11-2022 Hyattsville Life & Times

OVERDOSES HIT

HOME: HPD responds to fentanyl overdoses. P. 2

MORE DIVISIONS?: County school boundaries are changing, too. P. 3

Hyattsville’s resident-led redistricting in fi nal stages

By Heather Marléne Zadig

What ward are you in, and why does it matter? That’s the question currently facing Hyattsville’s resident-led redistricting commission to ensure that the city’s wards — or voting districts — are roughly the same size following the 2020 census results.

“It’s really about the 10 people who represent residents on the city council, and that’s basically it,” said commission record-

er T. Carter Ross during a Sept. 19 presentation to the Hyattsville City Council.

Ross (who is on the board of the Hyattsville Life and Times’ publisher, Streetcar Suburbs News Inc.) and other commission members emphasized, despite some public misconceptions to the contrary, that redistricting in Hyattsville does not impact voting for county or state representatives, nor does it affect school districts.

By law, municipalities must redraw their

voting district maps every 10 years to reflect federal census data and account for uneven population growth. To form Hyattsville’s commission, the city solicited volunteers from the public and other committees. The city charter empowers the council to make appointments to the commission, which are based on applicant skills and even distribution among the wards, then set the boundaries based on the commission’s recommendations.

RUN FUN

By Heather Marléne Zadig

For the Class of 1970 at Northwestern High School, students came of age during particularly turbulent years in American history.

From the civil rights movement to the Vietnam War, the roughly 750 classmates of the Hyattsville high school often experienced that challenging history uncomfortably close to home.

At a recent 50th reunion, delayed two years by the pandemic, Northwestern alumni shared memories of those events, like the historic, riotous anti-war

The resolution establishing the 2022 commission requires that it “provide fair and effective representation for all residents of the City, including racial, ethnic, and language minorities,” take into account “existing infrastructural and natural boundaries” and “preserve identifiable communities of interest.”

Communities of interest can include people “who share spaces like churches [and]

SEE REDISTRICTING ON 11 

Community sustainability plan updated

By Dan Behrend

The City of Hyattsville is developing a new five-year strategic plan to update the city’s vision and goals for a range of sustainability topics.

The 2022–2026 Community Sustainability Plan’s webpage notes that “‘sustainability’ encompasses a broad spectrum of social, environmental, economic, and cultural issues to ensure the City’s survival and success.” City staff and elected leaders use the sustainability plan to identify actions to achieve and to track progress toward the city’s sustainability goals.

The new plan will update and replace the city’s prior sustainability plan, which covered 2017

SEE SUSTAINABILITY ON 9 

CENTER SECTION: Check

The 2022 Hyattsville Zombie Run was held on Oct. 15 and raised over $40,000 for local schools. See p. 12 for more photos from the event. JULIETTE FRADIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Northwestern Class of 1970 holds delayed 50th reunion

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Your newspaper needs you

By Kit Slack and Mark Goodson

This newspaper, the Hyattsville Life & Times, reaches each household in Hyattsville. It doesn’t matter who your friends are on social media, your internet speed or whether you lost your password: If you live in Hyattsville, the newspaper comes to your door. You can sit and read it without digital distraction.

Without a newspaper, a community lacks not only a source of information, but also a key source of unity and identity. Studies show that without a local newspaper, fewer citizens participate in the political process and civic organizations struggle to recruit members. Local businesses have a harder time.

Across the nation, longtime for-profit newspapers, including

those that served Prince George’s County, have shut down. Increasingly, communities lack reporters monitoring what local government is doing (or not doing), sharing how individuals and organizations are working to make things better, or promoting local music and arts.

Nonprofit news organizations like ours are working to fill the gap. The Life & Times has survived and thrived over nearly two decades, as other papers closed, through a unique model that relies on volunteers, advertisements from hyper-local businesses, and a contract to print and deliver the City of Hyattsville’s newsletter. However, we are at a crossroads in Hyattsville, and we need you. Improbably, our nonprofit publisher, Streetcar Suburbs News, is growing: Through it, volunteers in other cities started the College

NEWS BRIEFS

NewsMatch, a collaborative fundraising movement that supports independent, public-service journalism like ours through their giftmatching program.

Park Here & Now in 2020 and The Laurel Independent in 2022. And as other local news sources have dried up, we are working to fill the void, stepping up to publish election guides for both city and countywide races. No other news outlet in the county provides this level of unbiased information to voters.

But as we work to bring you all the news that’s fit to print — and more — we face mounting challenges. Postage and printing costs have skyrocketed by as much as 40% recently, and advertising revenue has not kept pace. Our growing nonprofit needs administrative staff to support our many volunteers — the writers and photographers who generate most of our content every month.

This is where you come in: This fall we have an opportunity to raise up to $30,000 through

VISIT STREETCARSUBURBS.NEWS FOR MORE

CORRECTIONS TO PITBULL ARTICLE

Streetcar Suburbs Publishing ran a piece in the October Hyattsville Life & Times on the history of the pitbull ban in Prince George’s County. We stated that the ban began in 2008; it actually went into effect in 1997, after the county passed the legislation in late 1996. The article also stated that the Maryland Court of Appeals upheld the county’s ban after a 2012 challenge, citing pitbulls as “inherently dangerous.” That wording was used in a 2012 case, Tracey v. Solesky,

which made no reference to the county’s ban. Finally, the article stated that Caitrin Conroy currently owns a pitbull. Conroy told Streetcar Suburbs that she does not.

OPIOID OVERDOSES PLAGUE HYATTSVILLE

On Oct. 30, the Hyattsville Police Department announced fentanyl overdose as the cause of death for three men who died in late August.

The three men, 45-year-old Julian Martinez Aguirrez, 37-yearold Walter Cáceres Fuentes and

30-year-old Jose Rios Escobar, were found unconscious outside an apartment complex in the 5700 block of Queens Chapel Road on the night of Aug. 24. Although medics performed CPR and administered Narcan, a nasal spray designed to treat opioid overdoses, the men did not regain consciousness.

Autopsies showed Aguirrez and Fuentes died due to alcohol intoxication and fentanyl overdose, while Escobar died only of fentanyl overdose. No evidence of recreational drugs was found near the three men, and police are investi-

Managing Editor for the Hyattsville Life and Times Sought

Streetcar Suburbs Publishing is seeking a managing editor for this newspaper, the Hyattsville Life and Times.

The managing editor is responsible for connecting story ideas with writers and photographers, editing copy as it comes in, monitoring beats, and attending city events as needed.

The editor must be able to contribute editorial content, recruit and manage volunteer staffing, and ensure that content conforms to house style and standards. This part-time contract position is home-office based with flexible hours, but requires some weekend and evening availability.

To receive a full position description, email joemurchison2@gmail.com.

Cover letters and resumes should be sent to joemurchison2@gmail.com, stullich@earthlink.net and bdicker@american.edu.

Through Dec. 31, NewsMatch will double each one-time gift of up to $1,000 we receive. They will also match every new monthly donation for a year — 12 times — to a total of $1,000 for each repeating gift we receive.

Through Dec. 31, NewsMatch will double each one-time gift of up to $1,000 we receive. They will also match every new monthly donation for a year — 12 times — to a total of $1,000 for each repeating gift we receive. Through NewsMatch, we can earn up to $30,000.

If you believe in the work we’re doing, please give today — and give NewsMatch the opportunity to double the impact of your donation.

If you believe in the work we’re doing, please give today — and give NewsMatch the opportunity to double the impact of your donation.

News for people, not for profit. Support our community newsroom. Give now.

gating the source of the fentanyl.

On Nov. 2, Hyattsville police said a Northwestern High School student was found unconscious in a bathroom, and was revived by a faculty member who administered Narcan. Police said this was the second teen drug overdose in three days in the City of Hyattsville. The other teen also received Narcan and survived.

Fentanyl is a strong synthetic opioid. While it has legitimate medical uses, it is often manufactured and distributed illicitly, sometimes disguised as other recreational or prescription drugs. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are responsible for many overdose deaths every year, and the number of overdose deaths is increasing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the Hyattsville police statement, recent opioid overdoses in the city have involved people who thought they were taking Percocet, a prescrip-

News for people, not for profit. Support our community newsroom. Give now.

Kit Slack and Mark Goodson have both served as managing editors and board members with Streetcar Suburbs Publishing.

tion painkiller that combines oxycodone and acetaminophen. The police ask anyone with information about the sale of narcotics to call 301.985.5050.

NHS BOYS SOCCER WINS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP, DISQUALIFIED FROM STATE

Although the Northwestern High School boys soccer team won the Prince George’s County Public Schools soccer championship on Oct. 25, with an outstanding season record of eight wins, two ties and zero losses, they were disqualified from the postseason state championship and forfeited the one game they played.

