Hyattsville Life & Times May 2009

WALKING FOR A CURE

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SING

COURAGE UNDER FIRE

Hyattsville citizens get together for first kidney walk PAGE 3

Cassie Johnson looks for the little things in life that make her heart sing, like bread-baking. PAGE 4

Three Hyattsville officers awarded Medals of Valor for their courageous efforts. PAGE 5

Patterson resigns, election scheduled

by Karen Anderson In response to the unexpected resignation of first-term Councilman Anthony Patterson (Ward 3), Hyattsville will hold a special election in early July to fill the vacancy. Ward 3 will be without full representation when the 2010 fiscal year budget is finalized and approved in early summer.

Patterson’s counterpart at the time, Krista Atteberry, did not run for re-election last week. Her spot was filled by Matthew McKnight.

Patterson publicly announced his resignation during a City Council meeting on April 6. He cited “unfortunate, basically unforePatterson seen events,” as what led him to step down. His resignation took effect on May 1, just three days before the council elections.

Although fellow city councilmen and administrators expressed regret at losing Patterson as a colleague, his decision to conclude his term two years early has created several complications for the city and his constituents.

Hyattsville Life&Times

Vol. 6 No. 5

Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper

HILES & MCKNIGHT

JOIN COUNCIL Incumbents retain seats

by Karen Anderson

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 43 Easton, MD 21601

PATTERSON continued on page 11

PHOTOS BY SARAH NEMETH David Hiles (Ward 2), top, and Matthew McKnight (Ward 3).

David Hiles (Ward 2) and Matthew McKnight (Ward 3) won Hyattsville’s most competitive races of the five spots open on the City Council during elections on May 4th, according to the unofficial election results given by Ana Pineda, chair of Hyattsville’s board of supervisors of elections.

Marc Tartaro (Ward 1), Carlos Lizanne (Ward 4), and Ruth Ann Frazier (Ward 5) were reelected. No incumbent was unseated.

Based on the unofficial results, 1,105 voted on Election Day. While voter turnout was low, it exceeded predictions given earlier this spring by Andrea Ross, a member and former chair of the Hyattsville Board of

Supervisors of Elections.

At that time, Ross said: “If we get 500 people, we’ll be happy.”

She expected voter turnout to be “very poor” because it was not a mayoral election.

The race to fill Ward 2’s open council seat drew 466 voters, the highest turnout among the city’s five wards. Hiles beat challenger Tom Lopresti by just nine votes. Candidate Alicia Joseph was a close third, earning just 20 votes less than Lopresti.

Despite Frazier’s win, she and her daughter, Leigh Barlow, expressed regret at the results of other races.

“This is not a happy day,” said Frazier after Pineda announced the election results. “I’m pleased, but I’m disappointed ELECTION continued on page 10

HERD AROUND HYATTSVILLE

Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781

We asked four people if they are concerned about the outbreak of “swine flu.” Here’s what they had to say:

"I wash my hands fairly often. I used to always rinse my hands. Now I figure ... I might as well wash [them too]."

— Anne Thomas

"Moderately. I'm waiting and just hoping that it will dissipate but at this point I'm not panicking."

— Peggy Burgoyne

"Kind of 'cause you don't know who has it."

— Shawnta Barnes

"I figure considering the population of America, 90 people is not too significant. It [stinks], but ... " — Jeremy Lo

May 2009

$7 million proposed for police

by Sharmina Manandhar The Hyattsville Police Department will receive more than $7 million next year, according to a proposed budget presented by Mayor William Gardiner at the April 20 City Council meeting.

“If we are going to have an effective parking enforcement service, we need to be here 24/7.”

— Ruth Ann Frazier councilwoman, Ward 5

The proposed budget allocates $6 million in operating costs and $1.2 million in capital investment for the department, the biggest combined portion proposed for any department and a 9 percent increase from last year.

According to Gardiner, the police budget nearly tripled from $2.5 million to more than $7 million over a five-year period starting in 2005.

In a departmen- Gardiner tal budget presentation on April 25, Police Chief Douglas Holland said that the funds will be used to: ■ replace 4 police vehicles with equipment – mobile data terminals, in-car cameras, radios, lights and sirens; ■ purchase 3 laser speed enPOLICE continued on page 9

Included: The May 13, 2009 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section

Page 2

Hyattsville Life & Times | May 2009

FromTheEditor Exercise, watch BP for healthy kidneys

by Sarah Nemeth

W

hen I was a teenager, my aunt – my father’s older sister – lived with us for a while in our country home.

Up ‘til then, I didn’t know her very well. She lived in another part of the state and I saw her mostly in the summers over summer around my grandmother’s pool when she served chips and salsa (or some other snack) to hungry bellies.

But during my 16th year, she came to stay for a while. My father had just been diagnosed with a severe nervous system disorder and wasn’t able to take care of me.

He wasn’t eating and dehydration landed him in the hospital several times.

