Hyattsville Life & Times November 2007 Issue

Vol. 4 No. 11

EcoArts Festival

see pg. 12

Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper

November 2007

Outgrowing the outfit

Should the number of city City grows council members be reduced?

as police numbers remain flat

A

s Hyattsville continues to grow geographically and develop economically the need for more police officers has been a common theme at Hyattsville City Council Meetings in the month of October.

As the city steadlily grows, the number of sworn police officers has not kept up, reports Mark Matulef, Councilman for Ward Two. Though the Hyattsville City Police Department has been able to attract more police officers, they have had a difficult time retaining personnel, upgrading equipment and more importantly, unable to sufficiently serve a growing city.

“Our job is to protect the residents and businesses in Hyattsville, and we can’t do

CITY GROWS continued on page 13

by Kate Russell

T

he City of Hyattsville has the largest council in the state and some say the body might function better if it was slimmed down a bit.

The size of Hyattsville’s City Council is surpassed only by Baltimore, which is categorized with the counties, said Mayor William Gardiner.

As the city grows, the function of the council is changing, Gardiner said, and it is perhaps time to reconsider the 10-member council.

“It may seem counter-intuitive to see the city getting larger and want a smaller council,” he said,“But with the growing of the city, the council’s role is changing—and a deliberative body of 10 is a little more complicated than, say, a deliberative body of seven.”

Longtime activist David Levy has

lived in Hyattsville for 26 years. The council has had two members from each of its five wards for as long as he can remember.

“Clearly by comparison we are way oversized,” he said. “I recommend fewer council members and paying the members more money.

“We have a great mayor and a great council, but six would be plenty.”

Residents can speak to council members or the mayor about specific problems,Gardiner said,adding,though, that the primary role of the council has evolved as the city has grown.

“Generally, the first line of request is now to [a] city employee,” he said.

Councilman Mark Matulef (Ward 2) said the size of the council is not an issue before the council.

“The size is just kind of what it

OUTGROWING continued on page 9

Hyattsville police overextended?

by Ben Meyerson

B

Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781

arbara Runion has lived in Hyattsville for 40 years, and has experienced her fair share of the area’s crime.

“I was attacked by a man with a machete in broad daylight right at the P.G. Plaza shopping center,” Runion said. “I know what’s out there.”

Runion thinks the development in the area around the Mall at Prince George’s, along with other

projects popping up around the city, is going to bring a more caustic environment.

“This is going to be a mini Rosslyn in Hyattsville, and with that is going to come crime,” she said.

With the city’s expansion and redevelopment, some city officials are wondering if the Hyattsville police are properly equipped to handle the increased workload that will likely follow.

OVEREXTENDED continued on page 18

Diners Ralph Keefer and Diane Waterholter share company and a warm meal at St. Jerome's Café.

Heart to God, hand to man

[Diners thankful for warm food at St. Jerome’s Café]

by Laurie White

E

ven when it’s cold, the Gold Room at St. Jerome’s Catholic Church is the warmest place you’ll find on a Thursday morning in Hyattsville.

Every week for more than 16 years, a team of volunteers has prepared and served a meal to anyone who shows up to eat lunch at the St. Jerome’s Café.

“God says you should help the people who need help,” said Mae Worsham a Hyattsville resident and

longtime volunteer, as she methodically rolled utensils in napkins.

Worsham has worked with the café since it began, only decreasing her hours a few years ago when the parish requested some new volunteers to assist those who had been giving so much of their time for so long.

Parishioner Jude Cassidy answered a call to serve about a year ago. Today spooning out baked ziti, she

ST. JEROME'S continued on page 16

Cutting it close

Fire department spreading wings

by Adaora Otiji

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

f the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department had a bit more breathing room, a backup fire engine might have been on hand when the company’s first engine went down during a recent fire.

Instead, fire fighters had to borrow one from the nearby Brentwood Fire Department.

While these occurrences are few and far between, Fire Chief David

Hang said fitting the department’s equipment in its current building is a tight squeeze.

“We’re at a point now where we are about to bust at the seams,” he said.

The fire department received $40,000 in city funding this year but operates on a budget of over $200,000 a year. Last year the company received $30,000.The majority

CUTTING IT CLOSE continued on page 18

Included: The November 14, 2007 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter—See Center Section

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 2

The preposition of persecution

Opinion: Fantasy and façade

by Sarah Nemeth

I

’ve seen a thin disguise lately. You know, like the “poker face” or President Bush’s famous “dead pan.”

That vacant look. The eyes betray nothing. The head sometimes nods, but there is no agreement. The hands shake, the ribbon is cut, but it is all formality. All above the fray. All very shallow.

I see this a lot in politicos or TV preachers. I’ve seen it in professors on the first day of a new semester when they hand out the syllabus and it’s all drab talk about requirements and deadlines.

I’m not into masks. I never was much for Halloween as a kid. I don’t like those scary serial killer movies like Zodiac where the assailant covers his face.

When I was a tot I played softball and I was catcher.

I was a good catcher. But I hated to wear that clunky old cage of a mask. It was difficult to see through and there’s nothing worse than being a catcher and not being able to see.

Anyhow, when I saw a proverbial masquerade recently, it made me think back to those days. It’s like being a teenager and you’re main concerns are having a clear complexion and which boy in the fifth-grade has a crush on you. I don’t really remember being too shallow back then – I honestly think that I was mature beyond my years at the tender age of 10.

I took a “What’s your personality age?” test online

a few months ago and found out that I have the personality of a 40-year-old.That’s cool, I thought, when I got the reading. Only a decade off the actual age.

But that’s just how I am. I don’t go to clubs or drink (ok, not that much) or listen to the latest pop sensation. I don’t even like listening to the radio (unless it’s jazz, classical or AM).

I admit – it’s hard to be like this and still have friends. But I can’t be anything else. Sometimes I tell myself, “Sarah, you wear your heart on your sleeve too much. People won’t respect you if you let them in too close or tell them too much.” But I can’t operate in a world of fantasies and facades. I am me, all the time. Some people probably find that irritating. I find it irritating. But more, I find masks irritating.

I was reading a book called, “Blue Like Jazz” (Donald Miller) last month. The author is a spiritualist. He attended Christian churches, lived with hippies in the Oregon mountains, sat in Unitarian congregations, studied at Reed College and hated jazz music because it didn’t resolve. In the end, he said, he believed that what he learned from his eclectic youth was something simple – he learned how to love. It wasn’t that he learned how to tolerate, or how to mash the gavel of fundamentalism. He hated the stinking disguise that many of his early peers wore and he saw that if flew in the face of true love.

Must we, like J. Alfred Prufrock, put on our faces, “to meet the people that you meet”? That sucks so much energy from life. It’s far more liberating to hand over toga and laurel wreath, sandals and rings, and be exposed for the Pleb one truly is.

by Michael Martucci

I

n a country where only a minority recognize that the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution is known as the Bill of Rights it is little wonder that we cannot properly identify and apply the subtleties of grammatical prepositions. Take for instance the words “from” and “of.” These types of words that are used before nouns, to form phrases, can wreak havoc on whole societies when misapplied.

A recent example of our cultural derailment comes in the guise of secularist attempts to gut the historical religious bent of the United States. The misunderstanding and downright misrepresentation of U.S. Constitution concepts should be alarming. Certain ideas are being used against the population to justify hedonism, and lifestyles that have perverted logical thought. Additionally, forces have sought to deny the country’s spiritual foundation.

Recently an Eagle Scout took advantage of a U.S. Capital flag ordering program. He selected a flag that was flown over the capital on the birthday of his grandfather, and

planned to present it to the older gentleman to honor him. In such orders, personal inscriptions requests are attached to the flag order.

The teenage scout said his requested inscription; “In honor of my grandfather Marcel Larochelle, and his dedication and love of God, country and family” arrived censored. The word “God” was missing. As it turns out the omission was deliberate.

Republican Congressman Michael Turner of Ohio who investigated the matter says that the Architect of the Capital, the office responsible for the program, has rules which do not allow religious expressions on flag certificates. The basic distortion that underpins such erroneous thought and function is that somehow the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom from Religion in all places the government touches, including the public at large. Actually the U.S. Constitution does the exact opposite, offering protection of the freedom of religion not the freedom from it. In other words, anyone has the right to practice their religion anywhere in this country without

PERSECUTION continued on page 18

Letters to the Editor

Missing the point I read with interest and dismay your article about traffic and DeMatha on 43rd Avenue. As resident of the 6000 block of 43rd Avenue for more than 30 years...you have missed the point with your hatchet job on DeMatha. For years DeMatha traffic has been a problem (although minor); the students have been a lesser problem on this street

than their parents who drive the street to drop them off. What you missed in your article is the fact the Hyattsville city government has created most of the problems on 43rd Avenue by diverting traffic off of Queensbury Road onto 43rd Avenue in the a.m. rush hour, and by widening the Oliver Street alley in the 6000 block of 43rd Avenue

into a street complete with curbs and storm drains. NO police enforcement and the lack of pedestrians to follow traffic laws have made this a deadly street to be on. By putting in more no parking zones on this street you only open it up to more traffic.

Phil Charest

dents have tried to resolve. In your report you mention, “officers are usually going through shift changes in the morning when kids are going to school” and follow that up with, “On the other hand, a lack of complaints from residents to the police, has resulted in limited follow up.” There have been so many complaints and we, as residents, were advised to work with the school and write down license plates and report them to the school. We have done that. We have called the police. We have had our cars hit when we were not out there taking down license plates and have been told it is not a hit and run if there is no witness to see it. Our complaints do not get registered report status.

Everyone is eager to point the blame as your article so freely demonstrates. I accept blame for living here but would like to see action to actually address the problem. Is there a solution? Perhaps we should look at the Do Not Enter sign lo-

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.

A little foresight, please I am writing in response to an article published in the Hyattsville Life & Times Vol.4 No. 10 dated October 2007.The article title was “Cars clog around DeMatha” by Kendall Spera.

It was to my great disappointment as a resident of 43rd Avenue to read the article you most recently published regarding the traffic issues we face daily on the 6000 block of 43rd Avenue. I question the validity of your reporter’s investigative nature as from reading the article it is my doubt she ever witnessed the actual problem we face. It is also my fear she never even consulted a map during her research involved with compiling this article. In many opinions it was a very poor representation of an issue that residents in close proximity of the area schools face.

