CRIME, SEEN: Thefts were up, burglaries down in 2025, P. 3
WALK OUT: Students walk out to protest ICE activity, P. 12
COMUNIDAD: Route 1 entrega alimentos a familias inmigrantes en medio de deportaciones, P. 15
Local officials double down on ICE
By JALEN WADE, SHARON O'MALLEY and KIT SLACK
U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (Maryland District 4) and some state and county lawmakers representing this area are pushing to restrict how federal immigration agents operate.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed a law on Feb. 17 prohibiting local law enforcement officers from making agreements to do civil immigration enforcement for the federal government. That law was sponsored by Maryland Delegate Nicole Williams, who represents District 22, which includes Hyattsville. Williams has been advocating
SCIENCE OF THE CITY Challenges and controversies
of asphalt art
By PAUL RUFFINS
Across the nation, cities, including Hyattsville and Mount Rainier, have embraced artworks painted directly on streets as a technique to calm traffic and beautify communities. In our February “Science of the City” article, we described the extensive Bloomsburg Foundation research project indicating that asphalt art can significantly reduce pedestrian deaths and injuries. This piece examines some of the technical challenges involved in creating safe
effective designs, and the political developments that have already forced the removal of hundreds of street artworks and that may drive such art to extinction nationwide.
for it since last spring.
At separate meetings in February, other local leaders called the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a danger to residents.
Ivey spoke to 14,000 people during a virtual town hall on Feb. 5. He said ICE agents should have to follow the same rules as local police. Specifically, Ivey said he wants all ICE agents to wear body cameras. He said they should no longer be allowed to wear masks or hide their identities, and they should be required to have judicial warrants before searching any area.
Five things to know during Hyattsville’s budget season
By KIT SLACK
The City of Hyattsville is gearing up to decide how to spend more than $30 million for the year starting July 1, 2026, known as fiscal year 2027 or FY 2027. Here are answers to five questions you may have about Hyattsville’s budgets.
1. What are residents advocating for this year so far?
During the public comment period of the Feb. 9 city council meeting, resident Brian Banks was one of four residents who advocated for “a dramatically increased budget” for the city’s community services department.
“We have entire communities that are having really severe impacts as they lose members of their family, as they lose their breadwinners in a lot of cases,” he said. “The department of community
services is uniquely positioned to provide support.”
The money would be used for case management and coordination to support residents who had lost income due to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity.
Resident Charlotte Frankor, who also supported increased community services funding, asked the city to look at funding for bike share stations, too.
2. Will property taxes increase?
The Hyattsville City Council will set the tax rate for the coming year this spring. City Administrator Tracey Douglas said in the first budget workshop on Feb. 18 that council should consider having a conversation about an increase in the property tax rate in order to accomplish their goals.
The city’s property tax rate has stayed the same for 20 years — 63 cents for every $100 of assessed
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FROM WHERE I STAND
Get Flock surveillance out of Hyattsville
By ALEXANDER KOCH
In the February issue of the Life & Times, the article about a new noise camera on Adelphi Road highlighted how little local conversation there is about the outsourcing of surveillance technology within Route 1 Corridor communities. Last March, the city council approved a request from the Hyattsville Police Department (HPD) to accept grant money from the state to fund the establishment of a dragnet surveillance system throughout Hyattsville.
The suite of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are being purchased from Flock Safety, a company that has not only partnered with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and federal border control agents in the past to provide data for the violation of human and civil rights, but also lied about that partnership
NEWS BRIEFS
Laura Reams leaves Hyattsville for College Park
Former Hyattsville Deputy City Administrator Laura Reams left her position to become the assistant city administrator for College Park in early February.
“Laura is an exceptional public servant and a great example of leadership in Hyattsville,” Hyattsville’s city administrator, Tracey Douglas, told the Life & Times. “A Hyattsville resident, she truly believed in giving the community a voice through expanded voter access and creative communications and engagement strategies. We are thankful she chose to share so much of her time and talent with us.
The City of College Park is fortunate to have her, and we are excited to see what heights she rises to in her next role.”
Reams joined Hyattsville in 2012 as the city clerk and oversaw a number of initiatives that transformed city elections. Under her watch, 16- and 17-year olds were granted the right to vote, and the city implemented vote-by-mail, according to city officials. Her role was eventually expanded to director of legislative services and communications. In 2024, Reams won the Maryland Municipal Clerk’s Association Clerk of the Year Award and became Hyattsville’s deputy city administrator.
until it was made public. ALPRs function by creating an entry for every single vehicle that passes by the camera, using artificial intelligence to pin other identifying features (such as dents and stickers) to that vehicle and create a database of the entire community's movements.
As if this blatant breach of privacy and Fourth Amendment rights isn't enough, all of the data generated by HPD’s Flock cameras is stored in Flock servers despite being owned by the HPD. The HPD has reassured residents that their specific contract prohibits other jurisdictions and agencies from accessing this data, but as Illinois found out this past fall when Flock gave U.S. Customs and Border Protection access to their data, the company has a track record of breaking both contracts and state law when it benefits them. The irony is almost absurd that we call ourselves a sanctuary city
while openly partnering with companies that are aiding the federal government in disappearing our own residents.
The question is this simple: Will Hyattsville residents fall in line to become the next guinea pigs for private tech’s partnership with the Trump administration, or will we end our city’s harmful and inhumane partnership with Flock Safety by demanding the city council reconsider the program? Communities across the country are banding together to remove Flock surveillance from their towns (learn more at deflock.org), and Hyattsville owes the same to itself and its residents. Please consider signing the iPetition that follows and show our city council that Hyattsville truly lives up to its values: ipetitions.com/ petition/flock-out-HVL.
Alexander Koch has lived in West Hyattsville for the last five years.
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“Ms. Reams has extensive experience with more than 15 years of local government administration, including executive leadership, policy development, organizational management, and interdepartmental coordination,” the City of College Park said in a press release announcing the appointment. “Her background and skill set align well with the city’s operational needs and long-term strategic goals.”
ICE increasing its Hyattsville presence
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expanding its offices at the Metro 1 building at 6506 Belcrest Road, as it
looks to add more than 150 offices nationwide, according to a Feb. 10 Wired article.
Metro 1 already houses federal deportation lawyers, through its Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA) field office. The OPLA is the Department of Homeland Security’s largest legal program, according to its website, serving as the “exclusive representative of DHS in immigration removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, litigating all removal cases.”
Metro 1 is down the street from the Hyattsville Immigration Court on Toledo Road.
In October, the federal government put out a request for fully furnished office space that would accommodate 35 work stations and include a conference room and a dedicated server room. The space had to be within a five-mile radius of the City of Hyattsville.
According to The Hyattsville Wire, the two leases for the current Belcrest Road space in Hyattsville — which have federal leasing numbers of GS-11P-LMD00527 and GS-11P-LMD12697 — can be found on the October 2025 monthly lease inventory from the General Services Administration. However, starting in November 2025, just after proposals were due (Nov. 7), addresses and lessor names no longer appear on those two leases.
Seemingly in response to ICE’s office expansion, on Feb. 19, County Executive Aisha Braveboy signed an executive order establishing an immediate moratorium on any proposal seeking to use any property in the county as a detention center. A whistleblower spoke with WUSA9 in February to expose egregious conditions for immigrants detained in ICE office space in Baltimore.
Federal judge rules Abrego Garcia can’t be re-detained by ICE
On Feb. 17, a federal judge in Greenbelt ruled that Kilmar Abrego Garcia can’t be re-detained by immigration authori-
ties, according to The Associated Press, because the 90-day detention period has expired and the Trump administration has no viable plan for deporting him.
The U.S. government “made one empty threat after another to remove him to countries in Africa with no real chance of success,” U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis wrote in her February order. “From this, the Court easily concludes that there is no ‘good reason to believe’ removal is likely in the reasonably foreseeable future.”
Abrego Garcia is a county resident and has lived in Maryland for years. He immigrated to the U.S. illegally around 2011 when he was 16. In 2019, after police stopped him outside The Home Depot in Hyattsville, an immigration judge ruled that he could not be deported to El Salvador because his life would be in danger from a gang that had targeted his family. He was deported to a notorious El Salvadoran prison anyway in March 2025, due to what government lawyers said was an error.
