City to purchase land next to Driskell Park
By GRIFFIN LIMERICK
The name seems harmless enough, even nondescript: the lower parcel.
But the plot of land next to Driskell Park has been a muddy battleground since 2017, when Werrlein Properties committed to buy the roughly 4.5-acre parking lot in the 100-year flood
plain from Douglas Development Co., along with the 3.5acre upper parcel on which the Suffrage Point townhouse development now sits.
More park at a price
At a rare lunchtime city council meeting on June 2, the debate drew nearer to its conclusion when the council voted 7-1,
with two abstentions, to enter into a sales agreement to purchase the lower parcel — now to be incorporated into neighboring Driskell Park — for a price of $6.5 million. Councilmembers Eduoard Haba (Ward 4) and Danny Schaible (Ward 2) were the two abstentions, with Sam Denes (Ward 1) providing the lone “no” vote — his last
HES CELEBRATES PRIDE
By ZEPHAN MATTESON
Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) and the county's teachers union are squaring off, as the county faces a staffing crisis in its public schools.
Negotiations between the PGCPS board and the Prince George’s County Educators Association (PGCEA) started in March but have not gone well. On June 4, the PGCEA issued a vote of no confidence in Superintendent Millard House II and his administration.
According to the PGCEA, there are currently not enough teachers at county schools. Because of the lack of staff, regular teachers have to take on increased workloads. This can mean having more kids in classrooms or getting less time for grading, lesson planning and breaks.
“Vacancies drive the workload,”
vote with the city council.
Much of the debate at recent council meetings has stemmed from the price that the city has proposed paying for the property. At the May 19 council meeting, City Administrator Tracey Douglas said that the city had negotiated the lower parcel price down to $7.5 million from the $10.8 million Werrlein pro-
posed last year.
During the public comment period before the May 19 meeting, residents argued that the price was significantly higher than what the land was worth, and that the city would essentially be rewarding Werrlein for intentionally misusing the property these last eight years,
Korean culture comes to library
By JADE TRAN
When Esther Song moved to Maryland in 2018 for her husband’s post-doctoral position at the University of Maryland, she arrived with two young sons, a local community full of unknowns, and a hope for something familiar. The library quickly became that place — a soft landing made of picture books and children’s programs.
That sense of welcome came alive again Saturday, May 24, when laughter and the rustle of fabric filled the Hyattsville library’s art room, where crafts, games and traditional dress brought Korean culture to life for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
The add-on event, held after a dual-language Korean-English story time, drew families of all backgrounds into a transSEE KOREAN ON 9
Drag artist Katie Magician speaks to a crowd at the Hyattsville Elementary School (HES) Pridefest, held on June 6. HES is the first Prince George’s County school to hold a Pridefest; see more photos on p.10 . COURTESY OF JAMIE MCGONNIGAL
including developing the land without required permits.
“I find it galling that we would consider bailing out the developers who have not shown that they are capable of being good stewards of that land,” said Ward 1 resident Sean Carlson. “The taxpayers are going to be on the hook for fixing the problem that the developers caused in the first place.”
The former Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) property sits in the Northwest Branch flood plain, meaning several environmental permits are required for construction. Werrlein has been involved in litigation for its intent to build on the land since 2017 and currently possesses none of the three county land-use permits — nor any of the state or federal environmental permits — required to do so, according to Councilmember Schaible.
The deals that might have been
At the May 19 council meeting, both City Administrator Douglas and Mayor Robert Croslin provided histories of the property and the city’s previous attempts to purchase it. Douglas Development offered both the upper and lower parcels to the City of Hyattsville in 2017 for the price of $7.5 million. After the city declined, Douglas Development sold the property for $4.4 million to Werrlein (the official deed lists the sale date as July 2019), who began developing the upper parcel into Suffrage Point.
Douglas said that Werrlein offered 1.8 acres of the 4.5-acre lower parcel to the city in 2018 for $250,000, but the city once again declined. That parcel included land on the edge of the
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parking lot that the city had maintained as a park for decades, as well as a big new retention pond. Croslin said the city had initially inquired about purchasing the entire lower lot that year, but had been quoted the price of $3.9 million by Werrlein, and so had shifted its focus toward only purchasing part of it.
Councilmember Haba said at the May 19 council meeting that, with the new proposed asking price of $7.5 million for the lower lot, the city had come full circle to the original asking price it didn’t want to pay Douglas Development for both lots in 2017, and that the city had “missed the opportunity.”
“Personally, it’s going to be very difficult for me to support the purchase at this time, of this lot, at that cost,” Haba said.
Developer expenses become taxpayer costs
Douglas said at the May 19 meeting that the price of the lower parcel has increased “because of what [Werrlein] have identified as sunk costs and work that they have done on the site.”
Councilmember Schaible countered that, beyond removing the WSSC parking lot from the property, Werrlein’s construction work and sunk costs seemed minimal.
At the June 2 meeting, Werrlein Vice President of Builders Karl Granzow presented a list of expenses from the past seven years, including the price of demolishing the WSSC building on the upper lot, which Werrlein completed in July 2019 with an expired raze permit; the company has since sold 15 homes on the lot for $1 million or more each, and a number of townhouses priced around $750,000. Granzow also listed legal fees, permitting and closing costs that he sought to have reimbursed by taxpayers.
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Reinforced concrete pipes are stacked on the lower lot, and need to be installed, according to Director of Public Works Lesley Riddle. She added that the temporary stormwater mitigation in place for the construction on the upper lot needs to be improved or removed, and that the two mounds of soil currently kept on the lot as infill to raise the site out of the flood plain need to be graded or removed. At the May 19 meeting, she estimated the cost of these measures at around $1 million, in addition to the then-$7.5 million purchase price.
The $6.5 million deal approved at the June 2 council meeting requires Werrlein to undertake the $1 million in land and stormwater improvements. The company has agreed to conduct a site survey and soil test, remove the temporary sediment trap, grade the lot, and install a stormwater drain that connects to the upper parcel one.
County property tax records place the value of the property at $364,000. Werrlein’s appraisal of the property, completed in February 2024 and acquired by the Life & Times, values the property as-is at $3.3 million. With development of the lots, including stormwater mitigation, that value rises to $5.4 million. Both numbers are significantly lower than the $6.5 million the city now proposes paying Werrlein.
State grant to support purchase
At the May 19 council meeting, Croslin informed the council that the purchase price would be cut nearly in half by a grant the city had received from the Maryland General Assembly, money allotted from the state’s two-year-old Greenspace Equity Program. Croslin used the grant to argue that the city would ultimately be paying no more than
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the 2018 quoted price of roughly $3.9 million for the parcel after the grant was applied.
“The state has given us a reimbursement of $3.5 million,” he said, “which brings that number down to where we started.”
When asked by Councilmember Kareem Redmond (Ward 3) who had asked state legislators for the grant, Croslin informed the council that he himself had.
At the June 2 meeting, Council President Joseph Solomon (Ward 5) read aloud the terms of the agreement with Werrlein, which included two independent appraisals of the property. City Planner Jeff Ulysse said that two appraisals were required by the state for the grant. When Schaible inquired whether the grant’s contingency of having the appraisals done meant that the purchase price had to match the appraisal, Ulysse was noncommittal.
“The appraisals provide some context,” Ulysse said. “The grant program is a review process. However, I’ve been in conversations with the grant administrators, and they are ready to go.”
Croslin added that “the value of the property itself is what the community wants,” and Solomon reminded everyone that it was 1:59 p.m., that some councilmembers had to leave at 2 p.m., and that the council should hurry up with the vote.
According to the Green Equity Program Application from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, two independent appraisals of the property must be completed before the application can be submitted. However, p. 88 of the 2025 state budget bill (House Bill 340/Senate Bill 319) says the $3.5 million “may not be expended for [the purpose of the Greenspace Equity Program] but instead may be used only to provide a grant to the City of Hyattsville to purchase property for a
park,” implying that the city was awarded the money without having to follow the traditional application process.
The council completes the vote
At the May 19 council meeting, Croslin, Solomon and Douglas confirmed that the driving force behind the expedited vote was an attempt to finalize the purchase of the lower parcel before the new city councilmembers, elected May 13, were onboarded, potentially prolonging the process.