Certainly, as development increases so do traffic issues. This is an old traffic issue that has never seen the attention that many resi-

(YATTSVILLE

,IFE 4IMES

The deadline is the last week of the month for the following month’s issue.

cated at Queensbury and 43rd Avenue. Does that sign really gain the residents any benefit? There often may be up to five police cars ticketing offenders of the Do Not Enter area. Perhaps, we could more appropriately manage our streets and the valuable time our officers spend protecting them?

As a resident of Hyattsville I would like to embrace the new found image and excitement of change coming to our area. We are not trying to pass blame but would like city officials to look at our situation and help us work toward decreasing the traffic dangers and frustrations on our streets. This issue is going to grow as our city grows and if we cannot resolve this now, how will our small residential streets stand up to further traffic growth?

Janice Campion Sean Henderson

Letters to the editor and opinions are encouraged.

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Sarah Nemeth, Executive Editor 240.354.4832 or betweensundays@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 | November 2007

Page 3

A stitch ‘and’ time

Commentary and opinion on history & politics

[Sewing group knits locals together]

by Laurie White

T

he Wednesday night Sit & Knit at A Tangled Skein is focused on the craft of knitting, for sure. Patrons talk about new projects and patterns, and trade notes about new yarn and local knitting events.

Sit around the table at the yarn shop on Baltimore Avenue for a few minutes though, and it is clear that this event is as much about community as it is casting on a new scarf.

“We just all kind of fit immediately,” said knitter Susan Kitzmiller, of Hyattsville. “It just worked.”

People gather around 7 p.m. and stay until the shop closes. A long table in the center of the shop is home base, scattered with snacks and knitting supplies, and surrounded by knitters. When space at the table runs out, people spread out to couches and chairs in the many alcoves with around the

shop.

“Let’s just say I come in and I’m not even on the clock,” said Jennifer Woods, a store employee who serves as a sounding board and coach for many of the projects knitters bring in the store.

“People just sit around and knit, help each other, talk – loudly, often,” she said, adding that last winter the event was up to 25 people, and after a summer slowdown, it’s picking up again.

When Larry Paulson and co-owner Cheryl Hoffman opened the shop in January, they always intended to create this kind of atmosphere, Paulson said. Their hands-on approach is a part of it. He and Hoffman are a constant presence at events, chatting with patrons and providing refreshments. Paulson’s wife Edna and Hoffman teach many of the classes.

A new daytime “KaffeeKlatsch” Sit & Knit meets every Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m., with workshops starting at 11:30 a.m. Knitters can bring lunch, while the store provides coffee, tea and dessert.

“It’s been slow, but it’s picking up,” said Pat Preston, an instructor and store employee. “We’re just starting Christmas stockings. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

As she speaks, Preston shows off a project she’s working on, and explains the intricacies of the stitches to the people gathered around. Two other knitters eat cookies and wonder where a friend is who has not been there in a couple of weeks.

“We consciously set out to create a community,” Paulson said, with everything from the cozy set-up of the shop to events like the Sit & Knit. “It’s how we stay in business in a community like Hyattsville.”

The advantage of a small store is the service, something they can provide although they can’t slash prices like big corporate stores, he said.

And for the Sit & Knit regulars, the community makes it all worthwhile.

“Here we come once a week and everyone shares all their goodies,” said regular Cici Carry. “It’s a good thing.”

A schedule of classes and events is updated regularly on the store’s website: www.atangledskein. com

Hugh’sNews Accident near federal facility was unreported

by Hugh Turley

A

person saw Julian McCormick’s overturned car in a creek bed near Beltsville yet failed to report it. It was national news when the 18-year-old Bowie State University student survived being trapped in his vehicle for eight days after the accident on September 1. He survived drinking water from the creek and eating minnows.

The Honda came to rest off Powder Mill Road at the southwest border of the United States Secret Service Training Center. A grounds maintenance worker at the facility, who declined to be named, told the Hyattsville Life & Times he spotted the overturned car, but he did not know anyone was inside. How many other people saw McCormick’s car and did not report it?

buildings. Publicly available Google maps online show the 500-acre federal facility near the accident. An Associated Press account did not mention the accident was on federal property and stated, “...the area where McCormick apparently crashed is a very rural area with farms and fields.”

The common good of every community depends upon citizens concern for their fellow man. Police and rescue workers searched for Mr. McCormick after he was reported missing but police rely on alert citizens to report accidents or anything unusual.

“Citizens are vital to keeping the city safe,” said Sgt. G. Blakes of the Hyattsville Police Department, “The citizens of Hyattsville are a great extension of what we do.”

McCormick cut himself free

New rental codes in effect

by Dani Parnass

N

ew regulations for rental licensing units that went into effect Nov. 1 have some people concerned they unfairly target minorities and those with lower economic status.

The new code enforcements require owner-occupied rental housing units in Hyattsville to have a license and subject them to inspection. Members of the City Council approved these revisions in April 2006. The original code only included non-owner occupied rentals.

Two additional revisions include a criminal penalty for homeowners who fail to obtain a rental license after repeated warning and an increase in fine from $100 to $250 for a first offense. This is the first major revision to the city code on Rental Licensing Units since it was originally proposed in 1978.

According to Jerry Hampton, Hyattsville’s director of code enforcement, the purpose of these revisions was largely to help curb

safety concerns. The city decided to require these inspections and licenses out of concern for tenants living in owner-occupied rentals who did not know the details of the safety codes, he said, stressing that the revisions “were not ill-intended.”

“When you open your home up to someone, you’re opening up your home as a business and you have the responsibility as a homeowner to make that place safe,” he said. “If you’re failing to do that, you’re putting those people in danger or in potential danger.”

City Councilman Carlos Lizanne (Ward 4) said he does not disagree with the safety issues but has been against the law for years because of the unintended demographic consequences that would most likely affect Latino immigrants. Lizanne said that when he moved to Hyattsville from El Salvador over 30 years ago, he rented a room in his basement simply to be able to pay the mortgage.

“That’s what people here are trying to do,” he said. “They are not

doing this as a business. It’s because they need this money to pay for their house… they are struggling to work night and day.”

Stuart Morris of Longfellow Street, along with several other residents, voiced these opinions to the city council when the revisions were originally introduced. He said the council tried to promote it as a way to go after landlords who provided unsafe housing, but existing laws already addressed issues including the number of people allowed in a unit. He said these explanations were “more anecdotal” than anything else.

Hampton said residents were concerned with the revisions at first because many people are uncomfortable with change, but said “we’re going to do our best to work with people because it is new and it is a change.”

“We have been contacted by many people wanting to be inspected,” Hampton said. “We’re getting a lot of voluntary cooperation.”

A clipping from an article in The Washington Post article shows the cover-up of a federal facility near the accident.

A Washington Post report questioned why the county police had not done a more thorough search for Mr. McCormick. The U.S. Park Police accident report shows the car and victim were found near the Baltimore-Washington Parkway on federal land maintained by the Department of Agriculture the U.S. Secret Service. The Washington Post should know the county police do not have jurisdiction on federal property.

An aerial map of the crash scene published in the Washington Post covered up the nearby Secret Service facility with an enlargement of the accident area. The unique federal law enforcement instructional facility that officially has 31

from his seatbelt with a pocketknife and crawled to the side of the road where two women in traffic spotted him waving his fingers. He suffered from malnutrition, dehydration, and abrasions.

According to Donna Loveless other cars were driving past Mr. McCormick when her daughter Leigh Ann Hess noticed McCormick’s hand moving by the roadside. The County Executive Jack B. Johnson publicly honored the women for their compassion in coming to the aid of McCormick. Hess said,“I just saw someone on the side of the road that needed help and I would hope that other people out there would do the same for someone else.”

|THE PUBLICATION DEADLINE for articles and letters in the December issue is Friday, November 23th. |

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 4

‘Mosaic’ in motion

by Kate Russell

T

he first private mixed-use development in Prince George’s County is preparing to complete its second phase. Mosaic at Metro, a 260-unit luxury apartment complex, is now pre-leasing units in anticipation of a spring opening.

In 2000, Taylor Development and Land Company bid on a 99-year land lease on 22 acres of land owned by the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority at the Prince George’s

Plaza Metro station near East West Highway and Belcrest Road. The Miami-based company was charged with solidifying three ground leases on the property to include retail, residential, office and hotel buildings, said Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Rademacher.

The retail portion of the project has already seen the opening of Circuit City, Staples and Bally Total Fitness.

The shell of the second retail building is also complete, with tenants slated to open up shop this month.

The third phase—a 300,000square-foot office building—is ex-

pected to open early next year, and a 165-room Marriot Courtyard hotel is projected to complete the development in 2010.

The development’s unique location has made for some unique partnerships. Taylor Development brought in MCF Investment Company to charge the project’s residential component. Tom Farasy, the company’s president and chief executive officer, said the company’s goal is “to provide luxury apartment living at a Metro transit center… to offer [a] style and class of living comparable to Montgomery and

Fairfax Counties.”

Another crucial partner in the project is the Department of Housing and Urban Development, who financed Mosaic. Farasy said the loan was granted under HUD’s mission to rejuvenate areas. All of the housing is privately funded and marketrate. This is the first time HUD, a private developer and WMATA have worked together.

Because of the land lease agreement, units will only be available for rent.

“No one wants to buy a condo for 99 years,” Farasy said.

The project is slightly behind schedule in part because of its proximity to the Metro. Special planning was needed to keep traffic flowing during construction, and building locations had to be planned carefully around the train tunnel.

“The sequencing of building a project this size adjacent to a Metro station while keeping the station functional is tremendous,” said project architect Steve Gresham, a principle at Niles Bolton Associates Gresham said. “A lot of time was invested in planning carefully, but in the end it was well worth it.”

The end is a home where “you don’t need a car,” Farasy said, adding the location will allow some tenants to walk to work, the supermarket, the mall, a movie theater, restaurants and retail.

But if you do drive, Mosaic may be even more appealing. The apartments are wrapped around a multi-level parking structure so residents have a horizontal walk to their front door.

Additional luxury amenities include a full package of state-of-theart appliances: oversized refrigerators, ceramic tile baths, upgraded sound control and pre-wiring for voice, data, cable and security, Gresham said.

Some units will also include balconies, spiral staircases, island kitchens, fireplaces and double-bowl sinks. There will also be a cyber café in a clubhouse, a billiards room and a conference room for residents’ use.

HUD’s goal of rejuvenation appears to be underway. Gresham said the project has been a catalyst for other projects in the area.

Rademacher concurred.

“When we first came out to the area not a whole lot was going on but there has been a re-emergence in the last eight years…,” she said.

