07-2024 The Hyattsville Life & Times by Streetcar Suburbs News

Updates on the West HyattsvilleQueens Chapel Sector Plan

By SOFIE PATERNITE

A joint public hearing to discuss the second staff draft of the West Hyattsville-Queens Chapel Sector Plan originally scheduled for July 8 was postponed to September. As of press time, it is unclear why the meeting was postponed. County staff say the plan is a development strategy that will modernize West Hyattsville, leading to more apartments and multi-family units, so that the West-Hyattsville Metro and Hyattsville Crossing Metro station areas will allow

Exploring the local taco universe

By ALLAN WALTERS

If it’s taco night, and you’re responsible for feeding a group of adventurous foodies who love tacos and are open to trying something a little out of the ordinary, then be glad you live in Hyattsville — the center of the DMV taco universe. Jump into your car and head to the intersection of Decatur Street and Kenilworth Avenue, where you can then drive in any direction for an amazing Mexican food experience.

SEE TACOS ON 10 

Carnaby Street has been the home of numerous crimes this year, including the stabbing of a teenager on May 2. The mobile surveillance system didn’t prevent the crime, but it did capture an image of the suspects, pictured above.

SECURITY FOOTAGE COURTESY OF THE HYATTSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. PHOTO BY GRIFFIN LIMERICK.

OODLES OF SCOOTERS: “Science of the City” investigates the proliferation of motor scooters, P. 5

COUNCILMEMBER

RESIGNS: August special election to replace Mel Franklin, P. 12

New homeowners want safe streets

By GRIFFIN LIMERICK

It took a shooting for the residents of Gateway West to get organized.

On Jan. 5 of this year, around 12:05 p.m., when most students were in school, a 14-year-old boy was shot at the 3500 block of Carnaby Street after refusing to give a trio of robbers his Moose Knuckles winter jacket.

Several Gateway West residents who had heard the gunshots from their living rooms called the police and waited with the boy in the cold until an ambulance could arrive. The new development of 131 townhouses had just turned a year old.

Prior to the shooting, resident Saswathi Natta said crime around the new development had been mostly minor in nature — littering of glass bottles and syringes on the

ground, and some trespassing, particularly through the chicken-wire fence that separated the neighborhood from the apartment complexes along Toledo Terrace and the Mall at Prince George’s beyond that.

Natta believes two things contributed to these offenses. One is that the land on which Stanley Martin developed the townhouses used to be entirely wooded. A portion of the local unhoused population, some receiving aid at the University Christian Church down the street, congregated in the woods and set up an encampment there.

“There was a population that didn’t have legal spaces to be in and had found a home in this area,” Natta said. “Therefore, when the construction comes and things change rapidly, those folks are pushed out. They don’t have a place to go to easily, so right now they’re on

the fringes of this community.”

Although the woods have been reduced to a strip of land the size of a small Christmas tree farm, old habits persist. Sofas appeared in the clearing in early June. A few Gateway West residents dragged them out to the curb, only to find the sofas returned a few days later.

The second, and most pressing, issue is the abutment of Gateway West with Northwestern High School. Carnaby Street lies in back of the school property and borders the football and baseball fields, as well as an improvised school exit path, making the street a favorite shortcut for students to apartments north of the mall.

This also means that Gateway West — particularly the playground on Carnaby — is a frequent hangout for truant teenagers.

SEE STREETS ON 11 

for greater population density and walkability.

Residents presented their concerns about the second draft plan to the Prince George’s County Planning Board at two in-person open houses in June. The county planning board has been amending the plan’s details to accommodate public testimonies from the previous hearing in October 2022.

RECENT HISTORY

The largest adjustment in the second draft plan is providing more housing opportunities for what Project Manager Scott Rowe refers to as the “missing middle.” Converting single-family homes into duplexes or triplexes, rather than apartments, will encourage families with children to move to the area, he said.

“[There] has to be something in the middle for middle income professionals, for students, for people that want to live close to Metro, but can’t necessarily afford a large home,” Rowe said.

The proposed rezoning of the Queens Chapel Manor neighborhood between Ager Road and the Metrorail Green Line would allow for residential single-family attached homes, such as duplexes, catering to a higher population density. However, owners of single-family homes can choose to keep their homes intact, according to Rowe.

Sarah Benton, the project’s facilitator and member of the planning board, said that increasing the number and diversity of housing prevents skyrocketing home prices and concurrent displacement of residents.

CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS

Residents have expressed ongoing concerns that the plan could lead

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to increased property taxes, and they worry about the pressure that increased population density places on schools and infrastructure. Other concerns include lack of community outreach, distrust of the planning board, and environmental damage.

Rowe said the county council is in the process of drafting legislation to provide property tax relief to those who need it and to stabilize rents. Planning Department Acting Deputy Director James Hunt said developers are required to pay a fee to the public school system to accommodate additional students.

This fee, however, can be used at any school in the county, and developers have successfully petitioned to have such fees waived or reduced in the past. Rowe suggested an alternative option would be assigning students to schools that have seat availability. This would involve changing school boundaries.

Resident José Centeno-Meléndez said that, as an alum of Northwestern High School, he can testify that the school system has been, and continues to be, overcrowded. He added that the planning board has not sufficiently accounted for more population density affecting students.

Residents also worry about parking. While transit-oriented living sounds ideal and is better for the environment, some residents said it is unrealistic for people to not use cars, and a higher population density will further strain the overflowing street parking. Additionally, some residents’ work schedules do not align with train schedules.

The plan also calls for wider sidewalks to accommodate pedestrians. However, sidewalk expansion would require significant tree removal, resident Jennifer Kubit said at the June 20 online information session.

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lanes or more pedestrianfriendly [infrastructure]; it’s more like a choice between the trees or the pedestrian-friendly,” Kubit clarified.

Resident Paul Donnelly said he is worried that the planning board is unaware of how many houses will be impacted by zoning changes, and that it has not conducted studies on traffic, parking and water runoff.

Donnelly added that the planning board is not doing enough community outreach about the proposed changes.

County staff have conducted open houses, interviews and virtual town halls over the last few years. However, residents said there is not enough turnout at these events to account for public opinion and that mailed postcards are insufficient notice.

Centeno-Meléndez and other residents said that the planning board’s lack of transparency and mischaracterization of Hyattsville has bred distrust. CentenoMeléndez said that the identity of Hyattsville is not being accounted for by the planning board, and as a long-time resident, this is concerning to him.

Lastly, residents raised concerns about the permitting process for floodplain mitigation. They said permitted reconstruction has unintentionally affected adjacent lots, and it has contributed to wastewater causing erosion in the Anacostia River. Residents called the current county permit system, through Prince George’s County Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement, “broken,” and they are fearful of further development under a “broken system.”

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Other residents support the plan because they believe it will lead to more neighbors, walkability and diversity, along with higher property values.

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Executive Director Kit Slack

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President: Marta McLellan Ross

Vice President & General Counsel: Michael Walls

Treasurer: Joe Murchison

Secretary: Melanie Dzwonchyk

Bette Dickerson, Nora Eidelman, Joseph Gigliotti, Maxine Gross, Merrill Hartson, T. Carter Ross, Stephanie Stullich

Ex Officios: Katie V. Jones, Griffin Limerick, Sharon O’Malley, Kit Slack

“I like living near other people. I like having a dense community. I like being able to walk to places, to walk to the grocery store — I would be thrilled honestly if I had three more families living next to me,” resident Monica Gorman said at a June 20 information session with the city council.

Resident Joe Kane agreed that the walkability of Hyattsville is attractive to current homeowners: “We want the more dense, more walkable, more bikeable area.”

Kane added that residents should not be exclusionary when deciding how to increase population density.

“I think that the thing that would be sort of disappointing, and not in keeping with the character of Hyattsville, would be if we stop being welcoming,” Kane said.