The Trump administration returned Abrego Garcia to the U.S. in June 2025, but only after issuing an arrest warrant on human smuggling charges in Tennessee, where he continued to be imprisoned until his December 2025 release. Abrego Garcia’s lawyers have argued that the charges — which stemmed from a traffic stop in 2022 during which he was not issued a ticket — are vindictive retaliation against Abrego Garcia for defending his constitutional rights.
In her February order, Xinis noted the government has not taken steps to send Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica, the one country that has consistently offered to accept him as a refugee, and to which he agrees to go. Abrego Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, is urging the Trump administration to engage in a good-faith effort to secure Abrego Garcia’s removal to Costa Rica, according to the AP
Thefts were up, commercial burglary down in 2025
HPD Chief Towers discusses 2025 crime trends, license plate readers and policing in
By HEATHER WRIGHT
While theft against private citizens increased in Hyattsville in 2025, theft from businesses decreased when compared to the previous year. Violent crime was down, as well.
Commercial burglary declined 39% in Hyattsville in the second half of 2025, from 23 incidents in the second half of 2024 to 14 in the second half of 2025. Overall, commercial burglary — breaking into a business to steal something — declined 5% in 2025 compared to 2024 (36 down from 38).
Commercial robbery — stealing from a business by force or threat — also decreased from 2024 to 2025, by 48%, from 29 incidents to 15 incidents.
In a February interview, Hyattsville Police Department (HPD) Chief Jarod T. Towers noted that the department recently arrested a 34-yearold suspect from Brentwood, charging him in connection with three commercial burglaries, spanning from the end of 2025 into January 2026. “He’s being held without bond right now, and our burglary numbers have dropped off,” Towers said. As reported last August, to address a 47% rise in commercial burglary from the first half of 2024 to the first half of 2025, Towers and a representative from the city’s Community and Economic Development department visited city businesses — especially burgled ones — with a multi-prong approach that included burglary prevention tips and support applying for a façade-improvement grant, which can help pay for features like upgraded locks, cameras and lighting.
Towers didn’t know if the targeted visits to businesses led to the decline in commercial burglaries. “While the relationship-building is always a positive thing,” he answered, “I can't honestly say that I think it had a significant impact in the trend that we saw as it tapered off in ’25. I can't take credit for that.”
Overall, violent crime was down 16% year over year, from 225 incidents in 2024 to 188 incidents in 2025. Rape was an exception to this trend, in that there were six incidents in 2025 vs. five incidents in 2024, a 20% increase.
In contrast, crime against property was up 13% year over year, mainly because of a 28% increase in thefts — from 465
CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS
The percent change for many crime categories against persons decreased since 2024, except for rape, which had a 20% increase, and carjacking, which stayed the same.
CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY
Arson increased 200%, with two reported cases in 2025 versus zero in 2024. Theft and residential burglary increased, but commercial burglary and stolen vehicles decreased.
Snow storm calls for policing pivots
recorded thefts in 2024 to 596 in 2025.
Although many crime categories, including assault, robbery and stolen vehicles, spiked in 2023 and have since tapered off, thefts in 2025 were even higher than in 2023 (596 in 2025 vs. 562 in 2023).
Towers attributed the increase in thefts to a tough economy and said that the trend was not limited to Hyattsville. “We're seeing folks really struggling, and when people are struggling, we tend to see more thefts as it relates to food insecurity, housing insecurity, those sorts of things,” he said. Towers noted that cities with similar commercial and business profiles to Hyattsville saw similar increases in theft.
Carjackings, which increased jarringly during the pandemic, have stabilized and again become low-frequency events: There were four reported carjackings in both 2024 and 2025. And stolen vehicles declined 27%, with 116 incidents in 2025, compared to 158 in 2024. Carjacking involves taking a vehicle through force or intimidation.
Shout out for license plate readers
Towers emphasized that recently purchased license plate readers helped the HPD find and arrest the 29-year-old suspect in the New Year’s Day shooting that occurred at the 3300 block of East-West Highway. Towers described how a man went into an apartment building and opened fire, shooting through walls.
Within 72 hours of an arrest warrant being issued for the suspect, on Jan. 4, the national license plate reading system notified police that he had reentered the city. The suspect was apprehended at a traffic stop back in the parking lot of the same apartment complex where the original shooting had occurred, was charged with three counts of attempted murder, and is being held without bond, according to Towers, as of press time.
In late January, a winter storm pummelled the DMV area with more than 6 inches of snow, sleet and ice. Towers said that the snowstorm showed him the resilience and flexibility of law enforcement officers. “They go from being crime fighters one moment and chasing down an armed suspect or responding to an active shooter call in an apartment building, to building snowmen with kids,” he noted.
Towers described how, in addition to their normal patrols, during a winter storm, police officers help stranded motorists and assist medical personnel reach places where snow has impeded ambulances.
“[The snow and ice] slows people down, it slows crime down, less people are outside committing crimes,” Towers said, “and so it allows us to really do what we really want to do, which is help people, provide a service to people.”
“Now, I can't forecast what he was doing there, why he was coming back to the scene,” Towers said, “but I think it's safe to say that with the assistance of this technology, we prevented another crime from occurring.” There is
Hyattsville Police Chief Jarod T. Towers said police officers helped stranded motorists during the January winter storm. COURTESY OF THE HYATTSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Find more local events all month long in our continuously updated online calendar at
Here’s our list of events sponsored by local nonprofits, arts organizations and performance venues, occurring in March; all information is current as of Feb. 19. For events and meetings organized by the City of Hyattsville, see Hyattsville Headlines in the newspaper’s centerfold.
Please send notices of April events to managingeditor@ hyattsvillelife.com by March 26. (We’ve changed our print schedule so that you receive your paper at the beginning of each month.)
Recurring
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. For more information, contact rpkfarmmkt@gmail.com.
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
Early Bird Serenity Al-Anon. Support for friends and fami-
LOCAL RESIDENT STARTING UP LITTLE THEATRE OF HYATTSVILLE
Hyattsville resident John D’Angelo IV is trying to bring community theatre to the city with the Little Theatre of Hyattsville (LTH).
On Jan. 10, D’Angelo held an initial interest meeting at Franklins Restaurant, attended by 35 area residents. According to a Feb. 16 DC Theater Arts article, more than 100 people have signed up to support the venture.
The LTH board of directors held its first official community meeting on Feb. 25 (as this paper was going to press) to share their vision, oppor-
lies 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.
Come play board games and more at Just Roll With It the third Sunday of every month. Free. 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Maryland Meadworks, 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 301.955.9644. marylandmeadworks.com
tunities for engagement, and upcoming events — and to host theatre games and activities.
D’Angelo told DC Theater Arts that an auditioned musical cabaret will be the LTH’s first fundraising event and feature a mix of classic Broadway showtunes and contemporary pieces. “We want to build toward mainstage productions, but we want to push past the old standbys and tap into people who have always wanted to give it a shot,” he said.
D'Angelo's ultimate vision includes a performing arts center with a lobby, designated back stage lounge, and perhaps even a black box theater across the street. “I hope to make this theater an anchor of Hyattsville’s identity,” D’Angelo noted. To join the LTH mailing list, email lththeatre@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
In the Anika Hobbs-curated exhibition “Offline: Tracing the Source,” Hadiya Williams extends her beloved “Ancestor Index” series into a cyclical form, beginning with handmade works, translating them into the algorithmic space
of MidJourney, and bringing them back into physical existence through clay, print and surface design. Free. Through March 29. 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. 301.608.9101. pyramidatlantic artcenter.org
Curated by Asha Elana Casey in honor of Black History Month, “Genuine” celebrates the
depth, resilience and authenticity of Black artistic expression. Free. Through March 14. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood. 301.277.2863. brentwoodarts@pgparks.com
In the exhibition “Glimpses of Heaven,” Mame Ndiaye invites viewers into a dazzling world of mixed media works that sparkle with vibrancy and imagination. Free. Through March 14. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood. 301.277.2863. brentwoodarts@ pgparks.com
“Luther Wright: American Dreaming” is a poignant exploration of the complex interplay between pursuing financial freedom and the Black experience in America. Free. Through March 8. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Rd., Cheverly. 301.277.1710. publickplayhouse@pgparks.com
SEE CALENDAR ON 9
Bladensburg dueling grounds — Rich history can point to a different future
By BRIAN BEARY
It’s the morning of March 22, 1820. Commodore
Stephen Decatur Jr., topranking U.S. naval officer and acclaimed hero from the War of 1812, is riding out from his home in Lafayette Square, Washington, D.C., in a northeasterly direction. Destination: Bladensburg, a short hop across the D.C. border. He is about to participate in a duel he was challenged to by fellow senior naval officer, James Barron.
