Hyattsville Life & Times October 2007 Issue

InBrief HPA begins work on house tour The Hyattsville Preservation Association is preparing for the 29th Annual Historic Hyattsville House Tour with an informational meeting at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Hyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin St. Residents interested in having their homes showcased during the tour are invited to find out more about the project and to meet homeowners whose houses have been on past tours.

Miriam Howe, house tour chairwoman, will be on hand to answer questions, as well as Debbie Franklin, past house tour chairwoman.

Residents interested in volunteering with the tour are also encouraged to attend.

Contact Miriam Howe at 301.985.5126.

Vol. 4 No. 10

Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper

Stage set for UTC retail projects [Plaza will offer Soup Man, Smoothie King]

by Eli Segall

A

t the corner of America Boulevard and Freedom Way, the heart of a new town center in Hyattsville, a recent passerby surveyed the three-block long, miniature city taking shape around her.

The fresh-paved, tree-lined streets were silent.

Nearby storefronts with crisp new awnings were vacant. Behind her, splashing fountains made the only noise in the empty plaza.

“It’s like a little toy town,” said Sandra Decker, when asked to describe the $1.2 billion University Town Center.“Some people have said it’s like a ghost town now.”

The center, which is across the street from The Mall at Prince George’s, is still years from comple-

Public Forums to comment on M-NCPPC Prince George`s County Budget FY2009 The Prince George’s County Planning Board will hold the second of two public forums for resident input on the M-NCPPC operating and capital budgets for planning, parks, and recreation in the county for fiscal year 2009, and on the M-NCPPC Capital Improvement Program for fiscal years 2009-2014.

The forum will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 17 at Harmony Hall Regional Center in Fort Washington. To speak at the public forums, register in advance by calling 301.952.4584 or e-mailing PublicAffairs@ppd.mncppc.org.

October 2007

tion, but it recently broke its lull. On Sept. 29, more than 2,000 people crushed onto America Boulevard, the main drag, for an all-day bonanza.

With a band playing in the background, visitors jostled in line for free food served by the center’s future tenants, including soup, organic cookies and root beer. In addition, a dozen vendors under blue tents sold jewelry, pottery and photographs.

“I think this is really nice, all the vendors, the music,” said Letta Saunders of Upper Marlboro, who came to the event with her 11-year-old daughter Destiny. “For them to revamp this area is really a good thing.”

The complex, located at East West Highway and Belcrest Road, broke ground in the 1960s with a pair of office buildings. Now, after years of setbacks, the center’s retail and residential elements are being built.

As a “lifestyle center”–a growing trend in urban design–it offers high-density living within walking distance of amenities and transit. More than 200 such centers already dot the country-including downtown Silver Spring-and roughly 30 are built per year, said Reid Ewing, a research pro-

UTC RETAIL continued on page 18

Crime trend bends around development

by Ben Meyerson

R

achael Olup moved into the Towers at University Town Center last year, and she feels pretty good about the building, with its gym and rooftop pool.

The University of Maryland student likes having building security guards and using a keycard to get up to her room.

But when she walks back at night from her job across the street at Outback Steakhouse, she gets a little nervous.

“I just don’t like walking by myself,” Olup said. “I don’t think it’s safe for a girl by herself at night.”

As the surrounding area develops, Hyattsville is investing more resources to increase safety.

Since the city’s incorporation of the area

around and including The Mall at Prince George’s last year, the overall crime in the city has almost doubled, according to numbers released by the Hyattsville Police Department.

The increase is almost exclusively due to a rise in thefts, according to police reports from January 2006 through June 2007. By the end of

CRIME TREND continued on page 17

Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781

Cars clog around DeMatha City, community, school seek to employ safety measures

by Kendall Spera

T

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

raffic jams on 43rd Avenue have been a scourge to residents of the neighborhood and the problem likely will get worse before it gets better if history is any indicator.

The problems come from different sources including pressure from DeMatha High School students who park at a lot along 43rd.

Also, construction by developer EYA has gummed up movement on major roads like U.S. Route 1 and as the project expands and population

density thickens, so will traffic.

The use of 43rd Avenue as a thoroughfare into DeMatha’s parking lot is a cause of the traffic congestion in the area immediately around 43rd and Jefferson Street.

According to some residents of the narrow avenue, as a result of increased traffic, there is fear for the safety of neighborhood children travelling on foot as well as for vehicles, some of which have been side- swiped by heavy traffic.

Annie Williams is one of these

DEMATHA continued on page 17

Mayor William Gardiner presents an award of appreciation to resident Jonas Thomas for his many years of service to the city as Board of Elections Supervisor Official.

Included: The September 10, 2007 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter—See Center Section

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 2

Morally corrupt and emotionally bankrupt

Opinion: Faith in crisis

by Sarah Nemeth

W

hether the faithful choose to believe it or not, we allow our emotions to scour the words that the world has echoed for centuries through nature, song, conception and death.

I heard a remake of a once popular song recently. As someone deeply compelled by the swells and strains of symphonic messages I tend to allow the emotion of a ballad or the power chords of a high-octane anthem to hypnotize my soul. But the message of the lead line in this song just hooked down into me as I considered the recent exposure of Mother Teresa’s “crisis of faith.”

The saint described her divine dilemma with gravitas using words like, “dryness,” “darkness,” “loneliness” and “torture” to convey her internal state in letters she wrote over 66 years. And the nations clamor over whether or not the trust and confidence put in such a rock was merely dust in the wind.

Why do we wonder at such a struggle? Have we decided that do-gooders and religious devotees are above questioning the foundation of their faith?

There are some who say that faith is a crutch on which those who must have an object of belief lean.

And wouldn’t it be rather closed-minded to say such

crutches are unfavorable?

So it’s only for the weak, this faith, this dependence, this irrational tie to something that mathematics, science and physics cannot definitively prove but for which they offer more proof than not. And doesn’t the Albanian missionary’s crisis testify to her dependence on God far more than all her good deeds to the poor, needy, sick and dying?

There’s even a Web site dedicated to aiding wayfaring souls who have wandered away from their faith: www.faithcrisis.com (I do not support this site).

Bookstores are lined with the trendy self-help books that Dr. Phil and Oprah exploit. We are a culture in crisis—a circle of life orbiting truth, hoping that a different angle will give us the answers we need and want.

I don’t believe faith was intended to be easy or impenetrable to human questions. In some ways, every true Goodman in the dark pockets of doubt stands in the night and cries, “My faith is gone! …There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is this world given.”

And at the end, as the pilgrim progresses, he rakes his fingers to the bone clawing out of the shadows and falls before truth as the swells and strains and symphonies blast the anthem of all faithful in crisis: “God is in control.”

Letter to the Editor

Climate change Our leaders are not doing enough to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate change.

Ordinary citizens are taking this problem seriously, but Earth fests and energy fairs, CFLs and Priuses can only go so far. Our elected officials are the ones who must take the lead and transform how we use our resources state-wide.

I applaud our representatives for passing the Healthy Air Act and the Clean Cars Bill and for creating the Commission on Climate Change. I thank them for these important,

preliminary measures.

And now I urge them to take the next, crucial step. I urge them to play the role they must play at this pivotal moment in our history. I urge them to mandate 80 percent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Scientists say these reductions are necessary to avoid the worst effects of irreversible climate change. We, as concerned and informed citizens, do our best to reduce our own carbon footprints. But we know our voluntary actions will not be enough.

Governor O’Malley and the Climate Change Commission, it’s up to you. We need strong global warming solutions for Maryland—solutions that will lead and inspire a nation.

Please take this responsibility into your own hands by committing Maryland to 80- percent reductions in global warming pollution by 2050.

Thomas Landers Chesapeake Climate Action Network

by Michael Martucci

I

n retrospect it is easy to see cultural shifts in our thinking and actions. It brings to mind an episode of M*A*S*H in which a drunken Hawkeye and B.J. tie a toe tag on their bunkmate to indicate he is dead as a practical joke. The tag read: “Morally corrupt and emotionally bankrupt.”

Our cultural toe tag however, has us awaking and thinking, “How did I get here?”

The latest hullabaloo regarding O.J. Simpson is culturally revealing. It would be comical if it were not for the fact that many people believe Simpson killed his wife and her friend in the early 1990s.

This time Simpson learned that some of his personal memorabilia from his football glory days that was allegedly stolen from him was being sold by unscrupulous dealers in Las Vegas.

Simpson took matters into his own hands. He and some others stormed a hotel room and confronted the dealers. The lack of video or audio tape in the death of Simpson’s ex-wife might be

seen in retrospect to be how the perpetrator slid away from justice. In this latest scenario, however, the appearance of an audio tape will clarify things.

There are many people jumping the gun, as the media is apt to do. What of Simpson’s rights?

Yes he still has them because in a court of law he was never convicted of any criminal wrongdoing. Those that want to deny Simpson all the courtesy that the law provides American citizens are swayed way too much like many in this country—by their emotions rather than logic.

If there are actionable crimes here Simpson should be charged with them, and then convicted.

