05-2023 Hyattsville Life & TImes

City proposes budget with $5.8M shortfall

By Claire Panak Tombes

Next year, Hyattsville expects to spend more on policing and paying creditors, according to the proposed fiscal year 2024 budget, first presented to the city council on March 29. The final FY 2024 budget will

cover city expenses from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, and does not include American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 expenditures (see p. 3 for an ARPA fund update).

The FY 2024 budget proposes $51.3 million in expenditures, with $30.4 million budgeted

Breaking bread at Between the Bread Cafe

By Heather Marléne Zadig

For the uninitiated heading out to try the newest — and only — traditional deli in town, it’s important to allow a little extra time. Not from any long lines or lax service, mind you; rather, owners and locals Renata “Toni” Roy-Pinkney and her husband, John Pinkney, preside over Between the Bread Cafe as though welcoming guests into their literal home. They’re hoping

The county’s deadliest road

By Paul Ruffins

Columnist note: My first installment in this series on traffic safety and pedestrian injuries looked at a fatality on a road that was recently upgraded to incorporate a number of safety measures. This second article discusses the deadliest road in the DMV.

Prince George’s County has the highest annual rate of pedestrian deaths and injuries in the DMV — roughly 12 per 100,000 residents. Statewide averages in Virginia and Maryland

expenditures coming from the general fund. The $30.4 million in general fund expenditures would be a 17% increase over what was approved for FY 2023, and almost $6 million more than anticipated general fund revenues of $24.6 million. General fund revenues come

from city taxes and fees. Real property tax revenue is budgeted at $17.2 million, a 9% increase from the FY 2023 budgeted amount of $15.8 million, and income tax revenue is budgeted at $3 million, an 18% increase from the $2.5 million of FY 2023.

The proposed budget also anticipates $1.4 million in expenses from special revenue funds, such as grants that can only be used for particular purposes, and proposes $19.6 million in expenses from capital improvement funds typically

CENTER SECTION: Check out the latest issue of The Hyattsville Reporter , in both English and Español!

Houses of worship may answer prayers for a ordable housing

By Joanne Turner

Enterprise Community Partners, Bank of America and Prince George’s County are partnering with faith-based organizations to fund affordable housing units in the county. The $525,000 program will help up to seven houses of worship develop housing on their vacant land. This venture is countywide and is open to mosques, temples and churches, and to all their religious leaders, whether imams, rabbis or pastors.

The last day for houses of worship to submit applications was May 5, according to the Rev. Joseph K. Williams Sr., senior program director and manager of Enterprise’s Faith-based Development Initiative. Williams said he will rate the applications and help determine which seven county-based houses of worship will participate in the initiative.

Williams said he is looking for houses of worship that meet three criteria: 1) They must

prove that they own the land and, thus, have site control of the property; 2) They have to be willing to commit to the program and send representatives to training sessions and technical assistance meetings; and

3) They must have experience with community development and demonstrate that they can meet the organizational requirements of the initiative.

Lisa McDougal, president of Sowing Empowerment and Economic Development, or SEED, said that the selected houses of worship will be notified by May 26 and begin training sessions soon thereafter.

SEED is a nonprofit based in Prince George’s County and in Wayne County, Mich., that is helping with the project. According to its website, SEED “provides food, education, and training while promoting selfsufficiency and empowerment directly to low-to-moderateincome families.”

One of the county-based

churches applying for this venture is Riverdale’s Refreshing Springs Church of God in Christ, which helped found SEED as an outreach organization back in 1997 and has housed SEED’s daily operations in the Refreshing Springs Professional Building, at 6201 Riverdale Road, since 2004.

Bishop James E. Jordan Jr., pastor of Refreshing Springs, said he and his congregation applied for the program because they want to be of service to the community. He quoted the beginning of Psalms 127:1 when he said, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.”

“We just don’t want the land to sit there vacant when it can help to enhance the community and serve people that need affordable housing,” said Jordan, adding that Refreshing Springs, through its community development corporation, has hosted a first-time homeowners program for years.

Enterprise — a national nonprofit whose stated goals include increasing the supply of affordable homes, advancing racial equity following decades of systematic racism in housing, and supporting residents and communities to make upward mobility possible — has created 951,000 homes across the coun-

try since its founding in 1982, according to its website. Through its Faith-based Development Initiative, Enterprise has provided over $2.2 million in grant funding to houses of worship to begin the community development process, according to Williams.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser promoted Enterprise’s Faith-based Development Initiative to District-based houses of worship on her website in December 2020.

“Every day, houses of worship across D.C. step up to support our community in a number of ways. We know that there are faith-based partners out there who see the need for safe and affordable housing, and they want to help,” she wrote. “We’re simplifying the process and making it easier for faith partners to get the guidance and resources they need to build housing in D.C.” County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has been just as welcoming of Enterprise’s Faithbased Development Initiative.

“We are excited that the FBDI is coming to Prince George’s County,” she said, according to a March 29 Enterprise press release. “This new initiative will allow our faith-based community to help us further our efforts to expand affordable housing for our residents.”

“We just don’t want the land to sit there vacant when it can help to enhance the community and serve people that need affordable housing.”

Bishop James E. Jordan Jr., pastor of Refreshing Springs

Council approves more rescue plan spending

By Sophie Gorman Oriani

On April 17, the city council approved some projects to be paid for by funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), and closed out the long meeting by discussing some priorities and options for how to spend the city’s remaining funds.

The council approved $704,000 in funding for projects that were considered a higher priority due to their urgency. Two of the five projects were purchasing vehicles — 10 e-bikes for the police department and a new trash truck — while the other three were personnel additions. The council approved funding for the salaries of an IT technician, a professional grant writer, and a deputy director of environmental operations, as well as “consultant and subcontractor fees for evaluation, design, and construction of ARPA funded projects.”

Patrick Paschall, the city's American Rescue Plan program manager, laid out some proposed priorities for the remainder of the funds, divided

Patrick Paschall, the city's American Rescue Plan program manager, laid out some proposed priorities for the remainder of the funds, divided into two categories: staff-recommended priorities and priorities recommended by the ARPA executive committee. If the city approves all the projects on both lists, it will have about $2 million left to allocate, with legacy costs of just over $1.5 million. Legacy costs are those that the city would be responsible for in future years, as well.

has only spent about half the funds it has received from the federal government. Brooks said he is concerned that ARPA funds might get pulled back and that the city needs to get the funds out on the street.

Several councilmembers expressed concern about approving projects that would create high legacy costs, especially against the backdrop of the fiscal year 2024 budget, which calls for a nearly $6 million transfer from the general reserve fund to balance the budget (see p. 1).

noted that the council could approve projects that had limited funds or a limited time frame, with the understanding that they were not permanent programs. Joseph Solomon (Ward 5) also noted that the legacy costs of some projects could be funded through grants.

into two categories: staff-recommended priorities and priorities recommended by the ARPA executive committee. If the city approves all the projects on both lists, it will have about $2 million left to allo-

cate, with legacy costs of just over $1.5 million. Legacy costs are those that the city would be responsible for in future years, as well.

City Treasurer Ron Brooks expressed concern that the city

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Ben Simasek (Ward 3) noted that approving projects with high legacy costs puts future councilmembers in a tough position of having to choose which programs to keep and which to cut. Sam Denes (Ward 1) agreed, noting that the city council is responsible for taxpayer money and that committing to high spending levels is financially irresponsible. He also expressed concern about whether city staff could handle taking on many extra projects, given staffing levels in the city.

Joanne Waszczak (Ward 1)

On May 1, the city council voted to allocate nearly $8 million of ARPA money towards additional projects, including reimbursements for salary adjustments, upgrades to the Hyattsville Municipal Building, and pedestrian safety improvements. Denes proposed removing a study to assess having a circulator bus in Hyattsville, but the amendment failed. Although the overall motion passed unanimously, Councilmember Danny Schaible (Ward 2) noted that he did not support every project on the list. Schaible referred to the motion as representing the "collective judgment" of the group.