Greater housing availability could increase home value, according to Kane, and he said that assertions that increasing housing availability decreases property values rely on inaccurate assumptions about both zoning and home prices in Queens Chapel Manor.

“Just making it legal to build a duplex doesn’t mean it happens, especially if you have people in the area who are fighting tooth and nail to prevent property owners from doing what they want with their own property,” Kane said.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Rowe said he wants to make sure all resident concerns are addressed. Throughout the June 11 open house, Rowe said the strength of the plan relies on community feedback to the planning board and county council. Additionally, Rowe added that the planning board is taking the input and balancing it with the plan’s recommendations. He encouraged residents to keep coming to outreach events to voice opinions.

“Change is very challenging, and it’s scary, and people often are concerned about the end [result]. And so part of a planning process is helping communities, or empowering communities, to be able to embrace change and to be able to know how to advocate for what they need,” he said.

A public hearing will be held in September for the planning board and county council to update the community on the second draft of the plan. The planning board encourages people to submit testimonies until the hearing finishes. After the hearing, the planning board will review feedback from the testimonies and adjust the draft accordingly.

For the full article, visit StreetcarSuburbs.News.

Sofie Paternite is an intern with Streetcar Suburbs Publishing.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

ZONING ISSUES AND THE SCMAGLEV TRAIN PROJECT

Kit Slack’s recent article (“County councilmembers tussle over zoning, sprawl”) discusses the impact of development projects on flood plains, stormwater control, pollution and energy demands — issues commonly addressed in assessing transportation projects.

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The proposed massive Superconducting Magnetic Levitation (SCMaglev) train project (three stops, D.C. to BWI to Baltimore) presents deep concerns over unmitigable environmental damage and negative community impacts. Significant implications for zoning and land use would arise, primarily because the private company project sponsor — BaltimoreWashington Rapid Rail (BWRR) — is seeking to access federally owned lands. This precedent would invite other activities that would further degrade and destroy federal lands. Whether the land is designated as a wildlife refuge, protected, or conservation, the purpose would completely change.

Development in protected waters and land would change the assimilative capacity of the waters to filter pollutants and diminish the ability of the habitat to handle flood and stormwater runoff. Recently, the Maryland Department of the Environment advised the BWRR that there were “not reasonable assurances that the project would comply with water quality standards.” In addition, the SCMaglev would burden Maryland with tremendous energy requirements, the equivalent of approximately 89,000 homes.

The county council is rightly concerned about how sprawl and zoning changes could negatively impact our quality of life and the environment. Projects such as the SCMaglev impact us locally but also present deeper concerns about impacts on protected lands nationwide, energy demands much higher than can be provided with “green” technology, and lower quality of life for those living nearby.

— Susan R. McCutchen, board member of Maryland Coalition for Responsible Transit (mcrtaction.org)

Jewels of the wetlands

By RICK BORCHELT

It’s enough to make you believe in alchemy.

Pluck a leaf of jewelweed and hold it underwater: It becomes a shiny, shimmering silver coin. Or watch raindrops bead up onto jewelweed leaves; each drop could just as easily be mercury spilled from a thermometer.

And as we’ll see, it’s a beauty that is literally skin deep — and then some.

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis or Impatiens pallida, depending on the flower color) goes by a host of other common names, including orange balsam (capensis) and touchme-not. Around our suburbs, orange jewelweed is a common wetland plant that grows in practically any wet ditch, moist meadow or lakeside, and July finds it at the peak of its bloom. The flowers are a bright orange with deeper orange or red spots; they dangle like earrings from thin stalks under the leaves. Each flower has a long, curved spur, the end of which offers a nectar reward for the

bees, butterflies and especially hummingbirds that pollinate the plant.

Jewelweed chooses its pollinators carefully. In order to keep from being self-fertilized (which reduces genetic diversity), the male parts of the flower mature first, dispense their pollen and wither away before the female parts of the same flower mature, guaranteeing another pollen donor will fertilize the flower’s ovaries.

Sometimes, though, even the best-laid pollinator plans go awry for the jewelweed.

If the plant ends up in shade that is too deep, or the water source for its wetland dries up in a drought year, jewelweed may skip the showy flowers altogether. Or the tops of the plant with all the flowers could end up as deer breakfast. In these extreme cases, jewelweed can go it alone.

Jewelweed has a second kind of flower that nestles next to the stem in the axils of the leaves and looks like a small, tightly clustered flower bud. This flower never opens — botanists call it “cleistogamous,” which

roughly translates as “closed marriage.” The jewelweed pollinates itself inside the closed flower, not requiring any pollen from other flowers to set fruit or any visits from pollinators to make it fertile.

To be sure, cleistogamy is not the ideal circumstance: Pollination from other flowers and especially from flowers of other plants makes for more robust seed crops and bigger, healthier plants the next summer. But it will do in a pinch to tide that particular patch of jewelweed over hard times. And jewelweed always has a few cleistogamous flowers even on normally flowering plants — just in case.

The jeweled tones of jewelweed leaves, by contrast, are a function of pure physics. Both sides of the leaf are covered with tiny hairs that trap air and repel water. Hold the leaf under water, and the trapped air produces a shining silver surface — a mystery that begs to be shared with children at your local streamside. The same thing happens when dew or raindrops fall on leaves in the field,

with the water beading up into reflective silver disco balls. Jewelweed has yet another surprise waiting for those of us who study the folklore of medicinal plants. The plant’s hollow, succulent stems hold a lot of viscous, clear sap, reminiscent of aloe vera, that sovereign solution for kitchen burns and insect bites. In the case of jewelweed, the mucilaginous

sap contains both a detergent compound, saponin, and an anti-inflammatory compound, lawsone (the same compound that gives henna its red color). Together, they make a powerful antidote to poison ivy rash — the detergent dissolves urushiol, the sticky ivy resin that causes the allergic reaction, and lawsone soothes the inflamma-

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Raindrop jewels beading up on yellow jewelweed leaves COURTESY OF TRACIE JEFFRIES

SCIENCE OF THE CITY

Motor scooter mania

By PAUL RUFFINS

This article is part of a “Science of the City” series on micromobility.

As global warming becomes a greater threat, there’s been a concerted push to decarbonize our transportation system by embracing electric cars and micromobility. The Federal Highway Administration broadly defines micromobility as “any small, low-speed, human or electricpowered transportation device, including bicycles, scooters, electric-assist bicycles, electric scooters (e-scooters), and other small, lightweight, wheeled conveyances.” Automotive engineers characterize micromobility as partially or fully motorized devices that go less than 30 mph.

According to the North American Bikeshare Association, between 2021 and 2022, the number of e-bikes increased by 71%, and the number of e-scooters grew by 28%. Worldwide, escooter sales are projected to grow at a rate of over 8% a year through 2032. Judging from that success, it seems like the future of micro transportation is high-tech, electric and shared. But buzzing along Route 1 and clustered outside Hyattsville’s restaurants is another fastgrowing form of micromobility that completely bucks this trend: individually owned, gasoline-powered motor scooters propelled by an engine design old enough to collect Social Security.

Gus Manzur, owner of Scooter Solutions and Cycles on Rhode Island Avenue in North Brentwood, said he’s seen the scooter market in the Washington area grow exponentially since requirements to register those scooters were put into place in D.C. and Maryland in 2012. “Now, there are more than 70,000 scooters in the DMV, and the number is growing fast,” Manzur said.

“Gas-powered scooters have become more popular because they’re easier to ride than motorcycles,” said Sean Rashid, the owner of College Scooters on Roanoke Place in College Park, which claims to be the biggest scooter store in Maryland. “You straddle a motorcycle, but you sit on a scooter, so it’s easier to balance and maneuver. And, all scooters also have automatic transmissions, while almost every motorcycle has a manual transmission with

Buzzing along Route 1 and clustered outside Hyattsville’s restaurants is another fastgrowing form of micromobility: individually owned, gasolinepowered motor scooters.