However, if his actions were somehow justifiable then that should be allowed to come to the forefront. To say “gotcha” on burglary and weapons charges because you think O.J. killed two people is not just, even if it were determined to be accurate. The justice system is not designed as a venue of vengeance; it is designed to give all parties a hear-

MORALLY CORRUPT continued on page 7

(YATTSVILLE

,IFE 4IMES

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.

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Sarah Nemeth, Executive Editor 240.354.4832 or betweensundays@gmail.com Sharahn Boykin, Managing Editor sharahn@gmail.com Ashby Henderson, Photographer Publication Production, Electronic Ink

Colleen Aistis Rick Docksai Ashley Henderson Karen Riley

Writers/Contribtors John Aquilino Keith Blackburn Colleen Durnan Kristen Gunderson Phil Houle Bert Kapinus Sol Sandberg Tom Slezak

Board of Directors Christopher Currie Matthew McKnight Tim Hunt Sarah Nemeth

Steve Clements Jim Groves Michael Martucci Hugh Turley Bert Kapinus

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.

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 3

Feasting on Fall

A first-person account of seasonal things to do

by Sarah Nemeth

A

lazy stroll through Greenbelt Park’s thick woods offers a kiss from nature that only the wild can plant. Whether you trek along the Azalea, Perimeter Dogwood or Blueberry trails, fresh air, foliage and critters are bound to relax the mind and clear the soul.

Greenbelt Park is part of the National Park Service and offers picnic areas, trails, bike paths and a park police substation.

There are several trails in the park which range from smooth to rough, said Major Horsey, supervisory park ranger.

The Sweetgum picnic area offers soccer fields, shaded picnic tables, convenience areas, grills and an entrance to the rustic Azalea Trail.

Once you step onto the bootworn path there are two options – a fitness trail complete with strength testing stops – and the more rambling nature trail. I took the nature trail and met some white tail fawns and does jumping over logs and bramble. I crossed bridges and took slow steps into ground cover, around straight-arrow trees and around tiny creeks and trenches. This trail is great for horseback riders and dog walkers.

The longer Perimeter Trail winds around the park along the ridges that often overlook Greenbelt Road.

With trails branching off the main path there are multiple options for discovery.

There aren’t many places to stop and put your feet up though, so be sure to take plenty of water with you for refreshment.

Ticks are also prevalent in the park until it gets a bit cooler so be

sure to come smeared with tick repellent.

Fabulous food, fun and football—the perfect autumn mix What fantastic fall would be complete without a jaunt to a local haunt for a beer and a ball game?

Franklin’s Restaurant and Brewery provides an atmosphere where fantasy football comes to life and an extra beer is on tap if your team goes down in flames. Whether just in for a sip and a snack or prepared to settle onto a bar stool and hunker down for a Redskins game, Franklin’s eclectic, industrial setting spun with sophistication is a great place to catch the game. So I stepped up to the line of scrimmage and parked myself at a bar chair, ordered a Maple Porter and some chicken wings, and shot the breeze with people I didn’t know.

Bartender Jason Hillegass keeps the Twisted Turtles and the talk flying. Amid cheers and ovations, the 30-something crowd traded stats and high-fives as the Washington Redskins pulled ahead of the New York Giants.

“In fall it tends to pick up,” Hillegass said referring to the bar crowd.

“The new school year begins and people are getting back into the swing of things.”

During the games, mostly beer flies off the stacked bar shelves, but snacks like sandwiches and flat bread are big sellers too, he said. On this day, Hillegass sold a mound of mussels to a patron during an early game.

“It’s not your typical tailgate food during a football game,” he said.

Photos by Sharahn Boykin

With three TV screens and a variety of brews to choose from, Franklins’ bar offers the stuff that makes a great game—beer and food.

At the end of the Baltimore Ravens game, it was just me and another patron (apparently there aren’t many Ravens fans in the area). But as the Redskins’ game kicked off, the crowd ballooned to about a dozen people crowding the counter.

One group from Columbia stopped into Franklin’s on their way home from a Washington Nationals’ game.

A couple brought their toddler, outfitted with a Redskins’ jersey.

It was just the atmosphere I was looking for on a lazy Sunday. I’ll be back to Franklin’s before the season is over.

Making hay in Mitchellville While the Hyattsville area is full of autumn activities, there’s something refreshing about a cool morning spent in the hills near the border of Anne Arundel County.

A Yellow Labrador Retriever named Ruby welcomed us (I brought a friend with me and she took the cool photographs you see with this article) and caught my interest enough to shake the sleep from my eyes. The sun was just coming up and it was a bit chilly at Queen Anne Farm in Mitchellville.

Cloudy fog breath mixed with dog breath and made me feel right at home at the farm which is cloaked in fields of sunflowers and rows of apple trees.

And if you’re into pumpkins, Queen Anne’s is for you. They have scores of bright (and not so bright) orange

FEASTING ON FALL continued on page 4

CouncilClips Tree trimming talk

When trimming trees, the city’s Department of Public Works makes a list of trees that they want to target for pruning.

In July, 80 percent of the DPW’s tree trimming budget for this fiscal year was used, said City Administrator Elaine Murphy at a recent City Council meeting.

Councilman Mark Matulef (Ward 2) voiced concern over trees blocking some street lights.

“I did not notice any tree trimming in this area so far this year,” he said, adding that he only saw tree trimmers in a few emergency situations.“There’s a lot of tree growth and a lot of trees over meshing.”

Hyattsville contracts out for tree trimming, said Mayor William Gardiner.

“That’s been the most efficient and safest way to do the trimming of our trees,” he said.“The contractor does not do any tree trimming

around wires. That’s something that is PEPCO’s responsibility.”

As of this report, most of the tree trimming list has been completed and there are funds left for emergency situations, City Treasurer Robert Oliphant told the council.

Area on Jefferson planned for widening

The right of way on Jefferson Street will be widened by 10 feet to accommodate future Renaissance Square Artist Housing residents. The street itself will not be widened. Prince George’s County has approved this change, said City Attorney Richard Colaresi.

The project is located at the site of the former city municipal building which was demolished last year.

It is being developed by the Housing Initiative Partnership, which created similar artist accommodations in Mount Rainier in 2003.

Eighth-grader Qunicy Baker was awarded first prize for her design of a children’s logo for the City of Hyattsville

|THE PUBLICATION DEADLINE for articles and letters in the November issue is Friday, October 26th. |

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 4

Dog barks up wrong tree

Black Lab accused of multiple attacks now in custody

by Adaora Otiji

S

hana Fulcher’s dog, Ada, was attacked by a black Labrador retriever around 6 p.m. on Sept. 5 when she was walking with her daughter.

As Fulcher was walking down Oliver Street near the 41st Avenue intersection, the Labrador allegedly darted towards Fulcher and then started biting and scratching Ada. In an attempt to protect her daughter, Fulcher turned the oneyear-old’s stroller towards a fence to create a barrier against the Labrador and then proceeded to yell at the animal to stop.

Dog attacks on other dogs are not a common occurrence in Hyattsville said Sgt. Greg Phillips, public relations officer for the Hyattsville Police Department.

“In the last three years there have been about five,” he said.

In Fulcher’s case, the owners of the 6-month-old black Labrador, known as Blackie, claim that on the day Fulcher’s dog was attacked Blackie slipped out of her collar and ran down 41st Avenue.

The complaints about Blackie “playing” with other dogs began to mount and Prince George’s County Animal Control confiscated the dog six days after the attack on Ada. Jackelim Serrata one of Blackie’s owners said Animal control told her they were taking Blackie, “because she was a violent animal.”

“We have had multiple complaints about this specific dog running at large,” said Chief Rodney Taylor of Prince George’s County’s Animal Management Division. He was unable to reveal any information on the case because a hearing is pending.

Hyattsville residents say there are too many dogs that roam the

streets without leashes and present a threat to other neighborhood dogs and themselves.

“I’ve been complaining bitterly about dogs off leashes and everything else for quite a while,” said Irene Marsh, a resident of 40th Place. “I have given up walking basically. I just can’t stand it.”

To prevent dogs from prowling the streets on their own, city laws require all dogs to not only be licensed with Prince George’s County, but also to be on a leash no longer than six feet when being walked.

The enforcement of leash laws that prevent dog attacks is minimal though, said Cynthia Way, a resident whose dog was attacked about a year ago.

“I would like to see more pressure put on the City of Hyattsville to make a part-time police officer that deals with animal control,” she said.

“We’re working with the county and [the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission] to get a dog park to have a safe place for dogs to roam freely,” said Mayor William Gardiner Blackie’s owners said she is an over active dog and just likes to play. Marellen, the girl who dragged Blackie away from Fulcher’s dog, is very close to the Labrador.

“She’s my whole life, we’ve had her since she was a puppy,” the girl said. “I don’t want Blackie to be put down.”

Blackie’s hearing has not yet taken place and the Animal Management Division is holding her until a decision is made on the case. There are three possible outcomes said Taylor: the dog will be declared vicious and be disposed; vicious restrictions will be imposed on the dog; or a lack of evidence could cause the case to be

dismissed.

With the threat of uncontrolled and overactive dogs Fulcher is boning up. “I’m going to be better prepared next time,” she said.