“This council has been dealing with this issue, and we have discussed it at length over the course of the last couple of years,” Douglas said at the May 19 meeting. “So my recommendation was that we bring this back because we now have an offer, and that we bring this back and allow me to continue negotiating, with a council that’s already familiar with this.”
At the June 2 council meeting, Ulysse stated that the vote was merely for moving forward with the newly agreed-upon terms — not for the final purchase of the lot — and that the price could still be negotiated. Croslin himself admitted that the “the next council will have an opportunity to be a part of this.”
At that same meeting, Denes said he didn’t see the urgency in the vote and motioned to table the item, but ultimately the council voted not to do so. Councilmembers Denes, Schaible and Emily Strab (Ward 2) voted in favor of tabling it, while the remaining councilmembers and the mayor (7 votes in total) voted not to.
The meeting ended with a roll call vote to adopt the new purchase agreement. As of press time, according to Brooks, the city plans to take on short-term debt to buy the property. Brooks said the city is looking to pay as little interest as possible.
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NEWS BRIEFS
ABREGO GARCIA RETURNED FROM EL SALVADORAN PRISON, FACES CHARGES
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland sheet metal worker, returned to the U.S. on June 6, after being detained in March by federal immigration agents in Prince George’s County. He had been held in prison in El Salvador since March 15.
Also on June 6, Abrego Garcia appeared in a Tennessee court to face charges of human smuggling, the first time he has been charged with a crime. He is being detained in Tennessee pending a bond hearing scheduled June 13.
Federal agents sent Abrego Garcia to an El Salvadoran prison in error. On April 10, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to facilitate his return.
Abrego Garcia entered the U.S. at age 16 in 2011. In 2019, police detained Abrego Garcia for questioning because he was standing near a known MS-13 gang member outside the Hyattsville Home Depot, and there was an active investigation of an MS-13-related murder in the area. Following transfer to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, Abrego Garcia was released six months later with no criminal charges filed, when a judge determined that Abrego Garcia would face persecution from gangs if he returned to El Salvador. He was permit-
ted to work in the U.S.
The Trump administration, over the past few months, has publicized records of interactions that Abrego Garcia had with law enforcement that did not result in criminal charges. These include video of a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee, in which Abrego Garcia was driving a van full of male passengers and told police that he was transporting them from a construction site.
OLIVER STREET SHOOTING UNDER INVESTIGATION
On June 1, around 5:40 p.m., the Hyattsville Police Department (HPD) responded to multiple 911 calls for shots fired at 40th Avenue and Oliver Street.
According to HPD Chief Jarod Towers, the incident did not result in any known injuries. However, a bullet struck a car, according to Towers and the vehicle’s owner.
Police officers retrieved a firearm, according to Towers. The police also stopped a vehicle that was leaving the area. All people in the vehicle were released.
The incident is currently under active investigation, Towers said.
Dozens of community members gathered at a June 5 meeting, held in the Hyattsville Municipal Building, to talk about the incident with city officials.
Multiple people said there had been issues in the area before.
Dominique Stephenson, who lives near the incident and attended the meeting, told the Life & Times she heard yelling while in her car. Once she was inside her house, she heard shots fired. One of the bullets was lodged in her car.
“I've never grown up in a neighborhood like that,” Stephenson said. “I've never been involved in anything similar to that, so to be that close to anything like that physically happening to me was just extremely scary.”
Another neighbor said she was driving by as the incident occured. The woman, who asked that her name not be used because of safety concerns, said she heard gunshots, and also saw several men driving and running east and west on Oliver Street. The woman said the incident was terrifying, and that her children were near the shooting.
HES REBUILD TO INCLUDE PARKING GARAGE, ROOF PLAYGROUND
On April 17, the county planning board approved an application for the demolition of the old Hyattsville Elementary School building and the construction of a new school building on the same 43rd Avenue site.
The existing building, with the excep-
tion of a 50-foot by 30-foot portion (the original portion of the building constructed around 1935), located on the southwest corner of the 2-acre site, is to be demolished, according to planning board documents. The new two-story building will be about 83,200 square feet with a cafeteria on the first floor and a gymnasium on the second floor. The old building was designed to accommodate 421 students, while the new building is designed to accommodate 650.
The plan also includes a two-story parking garage, with 67 parking spaces — four of which will be reserved for electric vehicle charging stations.
The rooftop of the school building will include a playground, a basketball court, two outdoor classrooms with a shade structure, a garden with a raised bed, and seating areas. Two playgrounds are also planned near the building’s entrance.
The county school system is rebuilding Hyattsville Elementary and other outdated county schools using an alternative funding method that engages in a publicprivate partnership, often referred to as P3.
Site work is scheduled to start this fall. The school will be closed during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 school years, and will reopen in fall 2028. During construction, students will use St. Mark’s School, on Adelphi Road, as a swing space.
Overcoming the ‘ick factor’ when sorting food waste
By PAUL RUFFINS
This
ism Fellowship from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
On July 1, the City of Laurel will enter what can be called the third phase of food recycling with an ecological policy too bold for many other jurisdictions
to consider. In 2023, Mayor Craig Moe and the city council decided to fight global warming and save taxpayers about $60 a ton in tipping fees by becoming the first jurisdiction in Maryland to require residents to separate their food waste for recycling. Some organiza-
tions, like grocery stores and colleges, have been required to do this since 2023.
“We have had a voluntary organics recycling program since 2019,” said Michele Blair, Laurel’s sustainability manager. “Now we're going to start enforcing it.”
How far is Laurel ahead of the curve? Let’s examine some recent experiences in Montgomery County, which is still in what could be considered the first phase of food recycling (i.e., where individuals volunteer for pilot programs), and the unincorporated areas of Prince George's County, which
are in a second phase that is countywide but voluntary.
Cecilie Counts is a vegetarian who lives in Silver Spring. Unincorporated parts of Montgomery County use dualstream recycling, so Counts dutifully places her bottles, cans and plastic containers in a separate bin from paper and cardboard. She also has a rolling cart for garbage and puts her yard trim in plastic trash cans. Then, in mid-May, she happened upon a pilot program at a farmers market and received a countertop container and one green compostable bag.
“I didn’t know if I was supposed to put the container out with the other recycling,” she said. “However, when they told me, ‘Bring your food scraps back here for composting,’ I thought, ‘Forget it. I already put my coffee grounds on my
The City of Laurel provides a compact truck that picks up organics for composting. PAUL RUFFINS
A tale of two markets
By IMKE AHLF-WIEN
When I first moved to Hyattsville almost 20 years ago, after three years of living in rural Morocco (where — you guessed it — fresh food is abundant), I had a hard time finding fresh organic produce, freshly baked bread and other artisan goods in local grocery stores. My first go-to supermarket was the Safeway on Hamilton Street, where I enjoyed chatting with Bernie, the friendly cashier, but I wasn’t too happy with the selection of food.
Fortunately, I soon discovered the Riverdale Park Farmers Market, which offered everything I had been searching for. In 1998, two volunteers founded the market to make fresh, local food more accessible. Since 2006, Jim Coleman has been continuing their legacy, running it with passion and dedication.
Located next to the picturesque Riverdale Park train station and its beautiful vintage clock, the market exudes a small-town feel that is hard to find in the buzzing DMV area. I always run into friends and neighbors, and I love to chat with the farmers who, by now, all know me by name. You can find everything from seasonal fruits and vegetables to bread, eggs, milk, cheese and meat; there are many options for prepared foods, as well. And, in the warmer months, you can listen to live music by local performers. But what makes the Riverdale Park Farmers Market truly special is the diversity of its customers. Here, people from
different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds come together; just strolling around for a while, you can hear a half dozen languages — from Arabic to Tagalog.
Because half of Riverdale Park’s population is Hispanic, Venezuelan natives Carlos and Jenny Saly act as Spanish-speaking “ambassadors,” as Coleman likes to call them. They help
educate more of the market’s low-income customers on accepted federal and state food accessibility programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and Maryland Market Money.
The Gateway Farmers Market, at 3716 Rhode Island Avenue, has a vibe of its own, as I discovered on a beautiful Saturday in May. Located right next to
Swiss Chard Frittata
You can make this frittata with ingredients that come almost exclusively from either farmers market. Swiss chard is available in Maryland starting in late May, and onions, garlic, eggs and cheese are also available at both markets. Other leafy greens, such as spinach, work just as well.