The two men have known each other for years. Bad blood has developed between them after Decatur participated in a court-martial proceeding that sanctioned Barron over his conduct in an 1807 skirmish with British naval forces.
At 9 a.m., Decatur and Barron reunite one more time at the well-known Bladensburg dueling grounds, both brandishing pistols. A signal given, they pace the requisite eight yards before they both shoot. The bullets find their targets, and both men fall to the ground.
Reeling in pain, they face one another, and find some words of reconciliation. For Decatur, the situation is exceedingly grave. Rushed back to his home on Lafayette Square, he dies later that evening. In view of his rank and fame, Decatur is given one of the largest funerals the newly built capital has seen, attended by incumbent President James Monroe, Supreme Court justices, congressmembers and some 10,000 local residents.
Barron survives. While he continues his naval career and lives to old age, the incident indelibly tarnishes his reputation — a twist of irony given that Barron demanded the duel precisely to restore that good name.
Fast forward to 2026. Walkers, joggers and bikers regularly stop by the dueling grounds where Decatur met his fatal end. Situated near the popular Anacostia River Trail, the site falls within the boundaries of the Town of Colmar Manor.
Two historical markers placed on the east side of Bladensburg Road — near the small bridge to Fort Lincoln Cemetery — give the site’s history: 26 recorded duels occurred there, mainly in the early 1800s. One of the two panels was erected by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the oth-
er by Anacostia Trails Heritage Area (ATHA), a nonprofit organization that manages the state heritage tourism area in Prince
George’s County. (A third panel nearby provides the history of the Battle of Bladensburg, an important battle between Brit-
ish and American forces in the War of 1812.)
Thought to originate among European noblemen in the Middle Ages, the first recorded duel in the American colonies was in 1621 between Edward Doty and Edward Lester in the colony of Massachusetts. Probably the nation’s most famous duel took place in 1804, 16 years prior to the Decatur-Barron duel, between the first U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton and the second U.S. vice president, Aaron Burr. The Hamilton-Burr duel has been seared into popular memory recently by the award-winning Broadway show “Hamilton.” The two men — fierce political rivals with presidential ambitions and nationally renowned and accomplished figures — had their showdown in New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, to circumvent New York City’s ban on dueling. Similarly, Bladensburg emerged as a dueling site because it lay just outside D.C., where dueling was banned. As duels grew increasingly violent in the 1800s, however, public sentiment more broadly turned against them. Congress banned dueling in 1839, but it would be two more decades before the practice went into irreversible decline.
For a more contemporary
take on the grounds’ rich history, the Life & Times interviewed ATHA Executive Director Meagan Baco. “People were aware of the place for a very long time,” Baco said. “They had to be in a secluded area because this was where people settled disputes through violence.”
As to why the grounds have lingered in popular memory, Baco said, “We tend to have a morbid curiosity in dueling — a bit like how we love true crime podcasts today,” adding that historians have also tended to be interested in armed conflict.
Looking to the future, however, Baco is keen to start a new chapter. “I think we should move away from that focus. ATHA is currently reviewing the two panels. It’s not that the history itself has changed. But maybe the point we want to make, or the tone we want to strike in 2026 is not the same as before — even the same as it was 10 or 15 years ago.”
Hyattsville might see some changes on other local panels, as well. Baco says the review is part of a broader project, the first phase of which is to complete an inventory of the hundreds of signs that ATHA has erected across the county over the years. The nonprofit part-
FROM FRANK LESLIE’S POPULAR MONTHLY. COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Street art can force drivers and pedestrians to interpret and react to new and inconsistent visual cues. For example, on Gallatin Street, near the Hyattsville Municipal Building, the brightly colored areas indicate places where cars aren’t allowed. However, at the juncture of Jefferson and 40th streets, the colored areas are in the middle of the intersection to denote where people shouldn’t be walking.
There has long been a debate over whether street art conflicts with the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) to “promote national consistency in the use, installation, and operation of traffic control devices.” A 2009 FHA memo essentially argued that all street art violated MUTCD guidelines.
Nevertheless, street art continued to gain popularity nationwide. In Maryland, the state’s Highway Safety Office actively began collaborating with the Maryland Institute College of Art to promote it as a safety measure.
According to Graham CoreilAllen, who owns the design firm Graham Projects, which produced the Jefferson Street mural and many others, “As evidence emerged that street art was successful for traffic calming, or at least did not increase accidents, the latest official re-
vision of MUTCD, which was in 2023, interpreted it as legal.” He elaborated, however, that the designs shouldn’t include any shapes that could be mistaken for standard traffic signs, such as yellow triangles, or physical objects like orange cones that might be temporarily set up in the roadway. Additionally, street art is only appropriate for traffic conditions that don’t change. For example, such art shouldn’t be used in intersections where you can’t make a left or right turn during certain hours of the day.
Some creative designs for asphalt art can have unintended consequences. After a student was killed in a crosswalk in Medford, Mass., the town adopted “Icelandic crosswalks” for their elementary schools. These crosswalks slow cars by creating the optical illusion that the stripes are actually 3D raised, floating bars. However, when officials from Cambridge, Mass., researched the idea, they rejected it, concluding that 10–14% of drivers found the effect so realistic that they suddenly stopped or swerved, creating a safety hazard.
There have also been concerns about how street art will affect what is expected to be a growing number of selfdriving cars. These cars are often programmed to follow the standard lane lines and markings, and there is a question of whether they will be able to differentiate them from artistic designs.
But the biggest threat to the future of street art is probably America’s polarized politics. Right after President Donald Trump’s second term began, U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde (RGa.), introduced legislation that would require the District to repaint street artwork and rename its Black Lives Matter Plaza or lose millions of dollars in transportation funding. D.C. Mayor Murial Bowser ordered the removal of the mural, and the legislation never advanced. Across the nation, the most commonly attacked street artworks are probably those that seem to relate to LGBTQ pride.
In June 2023, the multicolored block design at Jefferson Street and 40th Avenue was defaced by a man who mistook it for representing LGBTQ pride, according to a Hyattsville police Facebook post.
uniformity and threatens public safety.
In a July 2025 media post, Duffy wrote, “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.” A day later, Florida’s transportation secretary, Jared Perdue, wrote that Florida wants to “keep our transportation facilities free & clear of political ideologies.”
In response, the vice mayor of Delray Beach, Rob Long, stated, “We all know this is not about traffic safety, it’s political, where symbols of inclusion are targeted precisely because they represent acceptance.”
Every Child Deserves
That act of vandalism may have been based on a mistaken assumption, but in Texas and Florida, dozens of LGTBQ pride murals have been deliberately removed, including the rainbow crosswalks outside Pulse Nightclub, a gay dance club where 49 clubgoers were killed and another 58 injured in 2016. Their governors are actively enforcing and echoing Trump’s Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy’s decision that street art violates the MUTCD requirements for
Even though the removal of street murals depicting Black and LGBTQ pride may be painful to the groups represented, they constitute just a tiny fraction of street artwork. So why is street art like that in the City of Salisbury, commissioned in 2025, stipulating that it be “free of political or ideological influence,” also threatened?
The answer lies in U.S. Supreme Court and Georgia Appeals Court rulings that Missouri and Georgia could not prevent branches of the Ku Klux Klan from volunteering to support the cleanup of state highways because of their political ideology. Rather than tolerate signs saying “This stretch of highway has been adopted by the KKK,” Georgia completely
withdrew from the Adopt-AHighway program. (Missouri accepted the Klan’s application but disqualified them a few years later because they didn’t collect any litter.) Therefore, to prevent being accused of discriminating against LGBTQ or Black communities, Texas and Florida have required the removal of all street art, including a “Back the Blue” mural supporting local police. It is estimated that this might destroy as many as 440 different street murals across Florida, including many that were previously approved by the Florida Department of Transportation. The threat of losing state and federal highway funds is a powerful weapon. As he unhappily agreed to comply with Texas Gov. George Abbott’s directive to remove any and all political ideologies from public streets, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson wrote, “Failure to remove the paint would jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars. Austin Transportation and Public Works alone currently has $175 million in state and federal grant funding.”