“I live here and I have to continue to live my life.”

FEASTING ON FALL continued from page 3

monster pumpkins and tiny, kitten paw size pumpkins as well as gourds.

And for the really daring, there is a “pumpkin graveyard” too with smashed and slashed mush, barely recognizable and once having been the fall fruit (They don’t really call it a pumpkin graveyard, but Sharahn and I called it that and it stuck as we walked through the overgrown patch of pumpkin carcasses.

Some were rotten. Some were falling apart. One had the skin peeling off of it).

The farm, which also offers hayrides in the fall and a small market, has been around for 20 years, said worker Carol Brady.

Patrons come from all over, she said, including England.

There is also a small garden with growing and dried tobacco that school children on field trips like to scope out, Brady added.

Inside the open market, Brady sells peppers, pumpkins, gourds and many varieties of apples.There are also sheep and chickens on the grounds.

Queen Anne Farm is located at 18102 Central Ave. Hours of operation are: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to dusk.

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 5

Community Announcements Children’s logo displays diversity Eighth-grader Qunicy Baker was awarded first prize for her design of a children’s logo for the City of Hyattsville on Sept. 17. The design included the Maryland flag and descriptions of the cultures that make up the community.

“I’m very, very pleased that you did this for us,” Mayor William Gardiner told Baker at a City Council meeting where the award was presented. The logo will likely be used on literature for the city’s Department of Recreation and the Arts.

Discover a world of difference…

…Nov. 2 and 3 at the 22nd Annual International Craft Sale, hosted

by Hyattsville Mennonite Church, 4217 East-West Highway.

The event will feature handcrafted items from around the world— India,Vietnam Kenya, South Africa, Peru and Nicaragua—and is conducted in partnership with Ten Thousand Villages, a project of the Mennonite Central Committee.

Selected items at the sale include jewelry, weavings, pottery, carved wood, children’s toys, and holiday decorations.

Ladies who lunch

Shop Nov. 2 from 4:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Nov. 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Pageantry and petri dishes

Active Cultures, the vernacular theater of Maryland, presents Petri Dish Circus: The history of Microbiology in nine scenes of gags, burlesque, drollery and song.

The show will run from Nov. 9 – Dec. 2 and Dec. 20 at Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainer with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Fri., - Sun. Shows will be offered at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Student matinees will run at noon on Nov. 15 and 29.

The Petri Dish Circus includes juggling, comedy sketches, song and dance, along with microscopes, malaria and machismo. It was inspired

by Paul de Kruif ’s 1926 novel, Microbe Hunters.

Come see the daring-do of Louis Pasteur in his Parisian lab, the Scotch fortitude of Ronald Ross as he travels through disease-stricken Africa, and the sad Cuban saga of Walter Reed as he battles Yellow Jack.

Tickets are on sale for $12 at www.activecultures.org or by calling 800.494.8497.

City Council members Paula Perry (Ward 4) and Ruth Ann Frazier (Ward 5) take company with some seniors at Friendship Arms during a recent luncheon offered by the city’s volunteers.

Bakers, builders prepare for cookie construction

Set the oven to preheat, smear the cookie sheet with butter and pack the pastry bag for the Eighth Annual Gingerbread House Contest and Show sponsored by Darnall’s Chance House Museum. Participants must register for the contest by Nov. 9 and entries must be delivered to the museum by Nov. 18. There is a registration fee of $5 for each entry.

For contest rules or to request an entry form, call 301.952.8010 or visit www.pgparks.com.

Movies and munchies at UCC

EYA update: retail, parking, safety addressed

by Sarah Nemeth

F

illing the retail space intended for the proposed East Village component of the company’s Arts District Hyattsville project is a matter of timing, EYA executives say.

Two condominium buildings— one north and one south of the Sudsville Laundromat—will include retail space on their ground levels.

“Timing is critical,” EYA official Aakash Thakkar told the Hyattsville City Council at a Sept. 17 meeting. “There’s so much pent-up demand so we really [have to] get out there.”

Thakkar and other EYA representatives asked the council to support the detailed site plan for the project which will be brought before the Prince George’s County Planning Board on Oct. 11.

East Village will include condos, live-work space and retail, which will be focused along Jefferson St., said Larry Taub, an attorney working with EYA. The company has executed a lease with retailer Busboys & Poets, Thakkar confirmed.

“We promised [the owner] we’d get him in a place by the end of 2008,” he said... “We want to work as quickly as possible [and] live off

the momentum of what we’ve got going on the west side.”

On Sept. 27, EYA representatives, along with state, county and local officials, dedicated the Lustine Showroom, a landmark car showroom that has been incorporated into the project. The facility, now shiny and buffed, will serve the EYA community as a fitness center, complete with a juice bar, and as a community meeting area and art gallery.

That momentum translates into the sale of 80 out of the 132 units on the west side, with over 20 of those sales closed, he said.

On the east side of Baltimore Avenue, there will be about 190 townhouses, about 200 row homes and about 200 multi-family condominium units.

The proposed amount of incoming residents and retail projects brings along with it concerns over parking facilities and safety, council members asserted.

Parking will be provided directly behind corresponding retail facilities, Thakkar said. The company cut back on the number of townhouses originally planned in order to offer more parking, he said.

EYA’s detailed site plan calls for three surface parking lots, but the majority of the parking will eventually be in an underground facility, Thakkar said.

As for safety, EYA is working with the city to keep the project secure.

“I think the new plan will make it easier for police to know where retail is and how to better patrol it,” Thakkar said, referring to increased retail space along Baltimore Avenue.

Things like open lines of sight and security cameras are being discussed, he said.

As part of a monthly series of free movies for the community, the film “Hoot” will be showing on Oct. 27 at University Christian Church, 6800 Adelphi Road. Refreshments will be served at 7:00 p.m. and the movie begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information call 301.864.1520.

“The Nativity Story” will be showing on Dec.1.

Cycle through Anacostia Trails

The Anacostia Trails Fall Foliage Bike Ride & Tour will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct. 27, beginning and ending at Bladensburg Waterfront Park. The ride offers a 10, 14 or 32 mile courses. The tour route has planned stops at Riversdale Mansion, Lake Artemesia, the College Park Aviation Museum, Greenbelt’s Historic District, the Beltsville Agricultural Center and Montpelier Mansion.

Also planned are walking tours, pontoon rides on the Anacostia River, bike safety clinics, food and entertainment.

Registration fee for the day is $10 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

For more information and to preregister visit www.anacostiatrails.org or call 301.887.0777.

High-tailing it for health

Make a Difference Day, Oct. 20, will include a 5K run/walk from 8:30 a.m. - noon at Watkins Regional Park, 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro.

On-site registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and the walk/run begins at 9:00 a.m. Activities include demonstrations, a skate mobile, hand dancing and more. Pets are not permitted.

Volunteers, ages 13 and over, are needed to help with the event.

Donations of children’s scarves, hats and mittens/gloves will be collected to help families in need.

For information call 301.454.1484.

Faith, doubt discussed at Beth Torah

On Saturday, Beth Torah Congregation is offering a Shabbat Lunch and Learn event. A service begins at 10:00 a.m., followed by a light lunch and a discussion led by Rabbi Mendel Abrams. The topic will be, “Can one believe without faith? A multireligious view of faith and doubt.”

The free event will be held at the Beth Torah location, 6700 Adelphi Road.

Green living and arts festival comes to Mount Rainier

On Oct. 20, join area residents for a neighborhood cleanup and arts festival to raise awareness of environmental causes and to highlight local talent.

The event is sponsored by World Arts Focus and Joe’s Movement Emporium and is being held in conjunction with Sweeping the Avenue.

For more information, call Ayo Ngozi at 301.699.1819 or Tonya Jordan at 301.864.3860, Ext. 1.

Feasting eyes on fun at International Fesitval.

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 6

Warming home fires, heart

by Sharahn Boykin

R

etired Spc. Milton and Linda McGeehee’s dining room table resembles a living version of the childhood board game Candyland. Boxes of chocolate bars, tubs of jelly beans and gumdrops are neatly stacked. Dozens of packages of chocolate chips, oatmeal and ginger snaps are meticulously arranged on the table.

The Hyattsville couple confessed to having a sweet tooth, but the goodies aren’t for them.

Dressed in a gray shirt with the word “ARMY� across the front and a baseball cap with the words “KOREAN WAR,� Milton and his wife loaded the goodies into

dies and decks of cards to a family friend, Sgt. First Class Berlyn “Butchâ€? Lessig in Iraq. “The McGeehees are loving, caring and giving individuals who are very much appreciated by me and my soldiers,â€? said Lessig who returned from Iraq last year. “My soldiers really appreciated all the gifts and care packages ‌ they were very inspirational and thoughtful. They always send enough for everybody and they always ask if there’s anything more they can do or anything more they can send.â€?

Eventually, McGeehee started sending cookies to Walter Reed thorough a friend who worked

evolved into a community effort.

The College Park Chapter of the Loyal Order of Moose, a service club, has donated $60 a month for cookies and $20 for decks of cards.

