City to swear in first female, first African-American police chief. P. 3
New craft distillery makes hard liquor the hard way
By Matt Humbard
Nate Groenendyk and Jeff Harner, two brothers-in-law, are set to open Sangfroid Distilling this month — the first distillery to open in Prince George’s County since the end of Prohibition 85 years ago, and the first-ever distillery in Hyattsville. But the location and regulatory history of this distillery is, perhaps, the least interesting part of this unique business.
DISTILLERY continued on page 13
Vigilante’s Gloria blend is the roast of the town
By Tom Hindle
Hyattsville’s Vigilante Coffee Company attracts a loyal stream of followers from around the city and surrounding neighborhoods. To complement their customer variety, the coffee shop provides roasts from around the world, and since 2017, one roast has stood out. Dubbed Gloria, this rare Mexican roast is one of the most popular choices at Vigilante and has given a native Mexican coffee producer national — and even international — attention.
Vigilante first came across Gloria Carrisoza’s coffee at the Aro-
GLORIA continued on page 12
REPORT ON AGING
AFI Work Group presents plan, shares top concerns of seniors. P. 10
Find
OH,
TREE
Hyattsville’s tree-lighting ceremony was held Dec. 7. The tree is dedicated to Imogen Louise Kramer (December 19, 2012 - October 19, 2018).
HyCDC-led project reckons with Hyattsville’s racist past
By Katie Walsh
Racially restrictive covenants that limit land use to “Caucasian inhabitants only” lurk within the deeds of many properties in the City of Hyattsville. The original deed for Magruder Park, for example, includes a covenant that states that the land should be used “as a public recreation park and playground to be known as WILLIAM PINKNEY MAGRUDER PARK, for the Caucasian inhabitants only of the said town of Hyattsville.”
This dark history led to Mapping Racism, a collaborative project of the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation (HyCDC) and Joe’s Movement Emporium to uncover all properties in Hyattsville with such covenants.
It may be common knowledge that every property comes with a deed, a legal document that can transfer the property’s title from one person to another. But many may not know that within those deeds there can be covenants, which may determine the condition of the property and are passed on to successive owners.
Deed covenants are fairly common. Homeowners associations use them to prevent people from engaging in certain activities, such as running businesses out of their homes or parking broken-down vehicles in their driveways. However, in Hyattsville, a number of properties contain covenants that
COURTESY OF JULIETTE FRADIN PHOTOGRAPHY
FromTheEditor
This holiday season — and every day —
I’m grateful for this community
By Krissi Humbard
My second-grader recently started learning about community in his social studies class. The dictionary defines community as “a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common” and “a feeling of fellow-
A community newspaper chronicling the life and times of Hyattsville Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781
http://HyattsvilleLife.com
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Hyattsville Life & Times is published monthly by Hyattsville Community Newspaper, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Editors welcome reader input, tips, articles, letters, opinion pieces and photographs, which may be submitted using the mailing address above or the email addresses below.
Managing Editor
Maria D. James maria@hyattsvillelife.com
Associate Editor Heather Wright heather@hyattsvillelife.com
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Krissi Humbard krissi@hyattsvillelife.com
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Lindsay Myers lindsay@hyattsvillelife.com
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Ashley Perks
Copy Editor
Nancy Welch
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301.531.5234
Writers & Contributors
Victoria Boucher, Juliette Fradin, Julia Gaspar-Bates, Tom Hindle, Matt Humbard, Katie Walsh
Board of Directors
Joseph Gigliotti — President and General Counsel
Chris Currie — Vice President Emily Strab — Treasurer
Rosanna Landis Weaver, Gretchen Brodtman, Debra Franklin, T. Carter Ross, Reva Harris, Maria D. James and Krissi Humbard — Ex Officios
Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. mail to every address in Hyattsville. Additional copies are distributed to libraries, selected businesses, community centers and churches in the city.
Total circulation is 9,300.
HL&T is a member of the National Newspaper Association.
ship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”
Living in Hyattsville, though, my son has known the meaning of community since his birth, even if he wasn’t exactly able to define it. He has friends he’s known since he could sit up on his own, kids he plays soccer with year after year, neighbors he sees at rallies and art openings and Vigilante Coffee shop. He knows there are a number of people he could turn to for help, if he needed it.
Community is a group of people living in the same place, yes — but in Hyattsville, it’s more.
Here, it’s neighbors who are there to help when you have a baby or a death in the family, and friends who loan you a coat, a car seat, a cup of sugar. The church members who serve meals to the less fortunate and give them a place to shower. Our schools’ PTAs that hold coat and canned-food drives. Police officers who take kids shopping for Christmas (and usually end up spending some of their own money doing it), and a police chief who takes time to connect with young people and snap selfies with residents.
It’s the HNParents group that organizes the HY-Swap and has a listserv of seasoned parents ready to help. People who gather at events to support local artists and musicians. Councilmembers who make themselves available to the community during meetings and listen to concerns during Summer Jams and block parties. A mayor who is visible and active in the community and always available for a hug. And city staff who are always working to make Hyattsville more inclusive and better for all its residents.
And Hyattsville’s rich community includes the people who walk by your house and smile and say hello, even if they don’t speak your language.
Hyattsville is made up of many small communities, some overlapping. We can have communities of close friends and neighbors, and we often connect with people through schools and work. We may have church communities, people we meet with to express and experience faith. And we have our everyday communities: those people we gather with at coffee shops, local
When the world comes crashing at your feet it’s okay to let others help pick up the pieces if we’re present to take part in your happiness when your circumstances are great we are more than capable of sharing your pain
“Community” by Rupi Kaur
breweries, and restaurants. Recently, I witnessed these groups come together to help a family grieve the death of a fierce 5-year-old girl who passed away from complications following a heart transplant. Friends shared notes, cards, hugs, words of comfort and meals. But at the memorial, the community also came together to celebrate her life. I didn’t
know her well, but in her five years, Imogen touched so many lives. At her memorial, I heard family, friends and teachers talk about how she was not afraid to speak her mind, and was brave in the face of her disease, proud of her brothers, and ready for adventure. I learned that she loved fairy tales — and that she shook her booty at will.
I left the memorial feeling heartbroken, of course, but at the same time, my heart felt full.
I was reminded that I should take in the little moments, appreciate the beauty in life, share in the small joys. Witnessing how a little girl brought so many different people together for an afternoon fi lled me with hope.
I feel grateful that I experience this sense of community in Hyattsville every day. I know that there are so many people I can reach out to for help — whether I need a smile, a
kind word, child care, a cup of milk or something bigger. I know how lucky I am to live in a place where neighbors who don’t really know me will go out of their way to help me. I know Hyattsville is special. In this political climate, during this holiday season — and moving forward — I hope we can remember how much we are alike and work to help each other strengthen this sense of community. As you gather around the table for holiday meals, I hope you remember that we are stronger together, and that to survive, we need each other and each other’s compassion and charity. May we share our abundance with those who are less fortunate. May we work toward a more united and just tomorrow. Let us focus on our community as a whole, put aside our differences, and concentrate on what connects us as people.