Paul Ruffins is a citizen scientist and a professor of curiosity.
A street art design that makes the bars in a crosswalk appear 3D COURTESY OF THE CITY OF MEDFORD, MASS.
MISS FLORIBUNDA
Flurries of worries
Dear Miss Floribunda,
Now that the snow is starting to melt, I am checking out my garden. Even though they are planted on the north side of my house, my camellias look OK, but the leaves on my photinia have turned brown and many have dropped. My rosemary and sage look like kindling for a campfire. How can I tell whether a plant is dead or not? If it’s alive, is there anything I can do to help it recover?
My next-door neighbor has been telling me all about Snowmageddon in 2010, long before I came to Hyattsville. She has told me that because my photinia survived that winter, it will survive this one, and, in general, she has been trying to keep me from spinning out. She claims that the snow is actually protection, and even that it is a fertilizer! This sounds ridiculous, but, hey, I’m from Florida, so what do I know? Give me a second opinion on this, please.
Snowed Southerner on Nicholson Street
Dear Snowed Southerner,
If you moved to Hyattsville in recent years, you have understandably been lulled into a sense of false security. In general, thanks to climate change, our microclimate has greatly warmed. In 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reclassified our region in its plant hardiness map from 7a, with a possible winter low of zero degrees F, to 7b, with a low of from 5 to 10 F.
SPRING INTO ROWING
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However, during the last seven years, our actual lows in Hyattsville have not dipped below the upper 20s in January, and most of us who plant snowdrops have seen them pop up and bloom en masse by late January.
I attribute the absence of snowdrops in my own garden to the recent Arctic blast that smacked night temperatures down to 10 F, but Aunt Sioux sent me a photo taken by a neighbor showing intrepid blooms peeping up on Valentine’s Day. She thinks that warmth from the neighbor's brick home helped it a bit (see photo, above right).
Now, to get to your camellia. It is advantageous to plant camellias to the north of your home because there they are less susceptible to the late-winter thaws that coax camellias planted on the warmer south side out of dormancy. If another hard freeze occurs, the camellia is then damaged — a young one even fatally.
I agree with your neighbor that your photinia, which only retains its leaves in areas with mild winters, is not doomed; I agree with you that your rosemary — unless it is the coldresistant Arp variety — is probably destined for the compost heap.
Sage is quite hardy, so yours is
almost certainly alive. However, wait till spring and use the presence or absence of new growth on any of your plants to determine whether they are still viable. Above all, do not prune away damaged leaves or stems now. That would signal your plant to start new growth at a time when it most needs to conserve its strength.
If you really have to have a diagnosis, you can use the simple scratch test. If you have a scraper — or long strong fingernails, which is not a characteristic of any gardener I know — just gently scrape a lower branch of your shrub. Twist it gently back and forth. If you see green cambium and the branch bends easily, your plant is alive. If the branch is brown and brittle, the plant (or at least that portion of it) has
gone the way of all flora and will probably not revive. The effect of severe cold and wind is to dessicate unprotected plants, and that is fatal. However, here is where your neighbor is right: The snow is a very efficacious protection against this. It provides a warm, moist blanket better than any horticultural cloth, and certainly better than any plastic covering that can heat up harmfully on warmish afternoons. In your letter, you ask what you can do to help your surviving plants. If there were no snow, you would want to water as soon as the soil thawed enough to absorb it. However, as the snow melts, it will water your plants in tandem with the softening of the soil. Not only can you be grateful for that, but my Cousin Parsimony reminds me that snow
is known as “the poor man’s fertilizer.” While the worst thing you could do now would be to add chemical fertilizer, which, like pruning, causes the plant to come out of dormancy and put forth new growth at exactly the time it needs to rest, the snow has captured nitrogen from the air that will slow release exactly when needed.
We don’t know what vagaries of weather we will face in future years, but it is always a good idea to mulch your shrubs in fall. My Cousin Parsimony uses the fallen leaves from surrounding trees, anchoring them with chicken wire. Such mulch is not only economical, but a very effective protective blanket if temperatures drop radically or if there is a drought. It protects beneficial insects, pollinators and earthworms, and it enriches the soil as it breaks down much more rapidly than nitrogen-draining wood chips. If you'd like to exchange experiences with other gardeners, please come to the next meeting of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society on Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to noon in the ground-floor multipurpose room of the Hyattsville Municipal Center, 4310 Gallatin Street.
Miss Floribunda writes about gardening for the Life & Times. You may email her at Floribundav@gmail.com.
Intrepid snowdrop blooms peeping up on Valentine’s Day this winter
COURTESY OF CAROL BARRANIS
ners with local, state and federal governments and organizations to promote the county’s art, culture and history. One recent campaign, for example, involved promoting greater awareness of the often underappreciated role the 1814 Battle of Bladensburg played in the nation’s history: After British forces defeated the Americans in Bladensburg, they marched right into the District and burned down the White House and Capitol.
After completing the inventory, ATHA plans to make necessary repairs, while also reconsidering panels’ content. Stressing the multifaceted appeal of the dueling grounds for locals, Baco said, “There are many ways you can think about them: the environment, situated in a creek; the transportation; the Colmar Manor community. And, of course, what they say about personto-person violence and conflict resolution. In our era, where we have extreme gun violence, having a sign that does not explicitly come out against that is something I’d like to change, and as soon as possible.”
This is the first in a series of articles highlighting important historical sites in and around Hyattsville.
SOWING SEEDS, SOWING COMMUNITY
Riverdale Park's Town Center Market to face county liquor board
By SHARON O’MALLEY
The Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners is challenging the right of Town Center Market, a popular liquor store and gathering place in the heart of Riverdale Park’s historic town center, to sell beer and cocktails for customers to drink on site.
The commission will hold a hearing on March 11 for the market’s owner to show cause as to why the county should not restrict on-site alcohol consumption at the 14-yearold business, which features an outdoor patio that attracts a
steady stream of patrons from local neighborhoods and beyond.
The hearing was originally scheduled for Feb. 11, but a representative for the commission said Town Center Market's attorney requested the postponement.
In a letter to commission Chair Oretha Bridgewaters-Simms in support of the market’s ability to allow on-site consumption, Prince George’s County Councilmember Eric Olson (District 3) called the business “much more than a beer, wine and liquor store. With the addition of on-premises consumption, they
have become a gathering place where all are welcome.”
The commission contends that the Class B+ liquor license the market holds allows for onsite consumption of alcohol only in “the restaurant portion of your business,” according to a letter to market owner Jim Spiropoulos from commission Director Terence Sheppard, which has circulated on local listservs.
“Now that the restaurant portion of your business has closed … your business is no longer eligible for on-premises consumption.”
However, the market, located at 4705 Queensbury Road, nev-
er included a full-service restaurant, according to Spiropoulos and others familiar with the market’s history.
Instead, it qualified for an exception to the food requirement under a change to a state law, which permitted a limited number of Class B+ licensees to run both a package store and serve alcohol for on-site consumption.
Olson quoted the law in his letter to Bridgewaters-Simms:
“If the permit is issued to a holder of a Class B license with an off-sale privilege, the holder need not comply with any restaurant or food requirement.”
Spiropoulos has estimated that over the years, his family has sunk more than $2 million into the market, which started as a small corner store with three employees. The business employs 18 today.
Patrons are encouraged to buy food from nearby restaurants to eat at the store’s outdoor tables with the beer and alcohol they purchase from the market.
Opara contributed to this article.
Ijeoma
The Hyattsville Horticultural Society seed sale took place at the Hyattsville Municipal Building, on Gallatin Street, on Feb. 7. NIGEL F. MAYNARD
Hyattsville Headlines
Issue 457 | March 2026 | A City
Teen Mental Wellness
March 2nd, 2026, is World Teen Mental Wellness Day. This year, members of the City’s Youth Advisory Council (YAC) are using the day to highlight the importance of youth mental health and to share strategies for recognizing and responding to their peers in crisis.