Three Brother’s Italian Restaurant donated the pizza boxes the McGeehees use to transport the cookies.

The McGeehees also enlisted the help of fellow church members at the First Baptist Church of Hyattsville. Retired Sgt. Thomas Houchens, 83, baked 255 cookies for the couple to deliver to the hospital and mail to troops in Iraq.

For two nights, Houchens baked oatmeal, peanut butter and sugar cookies.

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Milton McGeehee and appreciative soldiers.

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their car and headed for Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in the District. They unloaded the sweets onto a small table outside of a physical therapy clinic for amputees.

at the hospital. But he soon grew weary of asking his friend to deliver the cookies and the couple decided to deliver them in person. “I was scared to death to see

“It’s just a thing I think the good Lord wants me to do to cheer up their lives,� Houchens said. “I have empathy for all those young men over there.�

Now McGeehee wants to find more sponsors to increase the frequency of deliveries and mailings. He would like be able to deliver treats to the hospital twice a month.

But in between mailings and deliveries, McGeehee still finds time to nibble on his favorite cookies—

The McGeehees are loving, caring and giving individuals who are very much appreciated by me and my soldiers. –Sgt. First Class Berlyn “Butch� Lessig “When we go there and fill the table up, it makes us feel good,� said McGeehee, a 71-year-old Korean War veteran.

McGeehee has been sending treats to the troops for the last four years. He started by mailing care packages with cookies, can-

all them guys,� said Linda, 67, as she recalled the first time they delivered the cookies in person. “I don’t like to see nobody in pain�

In the beginning, the couple personally subsidized the treats for the soldiers spending up to $100 a month. But over time the venture

Fig Newtons. Chocolate chip runs a close second, he quickly added.

As for his wife, who McGeehee affectionately refers to as “the cookie monster,� she doesn’t discriminate.

Which kind is her favorite?  “All of them,� she said.

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 7

Ramblings &Musings

by Bert Kapinus

Hair today, gone tomorrow

T

he topic today, boys and girls is hair. I like to think that hair growth is God’s way of telling us that we’re still alive. If the hair on your body stops growing, then, well, you get the idea.

I am not an anthropologist, but I can only assume that there was a biological benefit for the human race to have been hairy. If you are of the literal interpretation of the Bible persuasion, then of course there was only Adam and Eve. I am not, and I think the original human race began with 17 people. Being covered with hair from head to foot created homogeneity. Because of the small number of people, the mating selection process would have been limited.

There would have been big problems if a male in seeking a mate wanted blond hair, high cheekbones and long eyelashes, or a female looking for a husband wanting someone 6’ 2”, chiseled chin, six-pack abs and blue eyes. This selective approach to the mating game would have been detrimental to the procreation process if none of these suitors or suitees

MORALLY CORRUPT continued from page 2

ing with impartiality. Feelings have no place within the walls of a jury room during a trial. Leave that for the lawyers with a sense for the theatrical.

The judgment of a case should rest upon cold, hard law and logic. That, however, is not realistic in today’s America. Find a fair jury for another Simpson trial? Good luck! Simpson, having pulled the biggest sleight-ofhand since Houdini in the 20th century, is likely [out of luck] here in the 21st.

Since polarization was big after the last two Simpson trials, do you suppose that white America already has convicted him, and black America is thinking “Right on O.J.!” If so maybe we have not entered a new enlightened century. Maybe it is the 1990s still, and our growth has been stunted by our reliance on emotion. “Today is really only yesterday and both of them sucked.”

That might make a good carving on America’s cultural headstone.

Ready the stone mason!

(made up word) could find the object of their desires. To avoid such complications, the Great Matchmaker decided to cover everybody with hair from the tops of their heads to their feet. As a consequence, all women looked alike and men looked basically alike. One was not tempted to look for high cheekbones or full lips. What you saw in the opposite sex was what you got. Your mate didn’t look significantly different than your buddy’s mate.

As time went on, the number of individuals increased from 17 to thousands and then millions and there was no longer the danger that selectivity would be a detriment to the procreation of the human race.

At that time, we started to lose our hair (I personally would like to think that the first loss of hair occurred on women’s chests).

Shortly thereafter, the loss of facial hair probably followed. (Or maybe it was the other way around.)

In any event, the human race kept losing hair until we are where we are. All of us have hair in places we would rather not have it and

unfortunately, we are losing hair in places where we want it.

Speaking of hair loss in men, I am fascinated by how it occurs. As I was getting older, being mindful that my father had become bald at any early age, I was quite conscious of losing my hair. Once I became 40, I began to inspect my pillow each morning to see if there was any hair loss. I could not find a single hair that I had lost during the night. However, when I would look in the mirror in the morning, my hairline seemed to be receding. I assumed that I was indeed losing my hair, but I couldn’t figure out where it was going. I’ve concluded, as hard as it is to believe, men’s hair evaporates. If it just fell out, I would have hair all over my shoulders, all over my clothes, in my bed and God knows where else. I can’t say that I ever saw a single hair fall out of my head. That’s why I think it just evaporates. Even if you wear a hat 24 hours day, it will still evaporate.

Nose and ear hair growth will be the subject of my next Pulitzer Prize winning article.

Page 8

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 9

Developing with community: CDM in driver’s seat

by Michael Martucci and Sarah Nemeth

F

or Hyattsville’s new community development guru, bringing all the pieces of growth together often comes down to a balancing act.

Last month Jim Chandler was named Hyattsville’s Community Development Manager and with his arrival to town comes a wealth of ideas, skills and focus. Charged with an advisory role to the Hyattsville Planning Committee, who in turn advises the City Council on potential growth issues, Chandler’s position is not for the weary.

Hailing from the Long Island region, Chandler said Hyattsville’s small town charm is part of what lured him to the city. With little direct staff, Chandler has freedom to use his skills to the hilt.

“The opportunity to work in a small city is something I had not had the chance to do,” he said. “It’s a lot easier when the responsibility is yours.”

But that responsibility often includes juggling several initiatives at once and making them fall into place at the right time.

Finding grant funding is essential to Chandler’s function, but knowing how best to apply granted funds given the city’s myriad projects takes special insight and experience.

Chandler must investigate, communicate, balance and research funding for department’s requirements.

He then must follow through to procure and distribute the funding.

Timing is often an issue when splitting red-tape and making all of the elements mesh to maximize each grant’s benefit.

Chandler however feels at home in this tug-of-war for time.

His resume includes stints on political campaigns and work in highprofile offices with nameplates like McCarthy and Clinton.

“The city created the position of Community Development Manager because its financial position several years ago required that the city seek external funding to encourage economic development,” said City Administrator Elaine Murphy.

“Once we applied for funding we were very successful.” The city was awarded several designations including: Community Area Revitalization Effort “CARE Area”; Community Legacy Area; Prince George’s County Gateway Arts District; Anacostia Trails Heritage Area; State of Maryland Priority Places Designation; and special zoning designations such as the Transit District Overlay Zones: West Hyattsville and Prince George’s Plaza Metro Stations.

Such designations provided access to special funding resources used to address economic development.

That process required someone de-

voted to managing the projects and programs.The CDM slot was developed and created by the mayor and council to address this need, Murphy said.

And Chandler is well-suited for the task.

“He shares a mutual interest in moving the city forwarding in achieving improvements and sustainable economic development,” she said.

His swerve into public service might a good match for Hyattsville, but it is serving Chandler well too.

His background as Program Development Supervisor of Housing in Nassau County, New York offers experience that is likely to pay dividends for Hyattsville. His knowhow in administering Federal Block Grants and oversight is lockstep with the direction in which Hyattsville seems to be moving.

One of Chandler’s recent moves is to give Hyattsville the shine it deserves to maintain its spot in the limelight of livable communities.

“I was glad to see Mr. Chandler take on the issue of securing funding for a pressure-cleaner for graffiti removal in the city,” said Council President Krista Atteberry. “He explained [to] council how he is working on county, state and other funding sources to bring this needed resource to the city.

Chandler is charged by “making projects roll.” And that could prove to be a formidable project while keeping pace with the growth and bustle of Hyattsville’s expansion.

His mantra is: “Spending what we have now and demonstrating what we can do.”

Affecting quality of life issues while protecting the city’s natural resources is something he expects to tackle head-on.

His outlook is simple: “If you’re not improving economically, you’re on the decline,” he said.

Citizens can expect big projects and small scale inputs geared toward niche needs including initiating and expanding “green” efforts. Environmentally friendly avenues from the city’s tree canopy restoration to economic grants partnering with businesses and green buildings are on his mind.

Despite his self-motivation and abilities, Chandler does not see his work as a one-man show.

He is reliant on department heads to assess their needs. He seeks partnerships for economic development and keeps abreast of what the state has to offer and how to utilize its funding and services.

And Chandler is up for the challenge.

“I enjoy it,” he said of his work.

“Nothing is better than a deadline and your impact on growth and the greatest potential for growth.”

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Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 10

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Franklin’s on the runway General store boasts new floors, more elbow room

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ranklin’s Restaurant and Brewery in downtown Hyattsville has helped to keep a landmark alive for almost 100 years. This summer, the general store and restaurant underwent remodeling to keep the building around for another 100.