There will be a public hearing on May 15, and the council is expected to finalize a spending plan for the rest of the federal money at their June 5 meeting.

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RE-WILDING ROUTE 1

Call of the morning

By Rick Borchelt

The Lark, sitting upon his earthy bed, just as the morn Appears, listens silent, then, springing from the waving cornfield, loud

He leads the Choir of Day — trill! trill! trill! trill!

— William Blake, 1810

It’s May, and if you’re a light sleeper, you might have a hard time staying asleep with the windows open when the birds start singing in the morning. The dawn chorus of songbirds, beginning an hour or more before sunrise, reaches its crescendo as the sun clears the horizon, dropping off quickly afterwards.

Despite how widely known this dawn chorus is, the phenomenon has long puzzled birdwatchers and biologists alike. What do birds gain by singing in the neardark when it is chilly and hard to see each other? Answers have not been easy to come by.

It’s easier to understand some of the physical reasons for the birds’

dawn chorus. Dawn singing coincides with their cyclical surges in hormones like melatonin and testosterone, which rise as a function of day length. And, of course, male birds are warning away male rivals as they defend their newly established territories. At the same time, they are advertising to prospective mates and reinforcing bonds if they are already paired with females. But why such raucous song at dawn rather than during the rest of the day?

The PG-rated reasons I listed above have never fully satisfied scientists. More recent research suggests a more plausible Xrated rationale, at least in part.

Many long-lived raptors and waterfowl, like eagles and geese, mate for life. Barring something unfortunate happening to one of the partners, these pairs call and strut and parade in front of each other to reestablish their bond and prepare themselves physically and socially for the rigors of nesting and bringing up young. This is not the case with most songbirds, though. They are shorter-lived

with higher mortality and usually form new pairs every season. With the advent of DNA technology, it’s become increasingly evident that a lot of avian hanky-panky is taking place on the breeding grounds. A number of the eggs in any given clutch may belong to different fathers, and philandering male birds who sneak off into rival territories and have their way with females over there have generally been blamed for — or credited with — this infidelity.

More recent research suggests the female birds may actually be the ones taking their love to town. Fairywrens, small songbirds that are ubiquitous in Australian parks and gardens, offer up the evidence.

Using tiny radio transmitters attached to the birds to monitor their movement, combined with DNA analysis of the eggs in a given clutch, scientists have discovered it’s the females that are sneaking out in the gray dawn and dusk to find other, potentially more fit mates than the ones they have left behind singing their hearts

out. The females come back home with eggs fertilized by other males — up to 95% of all fairywren nests hold eggs from different fathers than the one with which the female is pair-bonded. Some birds here in Maryland seem to engage in this kind of revolving-door matrimony, too.

Whatever the reasons for the morning chorus, there’s a distinct order to the songs at dawn in our backyards. Robins usually kick off the singing, with cardinals coming in close behind. Chickadees and titmice and song sparrows chime in next, followed by doves and thrushes and blackbirds.

Warblers are the last to strike up a song, whether they’re migrating through or have stayed on to nest.

When the birds’ urge to sing is strongest, in early spring, mockingbirds and robins may even sing all night long, especially when the moon is bright (or there are street lights nearby). Indeed, light pollution appears to be disrupting the morning chorus for all birds, pushing their singing earlier and earlier in the pre-dawn hours.

The frequency at which the dawn chorus is sung is getting higher pitched, too, though it’s often not a pitch our ears can hear.

Most of the woodland songbirds

we see locally sing at a relatively low frequency — these songs carry better in the pre-dawn stillness. But low frequencies are harder to hear in the constant noise of cars, the hum of air conditioners and the clamor of construction.

The dawn chorus is a worldwide phenomenon so widely recognized that it has its own special day: International Dawn Chorus Day, always the first Sunday in May. While I count the Maryland dawn chorus among the most beautiful on Earth, I marvel at dawn choruses from around the world, too. I invite you to come along on a virtual adventure by exploring the links below:

• Haskell Peak, California: tinyurl.com/3ndkzvm2

• Brisbane, Australia: tinyurl.com/3uvnt8bx

• Matto Grosso, Brazil: tinyurl.com/msz79hj5

• Hertfordshire, England: tinyurl.com/yunnfn34

Have questions for Rick about the world of nature in and around the city, or suggestions for future "Re-wilding Route 1" columns? Drop him a note at rborchelt@gmail.com.

THE HY-LIFE

Bending steel and light, local artist creates the sound of hope

By Jessica Arends

When Hyattsville resident Paul Steinkoenig read an article on recycling in elementary school, he didn’t know that decades later it would lead him to create large outdoor sculptures of repurposed steel, glass and light. Six of Steinkoenig’s pieces have been installed around the DMV, including two sculptures in Riverdale Park.

Steinkoenig’s work reflects his wide-ranging experiences, including counseling gang members and prison inmates, renovating homes, and volunteering for the United Nations in Afghanistan. As he notes on his website, “I have now set out to portray beauty and balance through my art from the chaos that my soul has seen.”

On a breezy day, you may hear Steinkoenig’s latest installation before you see it: Three salvaged industrial gas cylinders hang from a 12-foot metal arch at the corner of Madison Street and Cleveland Avenue in Riverdale Park, in front of the Chambers Funeral Home and Crematorium. Shiny clappers ring the cylinders whenever there is a breeze, each sounding out like a soulful meditation bell.

“That one’s called ‘Sanctuary 2: Faith, Hope and Love,’” said Steinkoenig, who studied at the Boston University School of Theology and served as a minister in the 1980s. “All of the world’s great religions say, ‘We’ve got to do this together.’ They are the three tenets that really bind us together: faith, hope and love.”

Tuning each cylinder to the right pitch meant cutting off narrow strips with an angle grinder — an intense, two-week effort, according to Steinkoenig.

“I must have cut those things at least 50, 60 or 80 times. I don’t know, because I’d say, ‘Well, this one’s close. Now just take off a quarter of an inch. It’s almost there.’ Then I’d test it, and it’d be too much, so I’d have to take more off the other ones,” said Steinkoenig. “Well, it definitely paid off because I have to be honest — I’ll come up, and if the wind is blowing, it's really lovely.”

Steinkoenig has been designing and building contemporary abstract sculptures with repurposed materials like steel and glass for the past 10 years. As a home renovations contractor, he salvaged various materials including copper pipes, glass construction blocks and steel studs from commercial properties. One now-disassembled piece included 12 lawn mower blades he found at a scrap yard. Steinkoenig also uses timber to build the scaffolding necessary to support and assemble such weighty materials. The drive to reuse materials, which started with that recycling article, continues to inspire his work. “When we say, ‘Let’s just throw it away’ — there is no ‘away,’” he emphasized.

Steinkoenig’s “In Harmony” sculpture, installed in September 2021 at Oxon Hill Manor, a former tobacco plantation in Prince George's County, addresses race relations. Fifteen rectangular metal blades extend up from a gravel-filled block like giant feathers. The blades are the same width and height but have different surface treatments, which represents the diversity of our identities, according to Steinkoenig. The sound when the blades clang against each other creates a harmony, something Steinkoenig said he hopes we continue to aspire toward.

Steinkoenig’s latest innovation has been using solar power

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Sculptor Paul Steinkoenig tuning the industrial gas cylinders for ‘Sanctuary 2’ to turn them into bells COURTESY OF LINA PARIKH SEE HY-LIFE ON 7 

Did a 4-year-old name our streets?

By Heather Marléne Zadig

What’s the deal with all of the streets, places, and avenues in Hyattsville with the exact same numbers in their names (e.g., 40th Place and 40th Avenue)? Why are there always so many helicopters flying low over town? Why are the liquor laws so patchwork here?

