3101.

Fiesta del Día del Amor y Amistad: ¡El amor y la amistad está en el aire!

Acompáñenos el jueves, 14 de febrero, 1 – 4 p.m., para la fiesta del día del amor y amistad. ¡Tendremos música, juegos y sorpresas especiales! Puede hacer su cita llamando a Beryl Johnson al (301) 985-5058.

Serie de Lectura y Almuerzo: Cada mes, la Coordinadora de la Ciudad de Servicios de Discapacidad y Gente Mayor, Beryl Johnson, sostiene un almuerzo e invita a un orador para hablar sobre un tema que sea importante para usted. El 25 de febrero, a las 12:30 p.m., Kenneth Pasquale y sus colegas de Podiatry Associates estarán en los Apartamentos Friendship Arms para compartir información sobre la enfermedad arterial periférica, la presión arterial, ataque de corazón, riesgos, y opciones de tratamiento. Para reservar su espacio para este evento o para aprender más sobre esta serie de lecturas, llame al (301) 985-5058.

Programa de Comida Gratis a Domicilio: La Ciudad de Hyattsville está asociándose con la compañía Meals on Wheels para proveer comida gratis tres veces a la semana, ha residentes que tienen un tiempo difícil preparando comida para sí mismos. Cada lunes, miércoles y viernes, participantes recibirán almuerzos calientitos junto con una cena y desayuno ya listos (nueve almuerzos en total). Las comidas pueden ser personalizadas para residentes que tengan diabetes, alergias de comida o alguna otra restricción. Para participar, residentes deben de tener por lo menos 60 años o tener una discapacidad y tener un ingreso mensual que calificaría para el programa de Asistencia Suplemental de Nutrición de los Estados Unidos (SNAP). Para aprender más o participar en el programa, por favor contacte a Beryl Johnson al (301) 985-5058 o vía bjohnson@ hyattsville.org.

Page 8

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

Then Then&Now

Starting down a rabbit hole

By Stuart Eisenberg

Learning about an 1898 election scandal linked with my home and an incoming Hyattsville commissioner started me on a series of inquiries. My own home, a 129-year-old Victorian once known as 39 Columbia Avenue, has been residence to three elected town officials. Charles A. Acker, a brick mason, and his wife, Sardie, lived in this house; Acker was a city commissioner (1898-1899) and Ward 2 councilman (1900-1901). William A. Brooks, a local furniture store owner, and his wife, Mary, also lived in my home; he was Ward 2 councilman (1907-1909, 1915-1917) and mayor (1917-1919). And then there’s me, a retired cabinet maker and carpenter, who runs the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation and was Ward 2 councilman (2001-2005). My wife, Kathy, and I have lived here for 28 years.

Acker came into office under a cloud of controversy. The 1898 Hyattsville election held a critical ballot measure for the community to fund and build water and sewer works. By 1895, Dr. Charles Wells, a town commissioner who went on to become mayor seven years later, was speaking out publicly about the local linkage between cases of typhus and the absence of sanitary sewers, which led to contamination of the springs and private wells

that provided water throughout the town.

Acker was one of the two anti-waterworks candidates winning the election. “The contest over the water question caused the manifestation of much feeling at the polls,” stated a Prince George’s Enquirer article, glibly reporting on the voting.

The election imbroglio resulted from objections to Acker’s eligibility to hold office. Chapter 102 Section 4 of the Hyattsville Charter enumerated qualifications, such as being “a freeholder over 25 years of age.” Turns out, Acker was not a freeholder. His home was built in 1891

by Acker’s older brother Walter who, in his role as executor of their mother’s estate, bought the land. He did so acting as a trustee for Charles and his family and to fulfill the terms of their mother’s will. So, Charles did not own his home; the trust set up by Walter did. Walter, a real estate professional, never bothered to dissolve the trust and transfer the title to Charles.

He also neglected to execute other requirements that would enable a clean title for when it was time to sell the property.

Was Walter being spiteful? Charles and other siblings were left $3,000 in cash or towards the purchase of a house “for life,” while Walter was left only $1,000 for the benefit of his children, along with the bur-

den of executing his mother’s will.

The stakes were high. Pro-waterworks forces were ready to press suit to invalidate the election and seek a new result after Charles was sworn in. Four candidates had run for the two open seats, and the spread was tight. The winners’ tallies were Acker, 97 votes; Howard Marwand, 94; and defeated pro-waterworks incumbent M.V. Tierney, 92. (Tierney’s running buddy, A.R. Holden, netted 85.)