So my aunt drove me to school every day, picked me up from basketball practice and youth group

A community newspaper chronicling the life and times of Hyattsville Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781 Hyattsville Life & Times is published monthly by Hyattsville Community Newspaper, Inc., a 501c(3) nonprofit corporation. Interested reporters should send their e-mail addresses to the editor to be reminded of deadlines and receive internal news. Articles and news submitted may be edited. The deadline is the last week of the month for the following month’s issue. Letters to the editor and opinions are encouraged. For all e-mail correspondence with HL&T: news, features, tips, advertising and business write to hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail.com. To submit articles, letters to the editor, etc. , e-mail Hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail.com. For inquiries re advertising rates or to submit ad copy please email to Hyattsvillelife@Yahoo.com.

Executive Editor Sarah Nemeth 240.354.4832 betweensundays@gmail.com Managing Editor Paula Mineart Production Ashley Perks Writers & Contribtors: Victoria Hille Cassie johnson Michael Martucci Hugh Turley Board of Directors: Christopher Currie Tim Hunt Bert Kapinus Sarah Nemeth 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 7,500.

HL&T is a member of the National Newspaper Association.

and shopped and cooked for my dad and me. She got him to eat again.

My aunt and I share a chocolate addiction. Our craving once led us to dig an old coffee cake out of the freezer for the bits of chocolate drizzled over it. My aunt, known to spill things on her “shelf” – another trait we share – spilled the chocolate down her shirt. I’d never seen anyone get so upset about wasting the only chocolate available for miles.

A few years ago, my aunt found out that her kidneys were shot and needed a transplant. Her sister, Barbara, gave her one of hers. And for a year, it worked. My aunt’s new kidney transformed her life – ironically producing a change in her food preferences, aligning her with her sister’s tastes.

The local paper wrote an article about them – sisters now bonded by something even stronger than familial DNA. My father started wearing the fashionable rubber bracelets in support of kidney donation. We got the bumper stickers. One of us donated our car to the National Kidney Foundation.

Sadly, my aunt learned that her new kidney wasn’t working proper-

ly. She began performing peritoneal dialysis at home to take fluid out of her body and to flush toxins out of her blood. She was grateful that she didn’t have to have hemo-dialysis, a far more invasive procedure that her father – my grandfather – went through for years before he died.

I don’t know what it is with my family and kidneys. My dad was born with 2 ½ kidneys and an overabundance of kidney tubes.

This week has been riddled with reveries for me. My aunt has spent the past few days in a hospital bed in Connecticut, her heart battered by years of apparently ineffective dialysis.

She’s lived two weeks longer than expected.

The Centers for Disease Control says that kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, but people with chronic kidney disease are more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than to develop kidney failure. To help prevent kidney problems, the CDC suggests maintaining proper blood pressure and blood sugar. It also suggests maintaining a healthy body weight by getting 30 minutes of exercise five days a week.

WHAT TO DO May 15 Bike to Work Day May 15-17 Mount Vernon Wine Festival & Sunset Tour May 20, 22 Blue Angels Flight Demonstration May 29-July 5 Artomatic May 30 Re-dedication of the Lincoln Memorial May 30-31 Washington Folk Festival May 29-31 Yacht Show @ National Harbor Free outdoor concerts June 6-7 Food and Wine Festival @ National Harbor June 6-7 DanceAfrica June 15-22 Silverdocs Film Festival

HYSTORY 2008 Arrow Bike shop opened on Baltimore Avenue.

2007 Hyattsville Elementary School celebrated 90 years of education.

2006 The City Council passed an ordinance requiring owners of rental units — whether owner occupied or commercial — to hold a license

to operate, which would include an inspection.

2005 A five-year street rehabilitation program began this spring and is scheduled to be completed by December 2009.

2004 The Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department received a new American LaFrance Samaritan ambulance.

CORRECTION A headline in the April issue of the HL&T inaccurately described a city ordinance regarding the amount of impervious surface coverage on front yards within Hyattsville. The ordinance was passed by the City Council in 2004.

AroundTheCity For the love of Fido

by Paula Mineart Names have been changed to protect the identities of subjects.

I

first met Brillo, our friend Hank’s dog, when my husband and I offered to keep him for a few days during a crisis. We have a fenced-in back yard and besides, we like dogs. We have one of our own.

The first night, we put Brillo in our basement, for the sake of our floors and rugs (he had shown this was necessary). About 5 a.m., he woke us with his howling. My husband went down and discovered that water had gotten into the basement.

Feeling bad for Brillo, he brought him up and let him out in the yard.

After a few minutes, my husband peered into the dark and saw Brillo busily digging a hole under our fence, trying to get to Hank. Fearing Brillo would be lost forever — he did not know the neighborhood — my husband ran out in his bathrobe and grabbed the dog by the tail. Fortunately, Brillo was surprised rather than angry and didn’t bite him.

“He really is a good-natured dog,” my hus-

band said.

We called Hank, who came and took him for the day.