“The area should be highlighted and spotlighted and we’re excited to be a part of it.”

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 5

CommunityAnnouncements MONTHLY Healing masses St. Jerome’s Church at 5205 43rd Ave. holds healing Masses the first Sunday of every month. Call 301.927.6684 for specific times.

Food pantry Emmanuel Covenant Church holds a food pantry on from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays at 5340 Baltimore Ave. Call 301.927.5620 to make an appointment.

NOVEMBER In need of a holiday miracle?

Local cancer patients, trauma victims and premature babies are seeking blood donors for life-saving relationships. Schedule your blood donation appointment today for the City of Hyattsville community blood drive, from 2 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 25 at the Hyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin St. Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www. my-redcross.org Want to help out at a local food drive or to be helped out?

Emmanuel Covenant Church is distributing their Thanksgiving Food Drive from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 16th at 5340 Baltimore Ave. Call 301.927.5620 to get your name on the list or ask how you can help out.

Christmas ‘in the round’ Emmanuel Covenant Church is offering a Christmas play on Nov.16 with tentative times in mind. Call the church at 301.927.5620.

Calling all art critics and enthusiasts!

Home Show by Artist Francis J. Bruno at 3 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 16; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 17; and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 18.View the 2007 collection at the Lustine Center at Arts District Hyattsville, 5710 Baltimore Ave. Call 301.209.0116.

For all debaters Beth Torah Congregation will be having a free lecture/discussion given by Judith Blumenthal on “The good in aging” following services at 8 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the church, 6700 Adelphi Road. Call 301.927.5525 or e-mail bethtorah@starpower.net Beth Torah Congregation will be holding another free discussion following services at 10 a.m. on Nov. 17. The discussion, “Shabbat lunch and learn - Jews returning to Germany: Sanity or Insanity” will be led by Rabbi Mendel Abrams. Call 301.927.5525 or e-mail bethtorah@ starpower.net

An ‘enlightening’ escapade Brighten up the holiday season and visit the 21st Annual Winter Festival of Lights in Prince George’s

County, a drive-through holiday light display open from Nov. 23, -Jan. 1 at Watkins Regional Park, 301 Watkins Park Drive.

The 2.5-mile exhibit boasts animated displays made up of over a million twinkling lights.

Admission to the festival is $5 per car or minivan; $15 per mini-bus or limo; $25 per bus; $10 per multivisit pass for cars and vans and free on Dec 25.

Call 301.699.2456 or visit www. pgparks.com

DECEMBER

Need a certain gift for that person who has everything?

Holiday shoppers looking for a unique gift can find it at Hyattsville’s first Alternative Gift Fair.

Shoppers will touch the hearts of family members and friends by making donations to charity in their honor to support specific goods or services. The event will feature organization booths, gift cards and calligraphy and is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by Alternative Gifts of Greater Washington and Hyattsville Nurturing Moms, the event will take place from 2 to 5 p.m. on Dec. 9 at Franklin’s Restaurant, 5123 Baltimore Ave. Visit www.aggw.org.

Or still don’t have all your

Veterans humbled by recognition, honors

by Cassandra B. Wilson

O

n June 6, 1944, more than 5,000 ships pulled into the harbor at Omaha Beach along with 10,000 airplanes and 150,000 troops to embark on the largest invasion in American military history.

The attack cargo on which he was stationed was the second to arrive.

Before it was over, 6,600 American servicemen were dead.

“I’ve never forgotten that day,” said Phil Gentilcore, 84, of Hyattsville, who served as a gunners mate for the U.S. Navy during the Normandy Invasion of World War II. Gentilcore also fought with allied forces in the late summer of 1945 when ground troops invaded Southern France and less than a year later in Okinawa for the largest naval assault of all Pacific campaigns during the war. As his ship approached the island, a Japanese suicide plane slammed into its side at the same time a bomb exploded.

The kamikaze attack just after midnight caught the crew by surprise.

“It was the biggest orange ball of fire you’d ever seen,” said Gentilcore, who managed to fire two shots at the attacker just before impact.

Crewmen quickly regained control of the vessel.

“Everybody knew what they were supposed to do,” he said. Both fires were out within an hour and the ship’s tilt caused by the damage

was corrected.

Gentilcore survived, but five of his shipmates did not.

The invasions and the attack did not end adventures for Gentilcore and his shipmates. Five months after the seize of Okinawa, they waited patiently on deck in Tokyo Bay just two ships behind the U.S.S. Missouri as Japan’s prime minister signed a surrender agreement effectively ending the war.

These days Gentilcore enjoys more peaceful times with his fellow crewmen, who he said, “are family to me.”

“We had some scary times, but we had a lot of good times, too,” he said.

For the past 39 years, they have gathered for an annual reunion to share those good times, commemorate their years in service and honor those who have passed. Of the 360 members in his fleet, 18 remain.

“I always want to be there.” Gentilcore said.

In 2005, his fighting spirit resurfaced, but this time it was for the U.S.S. Achernar, the ship that had carried him safely through some of the Great War’s biggest battles.

In a 1944 issue of Life magazine, the name of the vessel was purposely changed to Acamar to protect the highly secretive nature of its role in the Normandy Invasion. Thanks to the efforts of Gentilcore and eight other veterans, the mistake was finally corrected on the 61st anni-

versary of D-Day. The vets received citations for their efforts.

Gentilcore recalled a conversation he had with the magazine’s reporter, Charles Wertenbaker, just days before the invasion.The journalist predicted, “If you survive this, you’ll be a part of history.”

With a laugh, Gentilcore now says, “I suppose he was right.”

World War II veteran sergeant Charles Brogden, 84, of Hyattsville, is also modest in his desire to be recognized on Veterans Day. “I believe Americans appreciate what we did,” he said.

Brogden was drafted into the Air Force in 1943 and trained as a radio operations mechanic until a bout of pneumonia severely damaged his lungs. Officials classified him as “unfit for overseas service.” After serving stateside for a brief period, Brogden was eventually transferred overseas where he supported allied troops on the ground as they advanced through England, Belgium, France, Holland, Germany and Austria. For two days in 1946, he also observed the Nuremburg Trials in Germany.

Brogden, who was commander of the former Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Hyattsville from 199192 and 1996-97, believes it is more important for citizens to be mindful of veterans all year. “People should be well aware of the sufferings and anxieties of veterans from all wars,” he said. “That’s what matters.”

decorations for the holiday?

St. Jerome’s School is hosting their annual Christmas bazaar. It is free to go and visit with hopes of winning handmade afghans and other homemade crafts. The event begins at 10 a.m. on December 1 at 5207 42nd Place.

Looking for a good family outing everyone will enjoy?

As part of a monthly series of free movies and refreshments for the entire community, “The Nativity Story” will be shown on Dec. 1 at University Christian Church, 6800 Adelphi Road. Refreshments start at 6:30 p.m. and the movie starts at 7. The movie is rated PG. Call 301.864.1520.

Annual pottery show and sale offered in Langley Park For over 30 years, the Langley Park Community Center Pottery Studio, located at 1500 Merrimac Drive, has provided lessons in clay and pottery sales.

This year the pottery studio celebrates its 23rd Annual Pottery Show and Sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 17.

The show will feature 13 local ceramic artists with stoneware cake plates, baskets, sushi dishes, berry bowls and apple bakers. There will be a wide array of casserole dishes, soup bowls, teapots, cookie jars, ornaments and miniatures. Call 301.445.4508 or e-mail marygpottery@yahoo.com.

County, locals consider impact of development on local schools

by Adaora Otiji

A

task force to evaluate the effects of development on student capacity in local schools is being discussed in Prince George’s County and Hyattsville residents say such an initiative should be more than just talk.

The plan was originally proposed by the Greenbelt City Council to the Prince George’s County Board of Education to look at the effects of development on schools in the Greenbelt area.

The board decided to expand the idea to a countywide effort.

The plan is at a standstill with no consensus among board members about what to do.

“It was one of those trial balloons sent up and no one really had an interest,” said Heather Iliff, District 2 board representative.

The board of education has an interest, but does not see a feasible way to create an effective countywide task force according to a presentation given by District 1 County Councilman Tom Dernoga to the board of education about the proposed Greenbelt area school capacity task force.

One difficulty with a countywide task force is the length of time that it would take to evaluate the entire county. To keep the task force to an effective size, participation would be limited so that only a few areas of the county would actually be represented.

A countywide task force may not affect Hyattsville at all, but some residents think the city should move on the idea, even without the board of education. “[A task force is] very necessary,” said resident Susana Paul.

“We’re facing numbers that could double and triple with the size of

these developments and schools.

Something needs to be done to bridge a gap between the planning process and the board of education. There is very little that gets done to take into account the development that is going to happen until it is too late.”

It is possible, however, that a having a task force would not be as simple as that.

“There should be clear purposes and clear goals, it shouldn’t be an open-ended thing,” said Annette Jackson-Jolly, president of the Hyattsville Elementary School PTA. “But I think it’s something that could help the community because of development that’s here already and projected growth.”

For other residents a task force on a citywide scale is an impractical idea that would not create any real changes to the overflow of students in local public schools.

“I don’t think it would do any good,” said University Hills resident Tim Hunt. “It seems too often that city leaders can’t legally affect how the city does business.”

Lack of communication between the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission and the board of education is a major concern for residents who doubt the effectiveness of a task force.

“I think [task forces] take a long time, they take a lot of money, and that’s not the way I would do it,” said resident Christine Hinojosa, an advocate of open dialogue and public discussion.

“A task force to me just makes me exhausted,” she said. “I’m hoping for actions instead of just studying.”

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 6

He makes a village

Oliver Street resident boasts holiday hobby

This month, Bruno is offering a home show sponsored by the Hyattsville Community Arts Alliance.

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by Krista Atteberry

A

rtist Frank Bruno is nearly as busy as an elf at the North Pole these days, but he’s likely having just as much fun.

For over 14 hours a day he is spawning ideas and craft in his home studio putting final touches on over 20 tiny, three-dimensional figurines.

These small world creations, featuring Christmas and spiritual scenes, will soon be on display at the Lustine Center’s art gallery.

Elves, reindeer, Santa and Mrs. Claus, candy canes, Christmas trees, teddy bears and toys join together in festive, lively scenes through his creative designs. Each creation comes to life through the talent of this artist – he paints, molds, carves, glues and intricately places item upon item to build his one-of-a-kind scenes.

Bruno confessed that he often “puts himself in his art� by adding personal touches like writing family member names under cobblestones before he glues them down. Or, he might tuck an inspirational note under one of the larger items.