NEWS BRIEFS
VISIT HYATTSVILLELIFE.COM FOR MORE
CITY SWEARS IN FIRST FEMALE, FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHIEF OF POLICE
In a Dec. 7 press release, the City of Hyattsville announced its selection of Interim Police Chief Amal Awad as the city’s eighth chief of police. Awad is the first woman and the first AfricanAmerican to hold this position in Hyattsville’s 132-year history. In July 2018, Awad was promoted to interim police chief following the retirement of Chief of Police Douglas Holland. Mayor Candace Hollingsworth will perform the swearing-in ceremony on Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. in city council chambers. Visit hyattsvillelife. com for more on this historic news.
TRAFFIC LIGHT AT QUEENS CHAPEL ROAD AND NICHOLSON STREET DELAYED
Installation of the much-anticipated traffic light at the intersection of Queens Chapel Road and Nicholson Street has been delayed for at least eight months. Accord ing to The Sentinel, the delay was announced during the Nov. 14 Hyattsville Corridor Community meeting. At the meeting, Assistant District Engineer of Traffic Maryland State Highway Administration Peter Campanides estimated that the traffic light would not arrive for at least eight months. When pressed for a reason, he indicated that the delay had to do with the trade war between the U.S. and China and steel tariffs.
Where to turn when your Hyattsville house doesn’t sell
Hyattsville Area - If your house has just come off the market and hasn’t sold, don’t be discouraged. The reason your house in Hyattsville did not sell may have nothing to do with your house or the market. In reality, your house may have been one of the more desirable properties for sale. So, Why Didn’t Your House Sell?
Last year many of the houses listed for sale never sold at all, and many Hyattsville sellers found that there was a tremendous
be educated on to sell their house for top dollar in the shortest time period. Don’t risk making the wrong choices and losing both time and money on your investment. Before you hire a real estate agent know the right questions to ask to save you time and money.
Industry experts have prepared a free special report called, “How to Sell a House that Didn’t Sell,” which educates sellers on the lat-
est real estate issues involved.
To order your FREE copy of this special report, visit www.How2SellTheHouse.com or to hear a brief recorded message about how to order your FREE copy of this report call toll-free 1-800-380-8434 and enter 1012. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report NOW to make sure your Hyattsville house sells the next time you list it for sale.
CulturalConnections
From the Caribbean to the nation’s capital
By Julia Gaspar-Bates
Hyattsville resident Janine
Dowden is no stranger to adversity. Growing up on the Caribbean island of Grenada, Dowden suffered trauma at age 12 when she survived a car accident that left burns on 65 percent of her body.
“My aunt was living in Washington, so she assisted in getting me to Children’s Hospital. I spent eight months in the hospital the first time. Every year after that until I was 18, I would come to the U.S. for followup treatment because I had osteomyelitis and 90 percent of my bones were infected,” said Dowden.
Dowden also experienced a political coup d’état as a child when Grenada “became militant — there was the people’s revolutionary army.” After leading Grenada for several years as a police state, Prime Minister Maurice Bishop was assassinated by his own army.
“The morning of his death, a neighbor called my mother and said that she had a bad dream and recommended that [my mother]
not send us to school. A lot of people were killed. We could hear the tanks shooting because Fort George was only 3 ½ miles away.”
Then, in 2004, when Dowden was pregnant with her daughter, she lived through Hurricane Ivan, which devastated her homeland.
“Everything was destroyed, but we were lucky. In our village, ours was one of the few houses that stood. Before the hurricane, there were 425 houses, and afterwards there were six. After you live
through a hurricane, you never want to experience that again. It was the most horrifying experience. The next morning, it looked like a bomb went off. There was debris all over the place.”
Despite enduring these tribulations, Dowden also knows good fortune and the importance of community. She has many fond memories of her childhood in a small village overlooking the sea. Within a close-knit island community, “everybody knows everybody and is related to each other. There’s an unwritten rule that when you walk down the street, you have to say hello. Otherwise, when you get home, your mother would already have heard that you passed by someone without saying anything. When I grew up, the village raised the children.”
According to Dowden, Grenada’s rich cultural diversity fosters a climate of tolerance and its people embrace differences.
“Growing up in the Caribbean, we don’t understand racism. It doesn’t matter what you look like
because everyone is all mixed up. In August, we have Carnival to celebrate the emancipation of slavery. Nobody sleeps for a week. People go to house parties or a ‘lime,’ which is a big party on the beach where people cook ‘oil down’ [the national dish made of local delicacies such as yams, breadfruit, and salted pig tails among other ingredients].”
Dowden and her daughter were finally granted a green card to move to the U.S., nine years after first applying for it. They immigrated to Hyattsville one year ago to join Dowden’s mother and sister, who have lived here for many years. Given her multiple visits to the U.S. over the years, Dowden has not experienced much culture shock, “except for how rude people can be. Americans are very impatient and need instant gratification. They want to get what they want at the exact time they want it.”
Dowden enjoys living in Hyattsville “because it is like a little family, and everyone knows each other, so it reminds me a lot of home.
People will check up on you. We all have keys to each other’s houses.” She also appreciates the convenience of life in the U.S. and the lower cost of material goods. “The cost of living in Grenada is extremely high. When you go to the supermarket, you buy things you need, not what you want.” At the same time, she becomes wistful when reminiscing about Grenada. “I miss home. It’s very different here. When I’m home and driving around, I always see someone I know. Sometimes it’s just hard being here. You’re so anxious about everything and just want to fit in. Even though I had visited the U.S. many times, when I moved here everything was new and felt foreign, just distant. Eventually, when I get old and retire, I will return to Grenada. It will always be home.”
“Cultural Connections” is dedicated to highlighting Hyattsville’s rich cultural diversity by sharing the voices of immigrants and other foreigners who have settled here.
COURTESY OF JANINE DOWDEN
Janine Dowden
St. Jerome Institute announces its new home in the District
By Heather Wright
St. Jerome Institute (SJI), a new classical liberal arts high school, is keeping its promise to be in or near Hyattsville. The school will open fall 2019 in D.C., at 1800 Perry Street NE, according to an emailed announcement from Headmaster Peter Crawford. The school will share space with the Perry Street Preparatory Public Charter School. SJI is an initiative of St. Jerome Academy (SJA) parents and is based on SJA’s education plan, although it is it is not officially affiliated with SJA or the St. Jerome parish.
Crawford said in an interview that he and the SJI board were looking for a site that fulfilled four main requirements. They wanted a location that 1) could serve Hyattsville-area families who would be attracted to SJI, 2) would be a responsible and limited investment for a start-up high school, 3) could provide a functional space, conducive to student formation — a space with large rooms, natural light, outdoor green space and other amenities that would provide a good home for students, and 4) would support the school’s Christ-centered focus and allow students regular access to the sacraments, such as the Eucharist and confession.