In January, YAC members participated in two mental health awareness trainings and received certifications that equip them to be mental wellness advocates and allies. The trainings identified the many pressures facing teens, like the performative nature of social media, school and job responsibilities, and family dynamics. They also emphasized that everyone feels overwhelmed and that teens should not be ashamed of reaching out to trusted friends or adults for help. YAC members were given strategies to identify when a friend might be in crisis and ask direct questions. The trainings encouraged them to listen without judgment, guide their peers to get support, and to connect them with someone who can help. YAC members also learned they don’t have to fix everything, but it’s still important to show up, listen, and validate feelings.
“It’s important to check on your friends and motivate them to share if they are experiencing negative thoughts,” shared Youth Advisory Council member Diana Alvarez. “Just talking about it helps to reduce the stigma around mental health, to open up and share, and find help.”
Hyattsville’s Children & Youth Programs Manager Josabeth Segura and Youth Programs Coordinator Ronald Lewis also participated in the trainings, seeking them out after the YAC identified mental health as a pressing concern for local teens. “These trainings gave our Youth Advisory Council members life-saving mental health skills, tools to recognize warning signs,
stronger leadership and advocacy, and a reminder that being there matters,” says Ms. Segura.
A video summarizing lessons from the trainings will be available at hyattsville. org/youth-mental-health and on City social media this month. Posters to help raise awareness will be installed throughout Hyattsville, featuring artwork from the YAC members!
The YAC is a 10-member student body from Hyattsville-area middle and high schools. Students participate in a Leadership Program and rigorous application process to be selected. Members serve for a year and provide advice to the City Council and staff on issues affecting our community’s youth. Learn more about our current Youth Council at hyattsville.org/yac
If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis, call 988 for 24/7 support. Additional resources can be found at hyattsville.org/mentalhealth.
NEWS FLASHES
Women Are Forces of Nature!
Back by popular demand, join us on March 5 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the City Building, 4310 Gallatin Street, for “Women Are Forces of Nature 2” a powerful spoken word performance and workshop in celebration of Women’s History Month!
Hear inspiring works of women’s resistance and resilience from featured poets Pi-Anir and Amuche The Poet, hosted by Regie Cabico, called the “Fairy Godmother of DC Poetry,” by the Washington Post. After the performance, stay for Rooted Voices, a writing workshop where participants will write an original poem inspired by the works of Joy Harjo and Nikki Giovanni’s Ego Tripping
Learn more and register at hyattsville.org/whm
FY27 Budget Meetings
It’s budget season! City Council will be discussing the Fiscal Year 2027 budget at several upcoming meetings. This budget will cover the period of July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027. Attend to provide your input during public comment or contact your Councilmembers to share issues important to you. Find the meeting schedule at hyattsville.org/budget
Higher Educational Path Scholarships: Deadline Mar. 27!
The Higher Education Path Scholarship applications are now open! These scholarships support Hyattsville high school seniors and graduates pursuing post-secondary education and career paths with funding for tuition, books, or other school materials. Review the application materials and apply at hyattsville.org/youth-scholarships. The application deadline is March 27, 2026 and scholarships will be awarded for the 2026 - 2027 school year.
Hyattsville in Bloom!
Join us for our HVL in Bloom Spring celebration on Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to noon at Driskell Park, 3911 Hamilton St!
The event will start at 10 a.m. with a DJ and dancing, flower-themed crafts, snacks, and fun games with prizes! At 11:30 a.m., there will be an egg hunt, and participants will be organized by age group. Registration is not required for this event, and if your child is planning to participate in the egg hunt, please bring a basket or container to collect eggs.
Learn more at hyattsville.org/bloom
of Hyattsville publication | La versión en español empieza en la página 3
HYATTSVILLE HEADLINES
Thank you to the
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Free Zumba Classes
Mondays & Wednesdays, 4 - 5 p.m. at the City Building!
Seated Exercise Classes
Older adults can join on Wednesdays, 10 - 11 a.m. at the City Building.
Free Movie Monday and Wednesday!
Older adults can enjoy a classic film at the Old Greenbelt Theatre on Mar. 2 at 1 p.m. and Bladensburg Library on Mar. 18 at 1p.m.! hyattsville.org/seniors.
Teen Center Art Workshops
Wednesdays, Feb. 18 – Apr. 15, 5 - 6 p.m. Explore your emotions at the In Wellness We Thrive Expressive Arts Workshops using art, music, games, and mindfulness! Register: hyattsville.org/ teen-center.
Teen Financial Literacy Clinic
Hyattsville students in grades 6-12 are invited to a free workshop on March 3 from 5 – 6 p.m. at the Teen Center to learn valuable skills about budgeting, saving, investing, credit, and much more! More information at hyattsville. org/teen-center
Board Games are Back!
Older adults can connect with neighbors at Board Games with Ladies & Gents on Mar. 5 from 10 - 11:30 a.m.! Register: hyattsville.org/seniors.
Ward 5 Community Meeting
Meet virtually with Ward 5 Councilmembers to hear City updates and discuss local issues at a Ward 5 Checkin on March 5 at 6:00 p.m. More info and Zoom link available at hyattsville. org/calendar
Women’s History Month
Spoken Word Event
Join us on March 5 from 6:30 p.m.
- 8:00 p.m. at the City Building for “Women Are Forces of Nature 2” a powerful spoken word performance and workshop! Register: hyattsville.org/ whm.
Care Partner Support Group
Connect with other caregivers on Mar. 6 & 20, 9:30 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. at the City Building.
Invasive Vine Removals
Help remove invasive vines from the City’s trees and preserve our urban canopy! March 7, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Ward 3, meet at University Hills Duck Pond | March 21, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Ward 4, meet at Heurich Park | March 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Melrose Park | Student service-learning hours are available. Register: hyattsville.org/vine-removal.
Teen Frisbee Workshop
Join in on high-energy Frisbee fun on March 10, 17, and 24 from 5 – 6 p.m. at Driskell Park! These special frisbee workshops offer students in grades 6–12 a fun, active, and inclusive way to build athletic skills, leadership, teamwork, and confidence. Open to all skill levelscome get active, make friends, and have a blast! hyattsville.org/teen-center
Raincheck Rebate Info Session
Learn more about Prince George’s County’s Raincheck Rebate program at a workshop hosted by the City and the Chesapeake Bay Trust on March 12 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the City Building. Live AI Spanish translation available at event. hyattsville.org/enviro-education
Night Owls
Drop off your little one(s) in grades K-5 at the Driskell Park Recreation Center from 6 - 9 p.m. on Mar. 13! Kids participate in fun activities while you get a night out! hyattsville.org/nightowls
Tenants’ Rights Workshop
On Mar. 16, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Attend a free workshop on Tenants’ Rights for older adults with representatives from Maryland Legal Aid at the City Building. Space is limited; registration required. For more information and to register, email seniors@hyattsville. org or call (301) 985-5000
Produce Distribution
Pick up bags of free produce on Tuesday, Mar. 17, 12 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Hyattsville. Drivers and walk-ups welcome.
CERT Meeting
The next Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) organization meeting is on Mar. 18, 6:30 p.m., at the City Building. hyattsville.org/CERT
Seniors on the Go: Laurel Dutch Market & Walmart
Older adults can enjoy a trip to the Laurel Dutch Market & Walmart on Mar. 19, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Register: hyattsville. org/seniors or call (301) 985-5000.
Free NARCAN Trainings
Free NARCAN community trainings at the City Building on Mar. 19 at 6 p.m. and Mar. 20 at 10 a.m. Register: hyattsville.org/NARCAN.
Free Diaper Distribution
The next free diaper distribution will take place Mar. 27, 9:30 - 11 a.m. at the City Building. Proof of the child’s date of birth is required. hyattsville.org/ calendar
Hyattsville in Bloom!
Join us for our HVL in Bloom Spring celebration on Saturday, March 28, from 10 a.m. to noon at Driskell Park! Learn more at hyattsville.org/bloom
Prince George’s County Maryland Chapter of the Afro-American Genealogical Society and the community that came out to celebrate Black History Month this past month! Participants learned about the importance of sharing black family stories and tools to build your family tree, even when the historical records are hard to trace. More information at aahgs.org/pgcm
Residents came out last month for another Community Cultural Conversation, led by Julia Gaspar-Bates & Kelly Burrello. At this one they played “Common Ground Bingo”, an interactive game which helped spark dialogue about our shared values, while honoring our differences. Learn about similar upcoming events at hyattsville.org/equity
Titulares de Hyattsville
Bienestar Mental de los Adolescentes
El 2 de marzo de 2026 es el Día Mundial de la Salud Mental de los Adolescentes. Este año, los miembros del Consejo Asesor Juvenil (YAC) de la ciudad aprovecharán este día para destacar la importancia de la salud mental de los jóvenes y compartir estrategias para reconocer y responder a sus compañeros en situación de crisis.