And he’s found a great model for

his models – Hyattsville. “There is something about this town I really like – it’s like hometown U.S.A.,� he said.

He is pleased with efforts toward building the Gateway Arts District. “There is so much that artists can offer a city,� he said.

Inspiration is ‘relative’ Having never taken an art class, Bruno credits his mother as a very creative individual who fostered his talents. He recalls his childhood trips to New York City and seeing holiday-themed department store windows. He dreamed of creating those window scenes in miniature. His own children, Tara, Kyra, DeAnte, Darrace and John also inspire his work.

Prior to his full-time commitment to artwork, Bruno taught for 25 years in nine states, including 11 years at DeMatha Catholic High School. Following his teaching career and short stint as a motivational consultant, a traffic accident changed Bruno’s life. During his 18-month recovery from injuries suffered in

the crash, Bruno started painting and building miniatures.

His first miniature scenes were painted on sand dollars and sold for $1 each at a craft fair table. He has now sold over 20,000 creations that cost up to $25,000.

Through the years, Bruno has cultivated a very loyal client following.

Debbie Martuccii of New Carrolton owns 2 of his pieces: a Santa Claus with teddy bears and a little girl skating and she displays them year-round in her home. She says that visitors “just love them� and she loves them because they are “one of a kind.�

While Bruno’s Christmas pieces compose about 75 percent of his sales each year, he also creates many Asian-, American Indian- and African American- themed small world pieces. Another Bruno specialty is taking clients’ family collection pieces by companies like Hummel, Disney or Lennox and building specialty vignettes.

Dreaming in color

by Laurie White

L

ike many photographers, Drena Galarza got hooked on making images in a high school class.

She’s carried a camera with her almost everywhere ever since then.

Galarza, a Riverdale Park resident and a teacher in University Park, has close ties to the Hyattsville arts and business community. She exhibits her work at Franklin’s Restaurant as a member of the Hyattsville Community Artist’s Alliance, an opportunity that should soon expand to the gallery space at the Lustine Center on U.S. Route 1.

Galarza primarily works in closeup and macro shots these days, amazed by the different perspective a closer view can give. She transitioned

to digital after years as a black-andwhite film photographer, and works now mostly with a Nikon DSLR. She brings her love for shooting flowers and nature to Washington Gardener magazine where she is the staff photographer. Her work has also been published in Edible Chesapeake a regional food magazine.

Galarza teaches kindergarten at University Park Elementary School, where she works photography into her classroom activities on a regular basis. She takes pictures of the children in her classroom and sends albums home to their parents through an online photo-sharing service called Snapfish. “Many of the parents work a lot, so it’s nice for them to get home and find an album of pictures waiting

there for them,� she says.

The children also enjoy shooting photos, and Galarza works them into lesson plans and classroom decorations wherever possible.

Galarza’s favorite things to shoot around town include the Riversdale Mansion in the snow or the rain, the University of Maryland campus and anything else that happens along the way. “I travel with my camera and shoot whatever strikes me,� she says.

Franklin’s General Store offers her hand-crafted note cards for sale, and she brings her work to art shows around town, including the Hyattsville Artist’s Market and the Riverdale Park Holiday Market in December.

See more of Galarza’s work at Picturesbydrena.com.

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 7

Hyattsville UMC’s rebuilding efforts in New Orleans Future trips planned

W

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a team of 35 members back in the fall to continue to help with housing repairs.

Through fundraisers including pizza and bake sales and through church offerings, the entire congregation answered Carter-Rimbach’s call and raised enough money to send 33 members – the trip cost $500 per person – to New Orleans from Oct. 13-20.

In March, as part of the greater United Methodist Church organization, the church participated in gutting houses and prepping them for contractors to rebuild them.

Hurricane survivors and even airport security staff expressed great gratitude for their efforts.

“I told them we’d be back,” Carter-Rimbach said. “People just touched our lives as we hope and pray we touch theirs.”

Carter-Rimbach and Shrader are the only members of the congregation

by Ben Meyerson

T

by Vicki Kriz hen Mary Shrader first traveled to New Orleans as a part of rebuilding efforts with the First United Methodist Church of Hyattsville in March, she met many Hurricane Katrina survivors whose stories of strength inspired her to return to the Big Easy with the church in October.

The church group heard countless stories of desperation and devastation.

Leroy - trapped in his attic for three days after the storm and is still working to rebuild his home.

Sheila - whose family has been stricken with illness since the storm but is thankful that her schedule can accommodate her family members doctors’ appointments.

Joseph and Mary Cage — high school sweethearts who evacuated with only some cash and three days change of clothes and have only recently moved back into their home after living in a trailer provided by FEMA for several months.

A need for aid in New Orleans still exists, Shrader said. “[The people of New Orleans] wanted us to spread the word: when they say New Orleans is back, New Orleans is not really back.”

Shrader, a member of the First United Methodist Church congregation, along with 13 other members, including Pastor Joan CarterRimbach, returned from the first two-week community service trip in New Orleans in March. Upon returning, Carter-Rimbach immediately challenged her congregation to raise enough money to send

City talks include greener vehicles

to have participated in both trips.

While in the New Orleans in October, the church members successfully completed three homes, putting up sheetrock, insulation and drywall. Training days prior to the trip allowed the team to prepare for such tasks.

“It’s more than just putting homes back together,” Carter-Rimbach said.

“It’s about putting people’s lives back together.There are no words to describe their appreciation for us being there.”

Carter-Rimbach has a new challenge for her congregation: to organize two trips to New Orleans each year until aid is no longer needed and to raise funds for those who want to volunteer but may not be able to afford the trip costs.

“We will make it happen,” she said.

“As long as it takes, we will be back.”

She plans on a group of church members to return to New Orleans in the spring.

he city of Hyattsville recently got rolling towards a more environmentally friendly future by a supporting a plan to buy vehicles for the city’s fleet that are more fuel efficient.

The council approved a motion on Oct. 29 to make the fleet “greener” by buying and flex-fuel fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles for the city.

The city is also in the process of buying vehicle maintenance software, which will monitor vehicle operating costs, Mayor William Gardiner said. The software will help the city determine if its vehicles are still efficient and effective, he said.

The city also set a goal to decrease its energy consumption, emissions, and fuel expenses by 10 percent by July 2010.

Gardiner thinks the new software and new vehicles will help the city reach its goals.

“When we consider purchasing vehicles, we will be considering the most fuel efficient vehicles” that fit the city’s needs, Gardiner said. “Fleet management software will greatly facilitate the collection of data, the tracking of vehicle expenses, and scheduling of maintenance,” to make sure city vehicles are operating at their best.

In the upcoming year, the city will spend about $600,000 on vehicles, Gardiner said.

Jerry Hampton, Hyattsville’s code enforcement director, is enthusiastic about the prospect of adding hybrid vehicles to the city’s fleet “I have a 12 or 13-year-old fleet vehicle that’s getting worse

and worse every day,” Hampton said. “I’ll buy a Prius tomorrow if you guys say I can.”

However, he warned that not all departments would be able to use gas electric hybrid vehicles like Priuses.

“The city of College Park bought a hybrid — a Prius hybrid — and they used it for code enforcement until they decided to switch to laptops in the code enforcement vehicles,” he said.

A contractor in the Washington, D.C. area that installs laptops in cars said the computers cannot be installed in a hybrid vehicle because the strong electric field the car creates interferes with the computer, according to Hampton.

As such, many Hyattsville police department and code enforcement officials would not be able to use hybrids. Both departments use computers in their vehicles to look up information while on the move.

However, there are other options for departments that need laptops, Hampton said. For example, there are “flex-fuel” vehicles that can run on a special blend of gasoline and ethanol called E85.

Most recent diesel vehicles can run off cleaner-burning biodiesel, which is diesel fuel produced from renewable sources like corn.

Gardiner said that the city is going to look into buying fuels like biodiesel and low-sulfur diesel fuel.

Alan Mattlage, a member of the Hyattsville Environmental Committee, said he’s glad the city is taking this step.

“It seems like the city’s on top of this and looking at it seriously,” he said.

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Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 9

Council not in favor of ICC

by Dani Parnass

A

majority of the Hyattsville City Council opposes the building of the Inter-County Connector, with one councilman saying the highway would be counterproductive for the city where several state roads are in disrepair.

“I refer to it as the contra highway,” Mark Matulef (Ward 2) said at an Oct. 9 council meeting. “It’s not serving our county in any way.”

Matulef said there is almost a mile of road between East-West Highway and Hamilton Street without stop lights and in need of repair.

The 18-mile ICC would link Interstate 270 and Interstate 95 in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. Plans for this project have been around since the 1950s but were expedited in July 2005 during the administration of former governor Robert J. Ehrlich (R), who approved plans for the highway.

The ICC has first priority of federal money and, at a proposed cost of $2.4 billion, will take up a significant amount of resources that could be used for mass transit or to improve places along U.S. Route 1, Mayor William Gardiner said.

He recommended sending a letter to Governor Martin O’Malley (D) and state delegates requesting to stop funding for the ICC and instead focus on improving existing roads and mass transit, such as WMATA’s proposed Purple Line, which would better serve the residents of Hyattsville.

The six council members present at the meeting unanimously agreed to send the letter expressing their concerns. While Gardiner is not optimistic that this will have an effect on the legislation, he said there is a small chance that a current court case over

OUTGROWING continued from page 1

is,” he said. “You can make things work with a big council or a small council … what makes things work is the commitment of individual council member, respect for council member authority, ability to work together, willingness to conduct business in public and willingness to roll up sleeves and effectively work for constituents.”

Councilman Anthony Patterson (Ward 3) has only been on the council since May. “I am the rookie so I have a less qualified view,” he said. “But generally the council has worked very well together.”

Patterson noted recent absenteeism on the council due to illness and family emergency.

“It’s nice to have that backup,” he said. “There’s a good chance that at least one member from each ward will be there.”

Gardiner said the smaller meetings seem to flow more smoothly.

“It’s simply difficult to allow a

the environmental effects of the ICC could redetermine its outcome.

The communities of College Park, Greenbelt and Edmonston passed similar motions opposing the highway’s construction.

Delegate Justin Ross (D-Md.) sees the funding of the ICC as a poorly placed priority and supports building the Metrorail Purple Line, which connect existing Metro stations in Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park and New Carrollton.

“I don’t know that the juice is worth the squeeze,” Ross said.“Building the purple line would have a much greater economic development effect and would do a much greater job of keeping people off the roads.”