Crawford described the Perry Street site as “a very exciting home for us because it fulfills a lot of the priorities we set for the [ideal] site.” First, the location is “excellent,” according to Crawford, and, although not in Hyattsville, is just an 8-minute drive away and is especially convenient for families travelling on Michigan Avenue.
The facility is a good deal and a wise investment, said Crawford, and offers room to grow. SJI board member Daniel Gibbons
and executive assistant, Emily Strab, agreed with Crawford’s assessment that the building has plenty of space to allow for increased enrollment.
The Perry Street building has many amenities that families expect from any school. Gibbons described the site as a “wellmaintained school building” that includes an auditorium, gymnasium, surrounding athletic fields and a basketball court. Strab noted that besides being an operational school free of zoning and licensing concerns, the brick building with palladian windows is beautiful. She said that with the fields, well-tended grounds and trees, “It’s just a very beautiful space.” The facility also has rooms that will support SJI’s seminar-based educational approach that relies on a class size of no more than 12 students.
Although the school is not on a church property, it is within walking distance of the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America, which SJI will use for weekly school masses, according to Crawford. It is also close to the Catholic University of America and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
When asked about drawbacks of the site, Crawford, Gibbons and Strab all said that some parents might object to sharing the building with another school. Strab explained that SJI has a separate entrance and reception area, though, which helps establish its identity. SJI also has its own floor with exclusive classrooms, Crawford said. Additionally, Gibbons said he expects that SJI will have a really good, collaborative partnership with Perry Street Prep: “They’ve been very reasonable and friendly and welcoming to us.”
Gibbons noted, too, that some parents wanted a facility that students from Hyattsville could walk to. “[The SJI board] was very much hoping to find a location within our community that would serve the community and allow the students to be engaged in community life in Hyattsville
ST. JEROME continued on page 7
COURTESY OF ST. JEROME INSTITUTE
St. Jerome Institute will open fall 2019 and share space with Perry Street Prep in D.C.
and service projects and in learning opportunities right here at home,” he said.
Hyattsville commercial and school buildings were too expensive for SJI, “a very small school starting out,” to afford, though, said Gibbons. “Part of the blessing of Hyattsville’s development boom is a curse for us,” he said, adding, “We really would have needed a very discounted rate, and none of the buildings we looked at, none of the owners were really willing to do that.”
Although Gibbons and Crawford agreed that a Hyattsville site would have been ideal, they both noted that the Perry Street location could offer other advantages. Crawford said that the site could make the school accessible for more families coming from the district and Montgomery County.
“The location is very good for most of our families, even if it’s not right next door,” said Gibbons, adding that the Brookland location may appeal to a broader range of families: “We can reach out a little bit further and build our community a little further.”
SJI’s location will also allow for easy access to the district’s cultural resources, encouraging students “to have a more engaging and concrete educational experience,” according to Gibbons. “I think our greatest challenge is going to be just organizing the life of the school in a way that … makes the most of the ridiculous amount of great stuff you can do in D.C.” Overall, considering the location and the quality of the facilities, “I think parents are going to be really pleased with it and think it’s great,” said Gibbons.
Crawford said, “I’m just thrilled. … This site is a beautiful balance and harmony of the vision we had for a site. We’re blessed to have found it. I’m excited to welcome students into this space and form a home for them.”
According to Crawford, Gibbons and Strab, the most important next step for SJI is recruiting and enrolling students. SJI started accepting applications for the 2019-2020 school year on Nov. 15. A day later, Strab said applications were rolling in from as far as Bowie and Olney and Alexandria, Va. Tuition for SJI’s opening school year is $12,800/year, and according to SJI’s website, financial aid is available.
SJI is also hiring teachers, said Crawford, which he described as a “key moment in the formation of a school,” adding that “faculty culture is the most important way to influence students and student culture.”
“We are convinced that what we’re offering at this school is the very best education for any child,” said Gibbons. “It’s very different from the kind of education that students are going to receive in mainstream schools, but I think it’s what our children need now in this very difficult time in history.” Gibbons continued, “We’re trying to move education forward and find the very best ways of preparing young people to make the world a better place and to live well.”
To learn more about SJI and its classical liberal arts education, visit stjeromeinstitute.org/.
TRAIN PRINTING
Hyattsville Reporter the
Holiday Trash Collection
City offices will be closed on Tuesday, December 25, and Tuesday, January 1, in observance of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Emergency services will continue. There will be no yard waste or leaf collection those weeks. The regular Tuesday trash routes will be done Monday, December 24, and Monday, December 31. The remainder of those weeks will follow the normal trash collection schedule. Compost collection for those participating in the Volunteer Composting Pilot Program will follow its regular schedule. Please call (301) 985-5000 with any questions.
Community Survey
Great news! The City of Hyattsville’s Health, Wellness, and Recreation Advisory Committee has extended their survey deadline. Visit www.speakuphvl.com/surveys to voice your opinion on the community’s needs for overall wellness!
Mentors and Tutors
Wanted
Looking to serve your community? Volunteer as a mentor and tutor at the City of Hyattsville’s Teen Center! Volunteers provide homework help and serve as additional role models in the lives of local youth grades 6 – 12. It’s a commitment of one or two nights of tutoring per week, plus one recreational activity you plan each month. To learn more and get involved, please call (301) 985-5000 or email srauf@hyattsville. org.
Free Transportation
Call-A-Bus: Happy holidays, Hyattsville! From now until January 14, all Call-A-Bus rides are free! Our curbside pickup helps seniors and residents with disabilities get to medical appointments, grocery stores, and more. Please note that reservations must be made by calling (301) 985-5000 before 2 p.m. a business day prior to the trip.
UMD Shuttle: Hyattsville residents can ride all University of Maryland Shuttle Routes for FREE! Route 113 loops through Hyattsville, stops at the Prince George’s Plaza Metro, and then heads to the University. To get a pass to ride, bring photo ID and proof of residence to the City Building at 4310 Gallatin Street, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Passes are issued the same day. Route maps and schedules are available at www.dots.umd.edu.
Did You Miss a City Council Meeting?
No problem! Visit www.hyattsville.org/ meetings to view a recording of all meetings, check out agendas, and much more! Don’t forget that the most recent meeting is also rebroadcasted daily on cable channel 12 (Verizon) and channel 71 (Comcast).
National Day of Service
Make MLK Day a day ON, not a day OFF! Join volunteers from the City’s Teen Center on Monday, January 21, for a largescale trash and debris removal from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. We’ll meet in the parking lot of Northwestern High School at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers of all ages are welcome, but those 13 years and younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Be sure to dress for the elements: long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy shoes or boots. Safety guidelines, cotton work gloves, litter sticks and trash bags will be provided. Participation can also help satisfy the State of Maryland’s Student Service Learning
requirement. To register, please call (301) 985-5057 or email caistis@hyattsville.org.