Using an abundance of caution as a body politic, the commission maneuvered around the factional dispute. Fearing a challenge to the next tax assessment — and that a challenge to the election results themselves would retrigger the waterworks ballot measure — Acker temporarily resigned his seat on the town commission, correctly anticipating appointment to the vacant seat, under Ch. 102 Sect. 4 of the town charter. At a meeting five weeks after Acker’s swearing in, the four intact commissioners met in closed session, then announced that Acker’s status now magically met the qualification of freeholder, and that he could stand for appointment by the commission on June 8, 1898.

Absent open meeting laws, the commission’s closed session appointment was a fait accompli, and the matter was settled.

It would be two more years before a wa-

terworks measure would pass local referendum, and five more before the waterworks were built in Hyattsville.

One common strand ironically binds each of the 39 Columbia Avenue electeds.

Acker first opposed and prevented a water and sewage system in Hyattsville, then in 1900 served on the council which presided over the initial implementation of them. In 1919, then-Mayor W.A. Brooks negotiated the sale of the Hyattsville waterworks to the newly formed Hyattsville-based, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC). And in 2004, the council I served on as president dealt with the departure of the WSSC from Hyattsville and the sale of its former headquarters. I campaigned during a contest over the WSSC headquarters question, which caused the manifestation of much feeling at the polls, as well.

As I trace those who preceded my family’s tenure at our home, I descend deeper into a world of coincidence and connection.

Preservation concerns itself with more than just decor and architectural style. Discovery of Hyattsville’s historic characters has been the hallmark of my service with the Hyattsville Preservation Association (HPA). I hope to bring readers of this column along with me as I delve deeper into these tales.

The HPA seeks to engage residents in the preservation and promotion of the many historic homes and buildings in our city. www.preservehyattsville.org

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

Page 9

CulturalConnections

A global nomad’s quest for roots

By Julia Gaspar-Bates

Brandon Vaidyanathan has spent most of his life as a global nomad.

Born into an Indian family in Qatar, he spent most of his childhood moving between Oman, Dubai and India.

“My parents left India in the late ’70s when the job market was very tough and the Arabian Gulf market was opening up,” said Vaidyanathan. “One of the challenges growing up was my dad would either get transferred or change jobs so we’d often have to leave the country for a few months. We would go back to India while the visas were sorted out, then return to a new city or new neighborhood. I was constantly reinventing myself each time — making new friends, adjusting to a new environment.

I never really felt at home anywhere. Most of my friends in the Gulf were similarly growing up in what sociologists call ‘permanent impermanence.’ As a foreigner in the Gulf, you’ll never be at home, no matter how many generations your family has been there. There is no stability.”

Despite being immersed in an Indian subculture in the Middle East, Vaidyanathan also felt alienated around the other expats. His family hails from Tamil Nadu, and there were few people in their community from that region.

“Because of the diversity, you don’t really have the sense of being Indian. I felt like an outsider with the other kids because they were from Bombay, Goa, Delhi and

COURTESY OF BRANDON VAIDYANATHAN

Brandon Vaidyanathan

other parts of India where people would speak the same language, hang out together. My family was a bit of an outcast because they weren’t part of the subcultural group. I was constantly trying to figure out how to fit in.”

In 11th grade, Vaidyanathan decided he wanted to have more freedom than life in the Gulf, with its strict rules, permitted, so he moved to Bangalore, India. To his disappointment, though, reality did not live up to his fantasy of a more carefree life, especially because his parents enrolled him in a strict Christian school.

“It was miserable, and I hated it.

I spent most of that year skipping school.”

He rejoined his family in Dubai the following year to continue high school. He also started dating a young woman who became his girlfriend. Because she was a Christian Indian from Goa, their families would never have approved of their dating, so they had a clandestine relationship. During a difficult time in this relationship, he attended a Christian retreat with her and other friends, and that unexpectedly transformed his life.

“My family were very devout Brahmins [the highest caste], but I was not at all religious. So, I go to this retreat, but it was a space where I began to question myself.

I prayed for some sign of whether there was anything more to life.”

Following the retreat, Vaidyanathan’s life completely changed. He stopped rebelling and successfully completed his exams. Both his relationship with his girlfriend and his home life improved.

“There used to be a lot of fighting with my dad and resentment towards my mom, who was mentally ill. I started to care about and respect my parents for the first time.