Franklin’s was once known as the Hyattsville Hardware Company when brothers Newman and Otis Gilbert opened the store in 1910.

Hyattsville Hardware has provided a large part of the city’s history since its establishment and Mike Franklin took that into account when he purchased the store in 1992.

The building, located at Baltimore Avenue and Gallatin Street intersection, was opened by the Gilbert brothers who had a store in Boyds, Md. that burned down. Then they started Hyattsville Hardware, according to Hyattsville City Councilman Doug Dudrow (Ward 1), a great-grandson of Otis Gilbert.

Franklin’s closed its doors this summer for

“six weeks of moving everything at least twice,� said Leni Lewis, manager and director of the general store.

The bulk of the remodeling was ripping up the century-old hardwood floors due to water damage caused by a sprinkler malfunction.

The old kitchen and fridge were ripped out as well to create more storage for the vast array of beer the store sells.

But if you don’t shop at Franklin’s on a regular basis you might not notice the changes.

Aside from the front and back of the store having different shades of wood flooring, the aisles in the back of the

store have been widened to make it easier to maneuver in the once jampacked area.

When Franklin opened the general store it began with a small restaurant with only a few tables in the back of it. In 2002 Franklin spent $1.5 million to expand the restaurant dining area to its current size while making sure that the building design blended with the facade of the old hardware store.

Franklin, who has lived in Hyattsville since 1987, said it was important to preserve the history of the building by minimizing changes.

One of the distinct features of the general store is the incorporation of original counters and shelves.

Franklin also opted to keep the original tin-pressed ceilings.

He was sad to lose the old floor but it is necessary to preserve the building for another century, Franklin said.

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

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Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 11

Judging a book by its cover

by Martha Yager

I

n one Hyattsville’s bungalow, the milkweed pod is properly venerated. Its silky gold interior glows from the center of a tiny cardboard arch with side wings, the prototype for a spice shrine.

The spice shrine is a departure for its creator, Liz St. Rain, a kitchen designer by day for Wells Woodworking Specialties on U.S. Route 1. Ordinarily, she makes book and paper art in her spare time.

In her paper making, St. Rain uses familiar plants that she gathers herself, including milkweed, to produce textures and colors. Her primary material is abaca, a banana tree fiber imported from the Philippines, which she combines with fibers from iris, cattails, bamboo, ironweed, and other local plants. When a paper sheet is still wet in the mold, she may add a leaf, a strand of yarn, or a fiber in a contrasting color, in a process known as inclusion.

“I’m very fond of...the idea of making something precious that might not necessarily be considered precious as you’re running about life,” she said.

“And holding it up and putting it on a pedestal or...in a niche...and giving it a context, to me is fascinating.”

Hence the inspiration for the spice shrine. The spices will sit in the side wings, perhaps with fruit in the center.

“Hopefully, it will be surrounded by places where I can put little adoring vegetables... And a place for onions...a choir of onions.”

St. Rain has been making books for much of her life but began to focus on them seriously two years ago. She credits book artist Daniel Essig, of Asheville, North Carolina, with teaching her many techniques, including how to make little windows of mica.

One of her creations is a book with wooden covers, bound in Ethiopian Coptic style with exposed stitching on the spine. She painted the covers in layers of dark colors, then wore them down to create a subtle texture, rubbing on brown waxes to soften the effect. On the front is a mica window that half reveals a form within. “[It’s] a sliver I found at the foot

of an immense standing stone in Brittany, France,” she said. “Meeting those stones felt very sacred-it seemed like I had an ancient bond with them. So it’s a relic of that experience.”

Books as art have a long history, according to Amanda Degener, one of the founders and original co-editors of Hand Papermaking magazine. The French have been making them since the 1800s. In Asia they date to the 1400s.

“Liz is very talented,” Degener said. “She is able to appreciate and explore the traditions and also make a contemporary statement of relevance to 2007.”

St. Rain’s main focus at present is her lunar journal, a book with blank pages that can be used for writing each day. The thick, white paper cover has ice-creamy mounds and ridges. Inside are beige sheets with finely torn edges. The book comes with a set of moon tabs, also with irregular edges.

The tabs are dark blue like the night sky. On each is a moon the size of a blueberry, painted in uneven coppery tones, golden mica, and iridescent white. The moon’s shapes portray each day’s waxing or waning.

St. Rain is looking for timesaving methods to make the journal available for others, yet keep its handmade beauty. The dilemma is familiar to Gretchen Schermerhorn, resident papermaker at Pyramid Atlantic, a paper arts center in Silver Spring where St. Rain belongs to a paper-making group. Schermerhorn and St. Rain are devotees of traditional hand processes.

But Schermerhorn notes unprecedented experimentation by many contemporary artists, who “have extended paper’s aesthetic role far beyond the limits of its accustomed use.” She adds, “I feel that Liz is one of these artists.”

For St. Rain, keeping a journal is a way to self-understanding, and the moons are part of that. The writing can help us to honor rather than fear the changes we go through, which are natural, like the moon’s phases.

“You’ve got a question, you have no idea why such and such is such a way, and then you start writing, and before you know it, out from your pencil flows...wisdom.”

Hyattsville police push to reduce traffic violations

by Dani Parnass

I

n response to many complaints over traffic violations in residential areas, the Hyattsville City Police Department launched an initiative to promote street safety.

Operation Safe Streets is a special project from the police department to reduce the number of accidents caused by excessive speeding, stop sign violations and

aggressive driving. In addition to placing marked and unmarked police cars throughout the city, traffic enforcement officers provide residents with the option to submit any traffic-related complaints.

In 2004, there were 780 trafficrelated accidents reported, 69 of

POLICE PUSH continued on page 19

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 12

SchoolNews Hyattsville Elementary bursting at seams

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ighter budgets and the growing population of children have caused the severe overcrowding of Hyattsville Elementary School.

Jeanne Washburn, principal of Hyattsville Elementary asked the fifth-grade class in room 16 one afternoon, “How many of you know where the parent room had to go�?

The pupils had many guesses, but few were sure because of the school’s constant shifting of rooms to make space for more students and classrooms.

The parent room, which is required in every Prince George’s County Public School, provides valuable resources for parents from community resources to library card forms. It has occupied many rooms in Hyattsville Elementary this year alone and at one time the parent room was in Room 16 but is now housed in a small room in the basement of the school.

Hyattsville Elementary is an allwalking school, so only kids in the area attend the school. The rising number of pupils and limited amount of space should serve as a warning to the community as more older couples move out of the area and younger couples ready to raise their children move in to take their place.

Washburn said when the new Rosa L. Parks Elementary School opened and Hyattsville became and all-walking school they lost 200 pupils, but later gained 100 more due to redistricting. This school year

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Hyattsville resident Judy Robinson also addressed the school board and urged the county to carefully handle finances for the new schools. “I am asking you to look at this with a great deal of caution,� she said. “Don’t let P.G. [Prince Georges] County get stuck the way we have in the past.�

The Board voted in favor of an earlier plan with the change of adding in the proposed Hyattsville school.

Hyattsville Elementary schools pupils from nine different countries that speak 10 different languages and as a result, English as a Second Language (ESL) classes are an important part of the curriculum.

The school currently has 116 ESL pupils, not including pre-K pupils, and two full-time ESL teachers. Last year the school employed three ESL teachers, but they lost one last year and are currently trying to find a part-time ESL teacher and struggling even more to find space for a third ESL class.

The space planned for the new ESL teacher is a room that has been divided into three separate sections with shelves and stacks of boxes. Two makeshift classrooms for special education and a third ESL classroom, as well as a storage area for the schools supplies occupy the space. “They’ve been working so hard because they want to keep the same quality,� Washburn said. “Four more kids would give us permission for a full-time ESL teacher.�

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Hyattsville Elementary enrolled 529 pupils, which is up from the 460 enrolled last year. “Our school was very overcrowded until they built Rosa Parks; it alleviated crowding here, “said Annette Jackson-Jolly, Hyattsville Elementary PTA president.� Now the numbers are kind of creeping up again.�

Hyattsville Elementary uses four temporary classrooms on the campus for two fifth- and sixth-grade classes.

Temporaries allow for a quick fix to the overcrowding at public schools, but they also isolate students from main school buildings and one child complained of no bathrooms in the stand-alone classrooms.

Relief seemed imminent at a Prince George’s County Board of Education meeting on Sept. 20. The board heard arguments from 25 residents and elected officials for a plan proposed by District 2 Rep. Heather Iliff, that would create three smaller technical high schools in the county and also keep the proposed date of 2011 for the construction of a third elementary school in Hyattsville.