En enero, los miembros del YAC participaron en dos cursos de formación sobre concienciación en materia de salud mental, en los que obtuvieron certificaciones que les capacitan para ser defensores y aliados del bienestar mental. En los cursos se identificaron las numerosas presiones a las que se enfrentan los adolescentes, como la naturaleza performativa de las redes sociales, las responsabilidades escolares y laborales, y la dinámica familiar. Se hizo hincapié en que todo el mundo se siente abrumado y que los adolescentes no deben avergonzarse de pedir ayuda a amigos o adultos de confianza. A los miembros del YAC se les proporcionaron estrategias para ayudar a identificar cuándo un amigo podría estar en crisis y preguntas directas para hacer si alguien está pasando por dificultades. Las capacitaciones los animaron a escuchar sin juzgar, a alentar a sus compañeros a buscar apoyo y a ponerlos en contacto con alguien que pueda ayudarles. Los miembros del YAC también aprendieron que no tienen que arreglarlo todo, pero que sigue siendo importante estar presentes, escuchar y validar los sentimientos.
«Es importante estar pendiente de tus amigos y animarlos a compartir si están experimentando pensamientos negativos», compartió Diana Álvarez, miembro del Consejo Asesor Juvenil. «El simple hecho de hablar sobre ello ayuda a reducir el estigma que rodea al hecho de compartir y buscar ayuda».
La directora de Servicios Juveniles de Hyattsville, Josabeth Segura, y el coordinador de Servicios Juveniles, Ronald Lewis, también participaron en las formaciones, tras la identificación por parte del YAC de
la salud mental como una preocupación urgente para los adolescentes locales. « Estas capacitaciones proporcionaron a los miembros de nuestro Consejo Asesor Juvenil habilidades de salud mental que pueden salvar vidas, herramientas para reconocer las señales de alerta, un liderazgo y una defensa más sólidos, y un recordatorio de que estar ahí es importante», afirma la Sra. Segura.
Este mes estará disponible un vídeo que resume las estrategias aprendidas en las capacitaciones en hyattsville.org/youthmental-health y en las redes sociales de la ciudad. Se instalarán carteles para ayudar a concienciar a la población en toda Hyattsville, con ilustraciones de los miembros del YAC.
El YAC es un organismo compuesto por 10 estudiantes de escuelas secundarias y preparatorias del área de Hyattsville. Los estudiantes participan en un programa de liderazgo de un semestre de duración y en un riguroso proceso de selección. Los miembros prestan servicio durante un año y asesoran al Ayuntamiento y al personal sobre cuestiones que afectan a los jóvenes de nuestra comunidad. Para obtener más información sobre nuestro actual Consejo Juvenil, visite hyattsville.org/yac
Si usted o un ser querido está pasando por una crisis de salud mental, llame al 988 para recibir asistencia las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana. Puede encontrar recursos adicionales en hyattsville.org/ mentalhealth.
NOTICIAS DE ÚLTIMA HORA
¡Las Mujeres son Fuerzas de la Naturaleza!
Por demanda popular, acompáñenos el 5 de marzo de 6:30 p.m. a 8:00 p.m. en el City Building, 4310 Gallatin Street, para «Las mujeres son fuerzas de la naturaleza segundo», una poderosa actuación de spoken word y taller en celebración del Mes de la Historia de la Mujer.
Escucha las inspiradoras obras sobre la resistencia y la resiliencia de las mujeres de los poetas destacados Pi-Anir y Amuche The Poet, presentadas por Regie Cabico, conocida como la «hada madrina de la poesía de DC» por el Washington Post. Después de la actuación, quédate para Rooted Voices, un taller de escritura en el que los participantes escribirán un poema original inspirado en las obras de Joy Harjo y Ego Tripping de Nikki Giovanni. Para obtener más información e inscribirte, Visita hyattsville.org/whm
Reuniones sobre el Presupuesto del Año Fiscal del 2027 ¡Es temporada de presupuesto! El Concejo discutirá el presupuesto del año fiscal 2027 en varias reuniones próximas. Este presupuesto cubrirá el periodo comprendido entre el 1 de julio de 2026 y el 30 de junio de 2027. Asista para brindar su opinión durante los comentarios públicos o comuníquese con los miembros del Concejo para compartir temas importantes para usted. Encuentre el calendario de reuniones en hyattsville.org/budget
Becas para Estudios Superiores: ¡Fecha límite el 27 de marzo!
Las solicitudes para la Beca “Higher Education Path” ya están abiertas! Estas becas apoyan a estudiantes de último año de secundaria y graduados de Hyattsville que buscan continuar su educación postsecundaria o seguir una carrera, proporcionando financiamiento para matrícula, libros u otros materiales escolares. Revise los materiales de solicitud y aplique en hyattsville.org/youth-scholarships. La fecha límite para enviar la solicitud es el 27 de marzo de 2026, y las becas se otorgarán para el año escolar 2026-2027.
¡Celebración de Primavera de Hyattsville!
¡Acompáñenos en nuestra celebración de primavera de HVL el sábado 28 de marzo de 10 a.m. a mediodía en Driskell Park, situado en 3911 Hamilton St! El evento comenzará a las 10 a.m. con un DJ y baile, artesanías con temas florales, refrigerios y divertidos juegos con premios! A las 11:30 a.m., habrá una búsqueda de huevos, y los participantes se organizarán por grupos de edad. No es necesario inscribirse para este evento, y si su niño tiene previsto participar en la búsqueda de huevos, traiga una cesta o recipiente para recoger los huevos. Aprenda mas en hyattsville.org/bloom
Asunto 457 | Marzo de 2026 | Una publicación de la ciudad de Hyattsville
TITULARES DE HYATTSVILLE
¡Gracias a la sección de Prince George’s County Maryland de la Sociedad Genealógica Afroamericana y a la comunidad que se reunió el mes pasado para celebrar el Mes de la Historia Negra! Los participantes aprendieron sobre la importancia de compartir las historias familiares negras y las herramientas para construir su árbol genealógico, incluso cuando los registros históricos son difíciles de rastrear. Más información en aahgs.org/pgcm
CALENDARIO DE EVENTOS
Clases Gratuitas de Zumba Lunes y miércoles, 4 - 5 p.m. en el Edificio Municipal!
Ejercicios Sentados
Los adultos mayores pueden participar los miércoles, de 10 a 11 a.m., en el edificio municipal.
¡Lunes y Miércoles de Cine Gratis!
¡Ven a disfrutar de una película clásica en el Old Greenbelt Theatre el 2 de marzo a la 1 p.m y la biblioteca Bladensburg el 18 de marzo a la 1 p.m.! hyattsville.org/seniors
Talleres de Arte en el Centro para Adolescentes
Únase a nosotros los miércoles, del 18 de febrero al 15 de abril, de 5 a 6 p.m., para las clases de arte expresivo «In Wellness We Thrive» (En el bienestar prosperamos). Explore sus emociones a través del arte, la música, los juegos y la atención plena. hyattsville.org/teen-center
Taller de Educación Financiera para Adolescentes
Los estudiantes de Hyattsville de 6 a 12 grado están invitados a un taller gratuito el 3 de marzo, de 5 a 6 p.m., en el Centro para Adolescentes para aprender habilidades valiosas sobre presupuestos, ahorros, inversiones, crédito y mucho más. Más información en hyattsville.org/teen-center
¡Los Juegos de Mesa estan de Vuelta!