I formed more genuine friendships at the retreat, which differed from the superficial friendships I had previously had. I started to question the possibility of God. I could relate to the Christian claim of God’s unconditional love. For the first time in my life, I experienced a sense of belonging. A few months later, I became a Christian.”

After studying for a year in the Gulf, Vaidyanathan relocated to Canada to continue university.

He transferred to a small town in Nova Scotia, where he attended a liberal arts college. During his time in Canada, he also met his future wife, an American who was studying opera. Eventually, they moved to the U.S., where he started a doctorate program in sociology at the University of Notre Dame.

Given his international upbringing, Vaidyanathan didn’t experience major culture shock when he came to North America. But he did find that “people had more superficial warmth. Everyone smiled and said hello on the street, but there was little interest in genuine friendship. There was a certain coldness of heart, a formality in social life. It was as though people could only be themselves when they were drunk.”

Vaidyanathan became a naturalized citizen in 2015, but he doesn’t feel a particular allegiance to any nationality.

“America is a project, unlike India. It’s not a civilization, but something where a group of people

came together to create it. It’s like joining a firm — you have a sense of belonging to create the project.”

After completing his doctorate, Vaidyanathan moved to Houston, where he worked at Rice University.

In 2017, he was offered a position at the Catholic University of America and relocated to Hyattsville with his family. Vaidyanathan finds the quality of life in Hyattsville to be its most appealing feature.

“I love the walkability. It’s a neighborhood where you can visit friends easily. We walk to school, church, [and] our friends’ places. I like the diversity of the community, and there are lots of interesting people here.”

After a lifetime of wandering, Vaidyanathan thinks he can finally put down roots right here.

“Cultural Connections” is dedicated to bringing forth the voices of Hyattsville’s international residents.

Interested in sharing your story?

Please contact culturalconnections@ hyattsvillelife.com.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

MissFloribunda Dear Miss Floribunda, It’s me again. I’m “Seeks to Succeed with Seeds� who wrote to you last month. I did go to the Hyattsville Horticultural Society seed sale, had a great lunch, and bought seeds of quite a few kinds. I spoke with some very nice people who promised a seed-starting workshop in March with tricks of the trade and demonstrations of innovative equipment. Can you give me a sneak preview? For example, what equipment will be demonstrated?

Do I need to bring anything? Will there be handouts to take home?

Anything else?

Now Seeking Seed Know-How on Kennedy Street Dear Now Seeking Seed Know-How, Yes, there will be a workshop on March 21 by Dr. Julie Wolf at her home at 4008 Hamilton Street. The workshop will take place after a brief meeting of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society (HHS) at 10 a.m. There will be coffee and light refreshments.

Dr. Wolf can give you many tips that will be very helpful to you, though I wouldn’t exactly call them tricks of the trade.

She is a plant physiologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville and a hands-on gardener whose own luxuriant home garden is proof of her expertise. She will provide information about timing, temperature, lighting, sanitation and other things to consider when planting seeds indoors, as well as advice about when and how to plant seeds

PEXELS

Many kinds of containers can be used to start seedlings, such as these commercial biodegradable ones.

outdoors. She will address all the common pitfalls and be happy to respond to specific questions and concerns. You could bring a pencil and paper to take notes, but even if you forget, Dr. Wolf will have printed information available for you to take home.

During the workshop, Dr. Wolf will demonstrate how to use a heating mat. Many seeds delay growth or don’t germinate at all because the soil isn’t warm enough. She will advise you on how to water and how to ensure that your potting medium is sterile so that your seedlings don’t suffer damping off and die. You will

find out how to set up your own shelving and grow-light system, essential in making sure your seedlings thrive indoors till the soil is warm enough to plant them outside. You will see many kinds of containers that can be used to start seedlings: commercial biodegradable, commercial plastic, recycled/reused plastic and an ingenious new type of deep-rooting container with hinges. In addition, Dr. Wolf will teach you how to use soil blockers for starting seeds without any containers at all!

You will learn about different types of commercial potting

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soils and seedling grow mixes and their comparative merits.

Dr. Wolf will teach those having seeds that can only be successfully sown outdoors which seeders to use, what times are appropriate, which locations are optimal, and which techniques are best to ensure that seeds are planted at the correct density and depth. Dr. Wolf will particularly emphasize the special requirements of seeds for native plants, which can be diďŹƒcult to germinate, but because they provide food and shelter for birds and pollinating insects are well worth the extra trouble. If you have seeds that are very hard and need

scarification, you can bring them to the workshop and have them notched safely by experts.