The second night, we put Brillo in our basement bathroom. Going downstairs early in the morning, we found that he had clawed a hole through the door and was almost free — again, on a mission to find Hank. Hank and his wife came over later that night, leaving the dog tranquilized at their house, and Hank replaced our door and we all drank wine.

The next day our friends told us Brillo had escaped through their cat door, leaving behind fur and blood on it.

Hank was distraught. He is as attached to Brillo as Brillo is to him. He drove all over looking for him. I walked around the neighborhood.

That afternoon, when she rolled out of bed, our daughter told us she’d seen a dog sitting in our next-door neighbor’s yard when she came home late the night before. I ran over and sure enough, Brillo was there.

“Oh, he’s great,” they told me. “We brought him in because it’s so cold. He stayed in our room all night. No problems.”

(He had no indiscretions on their floor).

Man and dog were delighted to be reunited, and I forgave Brillo. Really, as long as he’s close to Hank, he’s fine.

The dog goes everywhere with him. Hank recently took a class to be a inspector. He called the teacher the day before and asked if he could bring his dog. His wife heard his side of the conversation.

“Yes, I know it’s not usually done. But he really is very good.”

“Yes, he is quite friendly.”

“No, he wouldn’t do that.”

Brillo was allowed to attend the class, on probation. He stayed to the end, sitting quietly next to Hank’s chair and gradually wrapping all the other students around his paw.

When the class was over and Hank graduated, he received a certificate. And Brillo got one, too. It read, “Best Dog Ever” and had his name on it. And I’ve decided that (other than our dog, of course) he is.

Hyattsville Life & Times | May 2009

Walkers raise donations, public awareness of kidney disease

by Paula Mineart Marvin Brooks drove from Upper Marlboro to Hyattsville Sunday, April 19th to the Mall at Prince Georges. He didn’t plan to go shopping, though — he had a more personal purpose as a walkerin the National Kidney Foundation’s first annual Ronald D. Paul Kidney Walk, to raise public awareness about kidney disease.

Nine other people in Brooks’ family walked with him – his mother and father, his son, his sister, sister-in-law, niece, and three nephews. His parents came from Virginia to take part in the event, while the rest of the family lives in Prince George’s County.

“We came to honor the memory of my brother, Arthur L. Brooks, Jr., who passed in 2005,” he said. “We’re marching for the cause, and for a cure. It could happen to any of us.”

Several family members wore tee shirts with a photograph of Arthur Brooks on them.

The walk, which drew almost 500 people — the great majority from Prince George’s County — was a 5K pledge-based event. It took place in Prince George’s County for the first time and the foundation plans to make it an annual event. The location was chosen because of the high rate of kidney failure among county residents, according to Preston A. Englert Jr., division president of the NKF serving the Washington, D.C. area. The region has the highest rate of kidney disease in the country.

“We serve people from Frederick to Fredericksburg,” said Michelle Anthony, NKF spokesperson. “But Prince George’s County is home to one-third of the area’s dialysis patients.”

Washington Redskin Safety Reed Doughty, honorary chair of this walk,spoke at the event, holding his son Micah, who received a kidney from his mother.

Hyattsville Mayor William Gardiner served as honorary co-chair of the walk. Gardiner donated a kidney to his cousin Randy Martin in 2008.

PHOTOS BY PAULA MINEART Top: Participants walk last month at the first National Kidney Foundation walk in Prince Georgeʼs County.

Middle: Washington Redskins safety Reed Doughty (R) with son Micah. Micah received a kidney from his mother. Bottom Right: Marvin Brooks (R) and his family came from Upper Marlboro to Hyattsville. Bottom Left: Hyattsville Mayor William Gardiner

Page 3

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Hyattsville Life & Times | May 2009

TO HELP YOU NOURISH A TRANQUIL LIFE

LifeNotes A makes me wanna sing thing

by Cassie Johnson

F

or years they were dormant – bread boards, loaf pans and rolling pin untouched by mortal hands until I pulled them from the cabinets last month.

Although they’d been horribly neglected, their good vibrations told

me all was forgiven. Instinctively I knew they wouldn’t hold my absence against me, and I felt their happiness at being put to good use again. They were ready to perform.

I’ve returned to one of the most satisfying activities I know — a heart-comforting,makes-mewanna-sing-thing.

Baking bread, a beautiful ritual recalling hearth and home of another era, is alive and well in my kitchen again. The moment I began kneading dough (no bread machines for me!), I wondered why I had stopped.

And it wasn’t long before a trifecta of simple pleasures — the rhythmical back and forth of kneading, my cozy kitchen and a feeling of contentment — had me singing.

What trivial pursuits had kept me from this blissful endeavor, I wondered? What had taken my attention away from creating wonderfully fragrant, tasty loaves unrivaled by any supermarket purchase?

Why had I turned my bread-loving addiction over to commercial bakers? Deep in my heart I knew they couldn’t produce anything close to what comes out of my own oven. So I’ve made a promise to myself that they won’t have another chance.