Ingredients:
1 bunch Swiss chard, stems cut into ¼-inch slices and leaves chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt (or more, to taste)
pinch of black pepper
6 large eggs
½ to 1 cup cheddar cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch ovenproof skillet. Add the onion and chard stalks, and sauté for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chard leaves, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the leaves are wilted, about 5 more minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and let cool. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Stir in the chard mixture and blend well. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Put the egg-chard mixture back in the skillet, top with cheese, and place in the oven for about 30 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden.
the Bunker Hill fire station, on the border of Brentwood and Mount Rainier, the market is much larger than I expected. Dozens of young families with small children gather on a grassy patch or around picnic tables with coffee and baked goods in hand. Children play, grown-ups are engaged in conversation or run a quick errand to snag a few longed-for goods. It resembles a dream come true, something I would have loved for my family when my kids were little — a place where you can combine chores with
pleasure. I’m impressed by the variety of goods, especially the produce from Fireside Farm of Loudon, Va. I eagerly fill my bag with the farm’s red, green and purple radishes and its tiny white turnips with tender green leaves. In our area, these are rare and elusive treasures.
Market manager Megan Abbot joins me at one of the picnic tables. She and her husband, Gary, moved to Mount Rainier in 2020, and they hatched the idea of a farmers market right away. Abbot said that after pan-
The little peach truck is the Gateway Farmers Market's trademark. IMKE AHLF-WIEN
Making heads (but mostly tails) of the luna moth
By RICK BORCHELT
In the darkness of a humid summer’s night, there’s an arms race going on: It’s bats versus moths, and right now the moths are winning.
At least, luna moths are winning.
Luna moths (Actias luna) are large — as big as your spread hand — bright green and best known for their extravagantly long tails, several times the length of their bodies. Lunas belong to a worldwide group of giant silk moths known as moon moths. Our luna moth has modest tails by comparison to other members of the moon moth clan.
Luna moths are nocturnal, for the most part, with very poor eyesight, so it’s unlikely the tails are purely ornamental or attractive to potential mates. In fact, luna moth males find their females by scent rather than sight.
Luna moths are also rather haphazard flyers, bobbing and weaving and fluttering rather than powering through fields and forests, using their tails as rudders to steer their flight.
Why then, scientists wondered, do all the moon moths have those long, trailing tails on
their hindwings?
Turns out, it’s an elaborate acoustic ruse.
Bats and moths have been embroiled in an evolutionary game of one-upmanship for eons. Bats that feed on flying moths find their prey through echolocation, emitting rapid-fire, high-frequency squeaks that bounce off of a moth in the air,
get picked up again by the bat’s sensitive hearing, and provide a remarkably accurate auditory “picture” of where the prey item is, how it’s moving and how best to grab it.
Some moths are able to hear bat signals and evade capture with a characteristic drop-androll maneuver when the bat closes in. Other moths have
developed their own faux bat squeaks or other sounds to confuse the bats’ sensitive echolocation abilities. And still others broadcast using their own sonar click language to signal to bat predators that the moth tastes bad and should be left alone.
But moon moths are unique in having evolved false targets
for bats to aim at.
The luna moth’s twisted tails twirl in such a way as to fool the bats’ biosonar, creating the impression of a large, meaty target at the end of the tail, rather than where the moth’s actual body is. So, when bats ping their prey with squeaks, and attack, all they get is a mouthful of wing scales or, at best, a piece of hindwing while the moth flutters away otherwise unharmed. (Watch bats being fooled by the twirling hindwings of luna moths at tinyurl. com/m872jm98.)
Most of the world’s moon moths are also in genus Actias, a Latinized version of Actaeus, the mythological first king of Attica and father-in-law of Cecrops, the serpent-king of Athens. Cecrops lends his Latin name to another of our local giant silk moths, the cecropia moth. Most of the world’s 60 Actias moon moths are tropical and get their common name from the translucent windows or faux eyes on the wings that resemble full or crescent moons.
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The European equivalent of our North American luna moth is the Spanish moon moth (Graellsia isabellae), a species found high in the Pyrenees where it feeds on pine trees. It has survived in its pine forest habitat since the Ice Age, when it sought refuge among the pines as the world grew colder. But the mountain refugia the Spanish moon moths found then have changed little in the millennia since the great ice sheets retreated, and the moths have survived here ever since. Whether they will continue to do so in a warming world is unclear.
The Madagascan comet moth (Argema mittrei) takes the deception one step further. The streaming hindwings of this species are the longest of any species in the moon moth group, sometimes as long as eight inches. In addition to luring bats into striking at the end of the long tail, comet moths have scales on their main wings that absorb and dampen the biosonar pings, making the moth’s true body almost invisible to bats.
Male comet moths are the ones who fly widely in search of mates; females are more sedentary, since they’re already near the host plants they grew up on and can simply lay their eggs there once being fertilized. To compensate for the greater
Luna moths are actually well camouflaged unless they settle down against a flat tree trunk. RICK BORCHELT
THE CITY OF HYATTSVILLE
The Hyattsville Reporter
Hyattsville’s City Council! From left to right: Councilmembers Waszczak & Barnes (Ward 1), Councilmembers Schaible & Strab (Ward 2), Councilmembers Dhokai & Redmond (Ward 3), Mayor Croslin, Councilmembers Lee & Haba (Ward 4), Councilmembers Solomon & Nisbett (Ward 5) | ¡El Concejo Municipal de Hyattsville! A izquierda a la derecha: Concejales Waszczak & Barnes (Distrito 1), Concejales Schaible & Strab (Distrito 2), Concejales Dhokai & Redmond (Distrito 3), Alcalde Croslin, Concejales Lee & Haba (Distrito 4), Concejales Solomon & Nisbett (Distrito 5)
Welcome new Councilmembers!
Hyattsville’s new and returning Councilmembers were sworn in at an Oath of Office Ceremony on June 2. Congratulations to returning Councilmembers Emily Strab (Ward 2) and Edouard Haba (Ward 4), and welcome to new Councilmembers Greg Barnes (Ward 1), Gopi Dhokai (Ward 3) and Kelson Nisbett (Ward 5)!
At the June 2 Council meeting, the City issued proclamations recognizing the service of our retiring Councilmembers, Sam Denes (Ward 1), Jimmy McClellan (Ward 3), and Rommel Sandino (Ward 5). We are grateful for their leadership and dedication to improving the lives of Hyattsville’s residents!
PRIDE MONTH SUMMER JAM
Happy Pride Month Hyattsville! We are grateful for the support, contributions, and diversity of Hyattsville’s LGBTQ+ community. Find local programs and events celebrating Pride Month at hyattsville.org/pride.
¡Bienvenidos nuevos
concejales!
Los concejales nuevos y anteriores de Hyattsville prestaron juramento en una ceremonia de juramentación el 2 de junio. Felicitamos a los concejales regresando Emily Strab (Distrito 2) y Edouard Haba (Distrito 4), y damos la bienvenida a los nuevos concejales Greg Barnes (Distrito 1), Gopi Dhokai (Distrito 3) y Kelson Nisbett (Distrito 5).
En la reunión del Consejo del 2 de junio, la Ciudad emitió proclamaciones en reconocimiento al servicio de nuestros concejales salientes, Sam Denes (Distrito 1), Jimmy McClellan (Distrito 3) y Rommel Sandino (Distrito 5). Agradecemos su liderazgo y dedicación para mejorar la vida de los residentes de Hyattsville.
Join your neighbors at the kick-off for the City’s Summer Jam series at our Pride Month themed Summer Jam on June 20 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Driskell Park, 3911 Hamilton Street! Wear your Pride best and celebrate with live music, a community singa-long, local food vendors, and family-friendly activities. Start your summer off bright!
Details at hyattsville.org/summerjams.
MES DEL ORGULLO - FIESTA DE VERANO
¡Feliz Mes del Orgullo, Hyattsville! Agradecemos el apoyo, las contribuciones y la diversidad de la comunidad LGBTQ+ de Hyattsville. Encuentre eventos y programas locales para celebrar el Mes del Orgullo en hyattsville.org/ pride.