We’re Hiring
Serve your community by working for our local government! We’re currently seeking a city planner, mechanic, and police officers. Visit www.hyattsville.org/jobs to learn more and apply!
Help Shovel Snow
Remember: You have 24 hours from the time it stops snowing to clear any sidewalks around your property. If you or someone you know is shoveling snow for senior or disabled neighbors, please send an email to caistis@hyattsville.org so the City of Hyattsville can provide a shovel, gloves, or other support to such helpful neighbors.
ESL Baking Classes
Interested in learning English as a second language while learning how to bake like a professional? Register for Prince George’s Community College’s FREE English as a Second Language (ESL) Bridge and Baking Classes. First, learn important vocabulary, procedures, and measurement skills with the bridge class. Then, learn how to bake and earn a ServSafe certificate at the baking classes. Space is limited so check out www.pgcc.edu/go/esl or call (301) 5468350 for January registration and more information!
City Updates
Visit www.hyattsville.org/notifyme and sign up to receive email and text message notifications from the City of Hyattsville!
A New Way to Volunteer
Sign up for event-specific and ongoing volunteer opportunities with the City of Hyattsville at www.hyattsville.org/volunteer. If you have any questions, please email caistis@hyattsville.org.
Youth Programs
Creative Minds: The City of Hyattsville invites parents and their toddlers (ages 1 – 3) to Creative Minds, an educational enrichment program every Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., at Magruder Park. To kick off the program, all sessions in December are COMPLETELY FREE! Registration for the Winter Session, which runs from January to March, opens December 13. For more information and to register,
please visit www.hyattsville.org/creativeminds or contact Veronica Rivera-Negrón at (301) 985-1703.
Camp Magruder: Register your youngster (ages 5 – 10), for any or all of our upcoming Camp Magruder sessions! While schools are on break, enroll your child for fun-filled days of sports, arts, dance, indoor/outdoor activities, and awesome educational experiments. For more information and to register for Winter Camp Magruder, please visit www.hyattsville. org/campmagruder or email sjohnson@hyattsville.org.
Winter Camp Magruder: December 26 – 28, 2018. $30 per day (Registration now open!)
Spring Camp Magruder: April 15 – 19, 2019. $125 for City residents / $150 for non-residents. (Registration opens January 9 for residents / January 16 for nonresidents)
Summer Camp Magruder: June 17 –August 23, 2019. $250 for City residents / $300 for non-residents. (Registration opens February 6 for residents / February 13 for non-residents)
Leaf Collection Is Back!
Each City address is scheduled to receive weekly leaf collection through mid-January, except for commercial and multifamily properties. Please note that there is no leaf collection during the weeks of Christmas and New Year’s Day. Leaf collection is also weather dependent, as wet, heavy leaves can delay or cancel scheduled routes. To learn more and find out on which day leaf collection is scheduled for your home, visit www.hyatsville.org/ leaves or call (301) 985-5000. Please note that if you are unable to rake your leaves by 7 a.m. on the day of your scheduled leaf collection, you can always bag your leaves in paper yard waste bags (no plastic bags) and put them out as yard waste.
Memory Cafe
Hyattsville Aging in Place and the City of Hyattsville invite you to the Memory Cafe, a comfortable gathering place for people with memory problems and their caregivers. Join us every third Thursday of each month, 1 – 2:30 p.m., at the Hyattsville City Building (4310 Gallatin Street) for so-
cial interaction, games, music, crafts, seated exercises, and more! Registration is required. To learn more and sign up, please call Nancy Quarles at (240) 467-3833.
Did you Know?
Pedestrians: If you’re at a crossing, always press the push-to-walk button. Crossings can automatically assume that there’s no pedestrians nearby, often making it feel like either the light is taking forever or there isn’t enough time to cross. Use the button to reduce your wait and improve safety for all!
Parent Workshops
You can keep your family healthy and happy with various low-cost, bilingual resources in our community. Please visit www.hyattsville.org/workshops and join us at any or all our workshops where you can learn more.
Free Meal Delivery
The City of Hyattsville is partnering with Meals on Wheels to bring free meals, three days a week, to residents who would otherwise have difficulty preparing regular, healthy meals. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, participants will receive a warm lunch along with a cold dinner and breakfast (nine meals per week in total). Meals can be tailored for residents with diabetes, food allergies, or other restrictions. To participate, residents must either be at least 60 years old or have a disability, and also have monthly income below the amount that would qualify for the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). To learn more or join the program, please contact Beryl Johnson at (301) 985-5058 or bjohnson@hyattsville. org.
How to be a Good Neighbor
Well-maintained properties are part of what make people proud to live, work, and play in Hyattsville. If you’re worried about a property’s maintenance in your neighborhood—whether it’s because of overgrown grass, abandoned vehicles, or another ongoing issue—the City’s Office of Code Compliance is here to help! If you have a general code question, contact Christine Redman at (301) 985-5014 or credman@ hyattsville.org. To contact the inspector in your area directly, visit www.hyattsville. org/inspections.
Community members and elected officials joined Prince George’s County Memorial Library System last month for the official groundbreaking of the new Hyattsville Branch Library.; Miembros comunitarios y funcionarios locales acompañaron el Sistema de Librería del Condado Prince George’s el mes pasado para la inauguración oficial de la nueva sucursal librería en Hyattsville.
Reportero de Hyattsville el
No. 369 • 11 de Deciembre, 2018
Cambios a la Recolección de Basura
Las oficinas de la Ciudad estarán cerradas el martes, 25 de diciembre, y el martes, 1 de enero, en observación a los días festivos. Los servicios de emergencia seguirán. No habrá recolección hojas o residuos de jardín en esas semanas. Las rutas originales de los martes para la recolección de basura normal en vez serán recogidas el lunes, 24 de diciembre, y el lunes, 31 de diciembre. Los días restantes no serán afectados. El Programa Piloto de Compostaje tampoco estará afectado. Por favor llame al (301) 985-5000 si tiene preguntas.
Encuesta Comunitaria
¡Buenas noticias! La encuesta del Comité Consultivo de Salud, Bienestar y Recreación de Hyattsville ha sido extendida. ¡Visite www.speakuphvl.com/surveys para dar su opinión sobre las necesidades dentro de su comunidad!
Se Busca Tutores y Mentores
¿Busca servir a su comunidad? ¡Conviértase en un mentor y tutor para el Centro de Adolescentes de Hyattsville! Voluntarios asisten a estudiantes de grados 6 – 12 con sus tareas y sirven como un buen ejemplo adicional a los jóvenes. Sería un compromiso de una o dos veces a la semana en la tarde siendo tutor más una oportunidad de planear una actividad divertida junto al adolescente para un día al mes. Para aprender más e involucrarse, por favor llame al (301) 985-5000 o mande un correo electrónico a srauf@hyattsville.org.