The state championship is organized by the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association. After a bye in the quarterfinals of the championship, the Northwestern Wildcats defeated the High Point Eagles on Oct. 28

Proposed new school boundaries up for Nov. 10 vote

By Sophie Gorman Oriani

It’s not just electoral districts that are being redrawn — local school boundaries are changing, too. Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) is nearly done with the process of choosing new boundaries for neighborhood schools across the county.

According to the school boundary initiative website, the school system has seen rapid enrollment growth and has struggled to balance enrollment, with some schools overenrolled while others have empty seats. Moreover, as schools are expanded or as new schools are built, boundaries need to change to take account of the newly built seats. The last district-wide boundary study was in 2008.

The process, which started in January 2021, involved WXY Studio, an urban design, planning and architectural consulting firm. WXY Studio led a team of consultants and developed three draft scenarios with different top priorities, then sought feedback from the community on the pros and cons of each of the three scenarios.

At their May 16 meeting, the Hyattsville City Council voted to send a letter to county schools CEO Monica Goldson, as well as to the PGCPS Board of Education, expressing their concerns that some potential scenarios resulted in Hy-

attsville students not attending Hyattsville schools.

After hearing feedback from parents, teachers and other community members, the school system next considered a modified version of the second scenario, which focused on improving school utilization across the county. This scenario had the highest number of respondents who were strongly satisfied with the proposed boundaries, as well as the lowest number who were strongly dissatisfied.

The proposed new boundaries leave most Hyattsville students unaffected. Approximately 400 additional students from Nicholas Orem and William Wirt middle schools will be added to Hyattsville Middle School over the next three years. The new Hyattsville Middle is currently being rebuilt to a capacity of 1,200 students, approximately 300 more than the old building’s capacity, and is scheduled to be finished and open before these new students join.

The school board held two public hearings to solicit feedback from the public on the final proposed boundaries. Most of the comments were from parents opposed to the closure of Pointer Ridge Elementary School in South Bowie. Others expressed concern about boundary changes that affected only a few current students, such as a boundary that would move four elementary students living east of Route 1 and south of Madison Street from Hyattsville Elementary

Top-ranked in the DC metro area Top-ranked in the DC metro area

School to Riverdale Elementary School. Other county parents, concerned that changing schools would have a negative impact on their children, especially coming on the heels of the pandemic, asked that the boundary changes be postponed, or that children be grandfathered into the school they currently attend.

On Oct. 27, the school board approved the first reading of the proposed boundaries without discussion.

After taking into account public input, Goldson released the final recommendations on Nov. 2. The recommendations delayed the closing of Pointer Ridge and Concord elementary schools and allowed students entering their last year at a school to remain at that school for an additional year. (Parents must provide transportation.)

Goldson also eliminated the boundary changes that would have affected fewer than 20 students, which includes the four students who would have been moved from Hyattsville Elementary to Riverdale. The second reading and the vote to approve the new boundaries will be held on Nov. 10. The new boundaries will be phased in over three school years, starting during the 2023-24 school year.

To see if your child’s assigned school might change, go to wxyplanning.com/pgcpsboundary-tool-phase2. This tool may not reflect the changes announced on Nov. 2.

Wondering what your home might be worth? Thinking about a move? Our consultations are always free of charge We offer our listing clients:

Complimentary Home Staging

Professional Photography

Custom Brochures

Social Media Promotion

3D Matterport Home Tours

Are you a homebuyer wondering what it takes to purchase a home in this changing market? We can help with a winning strategy tailored to your needs

Give us a call.

We’ll help you navigate what’s next.

301.565.2523

The school system has seen rapid enrollment growth and has struggled to balance enrollment, with some schools overenrolled while others have empty seats. Moreover, as schools are expanded or as new schools are built, boundaries need to change to take account of the newly built seats.

HPD boosts recruitment efforts

By Heather Wright

Consistent with a nation-wide trend, the Hyattsville Police Department (HPD) is facing a significant staffing shortage. In response, the city has expanded its recruiting efforts and increased salaries and retention bonuses.

Police staffing shortages are not new, but many are increasing in severity. A June 2021 Police Executive Research Forum nationwide survey showed an 18% jump in resignations and a 45% increase in retirements compared to the previous year. HPD Chief Jarod J. Towers wrote in a statement to the Hyattsville Life & Times, “The significant increase in the number of officers who chose to retire and move to the private sector, while simultaneously seeing a significant drop in academy applications, is causing agencies in the DMV to not only jockey for the same candidates, but recruit experienced officers from each other.”

HPD spokesperson Adrienne Augustus said in an email that, according to city records dating back to 2011, the closest HPD has come to being fully staffed was in 2014 and 2015, when staffing was at 98%. During a phone interview, Towers said that since about 2011, the HPD has been, on average, staffed at 20% below its budgeted complement of sworn officers.

Other local police departments are cur-

rently experiencing officer shortages, too. The Bowie Police Department had 58 of 67 (87%) sworn officer positions filled, while Greenbelt Police Department had 46 of its 53 (87%) positions filled as of Nov. 2.

“For the safety of the community and our officers, HPD will not be able to release the current staffing figures,” Augustus noted in an email.

Although the city would not specify how many of its 50 officer positions are filled, Towers discussed several impacts of HPD’s shortages. Three of the four HPD patrol shifts are above minimum staffing levels, while one is operating at minimum. Staffing shortages can lengthen response times, depending on the time of day and number of calls coming in.

Towers noted that shortages directly impact specialized units, like the traffic safety and community action (CAT) teams, and the criminal investigations section. To enhance community policing, the CAT is organized around having five officers — one to connect with residents and businesses of each of the city’s five wards. However, for at least the last eight years, the CAT has only had two assigned officers, and one of those officers currently serves as a school resource officer during school hours. And when patrol shifts are understaffed, officers are pulled from specialized teams.

HPD Officer Chris Salzano told the HL&T

that the department has revamped its recruiting efforts and is emphasizing its new slogan, Be the change you dream of. “We want people who still believe that police can make a difference, that they still can affect change in the community and be a part of the community,” he said. ”There’s so much more to policing than just enforcing the law.”

In addition to visiting traditional policeoriented career events, recruiting officers like Salzano are going to car rallies, gyms, shopping malls and other community gathering spaces, and city events like Summer Jam, to scout potential HPD officers. New salary increases went into effect on Sept. 24. Previously, a new HPD recruit, still in the police academy, would start at an annual salary of $47,402. Entry-level recruits will now make $60,314, a 27% increase. The starting salary range for experienced officers transferring to the HPD was increased by about 16%. According to Evergreen Solutions LLP consultant Connor Holcombe, who presented a compensation study during the Sept. 19 Hyattsville City Council meeting, pay ranges for HPD officers had been 7.5 to 10% below the local market. The study looked at compensation levels in 11 local police departments, including those of Bowie and Greenbelt.

During the council’s September meeting, City Administrator Tracey Nicholson-

Douglas pointed out that it cost about $100,000 to bring new officers onboard, so the city was also focusing on officer retention. She said her goal was to move HPD pay ranges to “slightly above market.”

Towers said that the HPD is focused on recruiting minorities and women to the force. The HPD, he said, has a goal of at least 30% female HPD officers by 2030. Currently, about 17% of the force is female. Nationwide, less than 13% of full-time police officers are women.

Following events like the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., after the shooting of Michael Brown, in 2014, and the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, public confidence in the police has declined, dipping lower than 50% for the first time in 20 years, according to a December 2020 Council of Justice presentation.

“We are not machines. Under our uniforms are human beings — parents, little league coaches, troop leaders, your neighbors — who feel the shift in public sentiment,” Towers wrote in his statement. “We have to have a thick skin to sign up to help people and protect the community, which is why the large majority of us took the oath to protect and serve.”

Salzano said he became a police officer, in part, because of the impressive police response to 9/11 that he witnessed, back when he was in elementary school. By participating in community outreach and recruitment efforts, he hopes to show residents that “it’s OK to become police, that we are someone to still believe in, someone to trust, someone who can help.”

THEN & NOW

Digging up the dead at Dudley Digges’ farm

By Randy Fletcher

High on a hill, overlooking the newly designed federal city, which he had helped to conceive, lay the remains of Major Pierre Charles L’Enfant. His body was buried in a grove of newly planted red cedars, in the back garden of his dear friend William Dudley Digges on June 14, 1825. His remains would lie there, undisturbed and unrecognized, for nearly a century.

In 1791, George Washington chose L’Enfant, the premier engineer and architect of the day, to plan the layout of Washington City, which makes up the core of what we now know as Washington, D.C. L’Enfant was highly sought after and had received major commissions in New York and Philadelphia. He also designed furniture, coins and medals, including the Purple Heart medal.

Despite this acclaim, L’Enfant eventually lost it all. Evidently, he was difficult to work with, quarreled all the time, and was ultimately fired from his commissions. This disgrace led to a slide into poverty. In his later life, he was often seen pacing the floors of the Capitol Building, carrying scrolls of papers under his arms and swinging a large hickory cane with a silver head. Right up until his death, L’Enfant insisted that he was not paid enough for his contribution to the layout of the city.