I say this with conviction because I’m focused now, sure of my ability to withstand Pepperidge Farm’s tempting convenience.

Oh, and my husband is happily being spoiled by all of this healthy, bread-baking goodness. When he comes home from work and he’s greeted at the door by the aroma of fresh-baked honey/whole wheat loaves, he calls out a cheerful, “It smells good in here!�

I love that!

Is there some long-lost pleasure

that used to make you wanna sing?

Something set aside that once gave comfort to your heart? Why not reach back to retrieve it and rediscover that joyful side of you? Give it some thought. But while you’re thinking I’ve got to run. Just heard the timer on my cinnamon-raisin loaves — and the fragrance is absolutely scent-sational!

Cassie Johnson is a Reiki master/ teacher. Contact her at cassie_ reikienergy@verizon.net.

MissFloribunda Dear Miss Floribunda, My lawn and garden are full of wiregrass with long tentacles that run all over the place. No matter how much I pull out, it always comes back. I'm sure I don't really get it all, and that when I tug some of it must break off and then sprout again. I don't want to use chemicals because I worry they would kill everything else too.

What do you advise?

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I too have literally wrestled with the same problem, and lost igno-

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miniously. So I have consulted an expert on tropical grasses, Dr. Mala Hierba. She now lives and gardens in our neighborhood and believes the grass you complain of is not wiregrass (Aristida byrichana; or Aristida stricta), but actually Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), which is also known in various areas as wiregrass â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and, appropriately â&#x20AC;&#x201D; devil's grass. It does not come from Bermuda, by the way, but was brought here from Africa and India because it makes a good sports turf in hot, dry climates. It has medicinal uses in India.

Here it has become a notorious invasive species. However, your refusal to resort to chemicals on the problem is very responsible.

Lawn professionals use all kinds of noxious chemicals that kill many unoffending plants, get into our ground water, and contaminate the Chesapeake Bay. Thank you.

You are right that the rhizomes by which Bermuda grass spreads break off and regenerate. Aunt Sioux digs down about two feet, where their matrix usually lies, and roots them all out. This is a lot of work, obviously, but may be the only way to get it out of flower beds without killing the plants too (You lift the plants carefully, and dig beneath them). Dr. Hierba recommends something called "solarization" for your lawn. It would remove your entire lawn for a sea-

son, but would not poison groundwater or surrounding vegetation.

It involves covering the lawn with clear (not dark) plastic during the hot weather months. It literally cooks the "devil's" grass. Be sure to soak the area thoroughly with water first. If the moisture reaches down at least two feet to the root of the problem the plastic-covered soil will heat up quicker and be more effective. Also, you will need to place weights strategically to keep the plastic firmly in place, and patch any holes that may result.

It will take a minimum of six weeks to eradicate the Bermuda grass, and you must begin when nighttime temperatures are consistently 85 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Think June, July and August. In the mid-fall, you could consider replanting â&#x20AC;&#x201D; we hope with sedge or some other native species. However, many think it best to wait till spring so that any stray seeds, hitherto dormant, can sprout and be pulled out.

While solarization is considered the most effective means of control, perhaps the only surefire solution comes from that experienced veteran gardener Mr. Minnowhaven: "Move to Alaska!â&#x20AC;?

Miss Floribunda is the collected wisdom of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society compiled and edited by Victoria Hille.

Hyattsville Life & Times | May 2009

Page 5

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Officers save life of suicidal man

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by Anke Bettina Irgang On July 5 three Hyattsville police officers received a dispatch.

Someone had climbed to the top of the Family Dental Group building at the corner of Belcrest Road and East West Highway.

And the person was threatening to jump.

Sgts. Frank DonBullian and Ron Santos and Pvt. Scott Hurley rushed to the scene. Ten minutes later, they brought the suicidal man down the stairs of the building. For what they did in those 10 minutes, the three officers were presented with Life Saving Awards and Bronze Medals of Valor at a police department awards dinner in February.

In an interview DonBullian and Hurley recalled the event. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was during the daytime, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not sure what time exactly now,â&#x20AC;? said Hurley, a New Jersey native who has been with the Hyattsville police since November 2007. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All three of us arrived there and went up the stairwell together. At the top of the stairs, there was a small window that had been smashed out.â&#x20AC;?

DonBullian recalled that the officers found a pair of scissors on the floor next to the window, as well as some blood. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The door couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be opened from the inside. The guy had to smash the window with some scissors and reach around, and he cut his arm doing it,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The officers stepped onto the roof and found a man leaning

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PHOTO BY ANKE BETTINA AIRGANG Sgt. Frank DonBullion (L) and Pvt. Scott Hurley, along with Sgt. Ron Santos (not pictured) of the Hyattsville Police Department, received Life Saving Awards and Bronze Medals of Valor for their efforts in saving the life of a suicidal man. against an air conditioning unit. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I engaged him immediately and ordered him to get down to the ground,â&#x20AC;? DonBullian said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of a sudden he started walking, and we thought he was going to jump. But he just kind of froze and eventually he got down.â&#x20AC;?