Honda’s proven design, Chinese manufacturers pushed motor scooter prices down to the cost of high-quality bicycles.

Manzur’s least expensive Chinese motor scooters begin at about $1,600. However, this past Memorial Day weekend, Walmart.com was listing a street-legal X-Pro brand 150cc gas-powered moped scooter with 10-inch aluminum wheels, disc brakes and electric start for only $680.95 plus taxes and $399.00 shipping. The Walmart website showed no gas motor scooters available for pickup in stores.

a clutch, which fewer people know how to use.” Rashid added that scooters are significantly cheaper to buy and maintain than motorcycles, as well.

Both Manzur and Rashid agree that a big factor in dropping scooter prices is the expiration of Honda’s patents on its GY6 air-cooled four-stroke motorcycle engine, first introduced around 1958. The GY6 was a tremendous improvement on the two-stroke engines that burn the lubricating oil which must be mixed into their gasoline. Fourstroke engines are often quieter and more reliable, and — more importantly — produce far fewer emissions. By freely adopting

Rashid explains that the huge increase in motor scooters is also being driven by the reasons why people are buying them. Five years ago, college students were his main customers. Now, he estimates that only 25% of his customers are students. Another 25% are recreational riders or commuters. The other 50% are delivery drivers. Manzur estimates that 90% of his customers are delivery drivers. Why have local delivery drivers shifted to motor scooters rather than cars or electric bikes? William Lee, the service manager for College Scooters, points to the gig economy. He believes that a few years ago, the people who delivered pizzas or Chinese food usually worked

I've

Want

A 150cc motor scooter with false 49cc plates PAUL RUFFINS

Cool ideas for a cold-weather garden

Dear Miss Floribunda,

When I was a child in a Gulf Coast state in the 1960s and ’70s, my granny grew superfragrant sweet peas in every color of the rainbow along the chain-link fence between her little house and the elementary school. She encouraged all the kids to pick as many as they liked for their mothers and teachers. For her own grandkids, she also planted radishes for us to pull up, brush off on our jackets, and snack on anytime we wanted, and for herself she planted what she called Chinese cabbage because she liked it a lot better than kale.

Now that Hyattsville winters up here have gotten milder, do you think I could plant seeds for these things in the fall and have a winter garden like my

Granny’s? Every March, I plant sweet peas, because they remind me so much of my sweet Granny, but by the time they produce a few token flowers, it gets so hot they just shrivel up. What month could I plant them to bloom in February through March like they did in Granny’s garden?

Nostalgic on Nicholson Street

Dear Nostalgic,

I think you are onto something, and there is scientific data to prove it. The first Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zone map came out in 1960, and was first revised in 1965. In the 1970s, the area you describe was in Zone 8, and Hyattsville was in Zone 6, with a low winter temperature of minus 5 F. As of 2023, we have been rezoned to Zone

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7b of the USDA map, and the area of your childhood — Gulf Coast above the Florida peninsula — is now Zone 9a. It seems to me that it could well be feasible to grow cool-weather vegetables and flowers in a winter garden in Hyattsville, with some modifications.

I turned to my winter-garden expert, George Vandenberghe, and I received good news and bad news. The good news is he confirms that there are many vegetables that can be planted in fall for spring enjoyment, and he has agreed to give a talk and PowerPoint presentation at our next Hyattsville Horticulture Society meeting on Saturday, July 20 at 10 a.m. at the Hyattsville Municipal Center, 4310 Gallatin Street, in the downstairs meeting room. He will bring along seedlings of such brassicas as Brussels sprouts.

Mr. Vandenberghe will let us know which vegetables and flowers can be started as early as August and September, as well as what subset of winter vegetables can actually be planted after Thanksgiving into the first days of December. We will learn which plants are best started from seeds planted directly in the ground and which are best planted from seedlings. Now for the bad news. Along with the fact that in the long term these warmer winters mean hotter summers and dangerously rising sea levels — a disaster for our planet — in the short term, our Hyattsville January is still too cold for fallplanted sweet peas to survive till spring. These tender plants

hate severe cold just as much as they hate heat. They require a soil temperature between 55 to 65 F to germinate, and once they’ve sprouted, they flower well when air temperatures stay between 45 and 68 F.

The earth should remain consistently moist. In Hyattsville, even after the ground begins to thaw after January, we have to contend with wild fluctuations of temperature and precipitation during late winter and spring. And then, depending on variety and soil temperature, edible peas require only six to 17 days to germinate, but it can take an entire month for sweet peas to sprout.

Sweet peas are not easy to start indoors because of their need for such relatively low soil temperature, so you would have to keep the seedlings in a cool yet not very dark area of the house. In addition, they develop long, delicate root systems and very much object to being transplanted.

I do think it’s worthwhile to try to start them under grow lights in peat pots in an unfinished and cool basement. Once the soil temperature outside reaches 60 F, you could plug them into the garden, peat pots and all, in the ground on a rainy day, and keep them watered during dry spells. If you are an optimist, place them near a fence or trellis to anticipate their need to climb. I actually plan to try this myself because your enthusiasm has inspired me. I will report the results in a future column.

I have mixed feelings about your grandmother’s encourag-

ing children to pick sweet pea blooms. It certainly must have kept the plants blooming for a long time, since they thrive on being culled, and many mothers and teachers were no doubt delighted with their bouquets. However, the actual peas that develop from these flowers contain poisonous amines, phenols and glycosides. A curious child who sampled many would suffer serious, and even fatal, consequences. Your grandmother was probably well aware of this and removed any pods.

Though they might be less nostalgia-inducing than sweet peas for you, I’m happy to report that radishes and “Chinese cabbage” (napa), bok choy and all brassicas will overwinter nicely here if planted in fall. So will spinach, arugula and certain lettuces. Also, some native perennial wildflowers can be planted in fall. Mr. Vandenberghe tells me that he is experimenting with different types of edible peas to see which fallplanted varieties can survive freezing soil temperatures if well enough mulched and/or covered with blankets on very cold nights. He has had outstanding success growing citrus trees in his garage — his lemons can grow as large as oranges. To learn more, please mark your calendar for July 20 and come to the municipal center at 10 a.m. or so. There will be coffee and light refreshments, and a very brief meeting of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society.

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

The Hyattsville Reporter

A letter from Mayor Robert Croslin

Happy Summer Hyattsville! With the new season we have officially begun a new Fiscal Year. Every June City Council passes a budget of anticipated revenues and expenditures for the Fiscal Year, July 1 – June 30. This budget estimates the operating costs of City programs and services as well as expected revenues from taxes and other sources.

Our City is growing and diversifying, which brings many benefits. However, as we stretch to support growing needs, this year the City expects to spend $47.7 million and receive $42.9 million in revenue. To cover the gap, the budget anticipates using $4.8 million from the City’s Reserve Fund. To reduce reliance on the Reserve Fund in future years, my fellow Councilmembers and I are committed to partnering with other local municipalities and our state and County elected officials to creatively and sustainably finance City services.

You can view the budget at hyattsville.org/budget and a userfriendly guide will be mailed to homes later this summer. We also want to hear from you! Community members are invited to make public comment before Council meetings, reach out to Councilmembers via email, or find us at one of the upcoming Summer Jams. I’ll see you out there!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEES!

The City of Hyattsville is excited to announce the 14 winners of the 2023-24 Hyattsville Educational Path Scholarship Program! This year’s awards ranged from $500 - $3,500 with a total of $20,000 being awarded to our deserving recipients. Congratulations, scholars! Find a list of recipients at hyattsville.org/youthscholarships.