Hyattsville residents in support of the plan and those against it attended the meeting. “We are expecting a great amount of growth‌by 2013, 2014 there will be at least 500 seats overcapacity,â€? said Mayor William Gardiner. He addressed the board pressing strongly for a new elementary school. “We can’t afford to build $3 million facilities where there is less need than other areas,â€? he said.

ou may have noticed the brightly colored yellow and green bins strategically placed around some of the schools in the city recently. These bins were provided by Abitibi-Consolidatied Recycling and they offer residents a centralized location to drop off paper to be recycled and local schools an opportunity raise funds. A-CR provides the Paper Retriever bins and sits each one in a convenient area where residents can drop off clean, dry newspaper, magazines, catalogs, folders, colored paper, fax and copy paper and yes, even envelopes with windows! The recovered paper is picked up and weighed. The school receives

a monthly statement detailing the weight and a check for the amount collected. Recovered paper is then directed to a de-inking facility and mills where it is used to manufacture recycled content newsprint. Five schools and one church in Hyattsville participate in the program. New to the program this year is St. Jerome School. Mary Pat Donoghue, the school’s vice principal, embraced this opportunity. “This is really exciting,� she said. “Our students have long been diligent recyclers. We teach our students to be good members of our community and to the world. The Paper Retriever is one tool to demonstrate those lessons. “Since each bin can hold one ton of paper we’d like to encourage

residents in the city to bring their household paper to be recycled. It will be wonderful when fill one bin but we’d like to create the demand for a second bin on school property�   Locations of the Paper Retriever bins include St. Jerome School, 5207 42nd Place; Concordia Lutheran School, 3705 Longfellow Street and at 3799 East West Highway; Rosa L. Parks Elementary School, 6111 Ager Road; Northwestern High School, 7000 Adelphi Road; and First United Methodist Church of Hyattsville, 6201 Belcrest Road.

Funds raised stay in the community and benefit local institutions.The Paper Retriever does not accept phone books or cardboard, but cardboard can be recycled at Magruder Park.

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 13

Highlights from the ‘Hills’

by Tim Hunt

H

yattsville’s newest neighborhood is officially here. On July 1st of this year, the City of Hyattsville started serving the residents of the University Hills neighborhood, located just south of Route 193 on the west side of Adelphi Road near the University of Maryland, after annexing it in a process that stirred up controversy and pitted neighbor against neighbor for over three years.

When my wife and I moved to University Hills six years ago, we were greeted by many of our neighbors, one of whom had lived in the neighborhood since it was being built almost 60 years ago. We were told stories of times past, how neighbors used to have block parties, how there were many families with children, and how there was an active civic association to serve the residents. To many, University Hills had since kind of settled into a malaise.

One of the issues many residents began to feel helpless about was an increase in the number of student rental houses that were being operated illegally and unscrupulously by absentee landlords. While student renters are a vital and exciting part of our community, it was felt by many that Prince George’s County did an inadequate job of enforcing codes including restrictions on occupancy and noise ordinances. This and other factors such as crime, untimely snow removal, and poor maintenance of neighborhood infrastructure caused a group of residents to petition the Hyattsville City Council for annexation of the neighborhood into the city.

A petition for annexation was circulated among the residents and was approved by the council. At that point, residents had the opportunity to circulate a petition that would bring the annexation to a referendum of registered voters. The fun was just beginning as the city did not recognize this counter petition as valid because of problems with the signature gathering process. Therefore, annexation was to proceed without a referendum based on council approval of the original annexation petition which included 25 percent of registered voters holding at least 25 percent of assessed property value.

The city’s first official action on the day it annexed University Hills was to issue warnings overnight on Labor Day weekend in 2004 threatening a $35 ticket for cars that were parked with their left tire to the curb. Those residents who were in town for the holiday weekend woke up to finding these warnings stuck on dozens of cars on the street and many were furious. It was indicative of the type of bullying that many residents felt they experienced during the annexation process. At the same time, police presence in the neighborhood increased and the city started

its code enforcement procedures.

While the neighborhood was enjoying city services and paying city taxes, a group of residents sued in the Circuit Court of Prince George’s County seeking to invalidate the annexation based on incorrect signature gathering procedures. The court found in their favor, the annexation was thrown out, property taxes were refunded, and University Hills reverted back to county services.

The petition process was started over without including houses east of Adelphi Road or the apartment complex north of the neighborhood. At the same time, a group of residents formed a steering committee to reorganize the University Hills Civic Association which had become dormant in the 1990s. Motives were varied as some felt that a strong civic association would alleviate the need for city services and its corresponding taxation. Others were convinced that a civic association, while a good idea, was inadequate and that a stronger local government was necessary. Ultimately, a referendum was held in 2006 and annexation into the City of Hyattsville was supported by over 60 percent of those who voted.

In the end, there were two camps of people who needed to be brought together as neighbors as the dust was settling. Cooler heads prevailed and the University Hills Civic Association was revived and expanded to include all homes north of Northwestern High School including a few streets that had already been incorporated.

“I’ve always said that the civic association could be somewhat of an ombudsman, keeping a collective eye on the local government, even campaigning against some stuff of which we don’t approve, and, on the other hand, endorsing things we like,” said Tim Scanlon, President of the UHCA. With that philosophy in mind and in keeping with the spirit of the UHCA successfully fighting the destruction of the park and Duck Pond by the proposed I-95 highway and METRO “E” alignment construction many years ago, many members are becoming involved in fighting unchecked development in the area. Also, the University Hills Civic Association hosted a candidate forum during the city elections, has had Director of Public Works Lee Henry as our guest, and looks forward to having members of the city police department discuss ways to keep the neighborhood safe during future meetings. During this time, Ward 3 Council members Krista Atteberry and Anthony Patterson, one of our neighbors, have kept us informed of local developments and have been immensely helpful with transitioning our neighborhood into the city.

Thankfully, it hasn’t all been serious business in the neighborhood. University Hills was pleased to welcome County Councilman

Will Campos, Hyattsville Mayor William Gardiner and others to the official opening of its new playground last October. Also, this summer, the Department of Recreation hosted a Family Fun Night and Teddy Bear Parade at the Duck Pond. The highlight of which was having Banjer Dan lead a parade of children and their families around the Duck Pond.

This October, the UHCA looks forward to reviving its annual Halloween Parade which had been a fixture in the neighborhood until the association disbanded.

“Essential to the operation of any such organization is good

communication among members and potential members,” said Tom Eichman, Editor of the UHCA Newsletter. “Regular meetings can bring interested members together where more ears can have access to more mouths. But members have to be notified about location and date of meetings in order to

get their ears and mouths to the right place at the right time.”

With the newsletter, word of mouth, and a UHCA Web site, residents of University Hills are looking forward to a future of working with each other and local government to improve their quality of life and that of their neighbors.

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 14

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HealthCorner Bite into dental health

by Ronald Grossman, DDS

Y

ou know the drill—it’s what you hope to avoid with regular brushing and flossing. Brushing will help get rid of plaque, the main cause of tooth decay and gum disease. Plaque is a sticky film that is deposited on your teeth. It is made up of bacteria, mucus and minerals in the saliva. Bacteria break the sugars and starches from foods into acids, which attack the enamel on your teeth, causing tooth decay and gum infection.

Clean, white teeth, healthy gums and fresh breath are usually an indication of overall good oral health. These toothy tips will keep you smiling. Â

Mouth maintenance

n Eat a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Avoid foods high in sugar or starch.

Drink plenty of water. n Brush at least once a day. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. n Floss at least once a day or use an interdental cleaner—a special pick or brush you use between your teeth. n Replace your tooth brush every three to four months or earlier if it’s worn out. When you buy a new toothbrush look for the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance on the label. n Visit your dentist or dental hygienist at least once a year. Â

Tooth decay, plaque, food trapped between teeth, a coated tongue sinus infection or obstructive nasal conditions, pharyngitis, some stomach problems diabetes and other medical problems all may cause bad breath.  Gum Care Gum disease is a serious infection. If you don’t brush and floss every day, plaque can build up below the gum line and cause your gums to become infected and sore. Severe gum disease, called periodontitis, can cause teeth to become loose, fall out or need to be removed.

You can have gum disease and not know it. If you have chronic bad breath, red and swollen gums, bleeding gums, gums that have pulled away from your teeth, loose teeth or other changes in your mouth, see your dentist right away. Recent studies show that gum disease can lead to pre-

term deliveries and low birthweight babies.

Â

Bad Breath

Despite what the commercials say, mouthwash doesn’t really get rid of bad breath. A common cause of bad breath is strongsmelling food, such as onions or garlic. As long as the offending food remains in your system, your breath will tell the tale.

What’s happening in your area of the city?

Tell us what you'd like to see in future issues of HL&T. Contact Sarah at 240.354.4832.

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 15

CounselingCorner Give yourself credit for doing well

T

he world can be a pretty harsh place. People can be critical or unappreciative of what we do or how hard we try.

Even worse, however, is when we are our own harshest critic.

Many people have trouble believing they’ve done well, even when told so by others. They dismiss such compliments, feeling like a failure or knowing they could have done better.

The problem is that such an overly critical attitude makes it difficult to find the pleasure and joy in your life and accomplishments. Counselors refer to this as “minimizing the positive” or “telescopic thinking.” Like looking through the wrong end of the telescope, it makes your accomplishments look smaller, rather than magnifying them.

It can be a difficult problem, but one that can be solved. A starting point to break that cycle of negative thinking is simply to remind yourself of your positive strengths.