Meanwhile, L’Enfant’s friend W.D. Digges invited the angry old man to visit his home, which was built in the early 19th century and substantially enlarged by the Riggs family in the late 19th century. It was known as Chillum Castle Manor after Digges’ ancestral home in Kent County, England. L’Enfant became a permanent house guest, and we now know he never left until long after his death. The manor house, which is also known as Green Hill, is still there, hidden in Lewisdale on the hill at the intersection of East-West Highway and Riggs Road, behind a strip mall.

It was at this time of year about a decade ago that I first noticed the manor. The leaves had mostly fallen from the trees, and I caught a glimpse of the gleaming white ionic columns hiding in the woods. I soon learned that Chillum Castle Manor is now headquarters for the Pallottine Seminary. After doing some digging, I discovered the sad story behind L’Enfant’s current fame. For 84 years, L’Enfant was all but forgotten. However, at the turn of the century, an article about him appeared in the NewYork Tribune. The French ambassador, Jean Jules Jusserand, who was also a friend of Theodore Roosevelt, wrote a biography of L’Enfant, which reminded people of this Revolutionary War hero and designer of the basic layout of Washington, D.C.

In 1908, Congress approved funds to have L’Enfant’s body removed from the old manor and interred in a place that would be accessible to the public. The U.S. secre-

tary of war approved a prime gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery.

As the story goes, workers tasked with exhuming his body found a lonely and unmarked grave, surrounded by red cedars. The trees stood as the sole monument marking the resting place of the neglected Frenchman. They sheltered the grave, swaying in the breeze so their perpetual incense perfumed the mound of moss covering the major’s remains. As their shovels began moving the soft earth, the workers found that the roots of a cedar had enveloped the major’s body. The cedar was cut, and the decayed coffin was liberated from its roots. The macabre scene was described in Michael Kammen’s Digging up the Dead: “Witnesses found that a badly decomposed coffin with a layer of discolored mold three inches in thickness, two pieces of bone, and a tooth were all that remained of the great engineer.” A root from the red cedar was saved and later carved into a gavel, which was presented to the Columbia Historical Society, now known as the DC History Center.

This story brings to mind a verse from the poem “In Memoriam” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson:

Old Yew, which graspest at the stones

That name the under-lying dead, Thy fibres net the dreamless head, Thy roots are wrapt about the bones …

L’Enfant’s remains were gathered, placed in a metal casket, and taken to Mount Olivet Cemetery. From there he was brought to the Capitol Rotunda, his casket draped with the American flag. It was placed on the catafalque, or platform, that had supported the coffin of Abraham Lincoln. L’Enfant became the first foreign-born person, and the ninth individual, to be given such a high honor.

Pomp finally came to L’Enfant in 1909, and he was given his due. Just 10 miles from his original unmarked grave high on a hill, he was interred in his new resting place, also high on a hill, at Arlington Cemetery, with a beautiful view of the city he helped design.

“Then & Now” is a column about houses and history in the Hyattsville area.

Los padres de crianza o acogida temporal no son reemplazos. Representan una ayuda adicional para niños y familias que lo necesitan.

Si usted vive en el Condado de Prince George y desea más informacion sobre como ser un padre de crianza o acogida temporal, llame al

This image of the Green Hill appeared in the book Events at the National Capital and the Campaign of 1876 by George Alfred Townsend. RANDY FLETCHER

Mount Rainier faces challenges making streets safer

By Lisa Wölfl

Mount Rainier resident Matthew Kweskin, 48, was waiting to enter the circle on Rhode Island Avenue from Perry Street on his bike when a car hit him. His bike pedal cut into his leg. Kweskin had to go to the hospital for stitches. He was on his way to work in D.C. when the accident happened in March.

Although the cut has since healed without long-term physical damage, the accident left a mark.

“Even though I’m physically fine to bike, I no longer bike commute,” Kweskin said in an interview. Only on Sundays, when traffic is slow, will he ride his bike on Rhode Island Avenue.

In September, Kweskin and around 65 Mount Rainier residents joined an online community meeting held by the Mount Rainier City Council and Mayor Celina Benitez to discuss measures to make the city more accessible and safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. The City of Mount Rainier tasked the Toole Design Group with conducting a study on how best to accomplish those goals.

Jim Elliott, project manager at Toole Design Group, gave a presentation during the September meeting, identifying some of the city’s problems, including cutthrough traffic on neighborhood streets.

In the weeks leading up to the meeting, residents discussed drivers running stop signs or speeding through the city in the Mount Rainier Facebook group. Some called for speed bumps to calm traffic down.

A speed bump on one street could push traffic over to another street, said Mount Rainier Councilmember Luke Chesek (Ward 1) in a phone interview. The city wants to take a holistic approach, he said. Chesek has a vision of modeling Mount Rainier after “the happiest cities in the world.”

He gives the Danish city Houten as an example on his website, explaining how its layout — “dense, single-family homes around a small but dense downtown core of shops and apartments next to public transportation” — promotes walking and biking instead of driving.

For now, traffic violations are a major concern in the city. After receiving complaints from the community, the Mount Rainier Police Department has intensified efforts to take action against traffic violations. Citations have increased almost seven-fold, from 1,345 in 2018 to 10,572 in 2020, according to the 2020 annual report.

Between 2015 and 2021, there were 893 car crashes in Mount Rainier. Of those, 146 involved serious injuries or fatalities, according to the Toole Design Group presentation. (Mount Rainier experiences a lower rate of car crashes than Prince George’s County overall, with 10.9 and 12.9 crashes per 100 inhabitants, respectively, according to Maryland’s data portal.)

Regarding two of the most accident-prone streets, however, there is little the city can do directly. Rhode Island Avenue — where a car hit Matthew Kweskin — and Queens Chapel Road are state roads and thus not under city control.

“What resonated with me was how much work the city needs to

do to convince the state to take action,” Chesek said. According to him, the city has lobbied the state to fix the safety issues on Rhode Island Avenue.

The city council and the mayor have suggested adding a crosswalk and a stoplight at the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and 33rd Street near the circle.

Chesek said that the state has argued that there aren’t enough pedestrians to make those changes.

“For me, it’s a chicken and egg problem,” he said. “There aren’t walkers because it’s not safe.”

BRIEFS

FROM PAGE 2

to advance to the region finals.

On Oct. 31, though, the team announced on Instagram that they had been disqualified from the state championship. “It was fun while it lasted. Good luck to all of our seniors who were sold a dream,” the post read.

While the Wildcats’ Instagram post did not provide a reason for the disqualification, WTOP reported that it was due to the use of an ineligible player during the season and the semifinal game against High Point. The school system requires students to maintain a 2.0 GPA to play sports, as well as to play for their local school.

The Wildcats forfeited the postseason game they won against High Point; the online tournament bracket has been updated to reflect a loss.

Northwestern won the state championship last year, their first state championship title since 1995. No decision had been announced as to whether the team will be stripped of this year’s county championship title, as of press time.

Hyattsville’s 2018 transportation study, which was also conducted by Toole Design Group, found similar difficulties in Hyattsville. Their suggestions largely applied to major intersections, mostly on county and state roads not directly under city control.

At least for Mount Rainier’s streets, in January 2023, Toole Design Group will present their project recommendations to the mayor and the city council. Chesek said that the city would apply for funding through the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill.

TWO HYATTSVILLE HIGH SCHOOLS GO ON LOCKDOWN

In October, two Hyattsville high schools, Northwestern High School and DeMatha Catholic High School, went into separate lockdowns just a few days apart. Both lockdowns were lifted soon after they were put into place, and no students or teachers were injured. Across the country, there has been a rise in fake threats against schools, as well as a rise in “swatting,” when someone calls in a fake active shooter threat. Northwestern went into lockdown on Oct. 14, following what Hyattsville police described in a Facebook post as “rumors of a threat of violence.” After conducting interviews and a sweep of the school, the police deemed the threat not credible. (The sweep did turn up a folding knife, which was unrelated to the threat.) The lockdown was in place from approximately 12:15 to 1:30 p.m.

On Oct. 17, DeMatha went into lockdown from about 1:40 to 2:20 p.m. The police did not find any weapons on campus. As of press time, the Hyattsville police had not provided details on what triggered the lockdown.

Matthew Kweskin was hit by a car while biking to work near his home in Mount Rainier. LISA WÖLFL

The Hyattsville Reporter

Congratulations to our newest

beginning

term in November.

Relief Funds for Hyattsville Residents Now Available!

Hyattsville’s Household Emergency Relief Program is now open! Regardless of legal status, individuals may be eligible for up to $2,500 per adult plus $1,250 per dependent child, not to exceed $5,000 per household. Applicants are asked to provide proof of residency in the City of Hyattsville (you can verify your residency at hyattsville.org/isithyattsville) and demonstrate financial need caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications can be completed online at hycdc.org, over the phone by calling (301) 683-8267 Monday – Friday between 3 – 5 p.m., or by calling (301) 683-8267 to schedule an appointment to apply in-person.