Carta del Alcalde Robert Croslin

¡Feliz Verano Hyattsville! Con la nueva temporada hemos comenzado oficialmente un nuevo Año Fiscal. Cada mes de junio, la Ciudad aprueba un presupuesto de ingresos y gastos previstos para el año fiscal entre el 1 de julio y el 30 de junio. Este presupuesto estima los costes de funcionamiento de los programas y servicios de la Ciudad, así como los ingresos previstos procedentes de impuestos y otras fuentes.

Nuestra Ciudad está creciendo y diversificándose, lo que aporta muchos beneficios. Sin embargo, para hacer frente a las crecientes necesidades, este año la Ciudad prevé gastar $47,7 millones e ingresar $42,9 millones. Para cubrir la brecha, el presupuesto prevé utilizar $4,8 del Fondo de Reserva de la Ciudad. Para reducir la dependencia del Fondo de Reserva en los próximos años, mis compañeros concejales y yo estamos comprometidos a asociarnos con otros municipios locales y nuestro estado y funcionarios electos del condado para financiar de manera creativa y sostenible los servicios de la Ciudad.

Puede consultar el presupuesto en hyattsville. org/budget y a finales de este verano se enviará por correo a los hogares una guía comprensiva. También queremos conocer su opinión. Los miembros de la comunidad están invitados a hacer comentarios públicos antes de las reuniones del Concejo, pongase en contacto con los concejales a través de correo electrónico, o encuentrenos en una de las próximas Fiestas de Verano. ¡Nos vemos allí!

¡FELICITACIONES A NUESTROS GANADORES DE BECAS DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR!

¡La Ciudad de Hyattsville se complace en anunciar a los 14 ganadores del Programa de Becas del Camino Educativo de Hyattsville 2023-24! Los premios de este año oscilaron entre $500 y $3,500, con un total de $20,000 otorgados a nuestros merecedores beneficiarios. ¡Felicitaciones, becarios! Encuentre una lista de beneficiarios en hyattsville.org/youth-scholarships.

City of Hyattsville’s Mayor, Robert S. Croslin

ANNOUNCEMENTS | ANUNCIOS

UPDATES TO COUNTY RECYCLING ROUTES

The PGC Department of the Environment has updated their recycling routes across the County, effective as of July 1. The DOE provides recycling services for the City of Hyattsville. Please enter your address on the map at bit.ly/ PGCcollectiondaylookup to check if your recycling day is changing! For questions call 311.

The City’s trash, compost, and yard waste services are provided by the City’s Department of Public Works. Collection days for these services are not changing. Learn more about waste collection in Hyattsville at hyattsville.org/ waste.

HYATTSVILLE IS MAKING THE SWITCH FROM GAS-POWERED TO ELECTRIC LEAF BLOWERS STARTING THIS MONTH!

The ban on gas-powered leaf blowers is now in effect! The use of gas-powered blowers in City limits will result in warning notices and subsequent fines. Please make sure your landscape contractors are aware of this change. Details at hyattsville.org/leafblower.

Rebates for up to 25% off the purchase price of an electricpowered blower are still available through the end of July. Make a trade-in appointment by calling (301) 985-5037 or attend a trade-in event on July 27 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the DPW Operations Center, 4633 Arundel Place.

PROVIDE

FEEDBACK ON THE 2025-2030 STRATEGIC PLAN!

PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE 2025-2030 STRATEGIC PLAN!

What projects do you think the City should focus on? The City shared goals developed for the Strategic Plan (formerly the Sustainability Plan) at an in-person workshop in May. The deadline has been extended to provide additional feedback to help refine the goals at HelloHyattsville.com through July 26! Vote to help prioritize City activities and projects through 2030.

GRANTS FOR HYATTSVILLE BUSINESSES

The application deadline for the City’s Commercial Façade Improvement Grant has been extended until July 15! Hyattsville small businesses and non-profits can apply for matching grants of $5,000-35,000 for façade related improvements like new lighting, signage, windows & doors, masonry & finishes, and more. Apply today at hyattsville. org/biz-grants!

REGISTER FOR INDIVIDUAL/FAMILY THERAPY SESSIONS

Take advantage of the City’s individual and family therapy sessions as part of “In Wellness We Thrive,” our new youth mental wellness program. Youth or young adults and their family members can participate in free, bilingual therapy sessions, starting this month. Virtual and in-person sessions are available. You must be a resident of the City of Hyattsville and meet income eligibility requirements to apply. Learn more and register at hyattsville.org/youth.

DONATIONS NEEDED FOR THE BACK TO SCHOOL JAM!

The City will celebrate the upcoming school year at a Back to School Jam on Saturday, August 10 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Hyatt Park, 3500 Hamilton Street. Students and their families are invited to enjoy a DJ, food & games, community resources, and a school supply giveaway while supplies last.

Donations are needed to make this event a success! Donations can be ordered through the City’s wish list or purchased and dropped off in boxes at locations throughout the City until August 2. Find the wish list and drop box locations at hyattsville.org/back2school.

ACTUALIZACIONES EN EL RUTAS DE RECICLAJE

El Departamento del Medio Ambiente del PGC ha actualizado sus rutas de reciclaje en todo el Condado, a partir del 1 de julio. El DOE proporciona servicios de reciclaje para la Ciudad de Hyattsville. ¡Por favor, introduzca su dirección en el mapa en bit.ly/PGCcollectiondaylookup para comprobar si su día de reciclaje cambiará! Si tiene preguntas, llame al 311. Los servicios de basura, abono y desechos de jardín de la Ciudad son proporcionados por el Departamento de Obras Públicas de la Ciudad. Los días de recogida de servicios no cambian. Más información en hyattsville.org/waste.

HYATTSVILLE ESTA CAMBIANDO LOS SOPLADORES DE HOJAS DE GAS POR LOS ELECTRICOS A PARTIR DE ESTE MES!

HYATTSVILLE

ESTA CAMBIANDO LOS SOPLADORES DE HOJAS DE GAS POR LOS ELECTRICOS A PARTIR DE ESTE MES!

La prohibición de los sopladores de hojas a gas ya está en vigor. El uso de sopladores de gas en los límites de la Ciudad resultará en advertencias y multas posteriores. Por favor, asegúrese de que sus contratistas de jardinería son conscientes de este cambio. Más información en hyattsville.org/leafblower. Hasta finales de julio se pueden obtener reembolsos de hasta el 25% en la compra de un soplador eléctrico. Haga una cita de para obtener su reembolso llamando al (301) 985-5037 o asista a un evento de intercambio el 27 de julio de 10 a. m. a 1 p. m. en el Centro de Operaciones de DPW, 4633 Arundel Place.

¡OPINE SOBRE EL PLAN ESTRATÉGICO 2025-2030!

¿En qué proyectos cree que debería enfocarse la Ciudad?

¡OPINE SOBRE EL PLAN ESTRATÉGICO 2025-2030!

¿En qué proyectos cree que debería enfocarse la Ciudad?

La Ciudad compartió los objetivos desarrollados para el Plan Estratégico (anteriormente el Plan de Sostenibilidad) en un taller presencial en mayo. Se ha ampliado el plazo para proporcionar comentarios adicionales para ayudar a perfeccionar los objetivos en HelloHyattsville.com hasta el 26 de julio.

SUBVENCIONES PARA EMPRESAS DE HYATTSVILLE

El plazo para solicitar la subvención para la mejora de fachadas comerciales se ha ampliado hasta el 15 de julio. Las pequeñas empresas y organizaciones sin fines de lucro de Hyattsville pueden solicitar subvenciones de entre $5,000 y $35,000 para mejoras relacionadas con la fachada, como nueva iluminación, señalización, ventanas y puertas, albañilería y acabados, y mucho más. Presente su solicitud hoy mismo en hyattsville.org/ biz-grants.