For both new and long-term residents of Hyattsville, questions about the city’s quirks and quagmires often don’t have readily searchable answers. And despite living here for seven years total (with a decade gap in between), I’ve found myself asking and being asked some of the same questions I asked 15 years ago.

This new column’s format will be simple: Readers submit a compelling question specific to Hyattsville to the Life & Times, and we’ll do our best to find out the what, the why, and the who — then share the results in this column. In learning the ins and outs of the city's unique history and traits, I’m hoping we’ll each feel a little more “in the know,” and that Hyattsville will feel a little more like home.

First up — those pesky paral-

lel streets with duplicate numbers: City downtowns often align their streets in a grid with ascending numbers in one direction and names in alphabetical order the other way. D.C. does it; my hometown of San Diego does it. Residential suburbs,

however, rarely adopt that strategy, especially free-form neighborhoods. Even rarer, I’d guess, is having a 43rd Place, a 43rd Street and a 43rd Avenue parallel and adjacent to each other, along with 42nd Avenue and 42nd Place, and so on (the mail mix-ups alone are suppos-

edly constant).

The short answer to who came up with the idea is simple — not Hyattsville. In a surprising early example of regional governance imposing unpopular policies on municipalities, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), established in 1927, was the source of the 1941 name changes, according to D.C.’s now-defunct Evening Star. That’s right: These street names were not original to the thenTown of Hyattsville (it wasn’t until 1943 that the town was promoted to a city).

An August 1940 Evening Star article cites an M-NCPPC official, Charles M. Jones, as saying the plan was “designed to eliminate duplications” and “facili-

tate emergency calls by police and regular deliveries by commercial firms.”

Clearly, though, rather than eliminate duplications, the new system actually created them. It’s unlikely that emergency dispatchers (or 911 callers) benefit from parallel identically numbered streets.

And despite Jones’ claim regarding streamlining commercial deliveries, an April 15, 1940, Evening Star article reported that county merchants objected to the changes, claiming that D.C. merchants would gain a competitive advantage over local businesses. Countywide standardized street names made it easier for outside merchants to navigate deliveries, whereas in the past, local dealers SEE WHAT'S UP? ON 9 

In 1941, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, established in 1927, changed Hyattsville street names — resulting in lots of duplicated numbers. HEATHER MARLÉNE ZADIG

The Hyattsville Reporter

As part of Hyattsville’s 137th Anniversary Celebration this past April, City leaders honored its 2022 Hyattsville Volunteers of the Year, Fatima Vazquez and Padre Vidal Rivas of St. Matthews Church, for their extraordinary level of service to the community! We’re also seeking feedback on this year’s festivities! Visit hellohyattsville.com to complete a quick survey for City staff consideration.

Como parte de la Celebración del 137th Aniversario de Hyattsville el pasado mes de abril, los líderes de la Ciudad honraron a los Voluntarios del Año de Hyattsville de 2022, Fátima Vázquez y Padre Vidal Rivas de la Iglesia San Mateo, ¡por su extraordinario nivel de servicio a la comunidad! ¡También estamos buscando su opinión sobre las festividades de este año! Visite hellohyattsville.com para completar una encuesta rápida para la consideración del personal de la Ciudad.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS!

Congratulations to our newly elected Mayor and Councilmembers! Find the results online at hyattsville. org/vote. The official results will be certified by the Board of Supervisors of Elections on May 11 and accepted by Council at their May 15 meeting. Community members are invited to welcome our new officials at their Oath of Office ceremony on June 5, at 5 p.m., at the City Building (4310 Gallatin Street)!

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH: The City of Hyattsville offers free mental health and wellness resources year-round for community members and City staff through its Mental Health 24/7 program. Learn more at hyattsville.org/mentalhealth. A reminder that help is always at hand for you or a loved one through the 988 Lifeline. Just dial 988 for quick access to support. You are not alone!

Join City Staff May 15, from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., at the City Building, for a lunch and learn workshop on “Brain and Body Health: 7 Steps for Enhancing your Health and Mental Wellness.” Space is limited. To register, call (301) 985-5000 or email community@hyattsville.org.

The City’s Health & Wellness Advisory Committee will be hosting a webinar on June 3 (time TBD) where Physician Dr. Cheryl Holder of the American College of Physicians will present on mental health and its connection to climate change. Additional details will be made available at hyattsville.org/mentalhealth.

¡Felicitaciones a nuestro recién elegido alcalde y concejales! Encuentre los resultados en línea en hyattsville.org/vote. Los resultados oficiales serán certificados por la Junta de Supervisores de Elecciones el 11 de mayo y aceptados por el Concejo en su reunión del 15 de mayo. ¡Los miembros de la comunidad están invitados a dar la bienvenida a nuestros nuevos funcionarios en su ceremonia de juramento de oficina el 5 de junio, a las 5 p.m., en el Edificio Municipal (4310 Gallatin Street)!

MES DE LA CONCIENCIACIÓN SOBRE SALUD MENTAL: La Ciudad de Hyattsville ofrece recursos gratuitos de salud mental y bienestar durante todo el año para los miembros de la comunidad y el personal de la Ciudad a través de su programa Salud Mental 24/7. Más información en hyattsville.org/ mentalhealth. Le recordamos que siempre tiene ayuda disponible para usted o para un ser querido a través de la línea 988 Lifeline. Sólo tiene que marcar 988 para un acceso rápido a la ayuda. ¡No está solo!

Únete al personal de la Ciudad el 15 de mayo, de 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., en el Edificio Municipal para un taller con almuerzo incluido sobre “Cerebro y Cuerpo de la Salud: 7 pasos para mejorar su salud y bienestar mental”. Los espacios son limitados. Para inscribirse, llame al (301) 985-5000 o envíe un correo electrónico a community@hyattsville.org.

El Comité Asesor de Salud y Bienestar de la Ciudad organizará un seminario web el 3 de junio (hora por determinar) en el que la Dra. Cheryl Holder, del Colegio Americano de Médicos, hablará sobre la salud mental y su relación con el cambio climático. Más información en hyattsville.org/mentalhealth.

¡FELICITACIONES A NUESTROS FUNCIONARIOS RECIÉN ELEGIDOS!

ANNOUNCEMENTS | ANUNCIOS

LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR FINANCIAL RELIEF IS MAY 31!

The deadline to apply for the Household Emergency Relief fund is May 31! Eligible individuals can apply for up to $2,500 and families can apply for an additional $1,250 per dependent child for a maximum of $5,000 per household. Find the online application, eligibility criteria, and a list of FAQs at hyattsville.org/rescueplan.

HELP SELECT THE FINAL STREET ART DESIGN PROPOSALS!

Thank you to everyone who submitted designs for the City’s Street art pilot projects at Jefferson Street and 40th Avenue and the Church Place Alley! Now we need your help selecting the final designs! Between May 15 – May 26, head over to hellohyattsville.com for a community vote on the final proposals. Installation is expected to begin in July.

RESIDENTIAL PARKING PERMITS & BUSINESS LICENSES

All residential parking permits set to expire by June may be renewed online when the renewal portal opens for the specified zone groups. From May 1 – 31 Group 3 (Zones 1, 8, 10, 11) and from June 1 – 30 Group 4 (Zone 9B) permit holders will be able to renew online at hyattsville.org/ respermits. Groups 1 and 2 permit holders that did not renew must complete a new permit application. Questions? Visit hyattsville.org/respermits or call (301) 985-5027.

A friendly reminder that all businesses located in the City of Hyattsville are required to renew their annual business license by June 30 of each year! Licenses can easily be renewed by completing the application at hyattsville. org/permit or by appointment at the City Building. Upon application for the license or license renewal, City staff will schedule an inspection of the property. Please visit hyattsville.org/permit to learn more.