Gardiner and the six council members agreed the ICC would not have a positive impact on Hyattsville and that investing in repairs along Route 1 and funding the Purple Line would better benefit residents.

Hyattsville resident Anne Villacres opposes the ICC and does not see any benefits with regard to alleviating traffic or environmental impacts.As someone who commutes 13 miles to work every day, she would much rather have the luxury of riding the Metro that does not detour through Washington, D.C. for over an hour, she said.

“It seems clear to me that building the Purple Line and not building the ICC is the only intelligent solution in [light] of the financial crisis the state is in and the environmental issues we are facing today,” she said.

Hyattsville resident David Marshall said the ICC is a necessary road and should have been built 10 years ago.

He is bothered that the city is taking a position on this issue without listening to the opinions of their taxpayers.

“It appears there is no significant citizen input,” Marshall said. “It appears to be 11 people’s input.” lot of council input and discussion when you have 10 members plus the mayor,” he said.

It is possible it is not the “how many,” but the “how,” Patterson said.

“I’m not sure if a leaner government is the answer,” he said. “It is a better government that should be the mark we are trying to achieve.”

He is not opposed to looking at restructuring but said the city must have researched the idea “with a goal in mind that the citizens have bought into.”

Gardiner would like to kick off a vision process in 2008 to examine the city’s changes and identity and what it will look like in three, five and 10 years.

“Perhaps through that process we will have a better understanding of whether the council should change,” he said.

“The biggest issue really is what’s the best size and structure for the mayor and council in order to create the best community for our residents.”

Any change would require the council to change the city charter, which would require a public notice.

“It’s a long process,” Gardiner said. “It would be a gradual change over one or two election cycles.”

Turning twenty

Local church celebrates two decades of service

by Dani Parnass

K

nown as a charismatic community of faith, Emmanuel Covenant Church celebrated a milestone last month, racking up 20 years of ministry.

What started with 12 founding members in a school in Silver Spring, ECC has grown to more than 600 members, attracting cross-cultural, interracial and multi-generational parishioners.

“We embrace people of all cultures, all nationalities, races and ages,” said Minister Wendy Lee, a founding member of the church who also serves as financial administrator and assistant to Senior Pastor Timothy Seay.

“We’re receptive to anyone that needs Jesus.”

Located at 5340 Baltimore Ave., the non-denominational, independent church kicked off its anniversary month with a

brunch on the Odyssey Cruise Line on Oct. 6 in Washington, D.C. The 200 members and guests who came were serenaded by the music of the fourpiece jazz ensemble, the Marcus Mitchell Project.

Throughout the rest of the month, the church hosted various celebrations including guest speakers, special services and a pastor appreciation day. On Oct. 14, the members of ECC dedicated services to Seay and presented him with a special video presentation, a performance by the entire arts department including singing, dancing and miming.

Seay and his wife, Associate Pastor Robyn Seay, founded the church in October 1987 in the hopes of spreading faith in the Metro area.

“Our mission and purpose

was to really be faithful to the call of having an impact in this metropolitan area, and to begin to touch families and lives in a way that would enhance them spiritually, practically and really equip them to be genuine in their faith,” Seay said.

The church hosts two services each Sunday, a prayer service on Wednesday nights and broadcasts various teachings on different radio and television stations centering on the relationship between the Bible and practicalities of life, Seay said.

He described the ECC community as an active group and is “thrilled with the progress” the church has seen so far. “[We have] a lot more vision that has yet to be fulfilled, just enlarging the scope of our community impact,” Seay said.

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 10

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From the ‘Hills’

by Tim Hunt

F

or decades, residents of University Hills have been extraordinarily protective of their neighborhood. With vehicle access available only from Adelphi Road, there is no reason to be in the neighborhood unless it is to be home, to work on a home or visit someone or to enjoy the community park. The geographical isolation that comes with having no “through� streets keeps us insulated from the hectic outside world just a stone’s throw away.

Unfortunately, any sense of security can be shaken as many residents have been alarmed by incidents of home burglaries recently reported by the Hyattsville Police Department. In response to questions from the community, the city police described these incidents as crimes of opportunity where property was taken and, thankfully, no one was hurt. In addition, the police have a person of interest in these cases who is well known to them and has not been seen lately.

To address these and other community safety concerns, the University Hills Civic Association welcomed Sgt. Gary Blakes from the Hyattsville Police Department to its October meeting. Also, Mayor Bill Gardiner, City Councilman Anthony Patterson, and Gary Hall, aide to County Councilman Will Campos attended and responded to questions from their constituents. Many residents are grateful for the attention received at the City and County level and look forward to having their issues resolved and their community maintained to the level of their expectations.

One thing that was while at the UHCA meeting was the frequency with which drivers were ignoring the stop sign at the intersection of

Stanford Street and Wells Boulevard at the entrance to the community park. It would be great if everyone would heed the traffic laws in the neighborhood for their safety and for the safety of others. At the very least, let us all slow down enough to be able to wave to our neighbors!

In keeping with long standing tradition, University Hills was again the place for Halloween revelry as the civic association revived the annual Halloween parade after a long slumber. During the resurrection of the UHCA, many long-time residents fondly remembered the social events that were a part of life here.

With many new families in the neighborhood, a Halloween party was definitely in order and long overdue.

On Sunday, October 28th, after being washed out the day before, the party was in full swing as old residents

mixed with new and festive music was played. As children in costume approached, they were each assigned a number for the costume competition that followed the parade. Awards were given for the scariest, funniest, cutest, and most original costumes.

The UHCA officers acting as judges had a tough job as there were many qualified candidates.

Hot coffee, apple cider, fresh gingerbread and muffins were served and the duck pond provided the ideal backdrop and the weather was perfectly seasonal. “I thought it was a good turnout, a lot of kids,� said Julia Garcia, party organizer, hostess and mother of a little pink butterfly. “Everyone had a good time and everyone went home a winner.�

As the seasons change, University Hills is looking forward to the future with the help of its past.

A Cinderella story

by Aria Hughes Editor’s note: At the request of directors, residents of St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home were not interviewed in an effort to protect their privacy.

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or the past four decades, the beauty room has been the social center of St. Ann’s Infant and Maternity Home. “Whatever you needed to find out, you could find out here,� said Gail Dicks, who has worked at St. Ann’s for 19 years. The home, run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, offers residential care and services for abused or neglected children and single, pregnant or parenting adolescents in crisis.

Currently the room is being renovated and the girls have been relegated to their bedrooms and common areas to get their gossip and beauty fix. “It just needed a woman’s touch,� said Sister Mary Bader, who works at the home.

Anna May Cobbe offered to provide that touch.

Cobbe, the president-elect of the College Park Rotary Club, spearheaded the beautification of the beauty room when she came across an article last year in the St. Ann’s newsletter seeking volunteers to renovate the room. Rotary club members began the $6,000 overhaul in August.

Bader recalls the beauty room being crowded with girls, their children, beat up chairs and broken mirrors. It will re-open with new window treatments, chairs, sinks, hair dryers, cabinets and a manicure table and new plumbing to fix a flooding problem.

The residents are counting the days until they can get back into the room. “We have a lot of girls who can do hair and have no professional training,� said Dicks. “These girls had talents that nobody knew they had,� she said of the

young girls who came to the home knowing how to do everything from applying hair extensions to braiding to dyeing and cutting.

The room will also be used for fashion shows, etiquette classes, an annual tea party, spa days and professional training. “When we were there painting, the girls were very excited about what was going on,� said Steve Ness, a Hyattsville resident and rotary club member since 1993. “They are going to really enjoy it,� he said.

This is not the first rotary club renovation at St. Ann’s. Members have also renovated a dining room, gazebo, and employee lounge at the home, Cobbe said. “We love helping St. Ann’s,� said Cobbe. “We are helping a lot of people have a safe place to stay.�

And a pretty one, too.

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Conversing and immersing Language summit held at Northwestern

by Elizabeth Piazza

O

n October 6th, the Prince George’s County Board Of Education and the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce held its first annual Dual Language Summit at Northwestern High School.

For Spanish-speaking people like Roxana Monzon, event was an ear opener. “At times, it is difficult even with a translator. I understand more after the summit,� said Jasmine Cotomarin, 7, speaking for Monzon who is originally of Guatemala, now residing in Hyattsville.

The purpose of the summit was to reach out to the Hispanic community in order to achieve a greater level of understanding about the county school system.

Through a series of workshops, focus groups and student panels, organizers hoped to open the doors of communication for Spanish speaking parents and create an open forum where they could receive information, discuss concerns and ask questions in order to increase their involvement with their children’s education. “This is a great way to discuss ideas and different points of view so that everyone can get on the same page and work for the good of the education of the kids,� said Silvia Hoke, international student counselor for county schools.

Hoke has worked with the school system for 15 years and was herself thrown into the American school system after moving from Brazil. “Immersion works but the families need more support and the schools are so much more complex now, that parents need to be involved. In other cultures, parents are not expected to be as involved,� she said.

In May, the school system began working with the Mid-Atlantic Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to discuss concerns about getting the

Hispanic community more involved in their children’s education. This discussion led to collaboration with members of the board of education, Schools Superintendent John Deasy and state and county officials.

Donations for the summit came from sponsors around the community, the school board and county executives. Over 1,000 county residents registered for the event.

According to the 1999 and 2000 U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic population in Prince George’s County increased 3 percent from 1990 to 2000, totaling 7.1 percent.

For more information on English as a second language programs, contact the ESOL office at 301.445.8450 The county now has the third largest Hispanic community in the Metro area and ranks second in the state.

Along with workshops topics, Engaging Parents in School, The Road to Graduation and Beyond, ESOL/ Special Education and TAG, several workshops about parent’s rights and responsibilities were offered. Student panels were also held. “There was a lot of dialogue between parents and staff and mixing of Spanish and English and the atmosphere was positive,� said Heather Iliff, school board member for District 2.

Rosalind Johnson, school board member for District 1, who spearheaded the planning, hopes to make this an annual event. “We believe in communication and so much gets lost,� she said. “We have children we work with and we have to be able to communicate with those parents. We need to let them know that we care.�

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Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 12

Harold Auto B ’s ody

GreenCorner Gateway EcoArts Festival: Green meets art–a clean love affair

by Priscilla Akuoko

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

“W

e know what is causing Global Warming and how to stop it,” said Jim Groves, a Hyattsville resident and member of the city’s environmental committee. “The question is how dedicated are we? If we don’t change the way we do things and become more environmentally conscience, we are destined to destroy the world as we know it. The debate is over.”