The City’s small business and non-profit relief programs are also open for applications! Eligible small businesses, non-profits, and childcare providers can receive relief funds for COVID-19 related economic hardships. Apply at hyattsville.org/rescueplan.

BULK WASTE SERVICES

The City will host a Bulk Waste Pop-Up Day Saturday, December 10, at the City Building (4310 Gallatin St). Residents can drop off bulk waste items from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., or until containers reach capacity. hyattsville.org/bulk-waste.

Please note that the City is suspending bulk waste & large appliance residential pick-ups during the winter while staff support leaf collection and snow removal services. Previously confirmed pickups will be honored. Bulk waste pick-ups are expected to resume in the early spring. Questions? Call (301) 985-5032.

¡Fondos para Residentes de Hyattsville Disponible!

¡El Programa de Ayuda de Emergencia para Hogares de Hyattsville ya está abierto! Independientemente de su estatus legal, individuos pueden ser elegibles para recibir hasta $2,500 por adulto más $1,250 por hijo dependiente, (sin exceder $5,000 por hogar). Se pide a los solicitantes que presenten una prueba de residencia de la Ciudad (puede verificar su residencia en hyattsville.org/isithyattsville) y que demuestren necesidad financiera. Las solicitudes pueden completarse en hycdc.org, por teléfono llamando al (301) 683-8267 de lunes a viernes de 3 -5 p.m., o llamando al (301) 683-8267 para programar una cita para completar la solicitud en persona.

Los programas de ayuda para negocios y organizaciones sin fines de lucro de la Ciudad siguen disponibles! Negocios, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y proveedores de cuidado infantil pueden recibir fondos para alivia dificultades económicas relacionadas con COVID-19. Apliquen en hyattsville.org/rescueplan.

SERVICIOS DE BASURAS GRANDES

La Ciudad sostendrá un día emergente de basuras grandes el 10 de diciembre. en el Edificio Municipal, 4310 Gallatin St. Residentes pueden llevar articulos grandes entre las 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., o hasta que los contenedores se llenen.

La Ciudad esta suspendiendo los servicios residenciales de recolección de articulos grandes durante el invierno para que el personal apoye los servicios de recolección de hojas y removimiento de nieve. Se espera que el servicio continue en la primavera. ¿Preguntas? Llame al (301) 985-5032.

Ward 2 Councilmember Emily Strab! Emily took her Oath of Office in last month before

her

¡Felicitaciones a nuestra nueva Concejal del Distrito 2, Emily Strab! Emily tomo su juramento en mes pasado antes de empezar su mandato en noviembre.

ANNOUNCEMENTS | ANUNCIOS

COVID-19 UPDATE

Make sure you and your loved ones are safe for the holidays by getting vaccinated! The City’s vaccination clinic at the First United Methodist Church of Hyattsville offers the BA-5 COVID-19 vaccination booster Tuesdays from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The booster is available for anyone 5+ whose last COVID-19 vaccine or booster was at least two months ago. hyattsville.org/covidvaccine.

JOIN THE CERT TEAM!

Become part of the Gateway District’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to learn basic disaster response skills and support first responders during emergencies! CERT training is nationally supported by FEMA and coordinated locally by the Prince George’s County Office of Emergency Management. You can learn more at our upcoming CERT Information Session on Tuesday, November 29, 7 – 8 p.m., at the Hyattsville City Building, 4310 Gallatin Street or by visiting hyattsville.org/cert.

YOUTH WINTER PROGRAMMING

Don’t miss out on upcoming programs for Hyattsville kids of all ages! Registration is now open for the winter session of Creative Minds, Winter Camp, the Youth Leadership Program, after-school tutoring, and more! Visit hyattsville.org/ youthprograms for all the details!

HOLIDAY CITY SERVICES UPDATE

Hyattsville’s administrative offices will be closed on Friday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. Friday’s trash route will be collected Thursday. All other routes remain the same.

City offices will also be closed on Thursday, November 24 and Friday, November 25 for Thanksgiving. The City’s COVID-19 testing and vaccination site will be closed on Thursday, November 24 and Saturday, November 26. There will be no yard waste, compost, or leaf collections services November 21 - 25. Trash routes for the week of will be picked up one day early, except for Friday’s, which will be collected Wednesday. County recycling routes for Thursday and Friday are shifting to the following day – all other recycling pickup days remain the same.

BECOME A HYATTSVILLE VOLUNTEER HERO

The City’s Office of Volunteer Services can match you or group with service projects that make an impact in our community. For more information, contact Volunteer Services Manager Collen Aistis at community@hyattsville.org or (301) 985-5057.

LEAF IT ALONE!

Weekly leaf collection for residential streets within the City will continue through mid-January. Commercial and multi-family properties are not included. Collection is weather dependent as heavy, wet leaves harm the machinery. Visit hyattsville.org/leaves for the collection schedule.

Not a fan of raking leaves? Leaf them alone! Check out our guide on the benefits of leaf mulching at hyattsville.org/ enviro-education.

ACTUALIZACIÓN DE COVID-19

¡Asegúrese de que usted y sus seres queridos estén seguros para las fiestas vacunándose! La clínica de vacunación de la ciudad en la Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida de Hyattsville ofrece la vacuna de refuerzo BA-5 COVID-19 los martes de 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. y los sábados de 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. La vacuna está disponible para cualquier persona de 5 años o más cuya última vacuna o refuerzo de COVID-19 fue al menos hace dos meses. hyattsville.org/covidvaccine.

¡ÚNETE AL EQUIPO CERT!

Forma parte del Equipo Comunitario de Respuesta a Emergencias (CERT) para aprender habilidades básicas de respuesta a desastres y apoyar al personal de primeros auxilios durante emergencias. El entrenamiento CERT es apoyado a nivel nacional por FEMA y coordinado localmente por la Oficina de Administración de Emergencias del Condado. Puede obtener más info en nuestra sesión informativa el martes 29 de noviembre, de 7 a 8 p.m., en el Edificio Municpal, 4310 Gallatin Street o visitando hyattsville.org/cert.

PROGRAMAS INVERNALES PARA MENORES

No se pierdas los próximos programas para los menores de Hyattsville de todas las edades. Ya están abiertas la inscripciones para las sesiones de invierno de Mentes Creativas, Campamento, el Programa de Liderazgo Juvenil, tutorías extraescolares y mucho más. Visite hyattsville.org/youthprograms para conocer todos los detalles.

SERVICIOS DE LA CIUDAD EN DÍAS FESTIVOS

Las oficinas administrativas de Hyattsville estarán cerradas el viernes, 11 de noviembre, en honor al Día de los Veteranos. La ruta de la basura del viernes se recogerá el jueves. Todas las demás rutas siguen siendo las mismas.

Las Oficinas de la ciudad también estarán cerradas el jueves 24 y el viernes 25 de noviembre por el Día de Acción de Gracias. El centro de pruebas y vacunación COVID-19 de la Ciudad estará cerrado el jueves 24 y el sábado 26 de noviembre. No habrá servicios de recogida de residuos de jardín, compostaje o hojas del 21 al 25 de noviembre. Las rutas de basura para la semana se recogerán un día antes, excepto la del viernes, que se recogerá el miércoles. Las rutas de reciclaje del Condado, usualmente jueves y viernes cambiaran al día siguiente - todos los demás días de recogida de reciclaje siguen siendo los mismos.

SEA UN HÉROE VOLUNTARIADO EN HYATTSVILLE

La Oficina de Servicios de Voluntariado de la Ciudad puede asignarle a usted o a un grupo, proyectos de servicio que impacten nuestra comunidad. Los voluntarios de todas las edades y habilidades son bienvenidos. Para más info, contacte Collen Aistis, responsable de los servicios de voluntariado, vía community@hyattsville.org o (301) 985-5057.

REGOGIDA DE HOJAS

La recogida semanal de hojas en las calles residenciales dentro de los límites de la Ciudad continúara hasta mediados de enero. Propiedades comerciales y multihogar no están incluidas. La recogida depende del clima, ya que las hojas pesadas y húmedas dañan la maquinaria. Visite hyattsville. org/leaves para el horario de recolección.

Si rastrillar hojas no es divertido para usted, ¡dejelas! Vea nuestra guía sobre los beneficios del cortar las hojas en el cesped en hyattsville.org/enviro-education.

CALENDAR | CALENDARIO

SENIOR TRIPS!

Check out the our upcoming seniors trips! Call (301) 985-5000 by 2PM. the day before the scheduled trip to reserve a seat.