FISCAL YEAR 2024 BUDGET & ARPA SPENDING PLAN

The City’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget, which runs from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024, is scheduled to be introduced at the May 15 City Council meeting. The second reading and adoption of the budget and the City’s final American Rescue Act spending plan are scheduled for the June 5 Council meeting. You can review the proposed budget materials at hyattsville.org/budget.

TAX RESOURCES FOR HYATTSVILLE HOMEOWNERS

Hyattsville’s City Council voted on May 1 to keep the City’s Real Property Tax Rate at $0.63 per $100 of assessed value for the 2024 Fiscal Year. If you need assistance with homeowners’ taxes, please review the tax credit programs available to Hyattsville residents at hyattsville.org/ housing. The Maryland Homeowners Tax Credit sets a limit on the amount of property taxes based on income. The City of Hyattsville’s Homestead Tax Credit limits your annual increase on county, municipal, and state property taxes regardless of income level. Both programs can significantly reduce the amount of property taxes you owe.

¡ÚLTIMO DÍA PARA SOLICITAR AYUDA ES EL 31 DE MAYO!

¡La fecha límite para solicitar el fondo de Ayuda de Emergencia para el Hogar es el 31 de mayo! Los individuos elegibles pueden solicitar hasta $2,500 y familias pueden solicitar $1,250 adicionales por dependiente para un máximo de $5,000 por hogar. Encuentre la solicitud, el criterio de elegibilidad y preguntas hechas frecuentemente en hyattsville.org/ rescueplan.

¡AYUDA A SELECCIONAR PROPUESTAS DE ARTE!

¡Gracias a todos los que presentaron diseños para los proyectos piloto de arte urbano de la Ciudad en Jefferson Street, 40th Avenue y el Church Place Alley! ¡Ahora necesitamos su ayuda para seleccionar los diseños finales! Entre el 15 - 26 de mayo, visita hellohyattsville.com para participar en un voto comunitario. Se espera que la instalación comience en julio.

PERMISOS DE ESTACIONAMIENTO Y LICENCIAS COMERCIALES Todos los permisos de estacionamiento residenciales que caduquen en junio podrán renovarse en línea cuando se abra el portal de renovación para los grupos de zonas especificados. Del 1 al 31 de mayo los titulares de permisos del Grupo 3 (Zonas 1, 8, 10, 11) y del 1 al 30 de junio los del Grupo 4 (Zona 9B) podrán renovar online en hyattsville.org/respermits. Los titulares de permisos de los grupos 1 y 2 que no hayan renovado deberán completar una nueva solicitud de permiso. ¿Tiene preguntas? Visite hyattsville.org/respermits o llame al (301) 985-5027.

Un recordatorio de que todos los negocios ubicados en la Ciudad de Hyattsville deben renovar su licencia comercial anual antes del 30 de junio de cada año. Las licencias se pueden renovar fácilmente vía hyattsville.org/permit o haciendo una cita en el Edificio Municipal. Al solicitar la licencia o la renovación de la licencia, el personal de la Ciudad programará una inspección de la propiedad. Visite hyattsville.org/permit para obtener más información.

PRESUPUESTO PARA AÑO FISCAL 24 Y PLAN DE GASTOS ARPA

El presupuesto del Año Fiscal 2024 de la Ciudad, que va desde el 1 de julio del 2023 hasta el 30 de junio del 2024, está programado para ser presentado en la reunión del Concejo Municipal del 15 de mayo. La segunda lectura y la adopción del presupuesto y el plan de gastos final de la Ley de Rescate Americano de la Ciudad están programadas para la reunión del Concejo del 5 de junio. Puede consultar el presupuesto previsto en hyattsville.org/budget.

RECURSOS FISCALES PARA PROPIETARIOS DE HYATTSVILLE

El Concejo Municipal de Hyattsville votó el 1 de mayo para mantener la Tasa de Impuestos de Propiedades de la Ciudad en $0.63 por $100 de valor tasado para el Año Fiscal 2024. Si necesita ayuda con los impuestos para propietarios de vivienda, revise los programas de crédito fiscal disponibles para los residentes de Hyattsville en hyattsville.org/housing. El Crédito de Impuestos para Propietarios de Viviendas de Maryland establece un límite en el monto de los impuestos a la propiedad basado en los ingresos. El Crédito Fiscal para Propietarios de Viviendas de la Ciudad de Hyattsville limita el aumento anual de los impuestos sobre la propiedad del condado, municipales y estatales, independientemente del nivel de ingresos. Ambos programas pueden reducir significativamente el importe de los impuestos sobre la propiedad que debe.

CALENDAR | CALENDARIO

FREE ZUMBA CLASSES

Wednesdays from 4 - 5 PM at Hyatt Park! In the event of inclemement weather, classes are moved indoors to the City Building. Details at hyattsville.org/wellness.

LUNCH & LEARN WORKSHOP

Join City staff May 15, from 11 AM - 12:30 PM., at the City Building for a lunch & learn workshop on Brain and Body Health. Call (301) 985-5000 or email community@ hyattsville.org to register.

PRODUCE DISTROS

Free fresh produce distributions are taking place on May 16 & 27, at noon, at First United Methodist Church. Produce is firstcome, first-served.

NARCAN TRAININGS

Free NARCAN community trainings at the City Building on May 18 at 6 PM and May 19 at 10 AM. Register at hyattsville.org/calendar.

COMMUNITY MEETINGS

City staff is hosting traffic calming community meetings for the Jefferson Street Bike Blvd project (virtual) on May 18 and a 3500-3700 Gallatin Street Block in-person meeting on May 25. Both meetings begin at 6 PM. hyattsville.org/streets.

BIKE TO WORK DAY!

Join Bike to Work Day on May 19 to promote a cleaner and healthier way of transportation! Visit biketoworkmetrodc.org and sign up to make a pit stop at Driskell Park from 6:30 –8:30 AM! You can also learn about the City’s Bike Rack Scavenger Hunt! Details at hyattsville.org/bike.

NIGHT OWLS

Need a Friday evening away from the kids? Sign them up for our next Night Owls Session on May 19! From 6 –9 PM, parents can drop off kids in grades K-6 for an evening of fun at the Driskell Park Rec Center! Learn more at hyattsville.org/nightowls.

GAS LEAF BLOWERS TRADE-IN EVENT

The City’s next gas-powered leaf blower trade-in is May 20, from 10 AM – 1 PM, at 4633 Arundel Pl. Learn more at hyattsville.org/leafblower.

INVASIVE REMOVALS

Help remove invasive plant species from Driskell Park on May 20 from 10 AM - 2 PM. RVSP by emailing environment@hyattsville.org.

CERT SESSION

The next community emergency response team (CERT) organization meeting is on May 24, 6:30 PM, at the City Building. Learn more at hyattsville.org/cert.

MEMORIAL DAY

Hyattsville’s administrative offices will be closed on May 29 in honor of Memorial Day. There will be no Monday yard waste or compost pick-ups that week. Trash and County recycling routes remain the same.

HEALTH-A-PALOOZA

The Health-A-Palooza health resource fair has been rescheduled for June 3, 10 AM - 3 PM, at Hyatt Park! Details at hyattsville.org/ calendar.

SHRED-IT DAY!

Shred unwanted paper documents for FREE at the City Building from 10 AM – 1 PM. on June 4! Learn more at hyattsville.org/calendar.

CELEBRATING JIM HENSON!

BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE

Local business leaders are invited to the City’s Business Roundtable on June 7, 5:30 - 7:30 PM, at Busboys & Poets. Register at hyattsville.org/ roundtable.

BULK WASTE DAY

The next bulk waste day is scheduled for June 10, from 10 AM - 1 PM or until containers reach capacity. Residents can bring bulk trash to dumpsters at 4633 Arundel Place. hyattsville. org/bulk-waste.