Hurley said the officers placed the man in handcuffs immediately. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was kind of a tense moment, because we didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what his mental state was. There were only little alleyways for walking on the roof, so we were very close to the edge. If there had been a struggle, one of us might have fallen.â&#x20AC;?

DonBullian, a Greenbelt native who has been a police officer in Hyattsville for 17 years, recalls being concerned for his own and his colleaguesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; safety even as the officers went up the stairs

Locals join to feed spirit of community

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Feeding the Spirit of Community,â&#x20AC;? a month-long program to support the Capital Area Food Bank, gathered enough food for the needy to fill an entire two-bedroom apartment.

The initiative was supported by more than 55 local and regional organizations, including Mosaic at Metro Apartments, the City of Hyattsville, Ballyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fitness, the Hyattsville Business and Professional Association, the Hyattsville Fire Department, the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation, the Towers at UTC, Giant Food and every Equity residential and corporate property within the region.

to confront the man. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s willing to kill themselves, they might be willing to take others along with them.â&#x20AC;?

Hurley said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You see the broken glass, and you know you have to go out there. You just kind of do it, and you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really let yourself think about it till afterwards.â&#x20AC;?

When the officers returned downstairs, they found that the manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s girlfriend had arrived at the scene. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We talked to her and found out that the guy was distraught over a good friend of his being shot a few days earlier at an apartment complex behind the mall [at Prince Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s],â&#x20AC;? Hurley said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d tried to kill himself before by electrocuting himself in his bathtub.â&#x20AC;?

Hurley recalled that the officers talked to the suicidal man at the scene in an attempt to calm him down. They also arranged for psychological treatment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He clearly wanted some help,â&#x20AC;?

Hurley said.

Santos was unavailable for comment.

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Fields at Magruder get lit

by Annie Farber and Sarah Nemeth Hyattsville’s Magruder Park is getting a little sprucing up for the coming league sports season and while not directly intended to prevent crime, added stadium lights and an emergency call box could help lessen the potential for safety hazards.

The park, at Hamilton Street and 40th Avenue, is not a magnet for crime. In fact, there are relatively few reported incidents there, said Sgt. Greg Phillips, spokesman for the Hyattsville Police Department.

“As compared to other areas of the city, the park is relatively quiet,” he said. “There has not been a trend of drug sales/issues identified at the park. The call box is being placed there in great part due to the sheer volume of persons that frequent the park, not because of a high volume of illegal activity. Also, during certain hours, the park is almost empty, taking away the advantages of passive observation provided by large groups. During those periods, the park is still used by joggers, etc. who may become injured or need police assistance. The call boxes are a proactive measure to increase the already high level of safety enjoyed by those who use that area.”

Under the Target-sponsored Safe Cities project, the HPD plans to install an emergency call box at the recreation building located near the entrance to the park.

According to Anthony Mulkey, Hyattsville’s director of recreation and arts, the six stadium light poles are a project of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, aimed at improving the site for sports leagues in the fall that have evening games.

The fields at Magruder Park are mainly used by sports leagues, which go through a permit process twice a year in order to use them. The leagues request field space, and go through a separate request process to use the lights.

Using the fields when the lights need to be on will cost sports leagues $50 per hour to cover operation costs, Mulkey said.

According to the M-NCPPC’s Mick Perry, the light project was to be completed by May 1.

As for safety concerns, the lights may shine onto other portions of the park and the Northwest Branch Trail that winds along and through Magruder Park.

Maurico Reyas, a resident who lives on Longfellow Street was interviewed at the park and said he goes there almost every weekend. He thinks the park is generally safe and has gotten better over the years.

“It's good to have lighting for people on the trails and fields,” Reyas said, adding that a call box would be good for emergencies.

Reyas also said he usually sees the Park Police patrolling in their cars, and sometimes sees them on bikes.

Other modes of safety “The city does not maintain that area with regard to lighting, etc,” Phillips said. “The new lights may well spill over into that area, but I must admit that I have no firsthand knowledge on that issue. If in fact the light does reach that area, it would be a plus in my opinion.”

And just because the park is not a hotbed of crime, that does not mean it is being neglected by local law enforcement. In fact, the reverse is true.

Magruder Park is often “frequented” by marked police cars from several agencies, Phillips said.

The HPD uses two Segway scooters to patrol areas not accessible by car, including the park, which Phillips said is checked on a regular basis.

“The Segways greatly increase the area that can be covered as compared to an officer on foot,” Phillips said. “The Segways are surprisingly agile and can even go ‘off road’ of woodland paths and trails.”

The Northwest Branch Trail winds along and through Magruder Park.

Nicole Williams said she used to jog the whole park, and she felt very safe.

“I sometimes see cops come through, and once in a blue moon I see the bike police,” Williams said, adding that she has never seen them on the NW Branch Trail.