Nov 10, 9 AM – 3 PM: Trip to Annapolis Mall

Nov 17, 9 AM – 3 PM: Super Walmart in Alexandria

OPEN ENROLLMENT

Open enrollment for health insurance for adults is open through Jan 15! Join Prince George’s Health Connect for a series of special events & info at the Regal Hyattsville Theatre Nov 11 - 13! pgchealthconnect.org.

WARD HAPPENINGS

Ward 5 Councilmembers Sandino & Solomon are hosting a community chat Nov 12, 10 AM, via zoom. register at hyattsville.org/ calendar.

Join Ward 3 Councilmembers McClellan & Simasek for a community clean-up & check-in Nov 12, 11 AM, at the UTC Courtyard, 6502 America Blvd.

CAREGIVER WORKSHOP

The City is hosting a lunch & learn workshop for caregivers Nov 14, 11 AM - 1 PM, at the City Building. Call (301) 985-5000 to register.

VETERANS DAY OBSERVANCE

Veterans & their families are invited to a Veterans Day Ceremony & resource presentation on Nov 14, 1 - 3 PM, at the Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. hyattsville.org/veterans.

FRESH PRODUCE

The City’s next fresh produce distribution is Nov 15, noon, at the First United Methodist Church, 6201 Belcrest Rd. Produce is first come, first serve.

FREE DIAPERS!

The City is hosting a free diapers distribution Nov 17, 1 - 4 PM, at 4310 Gallatin St. Must bring one proof of child’s date of birth. hyattsville.org/calendar.

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Join us for a Native American & Indigenous Heritage Month Celebration & Panel

Discussion Nov 18, 6 PM, via zoom! Pre-register at hyattsville.org/nahm.

JOB FAIR

A bilingual job & resources fair is happening Nov 19, 10 AM - 2 PM, at Northwestern High, 7000 Adelphi Rd. Learn more & register at hyattsville.org/calendar.

HOLIDAY HOME DECORATIONS CONTEST!

The Claus Applause

Home Decorating contest runs from Nov 29 - Dec 14 this year! Learn more & cast your nominations at hyattsville.org/applause.

TREE LIGHTING

Bring the family to Driskell Park, 3911 Hamilton St Dec 2, 7 PM. to help us light the City’s holiday tree!

CALLS FROM SANTA!

The deadline to sign up your child to receive a call from the jolly couple is Dec 8! hyattsville. org/santa.

VIAJES PARA TERCERA EDAD

¡Vea los próximos viajes para personas de la tercera edad! Para reservar un espacio, llame al (301) 985-5000 antes de las 2 PM un día antes.

10 de nov, 9AM – 3PM: Viaje a Annapolis Mall 17 de nov, 9AM – 3PM: Viaje a Super Walmart en Alexandria, VA

SEGURO DE SALUD

DISTRITOS 3 Y 5

Los Concejales del Distrito 5 Sandino y Solomon están organizando una reunión comunitaria el 12 de nov, 10 AM, vía Zoom. Detalles en hyattsville.org/calendar.

Únase a los Concejales del Distrito 3 McCllellan y Simasek para una reunión y limpieza comunitaria el 12 de nov, 11AM, en el centro UTC, 6502 America Blvd.

PARA CUIDADORES

La Ciudad esta organizando un almuerzo y taller para cuidadores el 14 de nov, 11 AM - 1 PM, en el Edificio Municipal. Llame al (301) 985-5000 para más.

CEREMONIA PARA VETERANOS

Veteranos y sus familias están invitados a una ceremonia y presentación de recursos el 14 de nov, 1 - 3 PM, en la Biblioteca de Hyattsville, 6530 Adelphi Rd. hyattsville.org/veterans.

DISTRIBUCIÓN DE ALIMENTOS

La próxima distribución de verduras y vegatales de la Ciudad es el 15 de nov, mediodía en la Iglesia First United Methodist, 6201 Belcrest Rd.

PAÑALES GRATUITOS

CERT TRAINING

Join us for a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) info session Nov 29, 7 - 8 PM, at the City Building, 4310 Gallatin St. Learn more at hyattsville.org/cert.

SHOP HYATTSVILLE FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Put your money where your heart is and Shop Hyattsville for the holidays! Join us to shop late under the holiday lights on December 3. Participating stores throughout Hyattsville will be open until 8 p.m. or later, and the City will have carolers and hot cocoa to keep you company!

Visit hyattsville.org/lovelocal for a map and list of businesses offering special discounts this holiday season. Be sure to also take advantage of the free parking in City lots from November 24, 2022 – January 1, 2023 (excluding meters). hyattsville.org/parking.

¡La inscripción abierta al seguro de salud está abierta hasta el 15 de enero! Únase a Prince George’s Health Connect para una serie de eventos especiales e información en el Teatro Regal Hyattsville del 11 - 13 de nov pgchealthconnect.org.

La Ciudad esta organizando una distribución de pañales gratis el 17 de nov, 1 - 4 PM, en la 4310 Gallatin St. Debe traer una prueba de la fecha de nacimiento del menor. hyattsville.org/calendar.

MES DE HERENCIA

INDÍGENA

¡Únase para una celebración del Mes de la Herencia Indígena y Discusión el 18 de nov, 6 PM, a través de zoom! hyattsville.org/nahm.

FERIA DE EMPLEO

Una feria bilingüe de empleo y recursos se llevará a cabo el 19 de nov, 10 AM a 2 PM, en Northwestern High, 7000 Adelphi Rd. Obtenga más información y regístrese en hyattsville.org/calendar.

ENTRENAMIENTO

Únase a nosotros para una sesión informativa del Equipo Comunitario de Respuesta a Emergencias (CERT) el 29 de nov, de 7 a 8 PM, en el Edificio Municipal, 4310 Gallatin St. Obtenga más información en hyattsville.org/cert.

¡CONCURSO DE DECORACIONES!

¡El concurso de decoración de hogares Claus Applause se llevará a cabo del 29 de nov al 14 de dic de este año! Obtenga más información y emita sus nominaciones en hyattsville.org/applause.

ILUMINCACIÓN DEL ÁRBOL

¡Traiga a la familia a Driskell Park, 3911 Hamilton St, 2 de dic, 7 PM. para ayudarnos a iluminar el árbol navideño de la Ciudad!

¡LLAMADAS DE SANTA!

¡La fecha límite para inscribir a su menor para recibir una llamada de la alegre pareja es el 8 de dic! hyattsville.org/santa.

¡COMPRA EN HYATTSVILLE PARA LAS FIESTAS!

Pon tu dinero donde está tu corazón y compra en Hyattsville para las fiestas. Únase a nosotros para comprar hasta tarde bajo las luces navideñas el 3 de diciembre. Los comercios participantes de Hyattsville estarán abiertos hasta las 8 de la noche o más tarde, y la ciudad tendrá cantantes de villancicos y cacao caliente para hacerle compañía.

Visita hyattsville.org/lovelocal para ver un mapa y una lista de los comercios que ofrecen descuentos especiales estas fechas. Asegúrese de aprovechar también el estacionamiento gratuito en los lotes de la Ciudad desde el 24 de noviembre de 2022 hasta el 1 de enero de 2023 (excluyendo los parquímetros). hyattsville.org/parking.

RELIEF FUNDS

Applications are open for the City of Hyattsville's Household Emergency Relief Program

The assistance is exclusively for City of Hyattsville residents* who are suffering financial hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic The funds will be provided on a firstcome, first-served basis

*Not sure if you live in the City of Hyattsville? Check your address at hyattsville org/isithyattsville

APPLY TODAY!

m

You

for:

up to $2 500 per adult; plus an additional $1 250 for each dependent child; for a household total of $5,000

¡FONDOS DE AYUDA DISPONIBLES!

Las solicitudes están abiertas para el Programa de Ayuda de Emergencia para Hogares de la Ciudad de Hyattsville.

La asistencia es exclusiva para los residentes de la Ciudad de Hyattsville* que están sufriendo dificultades financieras debido al pandemia de COVID-19 Los fondos se concederán por orden de llegada

*¿No estás seguro si vives en la ciudad de Hyattsville? Consulta tu dirección en hyattsville org/isithyattsville

¡APLICA HOY!

Podrias ser elegible para:

Hasta $2,500 por adulto; más $1 250 adicionales por cada hijo dependiente; Con un total maximo de $5 000 por vivienda

Las aplicaciones están siendo administradas por La Corporación de Desarrollo Comunitario de Hyattsville Comuníquese con cafagrant@hyattsvillecdc org o (301) 683-8267 si tiene preguntas

OPCIONES DE APLICACIÓN:

Solicite en línea o descargue una solicitud en hycdc org

Llame al (301) 683-8267 para programar una cita para presentar la solicitud en persona

ELEGIBILIDAD:

One application per household Please provide all information requested in the application

Incomplete

ESCANEE PARA MÁS INFO

Debe presentar una prueba de residencia en la Ciudad de Hyattsville; sin importar su estatus legal Verifique su dirección en hyattsville org/isithyattsville o llame al (301) 683-8267

Debe proporcionar pruebas verificable de las dificultades financieras, incluyendo una declaración y/o documentación necesaria Solo una aplicación por hogar Por favor proporcione toda la información solicitada en la solicitud No se considerarán las solicitudes incompletas

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Our list of events sponsored by local nonprofits, arts organizations and performance venues, occurring between Nov. 12 and Dec. 16; all information is current as of Nov. 3. For events and meetings organized by the City of Hyattsville, see the Hyattsville Reporter in the newspaper’s centerfold.