Environmental awareness events are cropping up in many cities.

Communities are overcoming offering “green” fests in an effort to inspire residents to be more environmentally aware.

“The time for playing politics is over, the time for doubting is over, the time for action is now,” Groves said.

Residents of Hyattsville North Brentwood, Brentwood, and Mount Rainier, turned out for the first annual Gateway EcoArts Festival sponsored by Joe’s Movement Emporium.

On Oct, 20 participants attended festivities on Bunker Hill Road between 33rd and 34th streets.While enjoying the arts, live music and refreshments locals learned about maintaining a greener community.

ECOARTS continued on page 13

This page: Cameroonian artist Issa Nyaphaga wears symbolic body paint while demonstrating to a captive young audience.

Opposite page: A young drumming student of "Baba M" Mahiri Edwards.

Artists and craftsmen added to the festival atmosphere.

Photos : Marketa Ebert

Making heads or tails of donations

by Stephanie Davis

W

hen it comes to donations, the Hyattsville City Council chooses to be choosy and a recent decision provides a glimpse into the reason for the city’s good will.

At an Oct. 15 meeting, the panel approved a $250 donation to the Children’s Rights Council, a program in Hyattsville that provides services for children of divorced or single parent families. “[The council] typically has requests for $100 in funds,” said Councilman Mark Matulef (Ward 2). “[So] $250 is a lot compared to what other organizations have received.”

But without having an updated policy on charity giving, the council’s method is to evaluate each do-

nation individually, said City Administrator Elaine Murphy “They didn’t just give out $100 or $150,” she said.“There has to be a reason or have value of the city.

“There’s also a limit to the appropriation that is put in the budget,” Murphy said.“So that would also be a factor in council’s decision making.”

Outfits like the children’s council are well worth a city gift, said Councilwoman Ruth Ann Frazier (Ward 5).

“Something like this deserves 250 dollars and the city can definitely afford it,”she said.“Even if we have to eliminate other things like balls getting thrown into the crowd at sports games.”

This is the second time the council has given a donation to the Children’s Rights Council. “[The Children’s Rights Council is] a very valuable program that al-

lows children in hurtful situations where parents are battling a secure place,” said Mayor William Gardiner.

For about eight years there has been a limit of $250 for donations to local organizations and schools, Gardiner said.

“By practice we haven’t given much money to very many organizations, but each year we give some money to schools and local organizations, like the Hyattsville Preservation Association,” Gardiner said.

The city also supports local organizations through non-monetary means such as providing space for events at city facilities at no cost.

“In years past we have held a Fun Run and Walk to support the Special Olympics that involved a pretty large staff for this community project and a lot of non-cash support,” said Gardiner.

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

ECOARTS

continued from page 12 Issa Nyaphaga, a Cameroonian artist performed at the festival to raise funds for Ibrahim Abdoulaye, a 17-year-old boy from Cameroon who has been suffering from polio since birth. Nyaphaga grew up with art. At the age of seven he began painting on walls.

Nyaphaga started working for a newspaper as a political cartoonist. He was tortured and put in jail for six months because his drawings were too critical. His body paint art

CITY GROWS

continued from page 1 that without more sworn officers,” Matulef said.

Over the past two years, Hyattsville has undertaken one of the largest commercial area annexations in Maryland and annexed hundreds of single-family homes.

According to Matulef this raises the question of who will police these areas if the city does not swear in more officers. “The Hyattsville City Police Department wanted to hire ten more police officers to withstand this new growth, but instead they have only added six,” commented Matulah.

Crime has also steadily increased

Page 13

performance during the festival represented the pain he endured while being held captive.

“My soul is of body that has suffered a lot,” he said.“I live outside a world in which I am undesirable, and I’ve found in my art refuge where I can protect myself against all aggression.”

Tonya Jordan, program officer for arts and culture at the Gateway Community Development Corporation co-produced the festival.

“The whole area of Hyattsville, Mount Ranier and Brentwood is an arts district,” she said.“There are artists living in this area and also people

who are concerned about the environment, so we decided to combine green with art.”

Brooke Kidd, executive director of Joe’s Movement Emporium’s said that there are not enough hands-on learning opportunities that can lead to real behavior changes.

“Since 1999, Joe’s has produced an annual event to use the arts for creative community projects around trash reduction,” she said. “We know that local artists can shine the light on ways to reduce, recycle and reuse.

The creators are planning on having a more extensive event next year.”

with annexation by 88 percent from 2006-2007. This has left many residents questioning why there are not more police officers patrolling their neighborhoods.

Heather Day, a resident of Hyattsville is concerned with the city growth and lack of police.

“Before all of this growth in the city, I would regularly see police officers patrolling but now with so many more people, it is not enough.

A survey of Ward Two shows that Day is not alone. Two-thirds of Hyattsville residents favor increasing the number of police officers and also noted that more police activity, including more police vehicles, bike and foot patrols are needed.

This issue will continue to be

of extreme importance as growth of the city continues. This issue has been pushed by Matulef for some time but in a suprising move, he requested that the Public Safety Act of 2007 be taken off the agenda of the Special City Council Meeting, which is going to be held on Monday, October 29th at 8:00 p.m. at the Municipal Bulding Council Chambers.

Matulef did not respond to calls seeking comment on his decision to remove this act from the agenda. As plans for the development of hundreds of residential units, commercial properties and a new office building and parking garage get underway, the public safety issue will be a continuous issue for the city of Hyattsville.

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 14

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by Kate Russell

T

here is a small stack of specially-marked bricks in the courtyard of Community Forklift. They’re not for sale. “I’ve carted it around all the places I’ve lived,� said Ruthie Mundell, the store’s outreach director. The bricks came from her childhood home. She and her sister “snuck over and took them� as the 150year-old waterfront cottage was being torn down.
A lover of all things old and self-proclaimed tree-hugger, Mundell learned about Community Forklift two years ago at Washington’s Green Festival. “I told them they had to hire me,� she said.

The bricks don’t look out of place. Operated by a nonprofit organization, Community Forklift has been open on Tanglewood Drive in Edmonston for almost two years— selling donated building materials and appliances at low prices.

Jack Veneziano has been building a house for 10 years. “I wish I had known about it from the beginning,� he said while loading his car after his first visit to Community Forklift. “I’ve spent way too much money at Home Depot.�

The warehouse is overwhelming at first, from the “Aisle of Luck�where customers can cross their fingers in hopes of finding the correct nut, bolt or screw for their project - to a seemingly endless selection of chandeliers, cabinets, appliances and doors. But anxiety is quickly replaced by excitement—or at least amusement—when you begin to take in the individual pieces.

Stand outs include glass doorknobs from the Watergate penthouse, a 50s-style oven and a 1890s Victorian radiator among the dozens referred to as the “flock of sheep.�

Perhaps their biggest sale was a “log cabin kit.� Like a $15,000 Tinker toy set, the kit includes all the materials to reconstruct an 80-year-old 1,100-square-foot cabin.

In April of this year, after talking with 88 potential buyers, a deal was

made. Two containers holding the cabin were lifted by crane onto a flatbed truck headed for Fort Royal, Va. to be made into a home‌again. “The average customer has been in here 15 times,â€? said Mundell.The store has two large bulletin boards— one displays news clippings about green building, photos of customer’s completed projects, and thank-you cards. The other is a menagerie of business cards of local contractors, builders and craftsmen.

One of those craftsmen is Stu Barone. “I try to tell everybody I know,� he said. “It saves the environment I suppose, but it saves money too.�

Kate Davidson bought an iron stove that Barone has agreed to sandblast.

Davidson is a frequent shopper. “I had to put this stuff somewhere, so I decided to build a house around it,â€? she said. “There’s an aesthetic about things that are old,â€? she said, but she keeps coming back for another reason. “It’s the recycling‌ I’m massive on recycling waste and reducing environmental impact.â€?

Forklift provides an incentive to recycle. By deconstructing a house instead of demolishing, usable materials can be given to the store, earning a tax deduction for the donor. Deconstruction with donation can end up costing the same or less that traditional demolition—which can incur thousands of dollars in landfill fees.

Deconstruction also has “intangible benefits,� Mundell said. “A house can feel like a member of your family.�

The slower deconstruction process is less heartbreaking than demolition. “Neighbors come by and tell the crew stories about the house,� she said. “It’s therapeutic.�

Besides recycling materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, the store is a vendor of Nature Neutral products and building supplies—from low-odor paint to pipe, flooring and non-toxic mosquito

TRASH continued on page 15

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 15

HealthCorner Osteoporosis meds and jaw complications

by Ronald Grossman, DDS

O

steoporosis is a serious skeletal disorder that weakens bones and increases the risk of developing fractures. It affects about 10 million Americans, 8 million of them women. Another 34 million are at risk of developing osteoporosis. This disorder affects more women than cancer, heart disease and stroke combined. Many patients are treated with a group of prescription drugs called “oral bisphosphonates.” (Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva)

Osteonecrosis of the jaws Jaw complications linked to the use of these drugs are a growing concern. That is because the drugs have been associated with osteonecrosis of the jaws have been seen in patients with cancer who receive treatment with intravenous bisphosphonates remains uncertain, but researchers agree that it appears to be very small.

Osteoporosis and bone fractures Fractures of the spinal column and hip are the most common osteoporosis problems, and hip fractures can be life-threatening. The National Osteoporosis Foundation reports that an average of 24 percent of patients 50 years and older with hip fractures die within one year of their injury.

Six months after experiencing a hip fracture, only 15 percent of patients are able to walk across a room without help. A woman’s risk of experiencing a hip fracture is equal to her combined risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers.

It is estimated that alendronate may reduce by 40 percent the risk of experiencing a hip fracture in patients with osteoporosis.

TRASH

continued from page 14 repellant. They also carry environmentally-friendly insulation. Unlike “the pink stuff,” said Mundell, theirs is made from recycled blue jeans and treated with borate, and not formaldehyde, for fire resistance and insect repellence.

“People who never thought of themselves as environmentalists are beginning to,” she said.

The store’s proceeds support job training, small business incubation and public education about green building.

The store serves not as much a forklift for the community as a lift of the community. “Part of our mission to lift up the community,”

Tell your dentist If your physician prescribes an oral bisphosphonate, it is important to tell your dentist so that your health history form can be updated. Because some dental procedures, such as extractions, may increase your risk of developing ONJ, the American Dental Association has published treatment guidelines for patients receiving bisphosphonate therapy.

The medical and dental communities continue to study ways to prevent and treat ONJ to ensure the safest possible result for dental patients taking bisphosphonates.