¡Los adultos mayores pueden relacionarse con sus vecinos en el evento «Juegos de mesa con damas y caballeros», que tendrá lugar el 5 de marzo de 10:00 a 11:30 a.m.! Inscríbase en: hyattsville.org/seniors
Los residentes se reunieron el mes pasado para celebrar otra Conversación Cultural Comunitaria, dirigida por Julia Gaspar-Bates y Kelly Burrello. En esta ocasión, jugaron al «Bingo de puntos en común», un juego interactivo que ayudó a fomentar el diálogo sobre nuestros valores compartidos, al tiempo que se respetaban nuestras diferencias. Para obtener más información sobre eventos similares próximos, visite hyattsville.org/equity
Reunión Comunitaria del Distrito 5
Reúnase virtualmente con los concejales del Distrito 5 para conocer las últimas novedades de la ciudad y debatir sobre temas locales en una reunión informativa del Distrito 5 que se celebrará el 5 de marzo a las 6:00 p.m. Más información y enlace de Zoom disponible en hyattsville. org/calendar
Evento de Spoken Word del Mes de la Historia de la Mujer
¡Acompáñenos el 5 de marzo, de 6:30 p.m. a 8:00 p.m., en el City Building para disfrutar de «Women Are Forces of Nature 2», una poderosa actuación y taller de spoken word! Inscripciones: hyattsville. org/whm
Grupo de Apoyo para Cuidadores
Conecta con otros cuidadores los días 6 y 20 de marzo, de 9:30 a.m. a 10:45 a.m., en el edificio municipal.
Eliminación de Enredaderas Invasoras
¡Ayude a eliminar las enredaderas invasoras de los árboles de la ciudad y preserve nuestra cubierta arbórea urbana! 7 de marzo, de 10 a.m. a 1 p.m.: Distrito 3, reunión en University Hills Duck Pond | 21 de marzo, de 9 a.m. a 12 p.m.: Distrito 4, reunión en Heurich Park | 21 de marzo, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m.: Melrose Park | Se ofrecen horas de servicio comunitario para estudiantes. Inscríbase en: hyattsville.org/ vine-removal
Frisbee para Adolescentes Únete a la diversión del frisbee el 10, 17 y 24 de marzo, de 5 a 6 p.m., en Driskell Park! Estos talleres especiales de frisbee ofrecen a los estudiantes de 6 a 12 grado una forma divertida, activa e inclusiva de desarrollar habilidades atléticas, liderazgo, trabajo en equipo y confianza. Abierto a todos los niveles de habilidad: ¡ven a hacer ejercicio, haz amigos y diviértete! hyattsville.org/ teen-center
Sesión informativa sobre el Programa Raincheck Rebate Obtenga más información sobre el programa Raincheck Rebate del condado de Prince George en un taller organizado por la ciudad y el Chesapeake Bay Trust el 12 de marzo, de 5:30 a 6:30 p.m., en el City Building. Traducción simultánea al español mediante IA disponible en el evento. hyattsville.org/enviro-education
¡Búhos Nocturnos!
Deje a su(s) pequeño(s) en los grados K-5 en el Driskell Park Rec Center de 6-9 p.m. el 13 de marzo. Los niños participarán en actividades mientras tú pasas una noche fuera. hyattsville.org/nightowls
Taller sobre los Derechos de los Inquilinos
El lunes 16 de marzo, de 10 a.m. a 11:30 a.m., la ciudad de Hyattsville llevará a cabo un taller gratuito sobre los derechos de los inquilinos para adultos mayores con representantes de Maryland Legal Aid en el edificio municipal. Las plazas son limitadas; es necesario inscribirse. Para obtener más información e inscribirse, envíe un correo electrónico a seniors@hyattsville. org o llame al (301) 985-5000
Distribución de Alimentos
Recoja bolsas de productos agrícolas gratuitos el martes 17 de marzo a las 12 del mediodía en la Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida de Hyattsville. Se admiten conductores y personas sin coche.
Reunión de CERT
La próxima reunión de la organización del Equipo Comunitario de Respuesta a Emergencias (CERT) se celebrará el 18 de marzo a las 6:30 p.m. en el Edificio Municipal. hyattsville.org/CERT
Paseos para Adultos Mayores: Mercado holandés y Walmart
Los adultos mayores pueden disfrutar de una excursión al Museo de Arte de Baltimore el 19 de marzo, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. Inscríbase en: hyattsville.org/seniors o llame al (301) 985-5000
Entrenamiento de NARCAN
Entrenamientos gratuitos NARCAN en el Edificio Municipal el 19 de marzo, a las 6 p.m. y el 20 de marzo, a las 10 a.m. Inscribirse: hyattsville.org/NARCAN
Distribuciónes de Pañales
La próxima distribución gratuita de pañales tendrá lugar el 27 de marzo, de 9:30 a 11:00 a.m., en el edificio municipal. Es necesario presentar un documento que acredite la fecha de nacimiento del niño. hyattsville.org/calendar
¡Celebración de Primavera de Hyattsville!
¡Acompáñenos en nuestra celebración de primavera de HVL el sábado 28 de marzo de 10 a.m. a mediodía en Driskell Park! Aprenda mas en hyattsville.org/bloom
In the art exhibition “Paper Rhapsody,” Roxana Rojas-Luzón uses snippets of magazine paper, fabric, photographs, pencil drawings, raw pigments and anything that enriches the texture and color of her images. Free. March 23 through May 17. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Rd., Cheverly. 301.277.1710. publickplayhouse@pgparks.com
March 6 & 7
Join the artists from The Haunted Boy Project as they return to Joe’s Movement Emporium to release the long-awaited album of their smash-hit rock opera. $20 general, $15 seniors and students. Purchase tickets through joesmovement.org. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Rd., Mt. Rainier. 301.699.1819
March 7
The Piedmonsters perform at Maryland Meadworks. Free. 7 to 10 p.m. 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 301.955.9644. marylandmeadworks.com
March 11
Attend the workshop Paying for College or Technical School, presented by the University of Maryland Extension Financial Wellness Program, to better understand the decision-making process from a financial perspective
March 9
The PBS documentary “Fly With Me” (2024, 113 min.) tells the story of the pioneering women who became flight attendants at a time when single women were unable to order a drink, eat alone in a restaurant or own a credit card. Free. Register at pgcmls.info/events. 7 to 9 p.m. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451
and discuss educational paths, student loans, scholarships and other funding options. Free. Register at pgcmls.info/ events. 6 to 7:30 p.m. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451
March 13
A percussionist, hip-hop artist and actor from D.C., Jabari Exumhe fuses music, theater and storytelling in his Percussion Theater concept. Free. Buy tickets through pgparksdirect.com. 8 to 10 p.m. Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood. 301.277.2863. brentwoodarts@ pgparks.com
March 14
Zo! & Tall Black Guy featuring Debórah Bond perform at Publick Playhouse. $28 general, $23 seniors and students.
of the modular music world in the documentary “Patch CV: Controlling Voltage” (2020, 97 min.), which explores the intricate technology and passionate community behind the creation of modular synths. Free, for ages 18 and up. Buy tickets through pgparksdirect. com. 7 to 9 p.m. Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood. 301.277.2863. brentwoodarts@ pgparks.com
March 17
Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Greentop Ramblers at Maryland Meadworks. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 301.955.9644. marylandmeadworks.com
March 21
Purchase tickets through pgparksdirect.com. 8 to 9:30 p.m. 5445 Landover Rd., Cheverly. 301.277.1710. publickplayhouse@pgparks.com
March 16
Discover the inner workings
Wellvis takes the stage at Maryland Meadworks. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. 4700 Rhode Island Ave., Suite Bee. 301.955.9644. marylandmeadworks.com
March 25
Unleash your creativity by
creating your own version of a Georgia O’Keeffe painting for Women's History Month. Free. Register at pgcmls.info/ events. 3 to 5 p.m. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Rd. 240.455.5451
March 26
Ramblin’ Rose performs at this Preservation Pub event, hosted by the Hyattsville Preservation Association. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. Streetcar 82 Brewing Co., 4824 Rhode Island Ave. streetcar82brewing.com
March 28
Step into the vibrant spirit of New Orleans at Joe’s Movement Emporium’s Bourbon Street Soirée! The gala will feature festive entertainment, exquisite cuisine and spirited dancing — all while supporting the transformative arts programs that empower the community. $50. Purchase tickets through joesmovement.org. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. 3309 Bunker Hill Rd., Mt. Rainier. 301.699.1819
Two Centering Prayer Groups
Mondays, 7:00 pm
St. Mark’s Catholic Church Hyattsville
Wednesdays, 9:30 am
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church College Park
Join us to experience this meditative type of prayer... as we open ourselves to God’s healing presence within and among us.