CLASES GRATUITAS DE ZUMBA

¡Los miércoles de 4 - 5 PM en Hyatt Park! En caso de mal clima, las clases se trasladarán al Edificio Municipal. Detalles en hyattsville.org/wellness.

ALMUERZO Y TALLER

Únase al personal de la Ciudad el 15 de mayo, de 11 a.m. a 12:30 p.m., en el Edificio Municipal para un taller de almuerzo y aprendizaje sobre la salud del cerebro y el cuerpo. Llame al (301) 9855000 o envíe un email a community@hyattsville.org para registrarse

COMIDA GRATIS

Dstribuciones gratuitas de productos agricolas se llevarán a cabo el 16 y 27 de mayo, al mediodía, en la Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida. Los productos se asignan por orden de llegada.

ENTRENAMIENTOS DE NARCAN

Entrenamientos gratuitos de NARCAN en el Edificio Municipal el 18 de mayo a las 6 PM y el 19 de mayo a las 10 AM. Regístrese en hyattsville.org/calendar.

Visionary artist Jim Henson was a Northwestern High alumnus, where he developed early prototypes of the Muppets. In 2016 the Jim Henson Courtyard was installed in Driskell Park to honor his local roots. The City and the Jim Henson Legacy invite community members to celebrate Henson’s legacy at a sing-a-long of the original 1979 Muppet Movie on May 19, at 8 p.m., and at a ceremony on May 20 from 2 –5 p.m. including puppet making crafts, NWHS student performances, and more! Find full event details at hyattsville.org/henson.

REUNIONES COMUNITARIAS

El personal de la Ciudad está organizando reuniones comunitarias para el proyecto Jefferson Street Bike Blvd (virtual) el 18 de mayo y una reunión en persona sobre los bloques 3500-3700 Gallatin Street el 25 de mayo. Ambas reuniones comienzan a las 6 PM. hyattsville.org/streets.

¡DÍA DE LLEVAR LA BICI AL TRABAJO!

¡Únete al Día de Llevar la Bici al Trabajo el 19 de mayo para promover una forma de transporte más limpia y saludable! ¡Visita biketoworkmetrodc.org y regístrate para hacer una parada en el parque Driskell de 6:30 a 8:30 AM! ¡También puede aprender sobre la busqueda de estacionamiento para bicis de la ciudad! Detalles en hyattsville.org/bike.

NOCHE DE BÚHOS

¿Necesita un viernes por la noche lejos de los niños? Apúntalos a nuestra próxima sesión de búhos nocturnos el 19 de mayo De 6 –9 PM, padres pueden dejar a sus hijos en los grados K-6 para una noche de diversión en el Driskell Park. Detalles en hyattsville.org/nightowls.

INTERCAMBIO DE SOPLADORES DE HOJA DE GAS

El próximo intercambio de sopladores de hojas a gas de la Ciudad es el 20 de mayo, de 10 AM a 1 PM, en 4633 Arundel Pl. Obtenga más información en hyattsville.org/leafblower.

PLANTAS INVASORAS

Ayude a eliminar las plantas invasoras de Driskell Park el 20 de mayo de 10 AM - 2 PM. Reserve su espacio enviando un email a environment@hyattsville.org.

¡CELEBRANDO A JIM HENSON!

SESIÓN DEL EQUIPO CERT

La próxima reunión de organización del equipo comunitario de respuesta a emergencias (CERT) es el 24 de mayo a las 6:30 PM. en el Edificio Municipal. hyattsville.org/cert.

DÍA DE LOS CAIDOS

Las oficinas de Hyattsville estarán cerradas el 29 de mayo en honor al Día de los Caídos. No habrá recolección de desechos de jardín o compostaje esa semana. Las rutas de basura y reciclaje no cambian.

HEALTH-A-PALOOZA

La feria de recursos de salud ha sido reprogramada para el 3 de junio, 10 AM - 3 PM, en Hyatt Park! Aprenda más en hyattsville.org/ calendar.

¡DÍA DE TRITURAR!

¡Triture documentos de papel no deseados GRATIS en el Edificio Municipal de 10 AM a 1 PM el 4 de junio! Obtenga más información en hyattsville.org/calendar.

REUNIÓN DE NEGOCIOS

Los líderes empresariales locales están invitados a la Reunión de Negocios de la Ciudad el 7 de junio, de 5:30 - 7:30 PM, en Busboys & Poets. Regístrese en hyattsville.org/roundtable

DÍA DE BASURAS GRANDES

El próximo día de basuras grandes está programado para el 10 de junio, de 10 AM a 1 PM o hasta que los contenedores alcancen su capacidad. Los residentes pueden llevar basuras grandes a los contenedores de basura en 4633 Arundel Place. hyattsville.org/bulkwaste.

El visionario artista Jim Henson fue alumno de Northwestern High, donde desarrolló los primeros prototipos de los Muppets. En el 2016 se instaló la Plaza de Jim Henson en Driskell Park para honrar sus raíces locales. La ciudad y el Legado de Jim Henson invitan a los miembros de la comunidad a celebrar el legado de Henson cantando y viendo la película original de los Muppets de 1979 el 19 de mayo, a las 8 p.m., y en una ceremonia el 20 de mayo de 2 -5 p.m. que incluye manualidades para hacer marionetas, actuaciones de estudiantes de NWHS, ¡y mucho más! Encontrará todos los detalles del evento en hyattsville.org/henson.

HIGHLIGHTS | LO DESTACADO

Find the City of Hyattsville, the Neighborhood Design Center, and the So-Hy Coop at “The Spot” (4505 Hamilton Street) between 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Trolley Trail Day, June 10! Bring the whole family to help the City and Neighborhood Design Center re-imagine the use of this public space (between 10 a.m. and noon) and enjoy food & fun from local businesses! We’ll have interactive design stations for all ages, food vendors, live music, lawn games, art activities, and much more!

¡Encuentra la Ciudad de Hyattsville, Neighborhood Design Center y So-Hy Coop en “The Spot” (4505 Hamilton Street) entre las 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. el Día del Trolley Trail, 10 de junio! Traiga a la familia para ayudar a la Ciudad y Neighborhood Design Center a reimaginar el uso de este espacio público (entre las 10 a.m. y el mediodía) y disfrutar de la comida y la diversión de las empresas locales. Tendremos estaciones de diseño interactivo para todas las edades, vendedores de comida, música en vivo, juegos de césped, actividades de arte, ¡y mucho más!

used for construction or major purchases, and funded separately, in part through loans. The city charter requires the city to propose a capital improvement plan budget, but according to statements by City Treasurer Ronald Brooks at the March 29 budget presentation, the full proposed amount is not typically spent in a single year.

TRANSFER FROM OPERATING RESERVES

Because the city’s general fund expenses are proposed to be higher than its general fund revenue, the budget requires a $5.8 million transfer from the general fund operating reserves. The original presentations to city council on March 29 and April 17 stated that the projected beginning general fund balance for FY 2024 was $28.2 million, but after the Hyattsville Life & Times (HL&T) raised questions about discrepancies in the presentation slides, the city revised the balance to $21.2 million. The proposed $5.8 million transfer to cover FY 2024 expenditures represents a 27% decrease in the general fund reserve balance over the course of FY 2024, with a projected FY 2024 ending balance of $15.4 million.

Unlike recent years when the city has spent approximately 80% of its budgeted general fund expenditures, Brooks said at the April 17 city council meeting that he anticipated the city ending FY 2023 right on budget.

POLICE EXPENDITURES

The police department budget is the largest part of the FY 2024 increase, going from a budgeted $9.7 million in FY

2023 to $12 million, a 23% increase, making up just over half of the overall general fund expenditures increase.