SESIONES DE TERAPIA INDIVIDUAL/FAMILIAR GRATIS

Aproveche las sesiones de terapia individual y familiar de la Ciudad como parte de “Con Bienestar Prosperamos”, nuestro nuevo programa de bienestar mental para jóvenes. Los jóvenes o adultos jóvenes y sus familiares pueden participar en sesiones de terapia gratuitas y bilingües, a partir de este mes. Se ofrecen sesiones virtuales y presenciales. Debes ser residente de la Ciudad de Hyattsville y cumplir con los requisitos de elegibilidad de ingresos para aplicar. Más información e inscripción en hyattsville.org/youth.

¡SE NECESITAN DONACIONES PARA EL EVENTO DE REGRESO A CLASES!

La Ciudad celebrará el próximo año escolar con un Back to School Jam el sábado 10 de agosto de 11 a. m. a 1 p. m. en Hyatt Park, 3500 Hamilton Street. Los estudiantes y sus familias están invitados a disfrutar de un DJ, comida y juegos, recursos comunitarios y un obsequio de útiles escolares hasta agotar existencias. ¡Se necesitan donaciones para que este evento sea un éxito! Las donaciones se pueden solicitar a través de la lista de deseos de la Ciudad o comprarse y entregarse en cajas en ubicaciones en toda la Ciudad hasta el 2 de agosto. Encuentre la lista de deseos y las ubicaciones de los buzones en hyattsville. org/back2school.

CALENDAR | CALENDARIO

SENIORS ON THE GO!

Enjoy trips to the Freer Art Gallery in Washington DC on July 8 and Arundel Mills Mall on July 22 from 10 AM - 2 PM. Reserve a seat by calling (301) 985 - 5000 by 2 p.m. the Wed. before the trip.

CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP

Join the City’s caregivers support group on July 12 & 19 from 9 - 10:30 AM at the City Building, 4310 Gallatin St. Contact seniors@hyattsville. org or call (301) 985-5000 for more information.

DIAPER DISTRIBUTION

FREE diapers distribution on July 12, at 9:30AM, at the City Building. No registration is required, but 1 proof of child’s date of birth is required. Details at hyattsville.org/calendar

UNIVERSITY PARK MEADOW DAY

Join City staff and other community partners at the University Park Meadow Day on July 13 (rain date is July 14) from 9 – 11 AM at the UP Native Wildflower Pollinator Meadow on Adelphi Road, across the street from the Hyattsville Branch Library. For more info visit hyattsville. org/calendar.

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK

Enjoy a FREE showing of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Driskell Park, 3911 Hamilton Street, on July 13, at 7:30 PM For more locations and dates, visit arts.pgparks.com.

FREE PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION

A free produce distribution is taking place on July 16 at First United Methodist Church, 6201 Belcrest Road, starting at noon.

CERT MEETING

The next Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) organization meeting is on July 17, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, at the City Building. Register at hyattsville.org/cert.

NARCAN TRAININGS

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

INTERGENERATIONAL EVENT

Older adults are invited to connect with members of the Hyattsville Teen Center on July 18 at 10 AM for a training on generational sensitivity at the City Building. Register by contacting seniors@ hyattsville.org or (301) 9855000..

INDEPENDENT

RETAILERS MONTH SUMMER JAM

Celebrate Independent Retailers Month with a Summer Jam and local vendor market on July 19 at the City Building, 4310 Gallatin St, from 5:30 – 8:30 PM. Details hyattsville.org/summerjam.

INVASIVE REMOVALS

Help remove invasive plants from Driskell Park between 10 AM - 2 PM on July 20! RVSP to environment@ hyattsville.org.

WARD 2 CHECK-IN

Join Ward 2 Councilmembers Danny Schaible and Emily Strab for a Community Check-In on July 24 from 6:30 - 7:30 PM at the Driskell Park Recreation Center, 3911 Hamilton Street. Members from all Wards are welcome!

LEAF BLOWER TRADE-IN

Residents and landscape contractors can still trade in their old gas powered leaf blowers and get up to 25% rebate off the purchase price of a new electric blower. The City’s final trade-in before the rebate expires is July 27 from 10 AM - 1 PM at the DPW Operations Center, 4633 Arundel Place. Details at hyattsville.org/leafblower.

WARD 4 BLOCK PARTY

Enjoy the annual Ward 4 Community Block Party & Pig Roast on July 27 from 4 – 10 PM, along the 5800 block of 31st Place! Meet your neighbors and bring a dish to share. For more information visit hyattsville.org/calendar..

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

HPD’s National Night Out is returning on August 6, 6 – 8:30 PM, to Driskell Park! This annual event connects the community with our local Police and Emergency services in a fun, festival-like evening. Visit hyattsville.org/ NNO for details.

BACK 2 SCHOOL JAM!

Get ready for the new school year at a Back-to-School Jam on August 10 from 11 AM - 1 PM at Hyatt Park, 3500 Hamilton Street! School supply donations are being accepted until August 2. Visit hyattsville. org/back2school for more details.

COMMUNITY PAINT!

Join the Graham Projects team and City staff on August 10 (Rain date August 11) for a Community Paint Day to complete the asphalt art project on the 3000 block of Nicholson St! Registration is required at hyattsville.org/ calendar.

GRUPO DE APOYO PARA CUIDADORES

Únase al grupo de apoyo para cuidadores de la Ciudad el 12 y 19 de julio de 9 - 10:30 AM en el Edificio Municipal. Contacte a seniors@hyattsville. org o llame al (301) 985-5000 para más información.

PAÑALES GRATIS!

Distribución de pañales el 12 de julio a las 9:30 AM, en el Edificio Municipal. No se requiere registro, pero se requiere (1) prueba de de nacimiento del menor. hyattsville.org/calendar.

¡PASEOS PARA ADULTOS MAYORES!

Paseo a la Galería de Arte Freer en Washington DC el 8 de julio y el centro commercial Arundel Mills en Hanover el 22 de julio de 10 AM - 2 PM! Reserve su puesto llamando al (301) 985 - 5000 antes de las 2 p.m. del miércoles anterior al paseo.

SHAKESPEARE EN EL PARQUE DRISKELL

Disfrute de una presentación GRATUITA de “Sueño de una Noche de Verano” en Driskell Park, 3911 Hamilton Street, el 13 de julio a las 7:30 PM Conozca más lugares y fechas en arts.pgparks.com.

DÍA DE LA PRADERA

Únete a la Ciudad y a otros socios de la comunidad en el Día de la Pradera de University Park el 13 de julio (la fecha en caso de lluvia es 14 de julio) de 9 - 11 AM en la Pradera Polinizadora de

Flores Silvestres Nativas de UP en Adelphi Road, frente a la Biblioteca Hyattsville Branch. Más info: hyattsville. org/calendar.

DISTRIBUCIÓN DE ALIMENTOS GRATIS

El 16 de julio habrá una distribución gratuita de productos agrícolas en la Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida, 6201 Belcrest Road, a partir del mediodía.

REUNIÓN CERT

La próxima reunión de organización del Equipo Comunitario de Respuesta a Emergencias (CERT) es el 17 de julio, de 6:30 - 8:30 PM, en el Edificio Municipal. Inscríbase en hyattsville.org/ cert.

CURSOS DE NARCAN

Entrenamientos comunitarios gratuitos de NARCAN en el Edificio de la Ciudad el 18 de Julio a las 6 PM y el 19 de Julio a las 10 AM. Inscríbete en hyattsville.org/ calendar.

EVENTO INTERGENERACIONAL

Los adultos mayores podrán conectar con los miembros del Centro de Adolescentes de Hyattsville el 18 de julio para una formación sobre la sensibilidad generacional en el Edificio Municipal, 10 AM. Regístrese contactando a seniors@hyattsville.org o (301) 985-5012.