Your enthusiasm may burgeon at this workshop, and you may want more seeds! The HHS will be having a second seed sale at the Community Forklift 11th Annual Garden Party on Saturday, April 4.

Community Forklift is located at 4671 Tanglewood Drive in nearby Edmonston. If you find yourself altogether too successful and swamped with more seedlings that you need, don’t worry. There will be a plant and seedling swap on Saturday, April 18 at a location to be given in next month’s column.

We would love to see you there as well as at the March workshop.

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

Page 11

COMMUNITY CALENDAR February 13

Run Come Play Open Mic Night. Join Tom Liddle and John Figura on the second Thursday of each month for a night of music featuring you.

Free. Sign up in person. Starts at 7:30 p.m., music at 8 p.m. Maryland Meadworks, 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Ste. B. 301.955.9644 Romantic Duos in a Bookstore. Spousal Duos Bobbi Jo Holtz and Oscar Velasco, and Allison Hughes and Arun Ivatury bring their musical talents to the bookstore to render romantic melodies to warm your heart for Valentine’s Day. 7 to 9 p.m. My Dead Aunt’s Books, inside Tanglewood Works, 5132 Baltimore Ave. 240.472.9325

February 15

Artists Talk. Featuring artists from the exhibit “Cold Hands, Warm Heart: Myths of Black Womanhood.” Free. 2 to 4 p.m.

Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood 301.277.2863 Romance Opera Performance. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with three area opera sing-

ers, who will sing romantic hits from Puccini to Gershwin — sure to put you in the mood for love. 8 to 10 p.m. The Opernhaus stage at Maryland Meadworks, 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Ste. B. 301.955.9644

February 18

Hyattsville Figure Drawing Group. Sharpen your drawing skills in a relaxed, informal setting. Sessions include short warm-up poses and a single sustained pose for the balance of the session. Bring your own art supplies; drawing boards and chairs provided. $20 session or $75 five-session punch card. 6 to 9 p.m. Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, 4318 Gallatin St. pyramidatlanticartcenter.org

TO SUBMIT ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE CALENDAR, EMAIL MARIA@HYATTSVILLELIFE.COM

February 29

HyBall 2020: Roadside Attraction. Join Pyramid Atlantic Art Center for the greatest party-slash-fundraiser of 2020. $40 each or a party pack of five for $150. Tickets include complimentary beer and wine. Ages 21 and up. 8 to 11:30 p.m. Pyramid Atlantic, 4318 Gallatin St. pyramidatlanticartcenter.org/ hyball2020

March 23

Hyattsville Library Independent Film Series. View the film, “Maiden,” and stay for discussion and refreshments. Free. 7 p.m.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

WOOTTEN

continued from page 1

the agent who represented Michael Jordan, attended the funeral. Award-winning sportscaster James Brown delivered the eulogy.

I knew Morgan for 42 years, and despite the presence of such luminaries at his funeral, don’t know if I — or any of us — truly appreciate his preeminence. Brown, a 1969 DeMatha graduate, said the story of his coach’s life requires a “supernatural explanation.”

Mike Jones, Morgan’s successor and current Stags basketball coach, said, “He is the greatest father, the greatest husband, the greatest teacher and the greatest coach I’ve ever been around.”

When he concluded his 46-year head coaching career in 2002, Morgan’s 1,274 victories ranked first in basketball history — high school, college or pro. His .869 winning percentage among those with at least 1,000 wins is third all-time. He led the Stags to 36 Catholic league championships, including three in football. His basketball teams were declared national champions five times.

Fourteen of his charges played in the NBA. More than 250 earned college scholarships.

In 2000, Morgan became the first exclusively high school coach inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Red Auerbach, a friend who coached the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships, introduced him at the ceremony.

“If anybody ever deserved to be enshrined in this Hall of Fame,” Auerbach said, “it’s Morgan Wootten.”

That same year, the Hall named Morgan the Naismith Scholastic Coach of the Century.

It continues honoring him by presenting the Morgan Wootten Lifetime Achievement Award in Coaching High School Basketball

CHRIS MCMANES

Former DeMatha basketball coach Morgan Wootten (right) and his wife, Kathy, attended this February 2019 event to honor Larry Hogan. The Maryland governor went to DeMatha for two years and was one of Wootten’s team managers. Also pictured: Stags assistant baseball coach Chris McManes (center) and head football coach Bill McGregor.