About half of the police department increase is a 117% increase in its investigations budget, which was $1 million in FY 2023 and is proposed at $2.1 million for FY 2024. City staff said in an email that this increase “reflects a restructuring and shifting of current staff (not new staff) in [FY] 2024 between the Patrol Division and [investigations],” as well as increases in salary and benefits expenditures due to the recent compensation study for city employees.

The staffing shift is not reflected in police department organizational charts submitted with the FY 2023 and FY 2024 budget presentations, both of which show seven employees in the investigations division and 25 in the patrol division.

PAYING CREDITORS

The proposed FY 2024 debt service, the money the city pays its creditors each year, is $2.4 million, 23% higher than FY 2023. At the April 17 city council meeting, Brooks said the city’s debt repayments would increase by approximately $500,000 once current shortterm debt for the police building at 3505 Hamilton Street is converted to long-term bonds.

As previously reported by the HL&T, Moody’s withdrew the city’s credit rating in August 2022 because of “insufficient or otherwise inadequate information to support the maintenance of the rating.” Brooks said in an April 2023 email that he expects the FY 2020 audit to be ready “within weeks,” and the FY 2021 and FY 2022 audits to be ready by August 2023.

HY-LIFE

FROM PAGE 5

to illuminate his sculptures from within. Steinkoenig was fascinated when he saw how playing with light could make large glass blocks from a demolished bathroom wall glow like crystal balls. Incorporating solar-powered lights and these glass blocks in his sculptures, like the Riverdale Parkbased sculpture “Solar Hope,” achieved this iridescent effect without the messiness of electrical cords.

The metal columns of “Solar Hope” have aged a bit over time, resulting in an unanticipated, yet appropriate, post-apocalyptic feel, according to Steinkoenig, and this emphasizes the importance of the light fea-

tures. “Light to me fills our beings with purpose,” he said.

Steinkoenig also used a similar technique in “Light in the Darkness,” a sculpture installed last month at Foggy Bottom in D.C., which includes a large cube made from stainless steel and glass with lights that fills up the inner space to make it glow.

As more and more of Steinkoenig’s designs are accepted, he’s looking to make the building process more efficient, and now contracts with a metal fabricator to help cut materials. This eases the physical demands of the work and allows Steinkoe-

nig to spend more time on designing pieces and submitting applications.

Steinkoenig said he is also very grateful for his wife of 12 years, Lina Parikh, who supports him, both financially and emotionally, so he can devote his full attention to his projects. “My days are a real luxury,” he said. “I get to do what I love to do.”

'Sanctuary 2' sculpture, located at the intersection of Madison Street and Cleveland Avenue in Riverdale Park JESSICA ARENDS

Jessica Arends writes about life in Hyattsville for the Hyattsville Life & Times.

Betting on hedges

Dear Miss Floribunda, What would be an easy thing to plant for a hedge tall enough to screen out my next-door neighbors' backyard? I like the neighbors OK, but they seem to think that plastic lawn furniture and statues from tacky roadside souvenir stands are the ultimate in elegance. I have broached the subject of a hedge to them just on the grounds that I like to go out in the backyard in the mornings to drink my coffee, and don’t want to have to get fully dressed. The remarks I got were about as tasteful as their lawn decor, but they told me that if I wanted a hedge, they would help

Can you recommend something that would grow at least 10 feet tall, and grow quickly? Also, it should be evergreen so that the view is blocked all year. None of us could qualify as a very experienced gardener, so I would hope there is something that doesn’t require too much care once it’s planted. Somebody suggested photinia and somebody else euonymus. What do you think?

Questing For Quick Fix on Quintana Street

Dear Questing,

Exotic plants such as those

because of their attractiveness and the speed at which they grow, but I hope you will consider alternatives among beauties native to the U.S. Here’s why: The red-tipped photinia, which can grow to 10 feet high in three years, comes from Asia and has become invasive in the western part of the U.S. In our muggy area, it’s prone to a number of fungal diseases, so it would need special attention to survive beyond three or four years. (A species native to our continent exists, but it grows to only 3 feet tall.)

Euonymus is another plant of Asian origin that can easily become invasive. It also only grows up to 8 feet tall, so doesn’t reach the 10-foot height you wish for. And although it does attract such beneficial insects as bees, it also attracts flies in great numbers. This might make your outdoor coffee time unpleasant. I might add that the flowers of the photinia have a pungent odor, which is also unlikely to enhance your breakfast experience. Both these shrubs have berries, and so while they do feed birds, the birds’ wide distribution of their seeds are among the reasons the plant has become invasive.

Aunt Sioux, one of my trusty

native-plant experts, recommends the American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis). It makes the fastest-growing, densest and most handsome evergreen hedge you could plant. In the cypress family, though often called white cedar, its invigorating fragrance is used in essential oils. Its soft lacey foliage does not scratch. Unless you also want the hedge to deter intruders, this makes it preferable to the otherwise desirable sharpleaved American hollies. It is a favorite nesting site for birds, and its seeds and flowers provide nourishment for birds and other pollinators. It grows from 12 to 24 inches a year, and can eventually reach 60 feet in height. Because it is also shallow-rooted, it’s not a good idea to plant such tall trees too close to your house. (If it reaches a height of 60 feet, it should be at least 60 feet away from your house — and, of course, from other houses!)

Now, if you could be content with a less dense, somewhat shorter hedge, you might emulate another of my nativeplant mentors, Wendy Wildflower. Her 8-foot-high hedge of winterberry holly (Ilex verticillata) is magnificent, yet kinder and gentler than other hollies. Their bright red berries last throughout the winter to cheer up the garden during the bleakest time of the year. Don’t forget, however, that one of these bushes will have

to be a male to ensure that berries will burgeon in this or any other holly harem.

Wendy also knows of a native relative of the camellia, Stewartia ovata. In the southeast up through Missouri, it’s known as the mountain camellia. It grows to at least 15 feet high, and its simple but dramatically cupped white flowers bloom in summer. It prefers part shade but can survive in full sun; it can weather our winters easily.

You might also consider a hedge of witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), which, while deciduous, hangs onto its leaves until late winter, when it produces deliciously fragrant yellow flowers, followed by new leaves. It is not very fast-growing, though, and takes about 10 years to reach a height of 10 feet.

Why don’t you come to the next meeting of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society to meet and compare notes with the experienced gardeners who are my sources of information? The meeting will take place at 10 a.m on May 20 in the lovely back garden of Virginia Drahan, 4520 Madison Street, Riverdale Park.

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

Miss

MISS FLORIBUNDA

A hedge of witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) hangs onto its leaves until late winter, when it produces deliciously fragrant yellow flowers, followed by new leaves. UNSPLASH

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Our list of events sponsored by local nonprofits, arts organizations and performance venues, occurring between May 8 and June 12; all information is current as of May 5. 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 June 12 and July 10 to managingeditor@ hyattsvillelife.com by June 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. Listeners welcome! Free. Saturdays 1 to 5 p.m. Archie Edwards Blues Foundation, 4502 Hamilton St. Acousticblues.com

Sharpen your drawing skills in a relaxed, informal setting at Hyattsville figure drawing group's drop-in drawing sessions at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center. Sessions consist of several short warm-up poses and a single sustained pose for the duration of the session. Bring your own art supplies; drawing boards and chairs provided. $20/session or $75/5-session punch card or $15/session for Pyramid Atlantic members. Tuesdays, 6 to 9 p.m. 4218 Gallatin St. hyattsvillefiguredrawing@ gmail.com

MAY 12

Join Joe’s Movement Emporium for an evening of original skits, videos, and musical performances in the CreativeWorks Showcase. Favorite childhood shows will be reinterpreted through a creative lens. Register for free at Joesmovement. org. Show from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., reception from 7:30 to

8:30 p.m. 3309 Bunker Hill Rd., Mt. Rainier.