In regards to the call box, Williams said “it would be nice to have one,” just in case, because sometimes people forget their cell phones or don't know what number to call. “I feel there's more crime than there used to be, things have changed. Still, they're accom-

modating with safety measures, I still feel comfortable,” she said.

M-NCPPC Police and the city police are the law enforcement agencies most often seen in the park, Phillips said.

“I have no ready resource of how often the Segways are used in that area, but I know that they are used on a regular basis by officers," he said. "I know for a fact that the trail that runs from Armentrout to Kirkwood is heavily used by bike officers since it is a quick way to traverse the city from east to west and vice-versa. An officer on a bike or Segway can get from [U.S.] Route 1 to the West Hyattsville Metro as fast as, if not faster than, an officer in a car can during peak traffic hours.”

PHOTO BY ANNIE FARBER Paul Hrusa and his daughter Stella at the end of a walk along the Northwest Branch Trail out of Magruder Park.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | May 2009

COMMENTARY AND OPINION ON HISTORY & POLITICS

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Hughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;sNews Historians support Forrestal inquiry

by Hugh Turley

N

ew evidence has emerged that Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first secretary of defense, James Forrestal, was assassinated. Pulitzer prize-winning American history professor, Martin Sherwin, told the Hyattsville Life & Times, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have always thought Forrestal committed suicide, but this is not because I investigated the manner of his death. You are doing that and I look forward to reading the results.â&#x20AC;?

Sherwin, a professor emeritus at Tufts now teaching at George Mason University, co-wrote an acclaimed biography of nuclear scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, a Forrestal contemporary.

May 22 is the 60th anniversary of Forrestalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death. Historians were invited to comment on the official investigation of his death for this article. The investigation, known as the Willcutts Report, was first made available to the public in 2004.

Keith W. Olson, professor emeritus of history at the University of Maryland said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I had more time I would read it and write an analysis. The need for such a study is obvious.â&#x20AC;?

Initial reports said Forrestal transcribed a morbid poem as his suicide note and then jumped out of a window at the Bethesda Naval Hospital. The Hyattsville Life & Times (Dec 2007) published

the transcribed poem alongside a letter written by Forrestal. The writing appeared to have been that ofdifferent people.

The story that Forrestal copied the poem from a book has been repeated for decades. In 1992, Forrestal biographers Townsend Hoopes and Douglas Brinkley said a corpsman looked in on Forrestal at 1:45 a.m. and saw him â&#x20AC;&#x153;busy copying onto several sheets of paper the brooding classical poem â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Chorus from Ajax.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

That story is not supported by the corpsmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s testimony in the Willcutts Report: Q. What time did you last see Mister Forrestal?

A. It was one forty-five, sir Q. Where was he then?

A. He was in his bed sleeping.

Q. Where were you at that time?

A. I was in the room when I saw him.

The official report makes no mention of the book of poetry or any witness who supposedly found the book and transcription.

The report offers new evidence of a struggle in Forrestalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s room. Broken glass was found on his bed and photographed on the floor of his room. This could explain why the sash from his dressing gown was knotted around his neck.

Initial news reports contained

speculation that Forrestal used the sash in an attempt to hang himself out of the 16th-floor window from which he fell. None of them even hinted at the much more plausible notion that the sash had been wrapped around his neck to subdue him.

The Willcutts Review Board did not comment on why the sash was around his neck.

It has been fashionable among historians to say that Forrestal was paranoid. Anna K. Nelson, the distinguished historian in residence at American Universitysaid Forrestal, â&#x20AC;&#x153;was truly paranoid â&#x20AC;Ś I never doubted that he committed suicide.â&#x20AC;?

Nelson admitted she â&#x20AC;&#x153;never heard about the [Willcutts] report.â&#x20AC;? None of the doctors who treated Forrestal at Bethesda used the words â&#x20AC;&#x153;paranoidâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;paranoiaâ&#x20AC;? to describe him in their testimony. Captain Stephen Smith, second in command of the doctors, was impressed with Forrestal's exceptional command of reality.

In fact, the Willcutts Report did not conclude Forrestal committed suicide.

Historians and the public can study the official report of Forrestalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death online at Princetonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Seeley Mudd Library.

Sherwin concluded: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need the validation of a historian to put together an article that opens up this issue to a new understanding.â&#x20AC;?

Traffic signal falls, disrupts crossroads The intersection at Queens Chapel and Queensbury roads was closed May 5 after a traffic signal fell to the ground and obstructed passage of the busy crossroads.

No one was injured when the signal fell after an unknown vehicle struck the pole that was supporting it, police said.

"It was a hit and run â&#x20AC;Ś [there are] no suspects,â&#x20AC;? said police spokesman Sgt. Greg Phillips. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[The] incident is still being looked into.â&#x20AC;?

Hyattsville Life & Times | May 2009

Page 9

School reopens after closure due to presumed occurence of 'swine flu'

by Sarah Nemeth University Park Elementary School reopened May 6 after being closed for two days when a possible case of “swine” flu was reported there.