Transportación Gratis
Llame-A-Bus: ¡Felices deseos y fiestas Hyattsville! Empezando desde ahora hasta el 14 de enero, toda transportación por medio del servicio de la Ciudad, Llame-Al-Bus es gratis. Nuestro servicio bordillo a bordillo ayuda a personas mayores y residentes con discapacidades poder ir a citas de doctores, el supermercado y más. Por favor note que reservaciones tienes que ser hechas antes de las 2 p.m. el día previo a su viaje deseado llamando al (301) 985-5000. ¡Felices fiestas Hyattsville!
Autobuses de la Universidad de Maryland: ¡Residentes de Hyattsville pueden tomar todos los autobuses de la Universidad de Maryland GRATIS! La Ruta 113 pasa por Hyattsville, con paradas en la estación de metro de Prince George’s Plaza y al fin en la Universidad. Para obtener su pase para el autobús, presente una identificación con foto y prueba de residencia a la Ciudad a 4310 Calle Gallatin, abierto lunes a viernes, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. Le podemos dar el pase el mismo día de su visita. Mapas y horarios de la ruta del autobús se los puede encontrar en www.dots.umd.edu.
¿Se Perdió una Reunión del Consejo Municipal?
¡No se preocupe! ¡Visite www.hyattsville.org/ meetings para ver las grabaciones de todas las juntas, revisar las agendas y mucho más! No se olvide que la más reciente junta también es retransmitida diario en los canales de cable 12 (Verizon) y 71 (Comcast).
Día Nacional de Servicio
¡Convierta el día conmemorativo de Martin Luther King en un día de servicio y no de hacer nada! Acompañe voluntarios del Centro de Jóvenes de la Ciudad de Hyattsville el lunes, 21 de enero, para ayudar a remover basura y desechos, de 10 a.m. hasta la 1 p.m. Nos reuniremos en el lote de estacionamiento de la Escuela Secundaria Northwestern a las 9:30 a.m. Voluntarios de todas edades
están bienvenidos, pero menores de 13 años tienen que ser acompañados por padre o adulto. Acuérdense de vestirse apropiadamente: pantalones, camisas manga largas y botas o zapatos duraderos. Direcciones de seguridad, guantes, recogedores y bolsas de basura serán proveídas. Participando también puede ayudar a satisfacer el requisito de aprendizaje-servicio del Estado de Maryland. Para inscribirse, por favor llame al (301) 985-5057 o mande un correo electrónico a caistis@hyattsville.org.
Estamos Contratando
¡Sirva a su comunidad trabajando por su gobierno local! Estamos buscando un planificador, un mecánico y oficiales de policía. Para obtener más información y solicitar, visite a www.hyattsville.org/jobs.
Ayuden a Palear este Invierno
Acuérdense: Tienen 24 horas desde el tiempo en que pare de nevar para limpiar sus acercas alrededor de sus propiedades. Si usted o alguien que conoce está paleando nieve para un residente de mayor edad o gente con deshabilitadas, por favor mande un correo electrónico a caistis@hyattsville.org para que la Ciudad de Hyattsville pueda proveer una pala, guantes u otro tipo de soporte para vecinos amables.
Clases de Inglés y Hornear
¿Está interesado en aprender inglés como segundo idioma mientras aprende como hornear delicias como un profesional? Inscríbase para las clases GRATIS de Aprendizaje de Ingles y Hornear por parte del Colegio Comunitario Prince George’s. Primero, aprenda el vocabulario importante, procedimientos y como proporcionar medidas con la clase de aprendizaje. Después, aprenda como hornear galletas, panecitos, pasteles y más delicias. ¡El espacio es limitado así que visite www.pgcc.edu/go/esl o llame al (301) 546-8350 para inscribirse en enero y para más información.
Noticias de la Ciudad
¡Visite a www.hyattsville.org/notifyme para recibir correos electrónicos y mensajes de texto (en español) sobre las últimas noticias en la Ciudad de Hyattsville!
Nuevas VoluntariasOportunidades
Inscríbase para eventos que tengan oportunidades de ser voluntario y que sean recurrentes o para un evento especifico con la Ciudad
de Hyattsville vía www.hyattsville.org. Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor mande un correo electrónico a caistis@hyattsville.org. Programas para Jóvenes y Niños
Pequeños
Mentes Creativas: La Ciudad de Hyattsville invita a padres y a sus hijos (años 1 – 3) para Desarrollo Creativo, un programa de enriquecimiento y educación que toma plazo cada martes y jueves, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., en el Parque Magruder. ¡Para empezar el programa, todas las sesiones de diciembre son COMPLETAMENTE GRATIS! La inscripción para las sesiones invernales, que son de enero a marzo, comienza el 13 de diciembre. Para más información y para registración, por favor visite www.hyattsville.org/creativeminds o contacte a Veronica RiveraNegrón al (301) 985-1703.
Camp Magruder: Registre a su hija/o (años 5 – 10) para cualquier o todas nuestras próximas sesiones del Camp Magruder! Cuando no estén en la escuela, inscriba a su hija/o para días llenos de deportes, artes, baile, actividades dentro y fuera y experimentos educativos. Para más información y para registrarse para la sesión Invernal del Campamento Magruder, por favor visite www. hyattsville.org/campmagruder o mande un correo electrónico a sjohnson@hyattsville.org.
Camp Magruder del Invierno: diciembre 26 – 28, de 2018. $30 cada día (¡Ya puede Inscribir a su hija/o!)
Camp Magruder de la Primavera: abril 15 – 19, de 2019. $125 para residentes de la Ciudad / $150 para no residentes (Registración comienza el 9 de enero para residentes de la Ciudad / 16 de enero para no residentes)
Camp Magruder del Verano: junio 17 –agosto 23, de 2019. $250 para residentes de la Ciudad / $300 para no residentes (Registración comienza el 6 de febrero para residentes de la Ciudad / 13 de febrero para no residentes)
¡La
Recolección de Hojas ha Regresado!
¡Está de vuelta la época! Cada dirección de la Ciudad está programada a recibir servicios semanales de recolección de hojas de árboles. Propiedades de negocios, apartamentos y condominios están excluidos. Por favor note que no habrá recolección de hojas
durante las semanas festivas. El servicio de recolección también es dependiente al clima así que hojas mojadas y pesadas pueden demorar o cancelar rutas programadas. Para aprender más sobre cual día la recolección de hojas está programada para su hogar, visite a www.hyattsville.org/leaves o llame al (301) 985-5000. Por favor note que si no puede juntar sus hojas antes de las 7 a.m. el día de recolección por su vecindad, siempre puede embolsar las hojas en bolsas grandes de papel (no bolsas de plástico) y dejarlas para la recolección de jardín de residuos.
Memory Cafe
La organización Hyattsville Aging in Place y la Ciudad de Hyattsville los invitan a la Memory Cafe, un cómodo lugar para reunirse junto a personas con problemas y a sus cuidadores. Acompáñenos cada tercer jueves del mes, 1 –2:30 p.m., en el Edifico Municipal de Hyattsville (4310 Calle Gallatin) para interacciones sociales, juegos, música, artesanías, y ejercicios sentados. Es requerido registrarse. Para más información e inscribirse, por favor llame a Nancy Quarles al (240) 467-3833.
