CHICKEN OUT
SCOUTS' HONOR
TREASURE HUNTING
"my Two cents" offers a view opposing chickens in city back yards, spurred by last month's "spring chickens" story. PAGE 2
Local troop produces two eagle scouts, the highest achievement in Boy scouts. PAGE 4
one savvy shopper's look at april's community Yard sale day, and all the treasures it contained. PAGE 3
Top Episcopal bishop comes to St. Matthew’s by Julia Duin The Episcopal Church in America’s top offi cial came to a Hyattsville church last month to give her blessing to the growing Latino presence in her 2-millionmember denomination. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori arrived at St. Matthew’s in glistening white robes for an evening service on April 24. Representatives from six other Spanish-speaking churches around the Episcopal Diocese of Washington joined the procession with banners, wind socks and paper doves. A bilingual choir sang English and Spanish hymns for the crowd of 350 people. Afterwards, over pupusas and tamales, guests listened to speeches and poetry at a fi esta in the parish hall. The bishop preached her sermon and celebrated Communion in both English and Spanish as congregants snapped photos and, during a portion of the service known as the “passing of the peace,” rushed up to shake her hand. She was there, she said, to pay tribute to the largest of the diocese’s seven Latino congregations: San Mateo, housed at the corner of 36th Avenue and Nicholson Street. The Spanish-language congregation, shepherded by the Rev. Vidal Rivas, took refuge at St. Matthew’s in September 2008
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 43 Easton, MD 21601
BIsHOP continued on page 10
Hyattsville Life&Times
Vol. 7 No. 5
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
up, up, and away After more than 11 years of service, Hyattsville’s City Administrator Elaine Murphy recently announced her plans to retire. The city honored her valued contributions last month during its anniversary parade, where she served as Grand Marshal. As she rode through the city leading the parade, she was glad to see “many residents I have come to know over the past 11 years and improvements such as repaved streets, new sidewalks and better lights and signage.”
Murphy counts the 2006 annexation of the commercial entities along the East-West Highway corridor, including the Mall at Prince George’s, as a notable accomplishment during her tenure. “It was exciting, challenging, and hugely rewarding to fi nish something many didn’t think could be done,” she said of the project that brought “substantial” new annual revenues for the city and broadened its tax base. MUrPHY continued on page 11
May 2010
photo by valerie russell From left: Caelan Rice, Ivy Hayashi and Harmony Driskell ride the Ferris wheel during last month's city carnival at Magruder Park. MORE PHOTOS, PAGES 8 & 9
City Administrator Murphy retiring by Krista Atteberry
Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781
$5
Rental restrictions may tighten by Susie Currie
photo by valerie russell City Administrator Elaine Murphy was this year's Grand Marshal in the annual city parade, held April 24.
Landlords may face new space and parking requirements for their tenants if the City Council approves a proposal being considered by the Code Enforcement Advisory Committee. At a committee meeting on May 6, senior code inspector Chris Giunta circulated a preliminary draft of potential changes to Chapter 96 of the city code, which rentals continued on page 11
Included: The May 12, 2010 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section