Please send notices of events that will take place between Dec. 17 and Jan. 14 to managingeditor@ hyattsvillelife.com by Dec. 9.

RECURRING

Busboys and Poets hosts an open mic for poets every Thursday. $5. 8 to 10 p.m. 5331 Baltimore Ave. 301.779.2787. Busboysandpoets.com

Weekly acoustic blues jams, in the Piedmont blues tradition. Proof of vaccination required; masks encouraged, unless singing or playing a harmonica or horn. Free. Saturdays 1-5 p.m. Archie Edwards Blues Foundation, 4502 Hamilton St. acousticblues.com

ONGOING

Two art exhibitions at Brentwood Arts Exchange: “Being” features works by Black artists Deborah Renee Grayson, James Terrell and William Watson, and “Innervisions: Dialogues in Self-Portraiture” includes works by six area artists. Through Nov. 26. Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood, 301.277.2863

“The Haunted Boy” at Joe’s Movement Emporium. Based

on the Prince George’s County family whose story inspired the book and the movie “The Exorcist,” this rock opera follows the path of Roland — a boy gone “strange,” whose mother, local priest and psychologist decide to put him and his demons through the formal Catholic rite of exorcism. $25. Nov. 11, 12, 18 and 19 at 7 p.m.; Nov. 13 and 20 at 5 p.m. 3309 Bunker Hill Rd., Mt. Rainier. Joesmovement.org

NOVEMBER 15

Open mic at My Dead Aunt’s Books, hosted by Cherry Blossom Special. Suggested donation $10. Doors open at 7 p.m., music starts at 7:30 p.m. 5132 Baltimore Ave. mydeadauntsbooks.com

NOVEMBER 16

Join a naturalist on a nature hike for seniors looking for wildlife and local plant life. Please wear comfortable shoes, and dress appropriately for the weather. 9:30 to 11 a.m. $3 county residents, $4 nonresidents. Register at pgparksdirect. com. Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis Rd., Bladensburg. 301.779.0371

NOVEMBER 18

Potecasi Slade returns to Maryland Meadworks. This funky blues band has roots that run deep into DMV gogo and gospel music, with a touch of rock. Their musical covers range from D.C.’s great Chuck Brown to Howling Wolf, whereas their originals are inspired by Muddy Waters and ZZ Top with Skip James’ vocals. The swinging rhythm and emotional and moving lyrics will warm your soul.

Free, although tipping is encouraged. 7 to 10 p.m. 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 201.955.9644

NOVEMBER 19

Blue Plains is an indie rock band from Washington, D.C., whose music has been compared to Wilco, Radiohead, Mumford and Arcade Fire. Free, although tipping is encouraged. 7 to 10 p.m. Maryland Meadworks, 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 201.955.9644

NOVEMBER 20

Seasonal Selections:

Native American Cuisine at Riversdale House Museum. Using produce from the garden and orchard, Kitchen Guild members demonstrate foodways in the open hearth kitchen. Drop by to watch them cook and pick up some new recipe inspiration! Free. Noon to 3 p.m. 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420

NOVEMBER 21

Come see a screening of “Inhabitants” (2020, 76 min.), an award-winning feature documentary that follows five Native American tribes across deserts, coastlines, forests and prairies, as they restore their traditional land management practices. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. Register at pgcmls. info or by calling 240.455.5451. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd.

DECEMBER 3

Carpe Noctem, a fun-filled night with over 50 vendors, a white elephant sale, food and drinks, childrens’ activities and Santa himself! Free. 5 to 9 p.m.

St. Jerome Academy, 5207 42nd Ave. carpenoctemsja.com

The ‘80s and ‘90s rock band Totoro plays at Denizens Brewing Co. All ages are welcome! 7 to 9:30 p.m., 4550 Van Buren St., Riverdale Park. denizensbrewingco.com

DECEMBER 9

August Wilson’s “Fences” depicts the life of Troy Maxson, a former Negro League baseball star scraping by as a sanitation worker during the Jim Crow era. Purchase tickets through pgparksdirect.com. $20 general admission, $15 seniors and students. 7 to 9:30 p.m. Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Rd., Cheverly. 301.277.1710

Fundraiser concert for Spice Cake (Miles Spicer and Jaja Patterson), to help fund their trip to Memphis, where they were selected to represent D.C. in the solo/duo category at the International Blues Awards. 8 to 10 p.m. Archie Edwards Blues Foundation, 4502 Hamilton St. acousticblues. com

DECEMBER 10

A Visit with Good Niklaas: Make some memories with family and friends during this annual tradition! Good Niklaas invites you to learn about Belgian customs and enjoy a festive craft, personal chat and a gift to continue the fun at home. Capacity limited; advance registration

at tinyurl.com/goodnik121022 required by Nov. 30. Resident $5 child/$3 adult. 9 and 11 a.m. Riversdale House Museum, 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420

Enjoy self-guided candlelit tours of the Riversdale House Museum, explore a children’s craft area, and take a peek in the open-hearth kitchen. $5 adult, children 12 and under free (must be accompanied by an adult); bring a canned good and receive $1 off an admission (limit to $1 off per adult). 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420

Band Brûlée, a self-described “jazz-infused, Americanamarinated, alt-pop band” performs at Maryland Meadworks. Free, although tipping is encouraged. 7 to 10 p.m. 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 201.955.9644

DECEMBER 15

Get into the holiday spirit at the Publick Playhouse and enjoy Motown holiday favorites by the Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Boyz II Men, Nat King Cole, the Jackson 5, James Brown, Chuck Brown and more. Purchase tickets through pgparksdirect.com. Ages 60+. $10. 11 a.m. 5445 Landover Rd., Cheverly. 301.277.1710

Getting a jump on jumping worms

Dear Miss Floribunda,

My new next-door neighbor has come up here from Georgia. She has been bagging the leaves she’s raked for pickup, rather than composting them. She says in Georgia they only use pine straw as mulch, to deter “jumping worms.” She says they are as invasive and destructive as kudzu down there, and like kudzu, have moved north and west. Unlike kudzu, however, they don’t mind cold weather and are unstoppable. I don’t like to panic, but I would like to know how much of a threat they are. Is there any way to recognize them when they aren’t jump-

ing? Could they possibly hurt me or my family?

Worried About Worms on Madison Street

Dear Worried About Worms,

The jumping worm, Amynthas agrestis, arrived on our shores from Asia back in the late 19th century in dirt used for ship ballast, as well as among imported plants. It advances very slowly on its own, but continued use of these worms as bait by fishermen, as well as sale and gift exchange of plants across state lines, has helped spread them. This worm is particularly

Income Tax Preparation

“An

6213 Balfour Drive

Hyattsville, Maryland 20782-1506

By Appointment

Michelle A. Goetzinger, President

Richard N. Goetzinger, General Manager Notary Public Service Available

301

Same

559 6503

prevalent in unsterilized mulch and has presented a serious problem in southern forests and gardens for awhile time. Over time, the jumping worm has gotten as far north as Minnesota and as far west as Kansas.

The jumping worm is not difficult to identify. It is larger than the earthworm, about 6 inches long, and instead of having a pinkish-orange, slightly raised band (clitellum) around its middle, it has a flatter, whitish one. You need not worry about it attacking you, although it could startle you when it jumps. The real problem is what it does and does not do to the soil. Our beneficial earthworms burrow down deeply and break up the soil, aerating it and improving its texture, while incorporating nutrients from the organic matter they ingest and excrete. Jumping worms do not go far into the soil but stay near the surface and leave their highly erodible castings on top of the soil. These look like coffee grounds and are a sure sign of the presence of these invaders, who reproduce at an alarming rate and displace beneficial worms. Soil fertility and moisture retention is reduced, and these worms and their castings are

toxic to the microbial subsoil ecosystem — with far-reaching consequences.

This degraded soil is then taken over by invasive plant species that do not support beneficial insects and animals. For some still undetermined reason, few birds will prey on these worms. Possums, moles and snakes will eat them, but there are any number of reasons you might not want to invite them into your garden.

I consulted an expert in helminthology, Dr. Vermicelli Dolitter. When asked if pine straw mulch was an effective deterrent, Dr. Dolitter replied that all mulch attracts them, and that it is advisable to heattreat whatever mulch you do use before spreading it.