¿Usted Sabía?
Peatones: Si alguna vez está en un cruce peatonal, siempre apreté el botón de caminar para que le dé suficiente tiempo de cruzar la calle o intersección. Cruces peatonales pueden automáticamente asumir que no hay nadie esperando, haciendo sentir que toma demasiado tiempo la luz o no hay suficiente tiempo para cruzar. ¡Apreté el botón para reducir el tiempo de espera y mejorar la seguridad para todos!
Talleres Gratuitos para Familias
¡Usted puede mantener el bienestar de su familia con varios recursos bilingües alrededor de nuestra comunidad sin que le cueste nada! Visite www.hyattsville.org/charlas y únase a uno o todos nuestros talleres donde puede aprender más información.
Programa de Comida Gratis a Domicilio
La Ciudad de Hyattsville está asociándose con la compañía Meals on Wheels para proveer comida gratis tres veces a la semana, ha residentes que tienen un tiempo difícil preparando comida para sí mismos. Cada lunes, miércoles y viernes, participantes recibirán almuerzos calientitos junto con una cena y desayuno ya listos (nueve almuerzos en total). Las comidas pueden ser personalizadas para residentes que tengan diabetes, alergias de comida o alguna otra restricción. Para participar, residentes deben de tener por lo menos 60 años o tener una discapacidad y tener un ingreso mensual que calificaría para el programa de Asistencia Suplemental de Nutrición de los Estados Unidos (SNAP). Para aprender más o participar en el programa, por favor contacte a Beryl Johnson al (301) 985-5058 o vía bjohnson@hyattsville.org.
Como ser un Buen Vecino Propiedades bien mantenidas son parte de lo que hace la gente de Hyattsville sentirse orgullosas de decir donde viven y trabajan. Si está preocupado por el mantenimiento de una propiedad por su vecindario, sea por la grama estando muy alta, un vehículo abandonado u otro problema diferente, ¡las oficinas del Cumplimiento de Código de la Ciudad están para ayudar! Si tiene una pregunta general sobre las reglas y códigos de la Ciudad, contacte a Christine Redman al (301) 985-5014 o vía credman@hyattsville.org. Para contactar directamente al inspector de su vecindario, visite www.hyattsville.org/inspections.
Mayor Candace Hollingsworth thanks recently retired City Council Member Paula J. Perry for 20 years of service to the City of Hyattsville.; Alcaldesa Candace Hollingsworth agradece la recién retirada Miembro del Consejo Municipal, Paula J. Perry, por sus 20 años de servicio a la Ciudad de Hyattsville.
MissFloribunda
Dear Miss Floribunda,
I don’t think you have space to list all my gripes about the holiday plants I’ve bought that refused to rebloom — or even go on living. Even more disturbing is that the orchids, poinsettias, Christmas cacti, gardenia and azalea bonsai, amaryllis, cyclamen, etc. I’ve sent friends over the years soon disappear from their homes, and I get evasive mumblings when I ask about them. I’ve read your various columns giving complicated instructions for making holiday plants rebloom, ranging from sentencing poinsettias and Christmas cacti to terms in the basement to burying withered amaryllis outside and digging them up them each year before winter. I’ve tried some of it and given up because I’m just too busy and probably too inept. Is there anything I can give as a Christmas gift that will continue to give effortless pleasure in the future? Should I just give up and get plastic poinsettias for myself and send semiedible sausages and cheeses to my friends?
Guilt-ridden Grinch on Gallatin Street
Dear Guilt-ridden Grinch,
There’s something to be said for accepting loss philosophically. Let the fresh floral offerings give joy for as long as they are in bloom. Certainly no one expects a bottle of perfume — or even a “semi-edible” sausage or cheese — to last forever. If you don’t want to bother giving them special care, don’t feel guilty about throwing them onto your compost pile. They are biodegradable. Let their recipients know that you do not expect to see these gifts again and that they need have no qualms about letting them go the way of all foliage.
Now, there really are some gift plants that can survive without undue effort. Both Dr. Agronomosky and Wendy
Wildflower tell me that they do not banish their Christmas cacti (Schlumbergera) to the basement but rather place them outside in their pots after the last spring frost. They bring them inside the next autumn and put them in windows, and the plants never fail to bloom again in time for Christmas. Wendy knows people who have had Christmas cacti for so many years they are considered family heirlooms. While Aunt Sioux does stow her spent amaryllis in the basement, she goes to no special trouble. She leaves them alone till they start sprouting on their own schedule. At that time, she puts them in a sunny place and waters them.
There are other plants that may be replanted outside and will survive until an unusually harsh winter or summer comes. A topiary rosemary tree trimmed to look like a pine is a good example. You can keep it in your kitchen to clip bits and pieces for your soups, and then in spring plant it outside in a sheltered place. If it doesn’t survive to the next winter, or
beyond, that’s not your fault. The same would apply to a little holly or evergreen tree — but be careful where you plant it. You may recall the letter I got from “Christmas in July” one year complaining of having a backyard full of Christmas trees and plants that not only survived but grew so large they left no room for anything else.
Hyacinths and bulb-filled dish gardens make splendid gifts, and when the bulbs are replanted outside later they usually give several years of bloom — though never again at Christmas. I’ve gotten conflicting reports about paperwhite narcissi. Apparently some have survived and rebloomed when planted near the warmth of a building. Most do not survive. Be that as it may, if you like their sweet fragrance, even one season of bloom gives you your money’s worth. Another ephemeral but worthwhile gift choice is a fragrant evergreen wreath. A lavender wreath lasts much longer, though it’s less seasonally festive.
Have you considered dressing up easy-care houseplants? Just wrap the pots in colorful foil you can buy at nurseries and florist shops, artfully hang some lightweight ornaments and add a big bow. Voila! You have a gift that will keep on giving. A peace lily in bloom, a jade plant, a Caribbean tree cactus (preferably not in stridently yellow bloom), ficus, philodendrons and such bromeliads as Scarlet Star make very handsome gifts. I wouldn’t recommend the aggressively sharp Sansevieria trifasciata (aka “mother-in-law’s tongue”) or the extremely poisonous oleander. Some indoor plants — even the peace lily and the philodendron — can be toxic to pets, so keep them out of paw’s reach. To discuss your dilemma with experts and to degrinchify in an atmosphere of good cheer, please come to the next meeting and holiday party of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society, Saturday, Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. It will take place at the cozy and festive home of Jean and Millard Smith, 3600 Longfellow Street.
Christmas cacti can survive without undue effort — and make a nice holiday gift as well.
MAPPING
continued from page 1
were intended to limit the future sale of the property to white residents only. They are unenforceable — the 1948 Supreme Court case of Shelley v. Kraemer, followed by the 1968 Fair Housing Act, struck them down — but for Stuart Eisenberg, executive director of HyCDC, finding out exactly which property titles still carry such covenants is an extremely important task.