“I was so fortunate that I was around him as a young person. I draw on those experiences every day. He was a positive guy. He was a great confidence giver of young people. One of the good guys.”

Mike Brey

Notre Dame men’s basketball coach

each year to a boys and girls coach.

Despite these prestigious honors, Morgan remained a humble man. Numerous times in DeMatha’s alumni lounge, I saw people approach him and say something like, “I was a student in your history class,” or “I never went to school here, but I just wanted to say hello.” He greeted each with a smile and receptive ear. They left with a lifetime memory.

Jones succeeded Morgan in 2002 after playing for him and coaching with him.

“When I first got the job, he didn’t say, ‘Don’t try to live up to me’ because he’s too humble to say that,” Jones said. “But he did say to make sure that I did things my way, and don’t try to just do what he did. ...

“It took me a while to truly understand what that meant, but I thank him so much.

He almost gave me permission to do things

my way. Without that, who wants to change what’s worked for 46 years?”

Morgan’s humility and happiness coaching the Stags led him to turn down several much higher-paying college coaching jobs.

It would have meant uprooting his five children from their home and schools. Plus, he didn’t want to give up teaching world history, which he did for 32 years.

“His genius as a coach” sprung from “his genius as a teacher,” DeMatha Principal Dr. Daniel McMahon wrote in 2002. “His students and players could think for themselves in the classroom or on the court, and they gave themselves to something bigger than themselves. What a gift.”

Notre Dame men’s basketball coach Mike Brey, another of Morgan’s former players and coaches, called him the “ultimate educator.”

“I was so fortunate that I was around him as a young person,” Brey said. “I draw on those experiences every day. He was a positive guy.

He was a great confidence giver of young people. One of the good guys.”

Silvia Hill, who along with her husband, John, were close personal friends of Morgan’s, said, “We are blessed to have been in his path of life.”

Although we might never fully appreciate Morgan’s legacy, we can benefit from the life lessons he taught. Discipline, hard work, focus, determination and team unity, combined with putting God, family and education first, are good guidelines for us all.

Thank you, coach, for helping me keep my priorities in order. Your teachings will live on for generations.

Chris McManes (mick-maynz), an assistant baseball coach at DeMatha, first met Morgan Wootten at the Metropolitan Area Basketball School in 1977.

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

Page 13

ABDUL-RAUF

LEE’S

Program, Camp Magruder and the Teen Center.

The Seth Holton Award is named in honor of Hyattsville’s first city clerk and is given out “for exemplary service to the Hyattsville community,” according to a city press release.

Cheri Everhart, Abdul Rauf ’s supervisor and the city’s manager of Recreation, Programs and Events, nominated Abdul-Rauf and noted, “Saarah’s performance this year was outstanding. She developed and led a successful team of youth coordinators to expand City programming. Her work has allowed more children and teens to participate in [the] City’s camps and Teen Center.”

Under Abdul-Rauf’s supervision, the Teen Center after-school program expanded from three to five days a week and now includes a tutoring and mentoring program. Abdul-Rauf, whose first “real job” was as a junior counselor at a Girl Scout camp, expanded Camp Magruder’s programming to include days that schools are closed and developed a Camp Coach in Training program.

Abdul-Rauf also coordinated the successful integration of deaf students into Camp Magruder “by hiring ASL-fluent [American Sign Language-fluent] seasonal staff and providing contracted translators for all Camp staff training, parent information meetings and field trips,” according to Everhart.

Abdul-Rauf was born in Silver Spring and spent her early years there before moving to Chapel Hill, N.C. She graduated from William Peace University (formerly known as Peace College) with a bachelor’s in anthropology. Prior to coming to Hyattsville, Abdul-Rauf worked with AmeriCorps VISTA and as a program director for Rockville’s after-school program for middle school students.

Former Community Services Director Jake Rollow said in an

concerns about the number of violations of Maryland law in the vicinity surrounding the current location of Lee’s Liquor, “in-part [sic] due to the applicant’s lack of proactive management and inability to responsibly manage point of sale.”

The city listed several requests, including changing the proposed name of the new store from Liquor Hut to Hyattsville Fine Wine and Spirits, shortening its hours of operation, and complying “with site design standards consistent with both the West Hyattsville Transit District Development and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.”

Joseph Solomon (Ward 5) seconded the motion. “We had a … productive call with the applicant, and it was enlightening in some ways but also slightly disheartening in other ways, so I think that the motion reflects honestly … the outcome of that call,” he said.