¡Acompañe a sus vecinos en el inicio de la serie de Fiestas de Verano de la Ciudad con un evento temático del Orgullo el 20 de junio de 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. en el Parque Driskell, 3911 Hamilton Street! Use sus mejores colores del Orgullo y celebre con música en vivo, canto communitario, vendedores de comida local y actividades familiares. ¡Comience el verano con alegría!
Detalles en hyattsville.org/summerjams.
ANNOUNCEMENTS | ANUNCIOS
PARKING UPDATES
A reminder that all residential parking permits are due for renewal in 2025! Zone 9B is open for renewal through June 30. Find the renewal portal at hyattsville.org/parking. This is the final renewal window; if you have not previously renewed your permit please visit hyattsville.org/parking to request a new permit.
Additionally, beginning this month, fines for vehicles illegally parked in designated special needs spaces will increase to $500. This update is intended to protect access to these reserved spots for the community members who rely on them. Questions? Contact parking@hyattsville.org.
FACADE GRANT DEADLINE JUNE 20
The deadline for businesses to apply for the Commercial Façade Improvement Program is June 20! This program offers matching grants up to $35,000 for Hyattsville business and property owners to enhance their building’s exterior. Details at hyattsville.org/biz-grants.
BUSINESS LICENSE RENEWALS
All businesses in Hyattsville must have a City license, renewed annually by June 30. Businesses will be inspected as part of the renewal. Apply at hyattsville.org/permit.
MOSQUITO SEASON
The State of Maryland has resumed residential mosquito surveillance & spraying through the end of September. Spraying occurs when risk thresholds are met in our area. Sign up for spraying alerts, report problem areas, or request spraying exemptions at hyattsville.org/mosquito or by calling (410) 841-5870. Find simple strategies to reduce the need for spraying at hyattsville.org/mosquito.
NOISE ORDINANCE REMINDER
As warm weather brings more outdoor fun, a friendly reminder that loud noise with the potential to disturb neighbors is prohibited from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Fireworks are also illegal in Maryland without a permit. Call the Hyattsville Police non-emergency line at (301) 985-5060 for noise complaints during evening hours.
HOME WEATHERIZATION & REPAIR SERVICES
Beat the summer heat and reduce your energy bills with free or low-cost home upgrades available through community partner programs. From insulation and duct sealing to HVAC repairs, these improvements can make your home safer and more comfortable during the heat. Find eligibility requirements and application information at hyattsville.org/homerepair.
JUNETEENTH SERVICE CHANGES
On June 19, the City proudly commemorates Juneteenth, celebrating freedom and the enduring resilience of the African American community. Explore regional programs that honor this significant day at hyattsville.org/juneteenth!
ACTUALIZACIONES DE ESTACIONAMIENTO
Le recordamos que todos los permisos de estacionamiento residencial deben renovarse en 2025. La Zona 9B está abierta para renovación hasta el 30 de junio. Encuentre el portal de renovación en hyattsville.org/parking. Este es el último plazo de renovación; si aún no ha renovado su permiso, visite hyattsville.org/parking para solicitar uno nuevo.
Además, a partir de este mes, las multas por vehículos estacionados ilegalmente en espacios designados para personas con necesidades especiales aumentarán a $500. Esta actualización tiene como objetivo proteger el acceso a estos espacios reservados para los miembros de la comunidad que dependen de ellos. ¿Preguntas? Comuníquese con parking@hyattsville.org.
FECHA LÍMITE DE SUBVENCIÓN PARA FACHADA: 20 DE JUNIO
La fecha límite para que los negocios soliciten el Programa de Mejora de Fachadas Comerciales es el 20 de junio. Este programa ofrece subsidios equivalentes de hasta $35,000 para que propietarios de negocios y propiedades en Hyattsville mejoren el exterior de sus edificios. Detalles en hyattsville.org/biz-grants.
RENOVACIÓN DE LICENCIAS COMERCIALES
Todos los neogcios en Hyattsville deben contar con una licencia de la Ciudad, renovada anualmente antes del 30 de junio. Como parte del proceso, los negocios serán inspeccionados. Solicite en línea en hyattsville.org/permits.
TEMPORADA DE MOSQUITOS
El estado de Maryland ha reanudado la vigilancia y fumigación residencial contra mosquitos hasta finales de septiembre. La fumigación se realiza cuando se alcanzan los umbrales de riesgo en nuestra zona. Regístrese para recibir alertas de fumigación, reporte áreas problemáticas o solicite exenciones de fumigación en hyattsville.org/mosquito o llamando al (410) 841-5870. Encuentre estrategias sencillas para reducir la necesidad de fumigar en hyattsville.org/mosquito.
RECORDATORIO SOBRE ORDENAZA DE RUIDOS
Con la llegada del clima cálido y más actividades al aire libre, recordamos amablemente que los ruidos fuertes que puedan molestar a los vecinos están prohibidos entre las 8 p.m. y las 8 a.m. según la ordenanza de ruido de la Ciudad. Los fuegos artificiales también son ilegales en Maryland sin permiso. Llame a la línea no urgente de la Policía de Hyattsville al (301) 985-5060 para reportar quejas de ruido durante las noches.
PROGRAMAS DE REPARACION Y ACONDICIONAMIENTO
Enfrente el calor del verano y reduzca sus facturas de energía con mejoras en el hogar gratuitas o de bajo costo a través de programas comunitarios. Desde aislamiento y sellado de ductos hasta reparaciones de HVAC, estas mejoras pueden hacer que su hogar sea más seguro y cómodo durante los meses de calor. Encuentre requisitos de elegibilidad e información para aplicar en hyattsville. org/ homerepair.
Hyattsville’s offices will be closed on June 19. Thursday’s and Friday’s trash routes will both be collected on Friday, June 20. There is no change to City yard waste and compost pick up. Thursday’s recycling moves to Friday and Friday’s recycling moves to Saturday. Visit hyattsville.org/waste for details.
CAMBIOS EN LOS SERVICIOS POR EL DÍA DE JUNETEENTH
El 19 de junio, la Ciudad conmemora con orgullo el Día de Juneteenth, celebrando la libertad y la resiliencia perdurable de la comunidad afroamericana. Explore programas regionales que honran esta fecha significativa en hyattsville.org/juneteenth.
Las oficinas de la Ciudad estarán cerradas el 19 de junio en honor a Juneteenth. Las rutas de recolección de basura de jueves y viernes se realizarán ambas el viernes 20 de junio. No hay cambios en la recolección de desechos de jardín ni compostaje. La recolección de reciclaje del jueves se traslada al viernes, y la del viernes al sábado. Visite hyattsville.org/waste para más detalles.
CALENDAR | CALENDARIO
FREE ZUMBA CLASSES
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4 - 5 PM at the City Building!
SEATED EXERCISES
Older adults can join on Wednesdays, 10 - 11 AM. at the City Building. Register: hyattsville.org/seniors or 301-985-5000.
DRISKELL PARK
ENTRANCE CLOSURE & COMMUNITY PAINT
The entrance to Driskell Park at 3911 Hamilton Street is closed until late June for repainting. Enter at the Hamilton Splash Park, 3905 Hamilton, during the closure.
Help repaint at Community Paint Days on June 13, 14, & 15! Registration required at hyattsville.org/calendar.
SAFER STREETS
MEETING
The Prince George’s County Dept. of Public Works & Transportation will host a virtual meeting on June 10, 7-8 PM to discuss the Belcrest Road improvement project. Registration link at hyattsville.org/streets.
BOARD GAMES WITH LADIES & GENTS
Older adults can enjoy games & conversation on June 12, 10–11:30 AM! Register at hyattsville.org/ seniors or call (301) 9855000.
CARE PARTNER
SUPPORT GROUP
Meet with other caregivers on June 13 & 27, 9:30 - 10:45 AM at the City Building. Register: hyattsville.org/calendar.
TROLLEY TRAIL DAY
Community members of all ages can join free activities at 10 hubs along the Trolley Trail on June 14, 9 AM – 8 PM! Events include live music, fitness classes, games, local food & more. Schedule: trolleytrailday.org.
REGISTER FOR CAMP STAYCATION!