One helpful exercise is to take a piece of paper and make a list of five things you know you do right. They don’t have to be things you do perfectly, just ones

you do well. Your list might include, “I work hard to be a good mother (or father)” or “I care about my friends and try to help them when help is needed.”

If you’re currently overly critical of yourself, it might seem difficult to find five items for your list. But take your time and think about those things you care about and try to do well.

If you come up with more than five items, write them all down.

This is a private list, one meant to help you appreciate “you.” Put your completed list in your wallet or purse. Then, over the next couple of weeks, whenever someone compliments you and you find yourself thinking the praise wasn’t deserved, pull out your list.

Rather than convincing yourself you really didn’t do well, look at those things where you know you succeed, and remind yourself that you actually are a person deserving of praise and compliments.

You might even want to add the latest compliment to your list.

“The Counseling Corner” is provided as a public service by the American Counseling Association.

No squirming in these dental chairs

by Eli Segall

W

ith more than 23,000 patients and nearly $7 million in projected revenue this year, The Dental Group is not your average bunch of teeth cleaners and cavity fixers.

The size and scale of the practice on Route 1 near East West Highway is immediately felt when entering the office.

On the second floor, just steps from the elevator, foot-high letters spelling “The Dental Group” greet patients.

The sign makes a statement, said practice administrator Carol Patsel.

“We’re large,” said Patsel. “We’re a large practice.”

Despite the group’s largesse, The Dental Group’s founder, Mark McClure, takes pride in the individual care he and his colleagues provide. Patients make appointments with specific dentists; they are not assigned at random, he said.

“It’s an individual practice in a group setting,” McClure said while sitting in a patient consultation room filled with computers, magazines and plaster teeth models.“Everyone has their own dentist.”

McClure, an Ohio native who moved to the Washington area to play baseball for Catholic University, brings

a unique, yet controversial, approach to dentistry. McClure, 60, is a holistic dentist, which means he uses alternative treatments for certain problems.At a patient’s request, for example, McClure will treat chronic pain with vitamins, minerals or herbs.

A staple of The Dental Group is their refusal to fill cavities with mercury, which McClure described as “the most toxic metal known to man that’s not radioactive.” Fillings, or amalgam, are composed of mercury and several other materials, he noted. McClure said he uses gold, which is “much safer.”

The American Dental Association supports mercury fillings.

“Let me be unequivocal–dental amalgam is a safe material. This is without question,” said the association’s consumer advisor, Dr. Edmond Hewlett.

In addition, the association’s website says holistic dentistry is “scientifically unproven” and does not “conform to generally accepted dental practices.”

Nevertheless, The Dental Group has a horde of loyal patients, most of whom live in the Hyattsville area.

Delores Vaughn, who recently went in for an appointment, has been a pa-

DENTAL Continues on page 19

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Commentaries and opinions on history and politics

Hugh’sNews Former White House aide contradicts Hillary Clinton

by Hugh Turley and Mark Wright

A

for mer Clinton White House staffer told federal investigators that Hillary Clinton visited Vincent W. Foster in his office four times shortly before his body was found. This infor mation, which comes from an FBI interview report recently discovered by this paper, directly contradicts Clinton’s stated recollection of the last time she spoke to her for mer law colleague.

On May 3, 1994, the FBI interviewed Thomas Castleton who worked in Foster’s office.

He was asked who visited Vincent Foster in his office: “He said that he saw Hillary

Clinton in Vincent Foster’s office approximately four times,” reads the FBI report.

Later that day Foster’s body was found dead at Fort Marcy Park in Virginia. The U.S. Justice Department and the Park Police ruled that the death was a suicide.

Independent Counsel Robert Fiske and associate counsel Roder ick Lankler questioned Clinton at the White House under oath. She repeatedly said she could not recall the last time she saw Vincent Foster.

Clinton’s office has not responded to requests from the Hyattsville Life & Times for a comment on the contradic-

tion between her statement and Castleton’s statement to federal investigators.

The meetings may have been related to a myster ious investigative dossier related to Bill Clinton’s activities while Gover nor of Arkansas, that Jane Parks, the widow of detective Jer ry Parks, said Foster wanted to tur n over to Hillary Clinton. Jer ry Parks had been chief of secur ity in Arkansas for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign.

Two months after Foster’s death, Parks was ambushed in his car and shot to death outside Little Rock. The murder remains unsolved to this day.

Bringing ‘HIP’ to Hyattsville

by Vicki Kriz

A

local non-profit developer plans to breathe new life into the vacant lot that once served the community as the location for municipal government proceedings. The Housing Initiative Partnership Inc. will oversee the development of Renaissance Square—a subsidized housing project for artists that is expected to be completed in the summer of 2008.

Previously the site of the old city hall, Renaissance Square will be located at 4307 Jefferson St. next to Hyattsville Elementary School. The municipal building was demolished over the summer.

The city was eager to revitalize the property, said Ava Kuo, multifamily developer for HIP. “We thought it was important to have a public-serving property remain public serving,” she said.

The project features a 44-unit apartment building to house artists who make 30 to 50 percent of the median income in the Washington Primary Metropolitan Statistical Area. Federal lowincome tax credits as well as state and county housing development money will be used to fund the project.

Tenants will pay reduced rental fees and complete at least four hours of community service a month.

Tenants will have access to a not-for-retail gallery, a 3000square-foot studio, a music room, two computers equipped with graphics software, and a high-

ventilation room for artists working with volatile organic materials such as adhesives, glues, and paints.

The building will also be “green” with an environmentally-friendly roof, siding, and flooring.

Stuart Eisenberg, executive director of the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation, believes artists have been flocking to Hyattsville because of the community’s affordability, large housing stock and convertible industrial spaces.

The Hyattsville CDC is currently working with the Gateway Community Development Corporation to develop the Prince George’s County Gateway Arts District, a state-designated arts and entertainment district area spanning the communities of Mount Rainier, North Brentwood, Brentwood, and Hyattsville. The project includes market-price housing and retail development located on Route 1.

Both of these features, Eisenberg said, will make this project more effective in creating an economic impact and revitalizing the community.

“It’s a good project in and of itself, but it’s not a catalyst for the district,” Eisenberg said in reference to the Renaissance Square project.

Kuo, however, believes that the project will have an enormous impact on the community, economically and socially. She estimates the project over time will be worth $56 million as property values increase. The construction

of a YMCA facility linked to the HIP project will be completed later than the housing development and is expected to provide benefits to Hyattsville residents who now travel to Greenbelt for recreation.

“It’s not something that happens overnight,” Kuo said.

Dyrell Madison, a Mount Rainier artist and café owner, said the establishment of subsidized artist housing allows artists to maintain focus on their craft and provides great benefits to the artist community.

“Artists are the working poor,” he said. “If you have to work two jobs to pay your rent, you’d never be able to pursue your passion.”

Madison and his wife Andaiye, own the Artmosphere Café, a specialty beverage café and lounge complete with performance space, located on the lobby level of the Mount Rainier Artist Lofts, a subsidized apartment building for artists on Rhode Island Avenue.

Madison, a drummer and a painter, believes the artist housing in Mount Rainier, anchored

by Artmosphere, is successful in bringing the artists of the community “out of their cubbyholes.”

“You don’t see the artists as much as we know they’re there,” Madison said. “[Artmosphere has] done a lot to bring awareness of the arts to the community. The community is becoming an arts Mecca, but it’s not there yet.”

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 17

Balloon Fun! A balloon race at the Crittenden Street Block Party last month.

DEMATHA

continued from page 1 concerned residents. Although there is police presence in the area dur ing school hours, officers are usually going through shift changes in the morning when kids are going to school so their presence fluctuates then, she said.

Hyattsville City Police Sgt. Greg Phillips said that there have not been many reports brought to the police on minor accidents from the traffic problem.

“We try to be attentive to all complaints,” he said. On the other hand, a lack of complaints from residents to the police, has resulted in limited follow up, Phillips said.

The mor ning is one of the heaviest traffic points during the day, said Acting Patrol Commander Lt. Mark Roski.

Officers are often called away from the area to tend to more urgent matters, he added.

According to Phillips, the back of DeMatha occupies about a block and a half of 43rd

CRIME TREND continued from page 1

June 2006 there were 250 thefts.

A year later, there were 655.

The most significant crime increase was in the fourth ward where the Mall at Prince George’s and most of the surrounding businesses are located.

Despite the numbers, it’s not just the mall that accounts for the increase in crime, according to Hyattsville Police Sgt. Gary Blakes, supervisor of a special service unit on Belcrest Road devoted to the Mall area.

“It’s not as much the Mall at Prince Georges, it’s development in the city as a whole,” that’s caused the increase in crime, Blakes said.

The area has seen new projects

Photo: Jonathan Barrett

Avenue and there is a shar ing of space between residents and the school.

But the root of the DeMatha traffic issue lies not in police coverage, said DeMatha Pr incipal Daniel McMahon. Instead, he blamed the lack of a traffic signal at the intersection of Madison Street and U.S. Route 1, where the school is located.