“Courts are changing. The complexion of the judicial thinking is changing with the appointments on the bench, and it’s a matter of time before some of these cases get brought up again,” Eisenberg said.
Earlier this year, Eisenberg was conducting land research in his capacity as a board member for the Hyattsville Preservation Association and discovered restrictive covenants in titles to several properties sprinkled throughout the community. He’d known about the historic racism of certain properties in the city, including Magruder Park, for a while, but this year, inspired by author Ta-Nehisi Coates and his articles about the “hidden architecture of segregation,” Eisenberg decided to to work toward change. He wrote about the deed covenants in a February “Then & Now” column for the Hyattsville Life & Times. But for Eisenberg, simply writing about them wasn’t enough.
“All of these elements — a history of racism and an intentional community today that is just diametrically opposed to that sort of attitude — got me to thinking about, well, why would anyone keep such a thing in their property?” Eisenberg said.
With that, Mapping Racism began to take shape. Eisenberg said the project will have three phases, the first of which has already begun: mapping out which properties have racist deed covenants, holding a community art project to raise awareness and give life to some of the stories of those deed covenants, and creating a tool that would enable a homeowner to remove deed covenants from their own property.
As part of their Mapping Racism project, the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation has identified all neighborhoods that may have racially restrictive deed covenants in their deeds.
Eisenberg said the mapping portion of the project is a little trickier than it might seem at first blush. Many homeowners may have signed deeds without realizing they contained racially restrictive covenants because the covenants are only mentioned “by referral,” meaning the documents include language that essentially says, “This deed includes everything else that was included in previous deeds.” In order to discover whether or not a particular property has a racially restrictive covenant, it’s necessary to obtain the original deed.
“Depending on where you live in Hyattsville, you may have a racially restrictive covenant on your property, and you wouldn’t know it because they didn’t tell you, because it wasn’t material to the transaction today,” Eisenberg said.
Mapping properties with restrictive deed covenants will take a while, Eisenberg said.
The HyCDC team has to search about 5,000 properties, and Eisenberg estimated that this will take about 3,800 hours of research. He hoped it could be wrapped up in 2 ½ years and said
that the team has already identified all the subdivisions that are likely to contain these deed covenants.
In the interim, phase two of the project, the collaboration with Joe’s Movement Emporium, will kick off in January as a part of the performing arts center’s 20182019 season titled “Resilient Cultures.”
Brooke Kidd, executive director of Joe’s Movement Emporium, said HyCDC has partnered with the company in the past, and when she learned about the project to root out restrictive deed covenants in the city, she was eager to participate.
“I asked if there was an arts component, and we just started sharing some ideas and brainstorming on how to animate the material and the intent of the project, hopefully to further the reach and engage more of our community to know about this important issue,” Kidd said, who
added that she was waiting to find out if her home has a racially restrictive covenant in its deed.
The artistic portion of the Mapping Racism project will include a series of workshops as well as dance, music and theatrical experiences at locations throughout the Gateway Arts District. Kidd said many of the details were still being ironed out, but that the artists being chosen for the project all had roots in the community.
Both Kidd and Eisenberg said the Mapping Racism project received key funding that helped make it possible. Eisenberg said the HyCDC received $10,000 from the Maryland Humanities Council for research, and Kidd said Joe’s Movement Emporium received $13,000 from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation’s Cross-Sector Arts Partnership with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The third phase of the Mapping Racism project — the legal
toolkit homeowners can use to remove racially restrictive deed covenants from their properties — is still in development. Eisenberg said he did not have an estimate for when the toolkit would be available.
But the HyCDC is committed to the mission, no matter how long it takes.
“This is our way of helping to build and rebuild the community,” Eisenberg said. “That’s why it sits with the Community Development Corporation, because it’s at this crossroads of legal entitlement and land use, where the land was entitled such that it could not be used by a portion of our community.
“It was wrong then, it’s wronger now, and we should do something about it.”
This is an abridged article that originally appeared online. Visit hyattsvillelife.com for the full article.
KATIE WALSH
Affordable housing main concern, says report on aging
By Tom Hindle
Hyattsville has been working for years to make the city more inclusive and easier to navigate for all its residents.
In 2015, Hyattsville started the long process toward becoming an age-friendly community. This distinction, awarded by the AARP in connection with the World Health Organization, denotes cities that are prepared to serve an aging population. This process has culminated in a 60-page report that the AgeFriendly Initiative Work Group (AFI Work Group) presented to the city council on Oct. 15. The group explained their fourpronged plan on Nov. 19 in an open discussion with the public held at a Hyattsville Aging in Place (HAP) board meeting at the Hyattsville Municipal Building.
The AFI Work Group, which is made up of volunteers recruited by the city, identified the four greatest needs among seniors in the community and identified specific issues related to each. Affordable housing is the main concern identified through this work.
county laws and zoning. Housing options could include tiny homes, accessory dwelling units and other housing that incorporates universal design building standards.
In their Oct. 15 meeting, the AFI Work Group encouraged the council to support diversity in the community, Walker said.
The group also aims to develop a program to allow seniors to make modifications to their homes.
“It would allow the city to allow seniors and others to make minor modifications like bars, railings and possibly ramps,” Walker added.
The second priority was health and safety, including issues like senior abuse and fall prevention. The committee also noted that finding reasonably priced, healthy food can be difficult, especially for people on fi xed incomes. The final priority was ensuring that public transport would be available to seniors on weekends.
“The city puts out a lot of information in English and Spanish … but we were concerned that a lot of the development of communication has been electronic,” Walker said. “We realized that a lot of seniors do not use electronic communication.”
While the city council hasn’t approved the plan yet, Councilmember Shani Warner (Ward 2) anticipates that the process will be smooth. “The report was beautifully written and well thought out. I didn’t see anything objectionable,” she said.
After the presentation, the board received feedback and took questions from community members in attendance. The reaction was mostly positive, with attendees expressing trust in the group.
“The highest priority in this area was making sure that housing is affordable and accessible,” AFI Work Group chair Lisa Walker said.
The group hopes to expand options for affordable, accessible and safe housing for seniors at all income levels by influencing
The work group also highlighted communications and home services issues. They want to expand activities for seniors and encourage them to stay connected within the community.
The AFI Work Group’s plan will be formally debated at the Hyattsville City Council meeting on Jan. 7, when the council will vote on the issue. The group said they hope to get it officially approved on Jan. 22. To maintain the city’s status as a member of the AARP age-friendly network, adoption and submission of a plan must be accomplished before or during January 2019.
COURTESY OF THE CITY OF HYATTSVILLE
Hyattsville has an active senior community, and the Age-Friendly Initiative Work Group recently released a report detailing that community’s needs.