The school closed on May 4 after it was determined on May 1 that a teacher who had recently traveled out of the country was “probable” for carrying the H1N1 virus, according to residents and and Prince George’s County Public Schools.

Michael Paul, a Stanford Street resident, has two children who are pupils at UPES.

"Right now there just isn't enough data ... to see how virulent this particular strain of flu is."

— Michael Paul resident

“I guess I’m not too alarmed or concerned about this whole thing,” he said before the school reopened. “I think that the school board and the school … are acting with an abundance of caution.

Right now there just isn’t enough data ... to see how virulent this particular kind of strain of flu is.”

While Paul appreciated the school district’s diligence, he recognized that having pupils out of school for two weeks is not optimal.

“That’s detrimental, obviously,” he said. “Two weeks is a long time.

But if they hadn’t done this and it

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turned out to be the swine flu … we wouldn’t want people to get sick.

“You take the good with the bad, right?”

PGCPS reopened the school after the Centers for Disease Control changed its recommendation May 5, advising that schools should not be closed due to the virus, but that affected persons should avoid public places in an effort to stem contamination.

The virus has affected hundreds of Americans and claimed the lives of two in Texas and 29 in Mexico, as of this printing.

In this situation, “probable” means that the type of influenza the teacher has could not be identified, PGCPS reports stated.

On Thursday, the school district announced that Montpelier Elementary School in Laurel would be closed for up to two weeks after a student was determined to be “probable” for the H1N1 virus.

The CDC previously recommended that schools close for up to 14 days if a person there is considered “probable” for the H1N1 virus.

Symptoms of the H1N1 virus include fever, coughing, sore throat, body ache, chills and fatigue, according to the CDC.

POLICE

continued from page 1 forcement units to replace old handheld radar units; ■ replace 21 body armors; ■ purchase 5 new and 5 upgraded mobile data terminals – computers in police vehicles which are used to communicate with other officers and to check data on license plates and warrants; ■ upgrade the communication area inside police headquarters by demolishing a wall in the office to make room for a new radio system; ■ acquire a new computer aided dispatch system; and ■ purchase new parking meters which will be placed at various locations around the city.

Holland also said the proposed police budget includes a $225,000 carry-over from last year and a Community Oriented Policing Services grant of $654,710, which the department received from Rep. Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) office in 2008.

The proposed budget also includes the elimination of one vacant parking enforcement officer position and transference of those duties to code enforcement staff.

Code Enforcement Director Jerry Hampton said that he needs to meet with Gardiner, Holland and City Administrator Elaine Murphy to “discuss and find out exactly what the expectations are.”

“The work schedule is a big consideration in this issue as most parking violations occur at the end of the day."

— Ruth Ann Frazier Councilwoman, Ward 5

According to Councilwoman Ruth Ann Frazier (Ward 5), the work schedule of the code enforcement staff has to be a “big consideration in this issue as

most parking violations occur after the end of the day.”

“If we are going to have an effective parking enforcement service, we need to be there 24/7,” Frazier said. “Not 8-to11 or 7-to-11. Be there when the offenses are being committed.”

The police department employs 42 sworn officers and 13 civilian members – 53 percent of the city’s staff, according to Holland.

He reported a 3 percent decrease in total crime in 2008.

The final budget is scheduled to be voted on at a June 1 meeting.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | May 2009

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PHOTO BY SARAH NEMETH Ward 5 councilwoman Ruth Ann Frazier (far right) sits with her supporters on election day.

ELECTION

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continued from page 1 for my friends who put forth a lot of effort.

“We had a lot of good people running. Not everybody can win,” Frazier said.

Lizanne Similarly, Barlow said she “Won on one account, lost on two others.”

“I feel bad for Tom [Lopresti] and Dave [Thomas],” she said.

Lizanne, Ward 4’s incumbent first elected in 2003, beat Thomas by 20 votes, the equivalent of 13.8 percentage points, based on the unofficial results released by the city.

Just before the polls closed at 8 p.m., Thomas, Lizanne, and Delegate Justin Ross – Hyattsville’s delegate in the Maryland state House of Delegates – stood together outside of the Ward 4 polling location on the cold, rainy day and discussed the election.

“The dynamic of the city has certainly changed since I ran in ’95,” Thomas said after Lizanne stepped away to greet an approaching voter.

“How do I say this politically correct? I’m not proficient in Spanish.”

Thomas said because of the demanding hours of his job he was unable to give himself to the election to the extent he would have liked.

“Just with the hours I worked, I didn’t have time to do this right,” Thomas said.

Ross suggested Thomas, and others, might have greater flexibility in

hours if local government workers are paid more money each year.

“I can’t believe how much these guys get paid. It’s ridiculous,” Ross said, referring to the approximately $4,000 in annual salary council members are given by the city. “They could easily get paid three times more and I don’t think it would be unreasonable.”