FIESTA DE VERANO: MES DEL NEGOCIO INDEPENDIENTE

Celebre el Mes de los Negocios Independientes con un Summer Jam y un mercado de proveedores locales el 19 de julio en el Edificio Municipal, 4310 Gallatin St, de 5:30 - 8:30 PM. Detalles hyattsville.org/ summerjam.

ELIMINACIÓN DE VIDES INVASORAS

Ayuda a eliminar plantas invasoras del Parque Driskell entre 10 AM - 2 PM el 20 de julio! RVSP a environment@ hyattsville.org.

REUNIÓN DEL DISTRITO 2

Únete a los concejales del Distrito 2 Danny Schaible y Emily Strab para una reunion el 24 de julio de 6:30 - 7:30 PM en Driskell Park Recreation Center.

¡Los miembros de todas los distritos son bienvenidos!

FIESTA: DISTRITO 4

Asista a la fiesta comunitaria de la Cuadra del Distrito 4 el 27 de julio de 4 - 10 PM, en 5800 de 31st Place. Conoce a tus vecinos y trae un plato para compartir. Para obtener más información, visite hyattsville.org/calendar o contacte al concejal del distrito 4 Edouard Haba en ehaba@hyattsville.org o (202) 560 -4157.

INTERCAMBIO

DE SOPLADOR DE HOJAS

Los residentes y contratistas paisajistas aún pueden canjear sus viejos sopladores de hojas a gasolina y obtener hasta un 25% de descuento en el precio de compra de un soplador eléctrico nuevo. El último intercambio de la Ciudad antes de que expire el reembolso es el 27 de julio de 10 a.m. a 1 p.m. en el Centro de Operaciones DPW, 4633 Arundel Place. Detalles en hyattsville.org/leafblower.

NOCHE NACIONAL

¡La Noche Nacional del HPD regresa el 6 de agosto de 6 a 8:30 p. m. en Driskell Park! Este evento anual conecta a la comunidad con nuestra policía local y servicios de emergencia en una velada divertida y estilo festival. Visite hyattsville.org/NNO para obtener más detalles.

REGRESO A CLASES

¡Prepárese para el nuevo año escolar en el evento de regreso a clases el 10 de agosto de 11 a. m. a 1 p. m. en Hyatt Park, 3500 Hamilton Street! Se aceptan donaciones de útiles escolares hasta el 2 de agosto. Visite hyattsville.org/ back2school para obtener más detalles.

DÍA COMUNITARIO DE PINTURA

¡Únase al equipo de Graham Projects y al personal de la ciudad el 10 de agosto (fecha de lluvia 11 de agosto) para un Día de pintura comunitario para completar el proyecto de arte asfáltico en la cuadra 3000 de Nicholson St! Es necesario registrarse. Regístrese en hyattsville.org/ calendar.

HIGHLIGHTS | LO DESTACADO

Community members celebrated Juneteenth at a concert in Hyatt Park on June 28. Los miembros de la comunidad celebraron el Juneteenth en un concierto en Hyatt Park el 28 de junio.

Residents provided feedback on the West Hyattsville Green Alley Concept Plan on June 29. Learn more at HelloHyattsville.com. Los residentes brindaron comentarios sobre el plan conceptual de West Hyattsville Green Alley el 29 de junio. Obtenga más info en HelloHyattsville.com

for one specific restaurant, so they only had to travel out and back from the same location fast enough that customers didn’t complain. But during the pandemic, almost every restaurant had to deliver, raising the demand for drivers. More importantly, many restaurants began using services like Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats, where drivers are independent contractors who choose their rides, and often compete for the best-paying deliveries.

“These drivers prefer motor scooters because they can cut through traffic and are easier to park,” Lee insists. “But, it’s only working because everyone is ignoring the massive scam with all those illegal tags people buy that say ‘49cc No license required.’”

Many people believe that in D.C. and Maryland, if you have a vehicle with an engine smaller than 50cc or one that doesn’t go faster than 30 mph, you don’t need to register it or have a license to drive it. But that’s been completely false since 2012.

Local laws are a little ambiguous about electric bicycles. However, in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, every gas-powered scooter driven on the street must be registered and insured, and the operator must wear a helmet and have a standard driver’s license or a motor scooter/ moped operator permit. Motor scooters with engines bigger than 150cc require a

motorcycle license. However, many of the motor scooters displaying 49cc plates, such as the blue Fly Wing Tank II delivery bike pictured on p. 5, actually have engines that are 150cc or larger and can reach 60 or 70 mph.

Legitimate scooter dealers are also suffering. According to Manzur, “Guys from New York are ordering shipping containers full of scooters from China, then bringing them here and selling them cheap because they don’t pay taxes or for the business licenses that I need to stay open.”

Manzur mentioned another fraudulent practice recently reported on in The Washington Post. “Some of the immigrants the governor of Texas bused to D.C. have gone into the motor scooter delivery business because they can’t get work anywhere else,” he said. “Sometimes one person with a license and insurance joins a service like Grubhub or Uber Eats, and then gets a lot of other people to do the pickups and deliveries.”

Where are the police? Hyattsville City Councilmember Danny Schaible (Ward 2) said that several of his constituents have

mentioned that they think these motor scooters without standard plates are illegal and wonder why police don’t pull them over. “Well, one answer is that scooters are very hard to catch,” Schaible said, “and our department has a policy of not engaging in car chases unless the driver has committed a very serious crime.”

The Washington Post noted that another reason the police don’t seem to be too upset is that, so far, the huge increase in motor scooter deliveries hasn’t led to an uptick in accidents. That may be why D.C. and local police departments are focusing on risky behavior such as running lights, rather than just sweeping up thousands of unlicensed motor scooters like the New York Police Department, which has long tolerated the slower e-bikes for deliveries. To Manzur, this is all very good news.

“The drivers need to eat, and if the police start cracking down, I’m afraid that it will force them to start committing crimes a lot worse than not registering their rides,” he said.

Perhaps a better solution would be to speed up the paperwork process so immigrants under temporary protective status can get proper licenses and registrations.

Paul Ruffins is a citizen scientist and a professor of curiosity.

Gus Manzur, owner of Scooter Solutions and Cycles on Rhode Island Avenue in North Brentwood PAUL RUFFINS

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Our list of events sponsored by local nonprofits, arts organizations and performance venues, occurring between July 10 and Aug. 7; all information is current as July 4. 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 Aug. 8 and Sept. 11 to managingeditor@ hyattsvillelife.com by Aug. 1.

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. 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

Riverdale Park Farmers Market is open every Thursday from 3 to 6:30 p.m. in the parking lot near the Riverdale MARC Station, 4650 Queensbury Rd. Live music every week from roughly 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. (July 11: Sadia; July 18: Jacob Panic; July 25: Spice Cake; Aug. 1: Boyce Thompson) For more information, contact rpkfarmmkt@gmail.com.