Camp Staycation is a FREE summer program from June 23 – August 14 for students in grades 6-12! Activities include weekly arts workshops and local trips. Spaces are limited. Registration opens June 17 at hyattsville.org/camps.
FREE PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION
Pick up bags of free produce on June 17, at the First United Methodist Church, 6201 Belcrest Rd., starting at noon.
WARD 5 CHECK-IN
Meet with Ward 5
Councilmembers Solomon & Nisbett to discuss community issues on June 17, 6:30-8:30 PM at The Sovren, 5865 LIttle Branch Run.
CERT: STOP THE BLEED TRAINING
Learn to identify lifethreatening bleeding and take action with the CERT team and the University of Maryland Medical Center on June 18, 6:30 PM at the City Building. No medical experience needed! Register at hyattsville.org/ calendar.
JUNETEENTH
City offices are closed June 19 in observance of the holiday. Find waste service changes at hyattsville.org/ juneteenth.
SUMMER JAM
Join your neighbors for a party at our Pride Month Summer Jam on June 20, 5:30 - 8: 30 PM at Driskell Park. Details at hyattsville. org/summerjams.
INVASIVE REMOVAL
Remove invasive plants from Driskell Park on June 21, 10 AM - 2 PM! RVSP to environment@hyattsville. org.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKS
The Prince George’s County Department of Parks & Rec presents ‘A Comedy of Errors’ on June 26 at 7:30 PM in Driskell Park as part of their annual Shakespeare in the Parks’ series. Free event, no tickets needed. Details at hyattsville.org/ calendar.
DIAPER DISTRIBUTION
FREE diaper distribution on June 27, 9:30 - 11 AM at the City Building. Proof of the child’s date of birth is required. Details at hyattsville.org/calendar.
BETTER BUS LAUNCH
Starting June 29, Metrobus routes and schedules will change as part of Metro’s Better Bus Initiative. Visit wmata.com to view updated maps.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
City offices are closed July 4 in observance of the holiday. Find waste service changes at hyattsville.org/ waste.
CLASES GRATUITAS DE ZUMBA
Lunes y miércoles, 4 - 5 PM en el Edificio Municipal!
EJERCICIOS SENTADOS
Los adultos mayores pueden unirse los miércoles, 10 - 11 AM. en el Edificio Municipal. Inscríbase: hyattsville.org/seniors o 301-985-5000.
CIERRE DE LA ENTRADA DEL PARQUE DRISKELL Y PINTURA COMMUNITARIA
La entrada al Parque
Driskell, ubicado en 3911 Hamilton St., estará cerrada hasta fines de junio por trabajos de pintura. Entre por el Hamilton Splash Park, ubicado en 3905 Hamilton 3905, durante el cierre.
¡Ayude a pintar en los Días de Pintura Comunitaria los días 13, 14 y 15 de junio! Inscríbase en hyattsville.org/ calendar.
REUNIONES PÚBLICAS
‘CALLES SEGURAS PARA TODOS’
El Departamento de Obras Públicas y Transporte del Condado de Prince George organizará una reunión virtual el 10 de junio, de 7-8 PM para hablar sobre el proyecto de mejora de Belcrest Road. El enlace de inscripción está disponible en hyattsville.org/streets.
JUEGOS DE MESA
¡Únase a nosotros para los Los adultos mayores pueden disfrutar de juegos y conversaciones el 12 de junio de 10 - 11:30 AM! Inscríbase: hyattsville.org/ seniors o llame al (301) 985-5000.
GRUPO DE APOYO PARA CUIDADORES
Reunirse con otros cuidadores en los días 13 y 27 de junio, de 9:30 - 10:45 AM en el Edificio Municipal. Inscríbase: hyattsville.org/ calendar.
DIA DEL TROLLEY TRAIL
Miembros de la comunidad de todas las edades podrán disfrutar de actividades gratuitas en 10 puntos a lo largo de la Trolley Trail el 14 de junio, de 9 AM - 8 PM. Los eventos incluyen música en vivo, clases de fitness, juegos, comida local y mucho más. Visite: trolleytrailday.org.
CAMPAMENTO
VACACIONAL!
Camp Staycation es un programa de verano GRATUITO del 23 de junio al 14 de agosto para estudiantes de 6 a 12 grado. Las actividades incluyen talleres de arte semanales y excursiones locales. Las plazas son limitadas. Las inscripciones abren el 17 de junio en hyattsville.org/ camps.
DISTRIBUCIÓN DE ALIMENTOS GRATIS
Recoge bolsas de productos gratis el 17 de junio en mediodia, en el Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida, 6201 Belcrest Rd.
REUNIÓN DEL DISTRITO 5
Reúnase con los concejales del Distrito 5, para discutir temas de la comunidad el 17 de junio, de 6:30-8:30 PM en The Sovren, 5865 Little Branch Run.
REUNIÓN CERT –CAPACITACIÓN “PARA EL SANGRADO”
Aprenda a identificar hemorragias potencialmente mortales y a actuar con el equipo CERT y el Centro Médico de la Universidad de Maryland el 18 de junio a las 6:30 PM en el Edificio Municipal.
¡No se necesita experiencia médica! Regístrese en hyattsville.org/calendar.
JUNETEENTH
Las oficinas municipales estarán cerradas el 19 de junio por este feriado. Consulte los cambios en el servicio de recolección de residuos en hyattsville.org/ waste.
NUEVA RED DE AUTOBUSES
A partir del 29 de junio, las rutas y horarios de los autobuses Metrobus cambiarán como parte de la iniciativa Better Bus de Metro. Visite wmata. com para ver los mapas actualizados.
FIESTA DE VERANO Únete a tus vecinos para una fiesta en nuestra Fiesta de Verano del Mes del Orgullo el 20 de junio, de 5:30-8:30 PM, en Driskell Park. Más información en hyattsville.org/ summerjams.
REMOCIÓN
DE VIDES
¡Remover plantas invasivas de Driskell Park el 21 de junio de 10 AM - 2 PM! RVSP a environment@ hyattsville.org.
SHAKESPEARE EN EL PARQUE
El Departamento de Parques y Recreación del Condado de Prince George presenta “Una Comedia de Errores” el 26 de junio a las 7:30 PM en el Parque Driskell como parte de su ciclo anual “Shakespeare en los Parques”. Evento gratuito, sin necesidad de entradas. Más información en hyattsville.org/calendar.
DISTRIBUCIÓN DE PAÑALES
Distribución gratuita de pañales el 27 de junio en el Edificio Municipal de 9:30 - 11 AM. Se requiere prueba de la fecha de nacimiento del niño. hyattsville.org/ calendar.
DÍA DE LA INDEPENDENCIA
Las oficinas municipales estarán cerradas el 4 de julio por este feriado. Consulte los cambios en el servicio de recolección de residuos en hyattsville.org/ waste.
HIGHLIGHTS | LO DESTACADO
Participants in the “Hyattsville is Home” art class series shared their final works at an art show this June. This program, hosted in partnership with Art Works Now, provides Hyattsville’s older residents a chance to learn or practice art skills while building confidence and community. Learn more about our older adult programs at hyattsville.org/seniors. | Los participantes del ciclo de clases de arte “Hyattsville es Hogar” presentaron sus obras finales en una exposición de arte este junio. Este programa, organizado en colaboración con Art Works Now, ofrece a los residentes mayores de Hyattsville la oportunidad de aprender o practicar habilidades artísticas, a la vez que desarrollan su confianza y un sentido de comunidad. Obtenga más información sobre nuestros programas para adultos mayores en hyattsville.org/seniors.
MISS FLORIBUNDA
Haste makes wastelands
Dear Miss Floribunda,
Like last month’s working mom, I don’t have a lot of time for gardening, and I don’t know how long I’m going to be staying in my house, so I am not going to build up a long-term ecosystem. I don’t think this should keep me from planting a few tomatoes and other veggie plants without having to worry too much about bugs and diseases or spend my free time weeding. You seem dead set against chemical controls, but I really don’t see why they are a problem in just the home garden. I don’t see any other way to successfully grow vegetables for my family otherwise. Surely my backyard isn’t the only place a pollinator can call home!