Of course, unlike Dr. Dolitter, we don’t have a laboratory with special kilns. Although you can heat soil to 150 F in your oven in covered pans, this is painstakingly slow and potentially messy. If you can afford it, you might invest in a portable steam or electric sterilizer. Another method, traditionally used by golf courses, is to apply tea seed meal from camellias to eliminate worms. This also destroys earthworms you want to keep, so it isn’t to be recommended. For the same reason,

the method of heat-treating soil by placing plastic sheeting on it is not prudent.

Hand-picking is unpleasant and difficult because of these worms’ wild wriggling, but Dr. Dolitter told me how to bring the worms to the surface of the soil to do so: Mix 1/3 cup of ground mustard seed into a gallon of water and pour it over the soil you suspect might harbor them. They will rise to the surface immediately — but don’t think the mustard mixture will kill them or their eggs.

Dr. Dolitter told me that because there is no magic bullet for this pest, prevention is paramount. Don’t make piles of leaves to create an attractive smorgasbord for them, but rather leave your leaf litter on the ground. Be careful not to move any plants from an infected area into any other part of the garden, and sterilize any tools you’ve used. Order bare root plants only. If you give or receive plants as gifts, wash their roots before repotting in sterilized soil. Most important, clean your shoes carefully after walks in fields or gardens. While the worms themselves die over the course of the winter, their egg-filled cocoons do not. Peppercorn-sized, they are often transported by means of footwear they attach to. These will hatch in early spring. So, even though the adult worms themselves don’t move very far, you should be careful not to further their invasion of our landscape by spreading their eggs.

Now, as far as I know, this worm has not been spotted in Hyattsville. If you do find any — and they’d be most visible in fall — please report your finding to the University of Maryland extension service. Your photos can be posted to their Early Detection and Distribution Mapping System, eddmaps.org.

To discuss this, as well as pleasanter gardening matters, please come to the next meeting of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society at 10 a.m. on Nov. 19. It will take place in the garden of Mary Jane Stevens and Bob Meyers, 3925 Nicholson Street, and will feature a wreath-making workshop.

Miss Floribunda writes about gardening for the Hyattsville Life & Times. You may email her at missfloribundav@gmail.com

to 2021 and included goals for public spaces, historic preservation, cultural diversity, affordable housing, public safety, street safety, local businesses, land development and sustainable growth.

To develop the new plan, the city began a multi-phase planning process in February 2022. That process will continue through June 2023, when the city aims to publish the final plan.

The current phase, public engagement aimed at identifying the community’s vision for a more sustainable Hyattsville, runs until mid-January.

During late September and mid-October, city staff led inperson community visioning sessions at Nicholas Orem Middle School and the Hyattsville Branch Library, as well as two virtual meetings, to collect community input.

Interested residents can still provide feedback through the new Hello Hyattsville online portal (hellohyattsville.com). This online community engagement space currently poses four sustainability-related discussion questions, including “What does community sustainability mean to you?” and “What is your big idea for Hyattsville?” Community members can use Hello Hyattsville to respond to questions, discuss other participants’ comments, and upvote comments they support.

While only a handful of comments are posted so far, members of the community have used Hello Hyattsville to comment on a variety of topics, including encouraging diversity, supporting local businesses, reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, increasing street safety,

building rain gardens, enhancing connections to public transit, and collaborating with surrounding municipalities. One participant noted the negative public health impacts caused by poor air quality and shared information about a collaboration between the University of Maryland, the Maryland Department of the Environment and the Town of Cheverly that uses a network of low-cost sensors to monitor air quality. That participant also commented, “I encourage Hyattsville to consider building an air quality monitoring network as part of the Sustainability Plan, and using these data to aid in decision making to address hotspots where poor air quality is frequent in our city.”

City staff have also placed QR codes throughout the city, which allow people to use text messages to “chat” with objects around town, learn about city initiatives, and provide feedback on city projects, including the sustainability plan.

The next phase of community engagement will begin in midJanuary to identify the plan’s priorities. Details for those meetings have not yet been announced.

Residents will also have an opportunity to provide feedback on a draft of the plan in April and May 2023.

To assist in the development of the plan, the city hired Assedo Consulting LLC. Assedo Consulting will be responsible for

assisting the city with graphics, branding, community planning sessions, a community debrief and content development.

Consultants from Assedo may be familiar to some residents, as the company has worked on several local projects through contracts with the Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation and the Prince George’s County Planning Department. Recently, Assedo facilitated community meetings for the county’s development of a new and updated master plan of transportation and for a pedestrian and bicyclist behavioral study.

According to the most recently posted progress report from August 2021, the city had completed 41.8% of the 67 action items contained in the prior plan, including mapping and cataloging historic elements. The city had 31.3% of its action items, including installing refillable water bottle stations in public spaces, in progress or ongoing. About 26.9% of the action items, such as working on an entrepreneurship center in Hyattsville to foster local businesses, had not yet begun.

Residents interested in helping the city shape the vision and goals of the new sustainability plan should visit hellohyattsville.com to join the discussion, keep an eye out for QR codes posted around the city, and watch for announcements from the city about future community engagement opportunities.

THE HYLIFE

David Driskell dedication: Collective colors weave a more just future for all

By Jessica Arends

On Oct. 7, about 300 people gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of world-renowned artist Dr. David Driskell, after whom Hyattsville’s largest park was recently renamed.

Dedication ceremony participants were drawn in by a freshly painted mural on the entrance road — its dynamic, abstract shapes announcing the park as a bold new space. Feather flags featuring Driskell’s paintings fluttered joyfully in the wind. Children dipped strips of fabric into vats of blue, red and orange and hung them on a line to dry. Residents created colorful and rustic tapestries by weaving long strips into community looms. A live DJ played upbeat songs over a loudspeaker.

“It’s like a quilt being stitched together — all this diversity,” Driskell’s daughter Daviryne Driskell-McNeill said as she raised her hands to indicate all the people and activities. “I think it is beautiful.”

Panelists, including Hyattsville Mayor Robert Croslin, Driskell family members, art curators, city staff and historians, shared passionate remarks frequently punctuated with enthusiastic applause.

“Dr. Driskell was a thoughtful, charismatic man who had the courage to advocate for African-American art when it was not popular to do so,” said Sarah Workneh, who was mentored by Driskell at the Skow-

hegan School of Painting and Sculpture; Workneh is now codirector of the school.

Many of Driskell’s paintings deal with themes of social justice, including “Behold Thy Son,” which was created in response to the slaying of Emmit Till.

Driskell was a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Maryland, where an education center was established in his honor in 2001. At age 88, he passed away from complications related to COVID-19, in April 2020.

According to Driskell’s wife, Thelma, nature provided him with inspiration and emotional balance in a segregated and unjust society. “In contrast to

Associate Editor Heather Wright heather@hyattsvillelife.com

Layout & Design Editors Ashley Perks, Valerie Morris

Streetcar Suburbs Web Editor Sophie Gorman Oriani sophie@hyattsvillelife.com

Streetcar Suburbs Webmaster Jessica Burshtynskyy jessica@hyattsvillelife.com

Writers & Contributors Jessica Arends, Dan Behrend, Victoria Boucher, Randy Fletcher, Mark Goodson, Kit Slack, Lisa Wölfl, Heather Marléne Zadig

Advertising advertising@hyattsvillelife.com

301.531.5234

ugly behaviors, the trees are of beauty, love and always green,” she said. “Like his ‘Pine Trees’ painting shows: Even when the wind blows, the trees have resiliency and manage to still stand strong.” she said.

The city began considering a new name for Magruder Park in 2019 after initiating a process to remove the “access to whites only” language, part of a restrictive covenant, from the park’s original 1927 deed. Over 800 names were submitted, with Driskell receiving 231 votes. “Namesake,” a Hyattsville Community Media film about the renaming process, premiered at the event.

“Today we honor an artist

Business Manager Catie Currie catie@hyattsvillelife.com

Advertising Sales Manager Miranda Goodson miranda@hyattsvillelife.com

Board of Directors

Joseph Gigliotti — President & General Counsel

Melanie Dzwonchyk — Secretary Stephanie Stullich — Treasurer Gretchen Brodtman, Bette Dickerson, Nora Eidelman, Maxine Gross, Joe Murchinson, T. Carter Ross Katie V. Jones, Mark Goodson — Ex Officios Circulation:

and educator for whom the color line was meant to be transcended,” said art historian Julie McGee. “To the community of Hyattsville: Today you have emancipated this place.”

Meagan Baco of the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area, Inc. helped to secure the $50,000 grant for the ceremony and upcoming park redesign. “By changing the covenant on the deed, we have exposed the inaccuracies of the public record and are correcting it here today. This project really is a model for the county, the

state and the nation,” said Baco.

In addition to celebrating, the day was designed to facilitate healing, according to Allie O’Neill of the Neighborhood Design Center, who planned the community activities with Pyramid Atlantic Art Center. Painting murals, making wish trees and weaving on community looms not only honors the nature-inspired artwork of Driskell, but also accesses the healing power that can be found in nature and communal art-making, O’Neill said.