Jim Chandler, director of Community and Economic Development, clarified that “our understanding, based on the discussion we had with the applicant last week, is [that] the liquor store use is being transferred to the new site. The existing restaurant … and bar will cease to exist. The new location, which is substantially smaller than the existing location, cannot support all three programmatic uses.”

Daniel Peabody (Ward 4) said, “This is a good motion. I appreciate Chief [Amal Awad’s] efforts in describing in data what I have heard from many of my constituents in Ward 4 about concerns of inappropriate behavior and crimes spilling off Hamilton Street and into the neighborhoods.”

A report produced by the Hyattsville City Police Department shows that 18% of all the department’s arrests and 10% of the calls for service come from the

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COURTESY OF THE CITY OF HYATTSVILLE

Saarah Abdul-Rauf, supervisor of Youth Programs, was named Hyattsville’s 2019 Employee of the Year.

email, “Saarah is a wonderful person, a fantastic colleague, and a true gift to the Hyattsville community. Her ability to lead young people and children — in both work and play — is exceptional.”

Youth Services Coordinator Veronica Rivera-Negrón, who works under Abdul-Rauf, concurred. “This is such a welldeserved award! Saarah has advocated for the increase in resources to ensure the City of Hyattsville delivers high quality programs for youth ages 1-18, and it’s exciting to see that they recognize her work,” noted Rivera-Negrón in an email.

Abdul-Rauf credited two of her high school mentors, Lorie Clark and Graig Meyer, as having a very strong influence on her professionally. Clark and Meyer were both part of the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program, a Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools program designed to support the achievement of students of color.

Late in her high school career, Abdul-Rauf joined the Blue Ribbon Youth Leadership Institute (YLI), through which she engaged in community service projects that taught her “what it meant to be a good leader, what it meant to be a servant leader.”

She continued, “To this day, I still apply a lot of those things

to the work that I do, especially with the teens.”

Abdul-Rauf described how her mentors and YLI valued and emphasized reflection and instilled that value in her: “So whenever we do a project with our teens, I try to make sure that we’re asking them questions to dig a little bit deeper and [to understand] why we did this [project] … what’s the larger picture here — especially when we do service projects.” She also credited Clark and Meyer for the team-building activities she does with her staff and students. “They were definitely a huge influence,” AbdulRauf concluded.

Upon learning she was the City of Hyattsville’s 2019 Employee of the Year, Abdul-Rauf said, “I was completely shocked.” She thought she was in “huge trouble” when City Administrator Tracey Douglas asked her into Douglas’s office, with Everhart following along behind.

Abdul-Rauf described the scene: “I walked into Tracey’s office and Vivian Snellman was sitting there — she’s our Human Resources officer — and I thought, ‘I am getting the pink slip.’”

Instead of that pink slip, AbdulRauf received the Employee of the Year award during the Feb. 3 city council meeting.

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area around Lee’s Liquor.

An attorney for Lee’s Liquor sent a letter in response to some of the city’s concerns, agreeing, among other things, to amend the proposed name to Hyattsville Fine Wine and Spirits and to “become a more active business partner with the City of Hyattsville and its citizens.” Edouard Haba (Ward 4) said, “Generally speaking, it looks like they did agree to … most of the six points that were raised by the city,” and suggested that the city could protest a renewal of the license next year, if necessary.

Hollingsworth said, “There is very little that the city has to go on that demonstrates that we will have an active partnership with the establishment to address some of the known and … potential concerns in that area.

Much of the language … , at least in my opinion, … is still very wishful and hopeful.”

The license transfer hearing was originally scheduled for Jan. 28. In a Jan. 22 letter to the Board of License Commissioners, Lee’s Liquor requested a continuance until the Feb. 25 hearing.

The letter also requested to amend the original application to reflect the new name Hyattsville Fine Wine and Spirits and to change the proposed hours of operation to 8:00 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday. (The city of Hyattsville had requested the hours of 10 a.m. to midnight.)

Expressing her support for requesting a denial of the license transfer, Hollingsworth said, “I think the very fact that we’re talking about how much security ... we need to have for a business is absurd. That’s not the type of conversation that we want to have when we’re talking about business in the community.”

The motion passed with eight votes in favor and none opposed.

Haba abstained, and councilmembers Robert Croslin (Ward 2) and Carrianna Suiter (Ward 3) were absent.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2020

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