December 12-14
‘High School Musical’ on stage. Northwestern High School’s Jim Henson Academy of Visual and Performing Arts presents Disney’s “High School Musical.” $5. 7 p.m. 7000 Adelphi Rd.
December 13
Annual holiday party. New artist Bulsby Duncan’s work will be on exhibit during the event. Free, with hors d’oeuvres and drinks. 7 to 10 p.m. Green Owl Design. 5303 Baltimore Ave., Ste. 101. 301.660.3426
December 15
Pet photos with Santa Claus. Pet parents will receive a digital photo and can snap photos with their own device. 100 percent of the $9.95 donation benefits local homeless pets thru the Petco Foundation. Noon to 4 p.m. Unleashed. 3704 East-West Hwy. 301.683.3963
December 22
A Celtic Christmas Celebration. Kristin Rebecca will play the harp, and her father will lead a group Celtic
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Christmas sing-along. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. My Dead Aunt’s Books (inside Tanglewood Works). 5132 Baltimore Ave., 240.472.9325
Through December 24
Eighth Annual Spent Grain Pizza Dough Fundraiser. All Pizzeria Paradiso locations are teaming up with DC Brau to support Bread for the City. With every spent grain crust purchased, the restaurant will donate $2 (small) or $3 (large). 4800 Rhode Island Ave. www. eatyourpizza.com
December 29
Riversdale by Candlelight. Residents from Riversdale’s past welcome guests to the candlelit museum for tours, refreshments, music and children’s activities. $5/adult; one complimentary admission for a child (12 & younger) with each $5 paid admission. 6 to 9 p.m. Riversdale House Museum. 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420
continued from page 1
mas de la Sierra coffee competition and auction in the Mazatec region of Mexico. The company has sponsors there and is always on the lookout for exports to add to the Vigilante selection.
“We have partners across Latin America. We want to help improve the quality at which producers produce coffee in the area,” said owner Chris Vigilante.
In 2017, Carrisoza finished second at the competition, which is designed to reach out to coffee producers in Mazatec. Her coffee was auctioned at 26,000 pesos ($1,276.34) per bag. Shortly after, Vigilante started to buy Carrisoza’s product, becoming the only roaster in the world to sell her coffee.
“Mexico is relatively new in the coffee business, and we are very much at the forefront of that,” Vigilante said.
Unlike many coffees from the same region, this coffee has a fruity flavor, according to Franklin Ventura, Vigilante’s head roaster. The distinctive taste is due to Carrisoza’s meticulous
harvesting process. Rather than spending a week gathering coffee regardless of its maturity, Carrisoza lengthened her process to three months and picks only the best of her harvest.
“It took me a lot of work to know what quality coffee was,” Carrizo-
sa reportedly told the Mexican news service e-consulta
Vigilante now sells a cup of the Gloria blend at market price, which is typically around $7, and a bag for $38. It has also been added to the shop’s Crème de la Crème series. Chris Vigilante be-
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lieves that the blend’s distinction is worth the price.
“[Gloria] has always been a favorite. It’s like a seasonal wine,” he said.
Due to the special nature of the blend, roasting this coffee requires more attention. For any coffee, Ventura roasts three batches, testing each for quality and tweaking the process as necessary.
“It’s like creating a recipe,” he said. “[Gloria] is interesting because most of the Mexican coffees
from the area weren’t as fruity.”
Further complicating the roasting process is the fact that every season yields a different brew. Outside factors such as weather, including amount of rainfall, and harvesting technique can have major impacts on the taste of the coffee.
Vigilante plans to carry the fruits of Carrisoza’s hard work on a long-term basis.
“The goal is to continue this partnership and get everything she produces,” said Vigilante.
us on Facebook “Fleisher’s of Maryland” Fleishersofmd.com • fleisherjewelers@aol.com From our family to yours, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. The last day to special order for Christmas delivery is December 19th. We will be open Sunday December 21st from noon to five.
and
TOM HINDLE
The Gloria blend, a rare Mexican roast, is one of the most popular choices at Vigilante Coffee Company.
DISTILLERY
continued from page 1
Sangfroid Distilling has a piece of equipment that you won’t find at most distilleries: a 300-gallon stainless steel tank that’s used to make a raw ale, a type of beer essential to the long process of producing whiskey and gin. You cannot purchase raw ale, though. After it ferments, it’s added to the still and distilled, eventually becoming either whiskey or gin. Making their own raw ale is one of the many ways Sangfroid hopes to differentiate themselves in the craft distilling market.
“[Our process] gives us a level of control that ensures what ends up in a bottle is exactly what we want it to be, and we can honestly and genuinely say that we made it,” Groenendyk explained. “We
touch every piece of fruit that goes into our brandies, and a lot of the fruit we’re picking ourselves.” When it comes to making their products, Sangfroid has embraced a “grain-to-glass,” or perhaps an “apple-to-glass,” philosophy.
Shadowing the craft beer industry of the past few decades, the craft distilling market has seen unprecedented growth over the past five years. In 2017 alone, the total number of active craft distillers in the country grew by 20 percent to 1,589. With this growth, multiple business models have risen in the craft distilling world, as well as increased options for consumers. Some distilleries purchase fermented ciders or finished beers and conduct the distillation; others purchase some or all the raw ingredi-
shine through. We just press the fruit, let it ferment naturally, and then distill it. Because of this, we pay really close attention to the quality of the fruit and the varieties we use, as any imperfection would come through in the final product.”
In producing their spirits, Sangfroid tries to work with a small number of basic ingredients.
“For our gin and whiskey, we’re mashing and fermenting the grain, using varieties and proportions that we’ve selected, and distilling slowly and carefully. We get a lot of satisfaction out of being able to transform some relatively simple ingredients into something really special,” said Groenendyk.
In the future, Sangfroid plans on releasing a rye whiskey as well as a barrel-aged apple brandy.
“Our apple brandy and rye whiskey are being put into barrels to age for a bit, so we’ll have to be patient for those,” Groenendyk said.
ents, process them and ferment them on site prior to distillation. Sangfroid Distilling obtains their ingredients from a variety of sources, and grows some at the apple orchard they purchased last year.
“For our apple brandy, we’re using varieties that are extremely hard to find. Some of them aren’t grown commercially, but they all make tremendous brandy,” said Groenendyk.
Offerings at Sangfroid’s upcoming opening will include a Dutch-style gin and a pear eau de vie (water of life), which is a clear brandy made by distilling hard pear cider.
“An eau de vie is just a fancy way of saying ‘unaged fruit brandy,’” said Groenendyk. “What makes them special is that it’s the purest way to capture the bright-
ness and freshness of ripe fruit. Our approach is pretty hands-off, because we want to let the fruit
Sangfroid Distilling is located at 5130 Baltimore Avenue. Follow them on social media or visit their website, www.sangfroiddistilling. com, for updates on their grand opening date, offerings and hours.
Sangfroid Distillery, the first distillery in Prince George’s County since the end of Prohibition, plans to open this month.
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