Peter Brooks of the Choptico Band of the Historic Piscataway Chiefdom led a call-and-response prayer to acknowledge the forced removal of Indigenous people from the area in the 1600s. The crowd clapped and sang along as two choirs led consoling hymns, including “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” and “This Little Light of Mine.”

The entrance mural was loosely inspired by Driskell’s mixedmedia collages, which had to be studied and replicated piece by piece to create the mural. “To physically experience the brilliance of his work in that way — that was wonderful,” O’Neill said. “In truth, Driskell’s studio was a theater of joy — full of color, drama, tribulations and magic,” said McGee. “For me, this is exactly what a park could be: a theater of joy. Welcome to the David C. Driskell Community Park.”

Paid Volunteers Needed toparticipateinhearingresearch

You will be compensated for your time!

Who? Persons 18 - 30 years old with normal hearing

Persons 65 – 85 years old with either normal or mildly impaired hearing

American English must be your first language

Where? University of Maryland, College Park, MD

What does the research involve? You may be asked to listen to sentences, tones, or noise bursts. You will then be asked to react to a particular sound or sentence. This will take approximately 18 to 25 hours, scheduled over multiple weeks

Or you may be asked to complete tasks that involve passively measuring brain activity This will take approximately 2.5 to 4.5 hours.

For further details, contact Ms. Carol Gorham hearing@umd.edu, 301-405-4236

Jessica Arends is the arts, culture and lifestyle columnist for the Hyattsville Life & Times.

Sarah Workneh, co-director of the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, leads a gallery walk of Dr. David C. Driskell’s paintings during the Driskell Park dedication ceremony. COURTESY OF BRYON BARLOW

demonstrations in early May of 1970 at the University of Maryland (UMD) in College Park. There was so much tear gas deployed during the protests that Pat McGehrin, now living in Potomac, recalled being overcome while mowing his lawn in nearby University Park.

“I looked up and thought, ‘Why are my eyes burning?’” he said, hands over his face as if it had just happened.

John P. McFarland, who also lives in Potomac, remembered “actual blood in the streets” leftover from the National Guard’s violent crackdown. He and others also noted the earlier 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and subsequent riots in nearby Washington, D.C., as another formative experience.

For the most part, however, reunion guests at Martin’s Crosswinds, in Greenbelt, chose to focus on the good times.

To kick off the celebration, Craig Brown, the master of ceremonies, called everyone for a toast, concluding, “We will

FROM

grocery stores,” said commission member Alicia Freemyn, of Ward 3, in the meeting, adding that it was important “to not diminish their voting power.” Freemyn is also co-chair of the city’s race and equity task force.

The report indicated that the districts needing population reductions were Ward 3 and Ward 1, with developments such as Editors Park and the EYA developments requiring those districts to shrink. Ward 2 and Ward 4 were required to grow to increase their population counts relative to other wards. Ward 5 grew to a lesser degree, with new developments, like the Riverfront at West Hyattsville, impacting the commission’s decision-making.

The rules for the commission also state, “Wards most likely to be impacted by future development may be smaller by design in order to minimize impact of population growth on future redistricting.”

According to the 2020 census, Hyattsville is approximately 30% white, 31% Black, 35% Hispanic or Latino, and 6% Asian (residents could identify as two or more races), but the wards have varying distributions at the broader neighborhood level.

“Equity was one of our personal big concerns going into this process,” said commission chair Andy Sayer, of Ward 2, in

always be Wildcats. We will always be the Class of 1970. But most importantly, we will always be friends.”

Cindy Purvis Boccucci recalled her first job at the former Marché Florist on Route 1 with pride.

“Three generations of brides came into that shop for their wedding flowers,” she said. “It was the florist in town.”

Indeed, an advertisement for the iconic florist (now occupied by Pizzeria Paradiso and Art Works Now) could be found in a copy of the 1970 Northwestern

the meeting. Sayer, whose day job involves numerical analysis of geospatial data, noted that Hyattsville Race and Equity Officer Shakira Louimarre provided substantial input and support to the commission throughout the proposed maps’ development.

“The committee went above and beyond in developing the maps and adhering to all constraints,” Louimarre told the Hyattsville Life & Times (HL&T) in an email. She added that the process clearly “reflected the interests and diversity of voices of Hyattsville residents,” and she praised the commission’s commitment “to building equity as a core value into the entire process.”

At the county and state levels, there have been notable controversies involving redistricting, including the recent unsuccessful attempt by Prince George’s County Council to redraw its boundaries. That map was struck down by a Maryland judge on procedural grounds, but critics noted that the map was drawn so that several announced county council candidates would no longer live in the district where they were running.

The Hyattsville commission members were united, however, in expressing their desire to explicitly prevent that kind of biased redistricting, even intentionally remaining unaware of city councilmembers’ addresses, according to the report, to avoid the potential for bias.

yearbook on display (see above). Friends Charlie Johnson, of Mount Airy, and Clyde Lehman, of Bowie, reminisced about another long-shuttered business, reciting in sing-song unison an old commercial for something called Government Employee Mart.

“The GEM store!” Johnson explained. “It was like a BJ's but only for government workers.”

When asked what had changed in the area in the last 50 years, reunion organizer Don Moore, of West Virginia, offered, “Families used to only have one car,

Commission member Leland Dudek, of Ward 4, said in an email to the HL&T that he was initially reluctant to serve, but changed his mind in the hope of using his background in technology and data analytics to advocate for “fair representation” and “common sense” boundaries.

“We were highly motivated to develop fair outcomes,” said commission member Krystil Smith, of Ward 5. Smith, an attorney, said she joined to learn more about the City of Hyattsville and get engaged in the community.

After numerous meetings, inperson public outreach at city

and it was always parked in the driveway, so everyone played in the streets.” Now, he noted, “you can barely even get your car through.”

Sue Ann (Gallagher) Scafone felt that, despite changes, the spirit of the area had endured.

“It was such a great place to grow up,” she said. “It still is.”

Scafone added that she raised her kids here and still lives nearby in Beltsville.

Throughout the party, friends joked about skipping school to hang out at UMD, avoiding ex-spouses at the reunion, and that time Queen Elizabeth II came to tour a supermarket in Chillum when they were kids.

Though the celebration was generally merry, it was tinged with the absence of 107 former classmates honored in the “In Memoriam” slideshow Moore presented. “And that’s just the ones we know about,” Moore said later in the evening. When asked how many classmates, excluding guests, were in attendance, his response was subdued: “A hundred and eight.”

For some, the missing classmates made the reunion more bitter than sweet. “Most of my

events, and reviews of public comments submitted online, the commission endorsed two final maps to submit for a vote by the city council, one called Minimal Adjustments and the other labeled Growth Conscious. The two maps are similar overall, with the primary difference consisting of whether to take into account imminent growth from new housing completed after the 2020 census and soon-to-be-built developments.

In an email with the HL&T, commission chair Sayer said, “It’s hard to find a single map that would meet both objectives because the ongoing housing developments in

friends were up in that slideshow,” said Steven Vanilio, of Potomac. “That’s rough. Keep up with your friends,” he urged. “Call them.”

In spite of the upheaval of the late ‘60s — or perhaps because of it — the classmates seemed a remarkably close-knit group for a graduating class of more than 700 students, with several saying they met up annually, some even weekly, to maintain connections.

“Most classes only hold reunions every 10 years, but we’ve held one every five,” Scafone said.

Several hours into the event, the DJ finally managed to pull guests from their conversations to the dance floor. “Stop! In the Name of Love” by The Supremes drew a lively crowd. Couples slow-danced to “Cruisin’” by Smokey Robinson.

At the mention of 1970 as the year The Beatles broke up, Pat McGehrin at Table 13 nodded thoughtfully. “Sure,” he acknowledged. “But we preferred Motown.”

He raised his glass, then took a sip. “We’re alive, we’re 70, and we’re happy to be here.”

Hyattsville since the 2020 census are mostly in Wards 3 and 5 (with a smaller fraction in Ward 1), so they’re not evenly distributed. Most members of the public we’ve spoken with are happy with one or both concepts.”

At an Oct. 17 public hearing, the redistricting commission presented the city council with updated proposed maps to consider at its Nov. 7 meeting. (Copies of these maps, along with a comparison graph, are on the HL&T website.)

The city council plans to hold a final public hearing on the selected map on Nov. 21 and formally adopt a map by Dec. 5.

SERVICES

An ad for the well-known Marché Florist is pictured in the 1970 Northwestern High School yearbook. HEATHER MARLÉNE ZADIG

HYATTSVILLE

The 2022 Zombie Run started in Driskell Park and had about 1,000 participants.

JULIETTE FRADIN PHOTOGRAPHY

ZOMBIE RUN