Enjoy free live music, outdoors, during the Bladensburg Waterfront Park Summer Concert Series. Bring your dinner, dancing shoes, family and friends! Free. Sunday evenings, July 14 through

Aug. 4 (July 14: The Ron Hicks Project; July 21: Larry Dennis & The Wild Rice Band; July 28: N2N Band; Aug. 4: Caiso Steelband). 4601 Annapolis Rd., Bladensburg. 301.779.0371. BladensburgWP@pgparks.com

JULY 10 & 24

Come listen to Jazz on the Lawn: Musical Encounters Free. Register at pgparksdirect. com. 7 to 8 p.m. Riversdale House Museum, 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420. riversdale@ pgparks.com

JULY 13

Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of insects with the University of Maryland Insect Zoo. This hands-on program combines engaging activities and art to teach about the significance of these incredible invertebrates. Free. Register at pgcmls. info/events. 11 a.m. to noon. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451

Patapsco Brass performs at Maryland Meadworks. Free. 7 to 10 p.m. 4700 Rhode Island

Ave., Suite Bee. 201.955.9644. marylandmeadworks.com

JULY 14

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at Publick Playhouse. Come see this delightful comedy weaving together the stories of four young lovers, amateur actresses and mischievous fairies. Free; first come, first served. 3 to 5 p.m. 5445 Landover Rd., Cheverly. 301.277.1710. publickplayhouse@pgparks. com

JULY 20

Join us outdoors at Hot Joe’s Summer Series ‘24 for a festival vibe complete with craft and food vendors, handson art activities for kids, and performances from some of our summer favorites! Free. 5 to 8 p.m. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Rd., Mt. Rainier. 301.699.1819. joesmovement.org

Tornado Rose performs at Maryland Meadworks. Free. 7 to 10 p.m. 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 201.955.9644. marylandmeadworks.com

JULY 27

The Breakfast Grunge plays at Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. 4824 Rhode Island Ave. streetcar82brewing.com

JULY 30

Free health screenings by Luminis Health. Come in for your free blood pressure, diabetes or cholesterol screening! Walk-ins are welcome, and no appointment is necessary. Final screenings will take place 15 minutes before the end of the program. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451

AUGUST 2

Poor Ellen Smith plays at Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. 4824 Rhode Island Ave. streetcar82brewing.com

AUGUST 7

Come listen to Jazz on the Lawn: Downtown Tumbao Free. Register at pgparksdirect. com. 7 to 8 p.m. Riversdale House Museum, 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420. riversdale@ pgparks.com

REWILDING

tion. A variation on folk rhymes by the late poet Valerie Worth describes this nicely: Jewelweed, starve ivy’s greed / Touch-me-not, stay ivy’s rot / Orange balsam, stop ivy’s poison. Balsam is an old apothecary term for something that calms or soothes wounds. But where did the touch-me-not common name come from?

The last of jewelweed’s mysteries is exposed when you touch the plump, ripe seed pod: It literally explodes in your hand, catapulting seeds up to 6 feet away. The pressure of your touch breaks the tension holding the walls of the seed pod intact, and the individual wall segments rapidly snap back like tiny rubber bands, flinging the seeds inside away from the parent plant. As a crowning ecological touch, jewelweed seeds

float and can drift far downstream or across the lake to new habitats.

In most of the mid-Atlantic, we typically see orange, or spotted, jewelweed (capensis). The flower ranges from light orange to dark-reddish orange, but always with darker spots across the lip of the flower. Yellow, or pallid, jewelweed (pallida) is less common and seems to do better than orange jewelweed in drier conditions farther from standing water or damp soil.

Under ideal conditions, both jewelweeds grow into lush, full plants as high as 5 feet tall and just as wide if they aren’t crowded. Flowers begin to appear in June and

continue until early autumn. Jewelweeds do surprisingly well in the garden, too, in normal soil with moderate moisture. If they get too rambunctious tossing their seeds around and start to crowd other plants in your garden, the plants are shallow-rooted and easy to pull up. But be sure to share some of the stalks with your ivy-plagued neighbors.

Have questions for Rick about the world of nature in and around the Maryland suburbs, or suggestions for future columns? Drop him a note at rborchelt@gmail.com.

The flowers of jewelweed have a long spur at the end of which is a pollinator’s nectar reward. COURTESY OF TRACIE JEFFRIES

Start by heading east until you reach 5020 Edmonston Road, and you will find yourself at Taquería La Placita. This is where you will find enough variety to satisfy any craving. As you walk in and look to the left, you will see pictures of 30 different tacos on the wall. Point to what looks good and start building your order. They have all the standards — carne asa-

da, pollo, and lengua — but my preferences usually run a little more obscure, so I opted for the cabeza (cow head) and the suadero (lean beef). One bite of the cabeza taco and I was back in San Antonio in the early ‘90s eating barbacoa tacos for breakfast. Don’t forget the sides — you will see stacks of homemade chicharron (fried pork skins) — and try the grilled nopales (cactus) and onions; they are great palate cleansers. Next, head west until you see a

little white house at 4901 Decatur Street that has been converted into the restaurant La Fondita They will have plenty of options, but you should order their house special — the tacos al pastor. Succulent bits of seasoned pork that have been cooked until crispy mingle with grilled onions in a fresh corn tortilla. Buy a lot because these will go quick. Chicken tacos are another good bet — the meat is lean and mild, but when you spoon on the freshly made green salsa, the flavor of the taco is transformed.

If your taco basket is getting filled up and you want to try something a little different, head north to Taquería María Bonita at 5612 Kenilworth Avenue. While you can, and should, order the tacos — the chorizo is the house favorite — the star of the show is the chicken milanesa torta. A seasoned chicken breast is flattened and fried, placed in a toasted soft roll and topped with an avocado spread, cotija cheese, shaved lettuce, and sliced tomato and onion. The creaminess of the avocado and cheese pair perfectly with the crispy chicken — the combination is so good that your “taco nights” may eventually turn into “torta nights.”

Since no meal is complete with-

out dessert, head south to La Neveria Michoacana at 4527 Kenilworth Avenue for a selection of over 40 different flavors of Mexican ice cream and popsicles. You should ask to try some of their more unique choices. Make sure you can handle the chamoy (a spicy sweet-and-sour chili paste) in the mango sorbet. I usually go for a selection of different flavors, each in their own cups, which are then placed in drink trays to stay balanced while in the car. My favorites are the mora and queso (blackberries and cheese) and the pineapple and coconut. If you have someone in the car with you, the ice cream may disappear before you get back home — so plan wisely!

The little white house at 4901 Decatur Street has been converted into the La Fondita restaurant. ALLAN WALTERS

STREETS

At a June 6 meeting at the Hyattsville Municipal Building, one Gateway West resident said she sees Northwestern students in the neighborhood daily during school hours.

“You would think school was letting out,” she said. “We’re seeing kids come out 10, 20 at a time. There are regular kids that eat lunch on the playground. And they have their lunch trays, so I know they’re students.”

The teenager shot around lunchtime in January was, in fact, a Northwestern student. After the incident, residents mobilized by forming a WhatsApp group to petition Stanley Martin for increased security. Chain-link fencing replaced the chicken wire. Three mobile surveillance units were staggered along Carnaby Street — two by Stanley Martin, one by the Hyattsville Police Department (HPD). The fence separating the neighborhood from the school was replaced and repaired. All of this occurred in April.

“It was a little slow,” Natta said, “but they did it.”

And then, on May 2, a 17-yearold was stabbed near the Gateway West playground, along the 3500 block of Carnaby Street.

Although the teenage victim wasn’t a student at Northwestern, Natta says she can confirm, both through being an eyewitness and her doorbell camera footage, that he was meeting a Northwestern student.

At this point, City Councilmember Kareem Redmond (Ward 3) reached out to residents to gauge their interest in meeting with city officials. Many residents had already requested some kind of forum. Because an additional 200 townhouses are currently under construction in the Gateway West development, residents are still not in charge of the HOA, and thus have no organizational structure to lobby on their behalf. Several residents said that when they have complained to individual entities, those complaints have been deflected to other parties involved.

“When we sent emails to each person, it was, ‘Oh, it’s Stanley Martin who has to do that.’ ‘Oh, it’s the school who has to do that.’ ‘Oh, it’s the councilmember who has to do that,’” said Keith Juarez, a Carnaby Street resident.

The resulting June 6 meeting at the municipal building was something of a reckoning; in addition to about 50 Gateway West residents, attendees included Hyattsville Mayor Robert Croslin, several city councilmembers, county State’s

Attorney Aisha Braveboy, county school representatives like school board member Pamela Boozer-Strother (District 3), HPD Chief Jarod Towers, representatives of Stanley Martin Homes, and various city staff members.