Too Busy To Save Bees on Buchanan Street
Dear Too Busy,
I shared your letter with my experts. The reactions of my Aunt Snapdragon and Cousin Moribunda were particularly vehement. They demanded to know whether you were too busy to fill your car with gas when the gauge showed empty; too busy to change a diaper, put a meal on the table or call the doctor; too busy in your workplace to establish priorities based on important criteria? Are you too busy to make an effort to preserve the planet for your children?
While understanding how difficult it is to find time for all you need to do, I join them in urging you to be aware that our backyards are the last refuge for pollinators displaced by overbuilding in their natural habitats of meadows, flood plains and forests. Providing a refuge for the birds, insects, bats and other creatures that pollinate plant life is too often considered just a sentimental gesture rather than essential for the survival of life on Earth.
Fruit and vegetables cannot develop or reproduce without the spreading of pollen. Grains like corn, wheat and rice are wind-pollinated, but these grains are generally grown by agribusinesses that find it easier and more profitable to use chemicals that not only eliminate weeds but also avian and insect life. Furthermore, these chemicals are also considered by many reputable sources to foster virulent strains of cancer, Parkinson’s disease, genetic damage and infertility in humans.
The purpose of having a home garden is not only to provide a haven for the pollinators, but also to have a safe source of food for ourselves. Should you have a real infestation of harmful pests, you could spray with neem or garlic oil, which would be no more trouble than spraying toxic insecticides.
Rather than using a molluscicide, you can put out beer for slugs, allowing them to die happy; you can spread diatomaceous earth to eliminate cutworms, and coffee grounds to deter moles; you can plant mint to keep ants off peonies. Many herbs, as well as attractive flowering companion plants like marigolds, borage and nasturtiums, repel pests.
Please bear in mind that even if you are willing to risk the health of your own family by using commercially available products that contain harmful chemicals, you are also endangering your neighbors. Weed-killing sprays that contain glyphosates are wind-borne and do not remain in your garden. They spread to the gardens around you. Organophosphate insecticides can contaminate soil and water. When you move away, you will leave a dreadful legacy to those who buy your home.
Should you have good reason to be afraid of bees, you would want to cover yourself up well when gardening — wearing long sleeves, long pants and gloves, even a hat with a face net. Do not wear any sweetsmelling lotion or patterned clothing. Bees are attracted to the colors blue and yellow, but cannot see red. The best bet is to wear neutral colors, such as beige or khaki. In general, bees only wish to work undisturbed and are not aggressive.
As for weeds, certain ones actually benefit pollinators and can be tolerated. Why not encourage your children to help with such garden tasks as weeding, watering and harvesting? The first crop will be a joyful revelation to most children. They will be delighted by the ladybugs that control aphids and the fireflies that eat mosquito larvae.
If there are creepy crawly caterpillars eating holes in a few leaves, help your children to see their cuteness and understand that they turn into beautiful butterflies and moths. Learning about our interdependence with our fellow creatures is just as important as learning computer science or playing softball.
If you would like to discuss good gardening with experi-
enced gardeners, please come to the next meeting of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society on Saturday, June 21, at 10 a.m. It will take place in the Robert J. King Memorial King Park on Gallatin Street.
Miss Floribunda writes about gardening for the Life & Times. You may email her at Floribundav@ gmail.com.
Our backyards are the last refuge for pollinators such as bees, birds, insects and other creatures that are essential for the survival of life on Earth. UNSPLASH
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Find more local events all month long in our continuously updated online calendar at StreetcarSuburbs.News/events.
Here’s our list of events sponsored by local nonprofits, arts organizations and performance venues, occurring between June 12 and July 9; all information is current as of June 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 July 10 and Aug. 13 to managingeditor@ hyattsvillelife.com by July 3
RECURRING
Weekly acoustic blues jams, in the Piedmont blues tradition. Listeners welcome! Free. Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, 4502 Hamilton St. acousticblues.com
Riverdale Park Farmers Market is open every Thursday from 3 to 7 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. (June 12: Sadia; June 19: Rick Franklin; June 26: Band Brûlée; July 3: The Glen Echoes). For more information, contact rpkfarmmkt@gmail.com.
Sharpen your drawing skills in a relaxed, informal setting at the 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,
JUNETEENTH EVENTS
JUNE 20
Riversdale House Museum celebrates Juneteenth with free historic house tours. Register at pgparksdirect.com. Noon and 2 p.m. 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420. riversdale@pgparks.com
JUNE 24
Celebrate Juneteenth with Ms. Story’s Living History, where actress Shemika Renee brings to life the powerful stories of Black women who shaped history. Free. 6 to 7 p.m. Register at pgcmls.info/events. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451
p.m. Maryland Meadworks, 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 301.955.9644. marylandmeadworks.com
JUNE 18
Have fun crafting and creating in honor of Pride Month — from friendship bracelets to paper rainbows — at Crafternoon: Pride Month. Supplies are provided. Free. 3 to 5 p.m. Register at pgcmls.info/events. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451
JUNE 20
Fast Eddie & The Slowpokes bring the blues to Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. 4824 Rhode Island Ave. Streetcar82brewing.com
JUNE 25
6 to 9 p.m. 4218 Gallatin St. hyattsvillefiguredrawing@gmail. com
Early Bird Serenity Al-Anon. Support for friends and families of alcoholics based on the 12-step program. Free, all are welcome. Virtual meetings every Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information and Zoom link, email ebsalanon@gmail.com.
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
ONGOING
“Press on” is a juried exhibition on the art of letterpress. Through July 13.
Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, 4218 Gallatin St. pyramidatlanticartcenter.org. 301.608.9101
JUNE 13
Sy Smith brings her multilayered vocal virtuosity and storytelling to her performance, “Black Music Heals.” $15 for ages 60 and better. 11 a.m to noon. Purchase tickets through pgparksdirect.com. Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Rd., Cheverly. 301.277.1710. publickplayhouse@pgparks.com
Celebrate Friday the 13th at karaoke night with the Eisen sisters. Free. 7 to 10
JUNE 28
As part of Route 1 Corridor Conversations, join cybersecurity expert Heidi Weber and learn how to recognize and avoid the rising threat of electronic fraud in today’s digital age. Attendees can join via telephone or Zoom. Free. 2 to 3:30 p.m. Register at hyattsvilleaginginplace.org/ events.
Potecasi Slade Band performs at Maryland Meadworks. Free. 7 to 10 p.m. 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 301.955.9644. marylandmeadworks.com
JULY 2
Kick off Summer Prince George's on the terrace! Drop by to register and enjoy outdoor activities and prizes (while supplies last). Free. 4 to 5:30 p.m. Register at pgcmls.info/events. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451
Come listen to “Musical Encounters,” as part of Riversdale House Museum’s outdoor summer concert series. Free. 7 to 8 p.m. Register at pgparksdirect.com. 4811 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420. riversdale@ pgparks.com
REWILDING
FROM PAGE 6
travel risks he takes, the male’s tails are about twice as long as the female’s.
All this deception might work at night with bats, but what about during the day? One could think that these long tails would stand out in the environment during daylight and make luna moths easy pickings for the birds, lizards and mice that like nothing better than a luna lunch. But it turns out the tails are actually pretty good camouflage, too, breaking up the typical moth silhouette and making it surprisingly hard to see the luna moth at rest.
Watch for adult luna moths throughout the spring and summer at porch or street lights — they are inordinately attracted to artificial lights. And be sure to leave your autumn leaves on the ground instead of raking them up: Unlike our other giant silk moths, the caterpillars of luna moths spin their cocoons on the ground in a blanket of leaves rather than on a shrub or tree branch.
Come to Lawyer in the Library: Tenants' Rights and Housing Clinic for free one-on-one legal services on matters related to housing, landlord/tenant disputes and tenants' rights — first come, first served for eligible individuals. 3 to 5 p.m. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451
JULY 4
Celebrate Independence Day at the Stars, Stripes & Shamrocks party with the O’McPub Band, a Marylandbased Irish folk duo. Free. 2 to 5 p.m. Streetcar 82 Brewing Co., 4824 Rhode Island Ave. streetcar82brewing.com
The tips of a luna moth's streaming tail are cupped to spin during flight. COURTESY OF JUDY GALLAGHER
questions about this column at rborchelt@gmail.com.