MAY 13

Join the Brentwood Arts Exchange for the opening of its new exhibit, “What Does It Mean to Live in a Body: A Lab Gallery.” The exhibit will analyze three artists, Paula Dünner, Karen Pazán and Ileana Rincón-Cañas, “who look closer into what our bodies can mean for them.” 5 to 8 p.m. An additional artist-and-curator talk will be held on Saturday, June 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood. 301.277.2863

MAY 19

Come see Ian Walters and Matt Kelley in concert. Matt Kelley won the 2010 Albert King best guitarist award at the International Blues Challenge. Ian Walters, one of the most well-known pianists in the Washington area, plays spirited, updated blues and standards as well as contemporary tunes. Free. 8 to 10 p.m. Archie Edwards Blues Foundation, 4502 Hamilton St. Acousticblues.com

MAY 26

Showcase all of your creative talents at LIVE! from Busboys, an open mic that offers a platform for all performers, not just poets. Whether you are a musician, comedian, dancer, actor, magician or any other type of performer, LIVE! wants to see what you’ve got. $8 at the door. Sign-up starts at 9 p.m. Busboys and Poets, 5331 Baltimore Ave. 301.779.2787. Busboysandpoets.com

JUNE 10

Join the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System for a variety of fun and informative activities celebrating Juneteenth. We’ll offer genealogy tips, arts and crafts, bingo and Black history tours. Teens and adults. 1 to 4 p.m. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451. pgcmls.info/ events

Taunya L. Jenkins, DDS, LLC

Tel 301-779-0522

Fax 301-927-1815

WHAT'S UP?

FROM PAGE 6

had the advantage of local street knowledge.

Additionally, multiple Evening Star articles reported strident town opposition to the plan from both residents and officials. A Letter to the Editor on Aug. 23, 1941, from Hyattsville resident Maury H. Brown, acknowledged that the Acts of 1937 of the Maryland Legislature empowered the MNCPPC “to name and rename any streets or highway” within its jurisdiction. He also noted, however, that its founding legislation required the body “to act in conjunction and cooperation with any municipality or other local subdivision within said counties” — which the commission did not do. According to Brown, the Hyattsville Town Council voted unanimously on Aug. 11, 1941, to reject the proposed street name changes, yet the M-NCPPC implemented them the very next day.

Brown also wrote that Hyattsville residents sponsored a state bill allowing communities to reject the Acts of 1937 in a referendum, and though the bill passed in the legislature, it was vetoed by the governor, whom, Brown noted, also appointed the M-NCPPC in those days. (Incidentally, Brown was the grandfather of local famed puppeteer Jim Henson, according to genealogy records.)

If this David-versus-Goliathstyle conflict between city leaders and county, regional or state power holders sounds familiar, that’s because it is — with Goliath often winning. For instance, the City of Hyattsville sued the Prince George’s County Council in 2020 over zoning changes the council made to the Werrlein Properties’ parcel adjacent to Driskell Park, despite city oppo-

According to Hyattsville resident Maury H. Brown, the Hyattsville Town Council voted unanimously on Aug. 11, 1941, to reject the proposed street name changes, yet the MarylandNational Capital Park and Planning Commission implemented them the very next day.

sition. In its 2022 decision, the Maryland Court of Special Appeals largely upheld the county council’s mandates. But the conflicts are broader than problematic street names and zoning mandates, and they’re not just happening here in Hyattsville. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, preemption laws, in which a higher level of government restricts or withdraws the authority of local governments, have swept across the U.S. in the last decade, “threatening one of the few remaining venues — local government — where citizens can still make their voices heard.”

Preemption, along with our confusing streets, is especially problematic when the higher level of government is appointed and unaccountable to voters, like the M-NCPPC. A 2020 report published by the National League of Cities (of which Hyattsville is a member)

quotes former executive director Carl Chatters on this point: “Municipal governments can be neither free nor responsible unless they are guaranteed the right (and the compulsion) to decide purely local matters for themselves.”

Getting back to those widely unpopular street names in the 1940s: Brown wrote in his letter to the Evening Star that he’d asked an unnamed town official if protesting the changes would have any effect. He wrote that the official's answer was, “No. They will come along and ram it down our throats afterward, anyhow.”

So the real reason for the extra numerical streets is that the M-NCPPC imposed a grid naming system on a neighborhood that wasn’t designed with one in mind, losing a good deal of town history in the process. Who wouldn’t have been tickled to have a Wine Avenue (now 42nd Avenue) in an originally dry town? As to why they chose duplicate numbered streets rather than allowing for exceptions, perhaps simple rigidity of thinking and narrow-mindedness were to blame. (Maybe also a touch of revenge for the town’s vehement opposition?)

In the end, Brown concluded his ultimately ineffectual letter with a kind of plea in the form of a question: “Is there no limit to what ‘they’ can do?”

I’d like to thank T. Carter Ross for his invaluable help with this article. (Disclosure: Ross is a board member of Streetcar Suburbs News.)

Heather Marléne Zadig is a writer and Californian whose family was weary of wildfire and returned to Hyattsville for its small-town vibe and great big heart.

are three to four fatalities per 100,000, and the District’s average is about six. Locally, several stretches of Kenilworth Avenue and University Boulevard are particularly dangerous. These streetscapes are densely lined with stores, restaurants and apartment buildings and have streams of pedestrians trying to cross multiple lanes of typically heavy traffic.

But Indian Head Highway (Route 210), the road AAA cites as the deadliest in Maryland, doesn’t fit that description at all. On most of its 21-mile stretch, it is a multilane divided highway notched straight through a rural forest of tall trees. Constructed by the federal government before and during WWII, it served as a military transport route between the District and the naval station at Indian Head (now known as Naval Support Facility Indian Head). Over time, the area expanded rapidly. “That’s exactly the problem,” said the Rev. Robert Screen, facilitator of the Route 210 Traffic Safety Committee, a group of concerned residents. “This isn’t a rural area anymore. [Route] 210 runs right through the communities of Accokeek, Fort Washington and Forest Heights. According to the Maryland Department of Transportation, five motorists and five pedestrians died on this road in 2022 alone.”

Most major highways in the DMV — the Beltway, Montgomery County’s I-270, Virginia’s I-66 — are limited-access roads with interchanges (often cloverleafs) that allow for reasonably safe traffic flow. In contrast, Route 210 has stoplight-regulated intersections, some of which are relatively obscured by trees.

“When I was a kid, I was taught to walk against traffic and wear light clothes at night. Unfortunately, many pedestrians around here ignore that advice,” said Ron Weiss, who used to head the Indian Head Highway Area Action Council. Weiss and Screen have been lobbying to improve Route 210 for years. “But our worst problem is speed,” Weiss added. Indeed, at one intersection, dozens of swerving skidmarks stand as clear evidence that many drivers have made panic stops to avoid running the light. One camera clocked a car going 128 in a 55 mph zone. In February 2023, 12 drivers exceeded 100 mph, and a speed camera on Route 210 in Fort Washington recorded a car going over 170 mph.

“Those are killing speeds,” Screen said. “Those drivers deserve a felony conviction for being willing to deliberately risk other people’s lives.” He ac-

Managing Editor Griffin Limerick griffin@hyattsvillelife.com

Associate Editor Heather Wright heather@hyattsvillelife.com

Layout & Design Editors

cepts the rapid development around Route 210 as a fact of life and said that residents have pushed the state and county for the funds to redesign five particularly dangerous intersections. So far, only one has been upgraded. “Right now,” he said, “the only answer is greater enforcement, and getting that hasn’t been easy.” Lack of funding at both the state and county levels is part of the problem. Even acquiring the highway’s six speed cameras turned into a major legislative battle, due to a Maryland law limiting camera use on state roads; the law allows cameras only near schools or temporary construction zones. A 2018 exception to this law allowed installation of a single camera on Route 210. The state legislature authorized the addition of two more cameras in 2019 and then another three in 2023, for a total number of six.