Given the significant benefits of these medications for osteoporosis, your physician may recommend that you continue receiving oral bisphosphonate treatment despite the slight risk of developing ONJ. While neither your physician nor your dentist can eliminate the possibility of developing ONJ, regular dental visits and maintaining excellent oral hygiene are essential in helping to avoid this significant complication.

Mundell said.

“You see so many walks of life here—all backgrounds, cultures and incomes.”

Part of that mission is fulfilled by giving store volunteers merchandise credits.

“You can work for what you need.” Mundell said. And volunteers are in high demand. “Like any charity, we’re understaffed,” Mundell said. “Picture three employees running a Home Depot.”

But it’s worth it.

“We get a lot of invitations to come over for dinner,” she said. “I just haven’t had the time to accept any yet...I’m always here.”

One day, when she finds the time to build her first house, Mundell will use her cherished bricks to make an outdoor fireplace. When she does, she’s sure to have a wealth of building materials…and support.

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Page 16

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is another café fixture– as he puts it, “part of the woodwork.”

Ray Wolfe enjoying a warm lunch at St. Jerome's.

ST. JEROME'S

continued from page 1 comments on the crowd of about 60 people – larger than it hass been in a while. Besides the temperature drop, it is the end of the month so some people may have come to the end of their already limited income options, she said.

When the doors open, many diners greet each other warmly, with hugs and questions about how the week has been, and whether this or that friend will be showing up today.

“I’ve been coming here for two years,” said Ralph Keefer, a café regular. “The food is good.”

He sits at a table with his friend Diane Waterholter. They slept under a tarp in the rain the night before and are hoping to get housing soon.

“If you’re hungry, you’re hungry,” Keefer said. “That’s all there is to it.”

Café coordinator Terry Enfield said she started working at there to show her children how lucky they are.

“It was Christmas, my kids were little, and when we opened up the presents they said ‘Is there any more?’” she said. “So I said ‘Oh no, you kids are going to see what other people live like.’”

She began volunteering on Thanksgiving and Christmas and it increased from there.

“These people depend on us,” she

said, adding that she enjoys when some diners return to update her on their progress. “It’s heartening.”

Ray Wolfe is another café fixture —as he puts it, “part of the woodwork.” He’s been homeless for seven years, and just needs a hot meal to help him get through the day.

Rita Muir is there to provide it.

A longtime volunteer, she manages

St. Jerome’s Café is always in need of food donations or volunteers.Visit stjeromes.org/parish/cafe.html for more information or call Enfield at 301.864.9260

the buffet line and distributes lunch bags from a rolling cart for each diner to take away.

On this particular late October day, pupils from St. Jerome’s School have decorated the bags with colorful pumpkins and ghosts. Notes like “Happy Halloween to all” and “I hope you enjoy your food” were written carefully in colored marker.

“We have a very generous parish,” Muir said, adding that she likes to make sure everything is distributed fairly to all diners.

The eighth-grade class from St. Jerome’s school will coordinate the

Thanksgiving meal this year. Volunteers say it is a different crew on holidays as families who are normally at work and school get a chance to pitch in.

Danzel is a contractor in the area who does not get to the café very often, but leaves with a loaf of bread and a sense of gratitude. He speaks of the expense of living in the area, and the gift of having a place to go every now and then for lunch.

“It’s a blessing,” he said. “That’s why I don’t abuse it.”

A look around the room shows diversity of age and race. Most diners are men.

Parishioner Ben Merrion has volunteered with the café for two years, and said his Spanish language skills help.

“I get to talk with the guys [who speak Spanish] out there, and make some kind of personal connection,” he said.

Diners focus intently on the food, with breaks for conversation and commiseration.After the second round of lunch is over, with cake for dessert, the lunch bags are handed out and volunteers start washing the dishes.

Diners file out again into the rainy day, some heading back to work with hard hats on, others on to the next place to try to stay warm.

A woman named Daisy sticks around to help clean up.

“I’m not gonna run and be lazy and not help out,” she said. “I appreciate everything people do for me.

They call me ‘The Clean-up Lady.’”

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 17

Reverence for ‘Chapel’

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Local optician celebrates 50 years in Hyattsville

by Eli Segall

B

ob Land, a Hyattsville businessman, earns a living from goop.

Somewhere in the Midwest, 55-gallon drums are filled with goop by a chemical company and shipped worldwide to manufacturers. The goop is poured into a molding cast, stuffed in the oven, and pulled out as a hard, clear sheet.

The sheets eventually become eyeglass lenses.

“That’s what [manufacturers] refer to it as. They call it goop,” said Land, the owner of Chapel Opticians on Belcrest Road.

The company was founded in 1957 by his father-in-law. Land joined as an apprentice in 1968 and never left. Along the way, he opened a second branch and helped turn the eyeglass and contact lens store into a community institution.

To honor Chapel’s 50-year history, the Hyattsville City Council on Oct. 9 presented Land with a proclamation.

Before the ceremony, Land said he was honored to receive the award, but didn’t know who nominated him.

“I guess I’ll find out,” he said outside council chambers, unaware that an anonymous resident told city officials of the milestone.

A lifelong Maryland resident and seasoned world traveler, Land

is more entrepreneur than optician. In addition to Chapel’s two locations, he owns a consulting firm and a lens wholesale company, and he earns commission selling computer software to doctor’s offices.

Through it all, Land has cemented a reputation of professionalism.

“He’s a real good guy,” said Eduardo Bodmer of Contact Lens Associates in College Park. “Even though we’re kind of competitors, he’s very professional and very cordial.”

Land recently sat down with the Hyattsville Life & Times in Chapel Optician’s Hyattsville location across the street from The Mall at Prince George’s. His office, tucked in the back of the store, is decorated with framed pictures of his grandchildren, as well as snapshots from fishing expeditions.

A college dropout, Land married his wife, Cindy, when both were 20 years old, and a year later he began working at Chapel Opticians, then located on Queens Chapel Road.

The pay was low–Land earned $65 his first week–but the job of cutting lenses for frames and polishing lenses came naturally, he said. Land completed what was supposed to be a four-year apprenticeship in two years.

Within three years, he spun off a manufacturing subsidiary, and

five years later bought a 50 percent stake in Chapel Opticians.

In the 1980s he bought out his father-in-law’s share of Chapel, and opened the second branch in Riverdale. The flagship store moved to Belcrest Road in 2000.

Chapel’s two sites generate a combined $800,000 in annual revenue, which, according to Land, is above par for an independently owned optician. But their earnings are under constant threat from powerhouse chain opticians such as LensCrafters, and the insurance companies, who, according to Land, exclude independent operators from their payment programs.

Another challenge “is this,” said Land, as he picked up a rock the size of a baseball.

At 2:30 a.m. on Sept. 2, burglars hurled the rock through Chapel Optician’s front window and stole between $7,000 and $8,000 worth of designer frames, he said.

No suspects have been caught.

A message left at the Hyattsville Police Department’s press office was not returned.

Despite the hurdles, selling a product made from goop is still Land’s passion, and he smiled when recalling his first week on the job nearly 40 years ago.

He also remembers the exact date he started.

“I started February 19, 1968, and I happen to know that because I found my first paycheck.”

Because Hyattsville is cooler than your neighborhood

by Greg Tindale

H

as anyone asked you about Hyattsville in the last month?

I knew it! People are dying to hear more about our community.

They must have been so jealous after you explained why Hyattsville is a cool place to live. Of course you know there will be more people that want to hear about Hyattsville this month. Well don’t worry - here are two more suggestions for how you can be an ambassador of cool.

Number 3: Stick it to the Man. Who is “The Man” and why is he always trying to keep us down?

The Man is the establishment and the status quo. The Man is everywhere. He is at your office, in your government and may possibly be the commissioner of your fantasy football league. The Man relies on formal authority. The Man thinks he is better than you because he has a particular job title, address or last

name. The Man will try and dictate to you what is cool. It may be a boy band or it may be a TV show where contestants pick items of luggage that have monetary values assigned to them. Resist the urge to blindly acquiesce to popular culture.

Entitlement is extremely uncool.

People follow the Man because they think they have to, not because they want to. The best way to stick it to the man is by having moral authority. Proving your worth through character and wisdom gives you the moral high ground.When you know you are doing the right thing, others will respect you. Gandhi never held a formal position in the Indian government. He changed an entire country with his moral authority.

Cool people stand up against the status quo at their workplace and in their neighborhoods.

Number 4: Be about it.

More specifically: Don’t talk about it, be about it. People waste

their entire lives talking about what could be and never take action. It’s like sitting in a restaurant where your fellow diner can’t decide on an entrée. “Well, the steak looks good, but I eat too much red meat. Maybe some chicken. Is the chicken organic? OK, what is your fish of the day?” Shut up and order! People get so worried about making the wrong decision that they never make any decision.

Cool people are decisive and take risks. An old football coach once told me, “If you are going to make a mistake, make it at 100 miles per hour.” Even if you are making the wrong choice you are doing it the right way. Life is a series of failures and rejections. Real victories come from people who learn from their mistakes and go into another decision at 100 miles per hour.

Now that you have had a little more training, go forth and be cool.

Hyattsville needs you.

(HURRY IN BUT DON’T SPEED.)

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Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 18

CUTTING IT CLOSE continued from page 1

of the department’s funding is from fundraising and ambulance cost recovery, which total the fees from the use of ambulances.

New development and an increasing population in Hyattsville comes with a higher call volume, which the fire department will have more trouble adapting to as major developments like University Town Center edge close towards completion.

“When [developers] build and bring more and more in, no one really thinks about the public safety aspect,” says ward 4 representative Paula J. Perry.

The Hyattsville Fire Department was established in 1888 and the current firehouse began as a substation when the city began to expand. The current location at 6200 Belcrest Road has been in service for over 50 years.

The fire department is composed of four types of apparatuses: the engine company, which provides water; the truck company, with 329 feet of ladders; the rescue squad, which Hang describes as “a big toolbox;” and the ambulance. The company purchased a new ladder truck in 2006 for $595,000, but the other three apparatuses will need to be replaced in the coming years.

The Hyattsville Fire Department delivered an extensive presentation to the City Council on Oct. 1 providing an update of the department, long-term goals as well as a detailed description of the department’s financial status. In the fire department’s apparatus replacement plan without increased funding to spread out replacements, the station will have to deal with the financial strain of replacing equipment all at the same time, when the equipment has run its course in 2014.