Ward 3 had the second highest voter turnout on Election Day with 386 votes. Its top three candidates — Matthew McKnight, Tim Hunt, and Scott Wilson — stood the legal distance from the polling location and waited, umbrellas in hand, to address voters’ concerns and Tartaro discuss the issues right up until voters walked inside to cast their vote.

“I’m very [much] geared towards motivating people to let them get involved,” McKnight said in a last minute talk with Ward 3 voters Wynnet Green and Kiesha Rohan.

“We’re giving up an inordinate amount of our time to volunteer our time for the city,” Wilson said to Green and Rohan. “And believe me, I’ve done it before and it’s volunteer work.

“It’s an investment that’s worth it.”

Both Wynnet and Rohan said it was helpful to hear the candidates’ comments before they cast their vote.

“It was informative,” Rohan said. “You need to know who

Ward 3 Matthew D. McKnight (193 votes) Timothy P. Hunt (160 votes) Scott R. Wilson (29 votes) Alaa Ahmed Eldar Yousef (4 votes) Ward 4 Carlos Lizanne (82 votes) David Thomas (62 votes) Write-in (1 vote) Ward 5 Ruth Ann Frazier (43 votes) Pastor Herrera-Macuran (7 votes)

you’re voting for.”

For Ward 3, the May 4th election determined a replacement for Councilwoman Krista Atteberry who did not run for re-election.

This summer the ward will hold another election to fill Councilman Anthony Patterson’s seat.

Patterson told the city council on April 6th he will resign in May, two years before his current term is scheduled to end. He cited personal reasons for stepping down.

In Ward 5, Frazier beat her opponent Pastor Herrera-Macuran by a margin of 72 percent, or 36 votes.

Barlow, Frazier’s daughter, said Herrera-Macuran “Didn’t have any expenses when he had to turn in the first financial statement.”

She added: “It would have been nice to meet her opponent.”

First elected in 1997, Frazier’s recent win secures her place as the longest serving member on the city council.

Councilman Marc Tartaro (Ward 1) was uncontested in his first reelection bid, but his race attracted eight more voters than the Ward 5 race.

New councilmen will be certified during the City Council meeting on May 18th.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | May 2009

PATTERSON

continued from page 1

“This is a very unbelievable situation,” said Councilman Carlos Lizanne (Ward 4).

Patterson told Mayor William Gardiner of his resignation hours before the April 6 meeting and one day before absentee ballots were sent out.Those ballots provideda finalized list of candidates and was set to be approved during that evening’s council meeting.

Hurrying to find a solution, Gardiner, City Administrator Elaine Murphy, City Clerk Doug Barber, and City Attorney Richard Colaresi devised a plan in which Ward 3 residents would vote for two candidates in the May 4 election.

The first place winner would be awarded Atteberry’s seat, which is not up for reelection until 2013.

The second place winner would be given Patterson’s seat and would be up for reelection as scheduled in 2011.

“Because of the time period, we don’t have a huge amount of latitude because council is supposed to certify those who are up for

Page 11

election,” Murphy said. “This appeared to be a way that was open and provided an opportunity for people running to fill the vacancy without holding a special election.”

Although the council applauded city administrators for their creativity, they ultimately rejected the plan for fear that the winner of Patterson’s seat would invite a challenge because the vacant seat was not advertised in advance.

“I just don’t think we can do this,” said Councilman Douglas Dudrow (Ward 1).

“You all worked very hard to keep the elections clean and above board,” Dudrow said. “But I think somebody could come back and challenge this. I would really be afraid that being challenged. I really think we’d be best having a special election.”

“It saves money, it saves effort, but I don’t necessarily agree that’s the way we should go about filling the seat,” Atteberry said.

Gardiner defended the legality of their plan.

“According to our attorney we can do it this way,” he said.

Updates from Hyattsville Middle School □ Pupil Lindsey Wright has been selected to participate in the Environmental Protection Agency's Region III, 2009 Summer Student Environmental Development Program where she will participate in science, health, cultural and environmental activities.

HMS winners in the countywide Write-a-Book Contest:

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But with doubts about the legality of the issue, the council remained off put by the process and time frame in which they were asked to amend the election process to fill the vacancy in Ward 3.

“This isn’t even a condensed time window,” Atteberry said. “This is a nanosecond time window.”

“This isn't even a condensed time window.

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□ On May 28 and 7:00 p.m., the Theatre Lab and orchestra pupils will present Shakespeare and his Music.

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“I’m very concerned, largely about yet another very important decision being made where there’s no prior announcement to the council members about an item appearing on the agenda,” said Councilman Mark Matulef (Ward 2). “It does not give councilmen any opportunity to consult their constituency. It does not give Ward 3 representatives any time to consult their candidates.”

Anna Frankle of the Hyattsville Board of Elections said the election this summer will require the same planning as the city-wide elections on May 4.

“You have to follow the same ethics, the same rules,” she said.

“It’s exactly the same process, you just do it for one ward.”

Frankle said she was not aware of the cost for a special election.

Barber did not return calls seeking this information.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | May 2009

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