Business Manager Catie Currie catie@hyattsvillelife.com

Advertising Sales Manager Miranda Goodson miranda@hyattsvillelife.com

Board of Directors

The cameras on Indian Head Highway appear to have a limited impact, though. The 210 Safety Traffic Committee re-

ported that due to technical difficulties, only 38% of drivers photographed speeding were issued citations. In December 2022, cameras caught 21 drivers traveling 90 to 99 mph and 10 drivers doing over 100, but none received a citation. Weiss wonders if ticketing those drivers would have even made a difference. “The cameras go off if you exceed 11 mph over the limit. So if you’re going 67 mph, you’re going to get a $40 ticket. But if you’re going 100, you’re going to get the same ticket, which isn’t enough to slow down the people who love to drive that fast.” Screen also pointed out difficulties in addressing the issue: “When we tried to get the state legislature to raise the fines to $500, which would deter a lot more speeders, we got a lot of pushback.”

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CRIME STATS: ARMED ROBBERY AND CAR THEFTS INCREASE

In April, 10 people reported being robbed at gunpoint close to the Mall at Prince George’s, most of them near ATMs, according to weekly crime digests published by the Hyattsville Police Department (HPD).

The prior three months, from January through March of this year, 10 private citizens were robbed at gunpoint in Hyattsville, along with four businesses, according to the HPD’s most recent quarterly report.

This is a large increase compared to the first three months of 2022, when guns were used in only one commercial robbery and one robbery of a private citizen, according to the same report.

The number of vehicles stolen in Hyattsville in the first three months of 2023 doubled compared to the same period in 2022, rising from 32 to 67, according to the quarterly report. Total annual car thefts rose to 116 in 2022, up from 90 in 2021, according to the HPD’s 2022 annual report.

The number of homicides and residential burglaries remains low; the HPD reported one homicide in the first three months of 2023 — the same as in 2022 — and three residential burglaries — compared to seven in 2022.

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Melanie Dzwonchyk — Secretary Stephanie Stullich — Treasurer Gretchen Brodtman, Bette Dickerson, Nora Eidelman, Maxine Gross, Joe Murchinson, T. Carter Ross

Katie V. Jones, Mark Goodson, Griffin Limerick — Ex Officios

Circulation:

More than half of the 264 crimes that the HPD reported in the first three months of 2023 occurred in Ward 3, which contains the Hyattsville Crossing Metro station, the Mall at Prince George’s and Northwestern High School. Out of 130 total thefts, 81 were in Ward 3.

HL&T is a member of the National Newspaper Association and the Institute for Nonprofit News.

Since Feb. 1, the HPD has been posting weekly crime digests that describe victim’s crime reports and interactions with the police. All digests can be found on the HPD Facebook page, and the most recent weekly digest is on the HPD website.

In February 2022, the HPD stopped maintaining a database on its website that showed the nature and location of all crimes reported in Hyattsville since 2016. However, the HPD website now links to a searchable interactive crime map at cityprotect.com.

CORRECTION

Our April article “Hyattsville teen vote turns eight” originally stated, when discussing the city’s low voter turnout, that Mayor Robert Croslin said, “It’s hard to get a dog to vote.” Instead, Croslin said, “It’s hard to get adults to vote.”

Paul Ruffins is a citizen scientist and professor of curiosity.

Traffic speeds by the memorial at Route 210 and Fort Washington Road in Fort Washington where Kaleab Yehenew was killed in September 2022. PAUL RUFFINS

customers will pull up a stool at the wooden bar with an Arnold Palmer in hand, accept the offer to taste some new side or marinade of theirs, and stay awhile.

“We take pride in personalizing the sandwich, from the ingredients, to building it right in front of you, and even down to the little mint we put in the box,” said Roy-Pinkney to the Hyattsville Life & Times. “This is no sub shop.”

The fledgling eatery is perhaps unique among others of its kind: Picture a fully formed deli in your favorite aunt’s kitchen. Neighbors drop by just to shoot the breeze and sample fresh crab soup that they smelled cooking from down the street. Neighbors like Michelle Dunklee, assistant to the chief of the Hyattsville Police Department, who stopped by Between the Bread on her lunch break out of sheer curiosity.

“The chief came in yesterday, and I started salivating; [his lunch] looked so good,” Dunklee said. By the time she headed back to work, however, Dunklee hadn’t even ordered a sandwich. “I’m too full, now,” she laughed. She’d been offered — and accepted — a meal’s worth of samples.

Though this is the couple’s first brick-and-mortar restaurant, the pair is not at all new to the business of food, nor to business in general. Pinkney and Roy-Pinkney said they ran a catering operation for years but, ultimately, felt it was too impersonal. Roy-Pinkney also teaches a course on entrepreneurship and the arts at the University of Maryland, and she’s even produced a college textbook on the subject, due out in January 2024 from

Kendall Hunt publishing.

“We’re working with Prince George’s County to try to hire people living in Hyattsville and train them with entrepreneurship in mind,” Roy-Pinkney explained. Her hope is that their workers feel empowered to eventually open and manage their own shops. “Our motto with that is ‘Think to leave; think to own.’ We’re in the business of developing people.”

The shop’s homespun, unpretentious vibe belies an intensely purposeful approach, down to the hand-picked and deeply personal decor urging customers to “Take whisks” and the

sign proclaiming, “This is my happy place.” It was a conscious choice for Roy-Pinkney to forego design professionals and millennial chic; she is the professional, and she wants people to feel like family. It’s not hokey; it’s home.

But all of that begs the question: Why a deli?

“We used to love to go to all the delis in Silver Spring,” said Roy-Pinkney, indicating her husband. Roy-Pinkney grew up in Baltimore City, where she has fond memories of going to Corned Beef Row with her mother. And despite the expansion of food offerings in Hyatts-

ville over the last decade, she noted that it still didn’t have a proper deli since Franklins (several doors down on Baltimore Avenue) transitioned into a restaurant and brewery decades ago.

Ever community-minded, the duo studied all the food businesses along that section of Baltimore Avenue, hoping to complement, rather than compete, with their neighbors. “We were originally thinking we’d have ‘coffee’ in the name, but dropped it because that’s Vigilante [Coffee Company]’s thing,” said Roy-Pinkney. “We have coffee, but we’re really a deli.” John

Pinkney, age 75, was born and raised in Prince George’s County, and the area has always been home for him.

So if you come to Between the Bread, come when you are particularly lonely or hungry, but especially when you are both. Come when you are weary and numb from cookie-cutter corporate chains with rotating employees who butcher your name, when you are cold and longing for something genuine and authentic — a little community, a lot of gab and a slab of homemade peach cobbler with whipped cream, made from scratch.

If you’re this reporter, you’ll come back for the most flawless chocolate chip cookies ever tasted outside of your own kitchen (straight out of the oven, with or without nuts). None of those trendy sea salt flakes that you have to pick off for your kids, not too big, and never hard or undercooked. The kind your favorite aunt made on a rainy day when the world was too much.

Between the Bread Cafe is located at 5105 Baltimore Avenue in Hyattsville. The deli shop is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for both to-go orders and counter-style seating. The cafe also welcomes larger orders of personalized boxed lunches for group meetings and other gatherings. Order in advance in person or by phone, 301.910.0733.

Between the Bread Cafe co-owner John Pinkney came back from retirement to help open and manage the deli with his wife. Now it’s the couple’s new passion project. HEATHER MARLÉNE ZADIG

The City of Hyattsville held its anniversary celebration at David Driskell Community Park on April 29, featuring a magician, games, lots of sweet treats and more. JULIETTE FRADIN