Rick Borchelt is a botanist and science writer who gardens and writes about natural history at his home in College Park. Reach him with
formed room. Pink, mint green and red hanbok — traditional Korean formalwear — hung on the wall.
“Try on which one you like the best,” said Heather Jackson, area director of the county’s west area libraries, helping a child into a dress. “This is going to look really beautiful on you.”
Song, a Korean native and longtime library patron, led both the story time and the cultural event. With a ukulele tucked under her arm, she opened the morning by reading Where’s Halmoni? by Julie Kim to over 35 attendees, Jackson said. The book, Song noted, was evenly woven in both languages, each section not just a translation, but its own voice.
Following the story time, Song invited visitors to write their names on notecards in English. One by one, she translated them into Korean and carefully drew out each character — a gesture she hoped would create a sense of neighborly warmth.
At one end of the room, kids giggled over old-school Korean games — some made popular again by Netflix’s “Squid Game.” Song introduced a plastic stone-tossing game called gonggi that she said originated in the 19th century.
“It reminds me of jacks,” one adult said, while others nodded. Along the aisle of the wooden tables, attendees hurled black box blocks — stand-ins for traditional rocks — in mock battles. Nearby, a game tested players’ footwork as they kicked and balanced a shiny silver-and-yellow object like a soccer ball.
“You might recognize it if you watch ‘Squid Game,’” Song’s son told a father and daughter crouched over the black box game.
The space was alive with activity: Children twirled in hanbok under the watchful eyes of parents snapping photos, toddlers bobbed between tables, and kids clustered around a whiteboard “spelling wall” lined with scattered red, yellow and green blocks to learn Korean characters.
The wooden tables offered crafts and cultural objects that appealed across generations. Song moved through the room, adjusting sleeves, picking out jackets and checking how each dress fit.
In a room buzzing with cross-
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has experienced the library as a hub of community, Song said. She quickly learned the library was going to be a place not just for her kids, but for herself.
Last year, she signed up for a ukulele class offered in partnership with the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation. In between classes, she practiced alongside YouTube videos.
That instrument, now a staple in her storytelling, gave her a way to give back.
“I just wanted to contribute, as a Korean, [to] Asian Pacific Heritage Month," she said.
“Even though we can’t travel all around the world, we can have a chance to experience other languages and culture in the library. I think it’s a great privilege.”
Saturdays at the library are
LOCAVORE
cultural curiosity, Jackson said the library’s mission goes beyond celebrating heritage to encouraging school readiness through mixed-age activities. She watched as Kaya, a young visitor, quickly picked up the “Squid Game” activity just by observing older kids play.
“In Korea, the library is usually a very quiet place for reading and borrowing books,” Song said. “But my concept of the library has changed since arriving here. Now, the library is a place where mothers can read aloud to their kids, toddlers can play and dance, and learn almost everything.”
With her two sons exploring arts and crafts, building with LEGO bricks, learning chess and even farming, Song’s family
demic-induced isolation, bringing the community together was even more important — and in April 2024, the market opened its doors. The couple drew on Gary’s contacts from his previous job as a farm-totable café owner. Other vendors were looking for a new Saturday location after the 14th and U Farmers Market in the District closed in 2023, and local institutions like Riverdale Park’s Manifest Bread jumped right in. Early in its second year, the market already has a solid vendor and customer base. According to Abbot, many of the market’s customers are recently laid-off federal workers, who meet informally “for solidarity, support and job searching.” When a woman standing nearby tells us that she just lost her job as a government employee, she and Abbot share a hug. The three of us agree that the market offers a respite in stressful times. Both markets truly have this in common.
typically busy, especially during the rainy season, but attendance often dips as the weather warms. With Song’s ukulele and dual-language storytelling, the library offered something new.
“Typically, our Saturday story times are bilingual, usually Spanish and English,” Jackson said. “So it was a gift that Esther was willing to do it in Korean and give the families something a little different.”
“These programs make the immigrant family feel they’re welcomed to the community,” Song said. “That means a lot and helps them to adjust to a new life in the U.S. Our family is living proof of that.”
Tran is an undergraduate journalism student at the University of Maryland.
Riverdale Park Farmers Market is open year-round on Thursdays, 3 to 7 p.m. (winter hours: 3 to 6:30 p.m.). Gateway Farmers Market is open on Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., from the beginning of April to the end of November, with some winter pop-up dates. Find more information about both markets on Facebook and Instagram.
Imke Ahlf-Wien is a nutrition educator with a passion for fresh, locally procured foods.
Jade
Hanbok — traditional Korean formalwear — hangs on the wall during a May 24 Korean cultural event and story time at the Hyattsville Branch Library. JADE TRAN
Fireside Farm's colorful radishes at the Gateway Farmers Market IMKE AHLF-WIEN
PRIDEFEST
SCHOOLS
said Donna Christy, PGCEA president. “Teachers are having to take extra classes, or classes are being divided up, and kids are being added to their classes, so there's that many more kids they have to grade for, and plan for, and manage on top of what they normally would have to do.”
Christy pointed to the pay discrepancy between what PGCPS teachers get and what teachers in Montgomery County or D.C. public school systems get as fueling the staffing issues.
“It was one thing when we paid less, when Prince George’s was the only place with vacancies,” Christy said. “But now that every district has vacancies, and teachers can go to whatever district is paying the most, teachers are exercising that option.”
Both the Montgomery County and D.C. systems have higher
negotiated salaries for teachers. For instance, a PGCPS educator with just a bachelor's on their second salary step with a 10-month contract makes $56,731. In Montgomery County, that teacher would make over $63,000, and in D.C., that teacher would make over $64,000.
Prince George’s County Councilmember Wala Blegay (District 6) said that educators' needs have to be addressed.
“There has to be something given, even meeting the teachers halfway, which hasn't been done, to get them the pay that they want,” Blegay said. “Because if not, we're just going to see a continuing mass exodus of teachers, and then we're going to have a hard time keeping new teachers.”
The county has turned to hiring more conditionally licensed teachers to fill the void.
Schools in Maryland can hire someone with a degree in any area as a conditional educa-
tor. Once hired, the educator is expected to obtain a teaching degree and become professionally certified within a set amount of years.
Christy said that in other Maryland school districts, these conditionally licensed teachers are often experienced educators who are “just waiting on one or two I’s to be dotted or T’s to be crossed,” but Prince George’s County is becoming increasingly reliant on educators who are making complete career changes.
These conditionally licensed educators are expected to teach classes in areas that they may have very little experience in, and with very little training, according to Christy. Additionally, they have to complete coursework to become professionally certified, which adds to their workload.
“In addition to teaching and doing all the things that a regularly standard licensed teacher is doing, you're also taking all
the courses that you need to then become a professional licensed educator,” Christy said.
“They need a lot more support, and those supports just aren’t there.”
According to Christy, many of these teachers don’t stay in the school system long enough to become fully certified.
“It's a revolving door,” Christy said. “They thought they wanted to do this, and then, because they're overwhelmed, [and] they’re not supported sufficiently, they don't even last the five years to get the license.”
Conditionally licensed teachers in Maryland have five years to become fully certified. Conditionally licensed special educators have three years to do so.
According to the Maryland State Department of Education, this year there were over 6,000 conditionally licensed teachers across the state, and they made up 10% of the teaching workforce.
The deadline for a new contract to be signed is June 30, which means the two sides need to come to a tentative agreement by June 10, according to Christy.
In a written statement, Superintendent House said that PGCPS and the teachers union are engaged in “open negotiations to thoroughly consider nearly 40 proposals while balancing looming budget impacts, the needs of our students and the community at large.”
However, in the same written statement, House said that PGCPS and the educators still remain far apart on many issues.
Without a new agreement, PGCPS won’t have a contract to share with prospective employees. Christy said this would make summer hiring even more challenging.
Christy said she is “deeply concerned” that negotiations will not be made in time, as the school board and the teachers union only meet weekly. She added that the issues PGCPS and the union are still farthest apart on are employee compensation and workload.
Zephan Matteson is an undergraduate journalism major at the University of Maryland.