When heading north on Route 1, students often turn left onto Jefferson Street and then r ight onto 43rd Avenue which provides a direct entrance to DeMatha.

Another problem is that people are parking on both sides of the street, Roski said.

“We've installed No Parking signs on one side of the street and we’ve also installed no parking areas from curb to another area “so cars can turn freely,” he said.

After the installation of these signs last week, there seems to be some improvement.

“I have not heard any complaints yet,” Roski said.

DeMatha is willing to work with and support the city in a

venture to manage traffic.

McMahon said that the school administration has told the police and the City of Hyattsville at least once a year that the school will cooperate.

“DeMatha is happy to assist with, comply with anything that gets us more traffic calming devices,” he said.

But the city has not taken action to put in these additional calming devices on 43rd Avenue, McMahon said.

The Hyattsville City Council passed legislation that allows for an advisory committee, establishing a dialogue between DeMatha and its neighbors through a Memorandum of Understanding, said Council President Kr ista Atteberry (Ward 3).

This document, which will go into play after construction of DeMatha’s Convocation Center, was approved in December.

The need for the MOU stems from long-ter m problems with congestion.

The understanding provides for lines of communication between DeMatha and the residents.

like the Towers and the Metro Shops at Prince George’s Plaza.

Towers resident Justin Robillard is aware of the numbers, and while he feels secure, he still keeps his guard up.

“You just use common sense,” Robillard said in a phone interview. “I feel pretty safe—not to say something couldn’t happen.”

To deal with enforcement of the area, the city added two officers to the force, both of whom work out of the Belcrest substation.

“It’s such a busy area, and it’s getting busier and busier,” said Sharon Hampton, police supervisor of communications and records. “Us being involved in what’s going on there and being able to control it so closely benefits us and our residents.”

The annexation of the area hasn’t cost the city much more, according to City Treasurer Robert Oliphant. The police department’s budget has increased, but it does so every year, he said.

“The revenue it [the Mall area] creates far exceeds the cost to the city,” Oliphant said. “It’s a very high value piece of property.”

Despite increasing the overall crime numbers for Hyattsville, police are confident locals are better served by the city’s presence.

Hyattsville’s patrol of the area is better than when it was only monitored by the Prince George’s County Police, Blakes said.

“I know our enforcement is pretty good,” he said.

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 18

UTC RETAIL

continued from page 1 fessor at the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth.

“People want that pedestrian experience,” said Ewing, who was not familiar with the Hyattsville project. “They’re tired of strip commercial malls and auto dependence.”

Still, some criticize the centers as sterile and artificial, he noted.

“They’re kind of–I think of them as instant downtowns,” he said.

The 56-acre complex, which is owned by private developer Prince George’s Metro Center, will have a dozen restaurants, a Safeway grocery store and a Royale-14 Cinema as well as office space and other retail. A students-only high-rise, The Towers at UTC, opened more than a year ago, and two condominium buildings are near completion.

Currently, only the movie house, which opened June 1, and Qdoba restaurant, which opened Sept. 28, are ready for business.

“Sales are pretty good right now,” said Jawed Kahn, Royale-14 division manager, who declined to

say the number of tickets sold. “It’ll get better as things open around the center.”

Qdoba, a Mexican fast-food franchise, offers free sodas to students and accepts University of Maryland meal plans, said co-owner Scott Bocek.

More restaurants will open by the end of the year, said town center spokeswoman Catherine Timko.

Timko, a former urban planner, said the town center “has a far greater chance of success” than other lifestyle projects, which she said are often “sterile.”

“You already have an established environment here,” she said, referring to the center’s office buildings, which hold 5,000 government and private sector workers, and the residents of nearby University Park.

That success may be borne through food. Several people interviewed by the Hyattsville Life & Times mentioned the new eateries, which include a sushi bar and an Italian restaurant, as a source of excitement.

“I’m kind of stoked there’ll be some restaurants here,” said University of Maryland sophomore Ryan Brittingham, who lives on

Adelphi Road.

“Most people at our office are looking forward to more lunch options,” said Decker, one of many federal employees on site. “We’re looking for something a little more than the food court [at the Mall].”

LaNita McWillliams, a University of Maryland junior, moved to The Towers when it opened in August 2006, and now works for the building. Towers residents hail from nearly a dozen colleges and universities, and most move in because of limited housing stock near their campuses, she said.

However, the town center and its future nightlife often prove a “deciding factor” in signing a lease, she said, as her friends tossed a football and the jazz on America Boulevard played behind them.

Harold Auto B ’s ody

4506 Hamilton Street Hyattsville, MD 20781 301-864-9265 Fax: 301-864-9349

Hyattsville Life&Times | October 2007

Page 19

The BackPage omething happened on the way to middle age. It settled right in under my nose and under my belly button. Now that I’m part of the over 40 crowd I have inherited a family heirloom—a stomach that won’t go away! How can this be? I am still active and attempt to stay in shape by working out three times a week. Perhaps the 23 trips a day to the ice cream factory has something to do with it!

According to the website Obesity Help, 58 million Americans are well beyond overweight and fall into the obese category. That is one-third of

us. I can tell you just where that extra one-third falls upon me. It’s between the waist and chest! Let’s think about that. I certainly must be in shape. I’m carrying an extra 30 pounds around with me wherever I go. That’s like constantly exercising! Unfortunately the only dumbbell in this workout scenario is me.

Since the concoction of the food pyramid by the Department of Agriculture in the early 1970s, the population has been swelling. Our ranks, and abdomens, are now near the popping stage.

I have been doing what I am able for

the last three decades to max out the requirement for breads and grains. I’d just start eating at sun up and finish when dusk rolled around. Actually the only thing rolling around these days is me!

The USDA has finally said enough is enough. As unnamed high placed USDA sources were misquoted saying, “Egad, we’ve created a nation of Pillsbury dough boy blobs, and they’re coming this way…”

So now quietly the USDA put into action a new colorful three- dimensional pyramid. I now should only eat 3½ whole grains per day.After 30 years of daily eating considerably more I fear that my body will shrivel up and blow away if I follow the new program!

Someone in the government must have figured a way to make workers do less by having them eat similarly.

Being one of those worker government leeches too I find it all confusing.

I’m so used to watermelon bellies that I don’t think I will recognize my fellow Americans when they get in shape simply by following the new “eat less / more wisely” food pyramid program. If the new pyramid is made out of something fattening I’m sure we’ll all notice it a lot quicker!

Giosue’ Santarelli is the pseudonym for a well-known former HL&T editor.

DENTAL

scribed her dentist there as “very nice, very gentle.”

“I hope they don’t change my insurance again,” she said. “They make you feel very at home here.”

Founded in 1981 at The Mall at Prince George’s, The Dental Group has 11 dentists and 50 employees. Its 8,000-square foot office has 17 treat-

ment areas, a technician’s lab and a front lobby complete with an aquarium and an aviary.

“They’ve been known to escape while we clean the cage,” Patsel said of the birds in the aviary. “We keep a net handy.”

The company, which moved to its current location nine years ago this

by Giosue’ Santarelli

The battle of the bulge

S

Continued from page 15 tient since 1995, save for some years when her company’s insurance carrier changed. She returned to The Dental Group a few months ago, she said.

Vaughn, a Hyattsville resident, de-

50

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POLICE PUSH

month, sets annual revenue goals. If the benchmarks are met, staff members are treated to an all-expense paid vacation.

Since 2001, when the benchmarks started, there have been five vacations, including a cruise to the Bahamas, and trips to the Mayan Riviera, Dominic Republic and Jamaica, Patsel said.

Last month, over Labor Day week-

or come to a full stop as soon as they see a police car, Murphy said.

Ginger Henson, community manager for Hyattsville House Apartments who has lived at 6000 42nd Ave. for 15 years, said the police are doing a great job stopping and ticketing traffic violators.

“I see them pulling people over all the time,” she said.

Henson lives across the street from Hyattsville Middle School and is concerned because there are always kids running around and she constantly sees people speeding down her street.

“I just wish the City of Hyattsville would put in a speed bump or stop sign to slow people down,” she said.

Fines vary between $70 and $520 dollars in addition to receiving between one and five points on a license, depending on the violation, according to the City of Hyattsville’s Web site.

Speeding and aggressive driving tend to incur heavier fines than stop sign violations.

Continued from page 11 which involved injuries, with one being fatal, according to the city accident statistics.

The project began two years ago, according to Police Chief Douglas Holland. Of the 50 miles of roads within Hyattsville there are one thousand intersections controlled by more than 600 stop signs.

The project was created in response to resident complaints about speeding and stop sign violations, said City Administrator Elaine Murphy.

“People who run stop signs are always an issue because pedestrians are at risk as well as the value of a vehicle that’s in an accident,” she said. “No matter who you are or where you are, if people are not following the regulations of the road it’s a problem.”

The police also rely on residents to inform police of any traffic violations to deal with those who suddenly slow down

end, The Dental Group visited Cancun, Mexico.

“It was gorgeous,”said Lynn Migneault, who works at the front desk.

The incentives program is “great,” she said.“It gives us something to look forward to and a goal to set for ourselves.”

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