A slideshow presentation delivered by Natta at the start of the meeting outlined recent crimes committed at Gateway West: Jan. 5, shooting on Carnaby; Feb. 11, multiple car breakins; Feb. 16, student fistfight on Carnaby; Feb. 21, fire set by Northwestern students; April 2, car break-in; April 16, fence vandalism; May 2, stabbing and theft on Carnaby; May 28, playground vandalism and gang signs; May 28, students filmed shooting BB gun outside high school; June 4, student fight and arrest between Carnaby Street and Stella Blue Drive; June 5, fire set by students, baseball field.

Ultimately, speakers at the meeting narrowed the issues down to two key problems: fencing and truancy. The fence surrounding Northwestern’s campus contains two large gaps that are used by truant students as shortcuts into the Gateway West community.

Back in January, Northwestern resource officer and HPD Acting Lt. Christopher Evans completed a crime walk with residents around the property and concluded that better fencing was needed. Stanley Martin

has repaired the fence twice since then, but someone has knocked it down each time.

“The chain link is being cut by some sort of metal snip or metal cutter,” said Joseph Trubiano, the Maryland division president of Stanley Martin homes. “The other one that’s actually attached by bolts, someone is coming out with a wrench.”

Trubiano went on to say that welding bolts in some of the fencing could be a solution. Towers noted that a prisonquality fence, such as a 10-foot steel fence, is a possibility, but City Administrator Tracey Douglas said that several residents have voiced opposition to such a stark perimeter.

“We do like the idea of fencing, we do think it should be a little more reinforced, we do think it should be a little taller,” Douglas said. “But we do want to be sensitive to the residents who do not want to have a fortress.”

Towers said that although militarized fencing would reduce trespassing, students would still cut through the neighborhood wherever the fencing ends.

“They’re always going to take the path of least resistance,” he said.

On the topic of student truancy, Braveboy said chronic absence from school is a countywide problem, but that Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) is piloting a program that promotes parent

meetings with nonprofits and school counselors. ABCNews7 has reported that the pilot also involves charging more parents with misdemeanors for not sending kids to school.

For Northwestern students leaving campus during the school day, Gary Cunningham, PGCPS director of safety and security services, said the best practice is for Gateway West residents to call the police.

At least one resident, however, said she is “terrified to call the cops on some Black children.”

“I remember the first time I saw it, I called the school and I was like, ‘Some students are at our playground eating. I’ve seen them three times this week,’” the resident said. “And they were like, ‘Call the cops on them.’ It was so matter of fact, like they didn’t care about the students.”

Resident Juarez said he faced similar communication problems when reaching out to the school about errant baseballs from the Northwestern field hitting cars and houses along Carnaby Street.

“I reached out to the principal, I reached out to the athletic director, as well as the board of education representative for District 3 who is in charge of that area,” Juarez said, indicating Boozer-Strother, who was the only person to reply. “I was told for the most part, ‘Why did we place ourselves smack up against Northwestern High School?’ and ‘Maybe we should

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go to the HOA because we can’t tell [the school] how inconvenient it is every time something happens because we bought next to Northwestern High School,’” Juarez said.

Since the meeting, Natta said the school system has been more responsive, particularly the security officer.

“They’ve attended another meeting here at the model home with the builder and some homeowners present,” Natta said.

Still, problems in the community persist. The week of June 18, neighbors found squatters in the home of a Gateway West resident who had moved and put their home up for sale. Then, on June 20, someone set fire to a large swath of grass by the playground.

The residents have formed an impromptu Neighborhood Watch. They take walks along the perimeter of the fence, pick up broken glass bottles and syringes. They set up caution tape around the playground and scrub off graffiti. All of this is coordinated through the chat. At sunset on June 24, as Natta finished talking to this reporter on the 3500 block of Carnaby Street, a police cruiser accelerated past, lights flashing, engine grinding, before coming to an audible halt at the intersection near Natta’s house. She looked over her shoulder at the disturbance and then began walking hurriedly back home, toward the lights.

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SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN AUGUST TO FILL FRANKLIN’S SEAT

Thirteen candidates have registered to run in a special primary election on Aug. 6 to replace former Prince George’s County Councilmember Mel Franklin (At-Large), who resigned in June amid charges of embezzlement, felony theft scheme and perjury.

Council Chair Jolene Ivey (District 5), a Democrat, of Bladensburg, was the first to announce her candidacy for the vacant seat.

Others who filed by the July 5 deadline are eight additional Democratic candidates: Tim Adams, the mayor of Bowie since 2019; former Maryland Del. Angela Angel; Tamara Davis Brown, of Clinton, who ran unsuccessfully for Maryland Senate in 2022; Leo Bachi Eyombo, of Suitland, who made an unsuccessful run for county council in 2022; Marvin E. Holmes Jr., of Upper Marlboro, a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 23B; Kiesha D. Lewis, of Bowie, a self-described federal government whistleblower; Judy Mick-

ens-Murray, of Upper Marlboro, a former member of the county Board of Education; and Gabriel Njinimbot, of Laurel, who ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for the District 4 congressional seat this spring.

Republican candidates include Kamita Gray, of Clinton, a community and environmental activist; Michael Riker, of Cheltenham, a retired police detective; Isaac Toyos, of Riverdale, a legislative affairs analyst for the federal government; and Jonathan White, of Upper Marlboro, a veteran who has worked in government security.

The winners of the Democratic and Republican primaries will face off on Election Day, Nov. 5, when county residents will also vote for candidates for the U.S. House and Senate, and the presidency.

STREETCAR SUBURBS PUBLISHING ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT

Marta McLellan Ross is the new president of the board of directors of Streetcar Suburbs Publishing, the nonprofit that pub-

lishes the Hyattsville Life & Times. McLellan Ross replaced Stephanie Stullich, who served as president for one year and will remain on the board for the coming year. Stullich, who is retired from the U.S. Department of Education, joined the board in January 2021. McLellan Ross, who joined the board in April 2023, led the all-volunteer body through the process of adopting the first strategic plan for the organization, which also publishes the College Park Here & Now and The Laurel Independent. McLellan Ross is the vice president of government and external affairs for NPR. Print editions of the three hy-

perlocal newspapers are published monthly and distributed to every address in their respective cities. The publications are also online at StreetcarSuburbs. News.

JURY INDICTS DRIVER WHO KILLED TWO CHILDREN NEAR RIVERDALE PARK ELEMENTARY

A county grand jury charged a Hyattsville resident with criminally negligent manslaughter in the November 2023 deaths of two children at a crosswalk in front of Riverdale Park Elementary School, according to a June The Washington Post article.

On the morning of Nov. 20, 2023, a 10-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy were walking to school with the boy’s father across the intersection of Riverdale and Taylor Roads, when the crash occurred. The children were taken to a hospital, where they died shortly after, according to the article. The boy’s father was also hit but survived.

Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said

during a news conference that Olga Lugo Jiminez, of Hyattsville, made a turn “that should not have been made unless it was clear that she could make the turn safely.”

Braveboy said Jiminez was driving a passenger van as part of an independent service, not associated with the county school system, that transported community children to school.

Prosecutors said that Jiminez is charged with two counts of criminally negligent manslaughter and two counts of causing serious physical injury or death of a vulnerable individual while operating a motor vehicle.

“It’s a tough case because we know Ms. Jiminez did not intend to hurt or harm anyone,” Braveboy said.

Prosecutors noted that there was no crossing guard at the intersection at the time. The November 2023 incident led to calls for the county police department to prioritize filling school crossing guard positions.

Jiminez failed to appear for a July 5 hearing in Prince George’s County Circuit Court. A trial is scheduled for Oct. 21.

Marta McLellan Ross is the new president of Streetcar Suburbs Publishing. COURTESY OF MARTA

MCLELLAN ROSS