Left: The Parker family attends the Pridefest at Hyattsville Elementary School on June 6. Above: Hyattsville Elementary School PTA Executive Committee members Sara Bendoraitis, Amy Parker, Aliya Yancey and Jamie McGonnigal COURTESY OF JAMIE MCGONNIGAL
plants, but I am not driving any dead food all the way back here.’ If my trash contained rotting meat, that would be even more disgusting.”
Counts is not alone. There are several reasons why many people who conscientiously sort and recycle everything else are hesitant to sort their food waste. First, there’s the environmental question. A big advantage of commercial composting over the backyard variety is the processing of meat and bones, which attract rats and other critters. But should a vegetarian drive a 3,500-pound car 10 miles to keep a few pounds of banana and potato peels from making methane in a landfill?
Second, Counts didn’t have the proper equipment or information. In parts of Silver Spring, Bethesda and Potomac, Counts could have volunteered for a pilot program that would have provided a countertop container, dozens of compostable bags, and a 35-gallon rolling cart for food transferred from the countertop container, as well as weekly curbside pickups. She would also have learned she should include paper products with food on them, like pizza boxes, napkins and compostable plates. These products can contaminate traditional recyclables like cardboard, bottles and cans, and can be kept out of landfills or incinerators through composting.
Finally, even though Montgomery County composts leaves, grass and garden clippings, it lacks the infrastructure to process food waste, which it sends to the Prince George's County Organics Processing Facility. This is probably one reason why Montgomery County has waited so long to scale up its household food recycling beyond pilot programs. Some parts of Prince George's County are in the second phase, in which
food recycling is official policy but still voluntary. By January 2024, all 180,000 households in unincorporated county areas, like Chillum and Adelphi, served by county trash pickup had been given a free kitchen caddy and a 32-gallon wheeled organics cart. This also made the curbside pickup of garden clippings more convenient because residents could now put them in the cart rather than in paper bags.
Nevertheless, some residents resisted and asked for the carts to be removed. In December 2024, Marilyn Nauman, associate director of the Prince George's County Department of the Environment Recovery Resource Division, told the BioCycle newsletter that when the county offered curbside recycling years ago, “We used a similar outreach and education approach and got very high participation almost immediately. Few requests were made to pick up the recycling cart. That’s a stark difference from our organics collection program.” Regardless, Nauman expected participation to rise by 40% over the next two to four years with a long-term
goal of 85%, when “diverting food scraps is just as normal as recycling.”
The same “ick factor” that bothers Counts has stymied third-phase — meaning mandatory — food-scrap recycling programs across the nation.
On April 1, New York City made homeowners separate their food scraps or face a fine that started at $25. By April 18, the city had issued more than 3,600 citations but faced so much opposition that it cut back on ticketing for all but the most serious repeat offenders.
How does Laurel plan to make mandatory food separation succeed? Sustainability Manager Blair says the city has tried to build community support by providing residents with ample information about the advantages of food separation, like decreased methane emissions, financial savings from smaller and more fuel-efficient collection trucks, and a reduction in unwanted critters
OUR HOURS
Tuesday
from less trash overflow. She said that the city has provided all the kitchen caddies, containers, carts and compostable bags citizens need to make the process as convenient as possible.
Laurel also plans to employ technology, such as photography and near-field readers, to monitor which carts have been picked up, missed or never used at all. Her department will use this equipment to target interventions, such as sending a letter or actually going to an address to understand what the problem is, and make suggestions, such as adding lemon juice to carts to deter pests.
“Nobody wants to give and enforce citations,” Blair explains. “Our message is that this is serious, this is important, and if you keep refusing to cooperate, you will get a fine. People are already putting their trash into containers; all we want you to do is put your
food waste into a different container.” The statute calls for a $50 fine on the first offence, and up to $150 for each additional violation.
Hyattsville City Councilmember Danny Schaible (Ward 2) would like his city to make food composting mandatory. “Money is a really good incentive to change behavior, but I think there are better solutions than fines,” Schaible said. “In many communities, people pay for trash pickup and are charged higher rates for garbage than recyclables or compostables. It’s called ‘pay as you throw,’ but I’d rather call it ‘save as you sort.’ The more food you recycle, the more you save.” This summer, Montgomery County will evaluate a “save as you throw” pilot program. Getting people to sort food waste is a challenge. In November 2024, the journal Nature published a study of five states with mandatory food recycling laws. It concluded that, with 13% of food diversion, Massachusetts was the only state that achieved a statistically significant result of keeping more than 3% out of landfills. However, Neil Seldman, a co-founder of the advocacy organization Zero Waste USA, believes that policies like “pay as you throw” can help local communities do five to six times better than those statewide results. “San Francisco claims an 85% food diversion rate,” he said. “I suspect they’re fudging the numbers a little, but it suggests that with the right incentives, Laurel might certainly achieve that in a few years.”
*carryout orders are stopped 30 minutes before close
Paul Ruffins is a citizen scientist and a professor of curiosity.
The City of Laurel’s one-and-done collection: organics, trash and recycling on the same day PAUL RUFFINS
How was Hyattsville voter turnout?
By KIT SLACK
Only 305 residents came out and voted at the Hyattsville Municipal Building on the rainy election day of May 13.
Fortunately, another 1,874 residents voted by mail, and 33 came to a special early voting day in West Hyattsville — totaling 2,212, about 19% of registered voters.
That’s more than double the voters who turned out 10 years ago, when 1,055 voters elected Candace Hollingsworth mayor in an uncontested race.
This spring, voters chose five candidates to serve for the next four years on the city council, one for each ward.
Mayor Robert Croslin, along with a second councilmember in each ward, were not on the ballot this time. They will be up for election in 2027.
Ward 5 turnout may be highest on record
The closest race was in Ward 5, which saw record high turnout. Kelson Nisbett won with 145 votes, with Michael Angeloni (114 votes) and Daniel Amador
Renard (94 votes) hard on his heels. Those 354 total Ward 5 votes mean 18% of voters registered in Ward 5 participated in the election.
In 2017, only 133 voters came out in Ward 5, and in 2019, only 122. In 2021, the first year the city mailed a ballot to every voter, turnout more than doubled in Ward 5 to 343.
Ward 2 saw high turnout in tight race
This year, Ward 2 had the highest turnout (741 voters, nearly 27% of registered Ward 2 voters) and another close race. There, 387 residents cast ballots for incumbent Councilmember Emily Strab, and 352 for Lisbeth Melendez Rivera.
In Wards 1 and 3, wide margins of victory
In Ward 1, Greg Barnes won by a wide margin with 21% of registered voters turning up: 314 residents voted for Barnes, compared to 196 for Stuart Eisenberg and 80 for Scott Wilson.
In Ward 3, residents chose Gopi Dhokai (258 votes) over
J. Clements Jr. (150 votes), with 17% of registered voters turning in a ballot. Turnout was up from a total of only 272 voters in 2023, though lower than 2021’s record of 592.
Low turnout in Ward 4’s uncontested race
Councilmember Edouard Haba (Ward 4), who has sat on the council since 2013, ran unop-
posed. Nonetheless, 110 residents came out to vote their confidence in him.
Turnout has historically been low in Ward 4. In 2023, just 178 voters came out and elected Michelle Lee in an uncontested race for an open seat.
Turnout was fewer than 130 voters in Haba’s contested races in 2013 and 2017, which fell on
either side of Hyattsville’s 2016 adoption of noncitizen voting.
What’s driving turnout?
Back in the 2021 election, 3,222 residents voted, 28% of those registered, and a record high. Several factors likely combined: It was the first year of mail-in ballots, and there was a three-way contest for the mayoral seat, between Kevin Ward (then a Ward 1 councilmember), Councilmember Joseph Solomon (Ward 5) and Austin Martinez.
That year, overall, 16 candidates were competing for seven seats, likely drawing in more voters through their combined personal networks and campaigning.
In 2023, only 1,636 residents voted, about 14% of registered voters. That year all but one race was uncontested, and there were only seven candidates on city ballots.
The 2025 turnout, with 2,212 voters participating, falls in the middle between 2021 and 2023. So does the number of candidates who competed for the five seats this year — 11.
Six of the 11 Hyattsville candidates crowd under a tent to avoid the rain outside the Hyattsville Municipal Building on Gallatin Street during the city’s election day, May 13. KIT SLACK