As of Oct. 21 the fire department has already had 4,204 unit responses

this year, which is totaled from all of the station’s individual apparatus responses. The station’s 2006 unit responses totaled 4,647 at the end of the year, but the department predicts that at the current call volume rate, total responses will reach an all time high of 5,200 by the end of 2007.

Increases in population and development will prove to be a challenge for the Hyattsville Fire Department without an increased budget from the city.

“We’re trying to help them out a bit more,” said Mayor William Gardiner of the city’s contribution to the fire department.

“Fitting the department’s equipment in its current building is a tight squeeze. We’re at a point now where we are about to bust at the seams.”

Fire Chief David Hang Rebuilding fire departments in Prince George’s County that are older has been an initiative of the county’s fire/EMS department.

“In aging structures we don’t like to keep pumping in a lot of money when it would be more financially responsible to build new ones,” said Mark Brady, spokesman for the Prince George’s County Fire Department.

Ground was broken Oct. 10 for state of the art fire/EMS Station 26 in District Heights. Station 26 will be a prototype for future stations, Brady said.The new station also will be environmentally friendly with energy efficient roofing, heating and ventilation systems and areas specifically for tree conservation.

The station will also provide space for two fire engines, a ladder truck, an ambulance and two supervisory chief response vehicles, according to the county fire department.

Brady estimates that the District

Heights station will cost a little under $5 million to construct, not including the cost of equipment.

The rebuilding of a fire stations is dependent on a number of factors including the age and condition of the station, and most stations chosen date back to the late 1940s and early 1950s, he said.

The most recent station built was in 2001 and combined the Cottage City/Colmar Manor, Mount Rainer and Brentwood volunteer fire departments. The College Park, Glenn Dale and Laurel stations were all built in the late 90s.

“The county public safety master plan calls for the review of the Hyattsville station as well as a few others,” said Gardiner, adding that there is no word yet on when the reviews will take place.

The city is currently looking at plans to combine the adjoining American Red Cross and fire department properties into a development similar to the new District Heights station, Gardiner said. The idea is only in the preliminary stages and there is not cost estimate right now.

Hang’s first goal is to get a new station house, because having that will ultimately cut costs in every area of the department. The station purchased two ambulances, but due to a lack of garage space the second ambulance sits outside in the back lot vulnerable to weather damage, he said.

The rescue squad, which is in its 13th year of service, cost the Hyattsville Fire Department an extra $200,000 to custom build so it could fit into the bay area. It still barely clears the door and ceiling, according to firefighter Chris Mitchell.

With a bigger bay area the station would save money because it could then buy apparatuses that don’t need to be custom built, Mitchell said. A mass-produced rescue squad would normally cost $500,000 but customized it easily becomes $700,000.

OVEREXTENDED continued from page 1

Before the city annexed the mall area in early 2006, the Hyattsville Police Department determined that it would need 10 more officers to effectively patrol the area, increasing the number of officers from 34 to 44.

However, since then the city has only authorized six more officers, and Police Chief Douglas Holland thinks it has not been enough.

“I think we are very, very strained,” he said. “The study [that showed the need for 10 more officers] was done solely based on calls for service from the corridor of East-West Highway.”

It did not take into account last year’s annexation of the University Hills area or increased development in the city, he said.

The city should locate the resources and increase the police department’s

“The needs of the police should take precedence over almost any other spending by the city.”

COUNCILWOMAN PAULA PERRY, WARD 4 authorized expense as quickly as it can, Holland said Councilwoman Paula Perry (Ward 4) agrees, and thinks that public safety should be a much higher priority for the city council.

“You can have all the great sidewalks, walking tours, a new logo and whatever else you want, but if people are afraid to go out, what good is any of it?” she said.

The needs of the police, Perry added, should take precedence over almost any other spending by the city.

“If you thought police had a hard time handling crime problems as it was, this [new annexation and development] stretches them thinner,” she said.“Frankly, I’d cut out some of the things we’ve done that are supposed to add property value to our homes, because really, public safety adds the most value to a city.”

But Mayor William Gardiner is not sure that the department’s earlier study necessarily merited an immediate increase in the size of the police force.

“I don’t believe the city has ever implemented staffing based on any particular manpower study,” Gardiner

PERSECUTION Continued from page 2

retribution.

The perversion begins with the misreading of the first amendment.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” The meaning of phrases such as “In God We Trust”, “one nation under God”, or in the word “God” on a flag certificate is somehow deduced to suggest an endorsement of a religion.That is simply not the case.

To mention God is not to sanction the almighty, but merely acknowledge the heritage and traditions that are historical U.S. foundations.

Often the second part of the founding father’s first amendment phrase “or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” is omitted from interpretation. When stated as one complete thought: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ”, it becomes

said. “I think we need to look at public safety much more broadly than the number of sworn officers we have.”

Gardiner also rejected the idea that the newly incorporated areas are taking city resources away from residential areas.

“The recent annexations provide more resources for city service improvements than they require for police and other types of services,” he said.

City officials are unsure of what to make of the police’s most recent set of crime statistics comparing the first half of 2006 to the first half of 2007.

While overall crime in the city nearly doubled, most of that increase can be attributed to shoplifters in the newly incorporated Mall at Prince George’s, something Gardiner said is an issue with every major commercial area. Beyond that, he claims that crime levels have been relatively constant in the city overall.

But in Perry’s ward, crimes against people — assaults and citizen robberies — have gone up from 22 to 35, and she’s not pleased with that.

And Councilman Mark Matulef (Ward 2) said he is not pleased that crime levels beyond shoplifting have stayed the same in the city.

“When you annex an area, your needs get bigger,” Matulef said. “We just have not been able to maintain community policing.”

Last summer, Matulef did an informal poll of his ward and found that two-thirds of his residents supported adding more officers to the force and wanted more police visibility.

Matulef recently introduced a motion to the city council that would commit the city to increase the total number of authorized and sworn police officers to 48 from the current 40 by July 2009.

“It continues the policy that we’ve already agreed on” of increasing the number of officers, Matulef said. “I think it’s a bit more powerful, that it makes a proactive statement.”

Matulef has since removed his policy from the Oct. 29 city council meeting agenda.

Gardiner said the policy, if enacted, could be redundant. “We already have a process in place to do what the motion is trying to do,” he said.

clear as to parameters the right establishes.

The hair splitting twisted of common sense effectively commits the government to systemically infringe upon the Eagle Scout’s right to exercise his freedom of religious speech.

When America was founded most people were farmers or craftsman barely educated. Many couldn’t read or write. Most wouldn’t be able to tell you that of and from are grammatical prepositions. Most colonists and early American citizens however could explain at length why America was the greatest place to live on earth. They knew first hand because they had come to the new world to escape persecution in favor of the freedom to practice religious beliefs without infringement from the government. We still haven’t learned to clarify the differences that improperly applied prepositions can cost.

Worse though is that religious persecution from the government now hides in the guise of freedom of it.

Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 19

Development: targeting all of Hyattsville?

by Kendall Spera

T

he construction of the Hamilton Street Artway has come to an impasse as specific efforts to enhance the western part of Hyattsville have broached obstacles.

The Artway was a reply to the city’s request for more attractive street ways and public art along a pedestrian connection between U.S. Route 1 and Ager Road at the entrance to the West Hyattsville Metro Station.

But the project has not gotten off the ground, although the city has received grant money for the Artway, said Councilwoman Nicole Hinds (Ward 5).

The original plan was for the Artway to span the city from the West Hyattsville Metro Station to U.S. Route 1 Hinds said, but the preliminary plans published by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in June 2006, said that the pedestrian route would run along Hamilton and Gallatin streets. That would shorten the project to about two blocks. “[The city council] hadn’t been informed that there were any changes,” she said.

The main roadblocks include questions of jurisdictional discrepancies with city and state controlled

roads, said Stuart Eisenberg, executive director of the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation. He said that one property owner would not allow for road pavement.

There are variations in the widths of sidewalks and streets which also complicate development plans, said James Chandler, Hyattsville’s community development manager.

Questions of property ownership

a forum to exchange ideas about amenities the plan should include as well as the conceptual design to tie Magruder Park into the proposed Artway.

But whatever might be suggested, something needs to be done, Hinds said, adding that development in West Hyattsville will be positive if it takes into account the area’s demographic.

“It is important that we do

said, adding that the area is experiencing a loss of values and art will help to improve this issue.

Despite development success at the Mall at Prince George’s and along U.S. Route 1, West Hyattsville has been abandoned, and the planned improvement is still in not moving, Lizanne said.

“I know one day it will come but the question is how long we will have to wait?” he said.

Residents of this area would like to see more development.

Things like [the Artway] will be helping Hyattsville in the future.

Councilman Carlos Lizanne, Ward 4 in the area also contributed to the delayed planning process, he said.

Although there has not been much physical progress on the Artway, there is now a greater focus on incorporating the Hamilton Street project with work to be done at Magruder Park, Chandler said.

Chandler anticipates further coordination between the state and city to improve the connectivity of this corridor.

In January the city plans to hold

something with the aesthetics of West Hyattsville,” she said.

Councilman Carlos Lizanne (Ward 4) said that West Hyattsville is losing input in the area.

“Residents of this area would like to see more development, he said.Things like [the Artway] will be helping Hyattsville in the future,” he said.

“The ethnic groups that live here—we are Spanish, African, Caribbean people living together,” he

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Along with the Artway, high density housing, retail and business development planned for the area around the West Hyattsville Metro Station remains in an uncertain stage, as county and city officials and developers continue to look for a compromise.

In September 2006, the Prince George’s County Planning Board approved West Hyattsville Commons, a development proposal by Centex/Guston Hall. In January,

County Councilman Will Campos and the county council, acting as the district council, sent the plan back to the planning board.

The plan submitted by Centex was too suburban and did not provide enough of a mix of office and residential construction, Eisenberg said. Also developers wanted to build residential buildings first and the CDC feared that once the first portion was completed, the other projects might not be, he said.

Brad Frome, Campos’s legislative aide, said that Campos and his staff want to look back one day and be proud of the decisions and choices that they have made.

“It’s got to be good development…high quality,” he said, “It’s not like we just turned our back and walked away.” Campos is involved in ongoing talks with the city and they are working on an agreement with the developer so that the West Hyattsville Metro Station can develop in a way that is best for the city community.

“That’s basically what we’ve been doing for the past year,” Mayor William Gardiner said. “We don’t have an agreement, we don’t have a new plan yet but I’m optimistic that we will be able to get to a point where there’s support for the proposal.”

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Hyattsville Life&Times | November 2007

Page 20

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