For details, contact facilitator Donna Chacko at 202-302-2395 or serenityandhealthdc@gmail.com
To learn more about Centering Prayer, visit www.contemplativeoutreach.org/centering-prayer-method or scan the QR code for an in-depth blog by Donna!
BUDGET
value. However, as home values have increased and new homes have been built, city revenue has increased.
3. How much money does the city bring in every year?
During the fiscal year ending in the summer of 2026 (FY 2026), Hyattsville will collect more than $20.5 million in property taxes, according to Ron Brooks, the city treasurer.
That’s close to double the amount collected 10 years ago, $10.8 million in 2016.
Overall city revenue from all sources has doubled in the past 10 years as well, from $15.5 million to a forecast $32 million, according to Brooks in the Feb. 18 city budget meeting. In addition, Hyattsville has had nearly $18 million in pandemic relief funding to spend during the past five years.
Hyattsville’s population has risen too, though not as fast, from about 18,000 to about 21,000 in the last 10 years.
4. Does the city’s income cover its costs?
In recent years, Hyattsville has passed budgets that anticipate expenses higher than revenue, and transfers from a general fund — or savings account — to cover those extra expenses.
The city also has unfunded long-term obligations, the total current size of which is unclear,
HYATTSVILLE COUNCILMEMBER BUDGET PRIORITIES
The Life & Times reached out to all city councilmembers to find out their personal budget priorities for the coming fiscal year and beyond. As of press time, only two councilmembers had responded. Responses have been lightly edited for spelling, capitalization and punctuation.
Councilmember Danny Schaible (Ward 2)
What are your budget priorities?
My budget priority for the upcoming fiscal year is affordable housing. I will be sponsoring legislation to stimulate and incentivize affordable housing construction in Hyattsville utilizing Tax Increment Financing (TIF). More to come on that. Secondarily, I would like to see Hyattsville compete for additional grant funding and am working on legislation that would allow our city committees to partner with city staff in grant application and administration.
Where would you like to see the city spend more/less money?
The City of Hyattsville has a structural budget deficit that is going to take sustained
in part because the city is behind on audits.
The most recent audit available shows that the city’s debt more than tripled over 10 years, to $62 million in long-term liabilities in FY 2023. These debts include municipal bonds — often money borrowed for construction — and retiree medical benefits. Retiree medical care liability ballooned from $2 million to $22 million over the same 10 years.
attention on multiple fronts to correct. Unfortunately, small tweaks will not work. My current focus is to bring Hyattsville employee retiree health care coverage into alignment with other peer municipalities in our state.
Councilmember Kelson Nisbett (Ward 5)
What are your budget priorities?
My budget priorities are simple: help Hyattsville grow more resilient and make everyday life better for residents. Right now, the city depends too much on state and federal money, and that can change quickly. I want us to be stronger by earning more of our own local revenue. That means investing in efforts that bring more people to Hyattsville to shop, eat, and spend money — so our businesses can grow and the city can keep up with needs without always asking for outside help. I will keep supporting financial literacy classes so families can learn how to budget, save, and build a better future. I also want the city to do more to help small businesses succeed. That includes bigger
Hyattsville has been at least two years behind on required annual audits since 2009. Treasurer Brooks’ predecessor, the city's third treasurer in three years, quit in 2012 due to controversy over late audits, at a time when we reported that Hyattsville was further behind than any other city in the state. Following the formation of a volunteer city audit committee, staffed with local finance professionals, Hyattsville filed the
grants and low-cost loans for promising business ideas, plus coaching and mentoring so business owners have real support — think business incubation. At the same time, I will keep prioritizing youth and senior programs because they bring people together and improve quality of life.
Finally, I want Hyattsville to be ready when things happen — snowstorms, emergencies, or community tensions. That means making sure we have the right resources for public works (like snow removal) and producing clear, easy-to-read information so residents know what help is available — and what their rights are.
Where would you like to see the city spend more/less money?
More: grants, business support, and programs that help businesses grow Less: spending that doesn’t clearly improve services or results for residents
If other city councilmembers submit their responses after press time, we will include them in the online version of this article at HyattsvilleLife.com.
FY 2023 audit only about a year and a half late, in March 2025.
The city has since switched auditors, and is bringing the new auditors up to speed, Brooks said at the Jan. 27 city council meeting. The FY 2024 audit is not complete as of press time, nor is the FY 2025 audit, which was due October 2025.
5. Why is the city still behind on its audits?
It is hard to catch up when the race keeps getting faster. During the Jan. 27 meeting, Brooks said that the number of financial transactions that his department records per year has tripled since he came on board in 2013.
During much of that time, the city has attempted to implement software to improve accounting and financial management, known as enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The city’s new audit committee recommends prioritizing rollout of ERP software
along with other suggestions to improve speed and accuracy in accounting.
On Jan. 27, Brooks said he was going to have to scrap the ERP system he had been trying to implement for the past five years, and look for a new software vendor. He said the market for ERP systems has changed, and the new system needs to have artificial intelligence features and be designed for small governments. Brooks explained that BC Systems, the software he had been working with, was difficult to use and not giving accurate results.
Route One Finance, a public finance watchdog blog, reported that it has obtained receipts showing that, as of August 2025, Hyattsville had paid BC Systems $330,000 under its five-year contract. It’s been a long road, and a public accounting of the cost would be its own audit project. Council began allocating funds to ERP implementation in 2013.
“The ICE agents are trying to be masked and as secretive as possible,” Ivey said. “We’ve got to change that.”
County leaders have drafted at least six legislative proposals intended to defend county residents from ICE, all co-sponsored by Council Chair Krystal Oriadha (District 7).
Councilmember Eric Olson, who represents District 3, which includes College Park, is working with Oriadha on legislation on prohibiting facial coverings for ICE agents, promoting county police verification of ICE agents’ identities and denying ICE access to county buildings, parks and libraries for civil immigration enforcement.
County Councilmember Wanika Fisher, who represents District 2, which includes Hyattsville, is sponsoring a bill that would require the county to work with a nonprofit to develop a list of county residents potentially in ICE custody, for purposes of protecting their civil liberties.
County Councilmember Tom Dernoga, who represents District 1, which includes Laurel and part of College Park, announced in February that he intends to introduce a bill to make people employed by ICE after June 30, 2025, ineligible for jobs in county government.
Dernoga’s proposal aligns with a larger state-level push known as the ICE Breaker Act of 2026. Sponsored by state Del. Adrian Boafo (District 23), the bill would permanently bar anyone who joined ICE as a sworn officer after Jan. 20, 2025, from holding a job with any state law enforcement agency in Maryland in the future.
Oriadha said her team is re-
viewing ICE-related legislation across the country. She said she wants to protect residents even if proposed new laws are legally challenged.
“I told them, even if it could be legally challenged, we are going to push the envelope as far as we can,” Oriadha said.
Ivey argued that the state should prosecute ICE agents for crimes.
He said this is important because a president cannot pardon people
for state-level offenses.
“We think if there’s more accountability, there’ll be better conduct,” Ivey said.
At a separate Feb. 5 meeting, Prince George’s County Police Commander James Keleti of Hyattsville Division 1 reminded a small crowd of College Park residents that county police do not enforce immigration laws.
“That’s the responsibility of the federal government,” Keleti said.
A rally against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took place on Feb. 19 in Hyattsville, near a Belcrest Road building that already houses deportation lawyers and is near the Hyattsville Immigration Court.
COURTESY OF KRISSI HUMBARD
Northwestern students walk out of school to protest ICE
By KIT SLACK
On Feb. 9 at 2 p.m., students poured out of Northwestern High School with a boom box, a megaphone and handmade signs. They were protesting U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.
Students circled the bus lot in front of the school, stopping spontaneously to cheer.
Students Miriam and Jovanna, whose last names we have omitted, said they found out about the planned walkout via Instagram. “This is my culture,” said Miriam. “I’d rather represent this than anything else.”
“We grew up in an immigrant family,” Jovanna said. “Whatever we can do to support, we do it!”
Students' handmade signs held included Bible verses, with one showing, in white lettering on a black background, a citation to Leviticus 19: 33–34
[“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love
them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”]. Several signs were profane: "F*CK ICE." Some students wrapped themselves in Salvadoran or Dominican flags.
One sign with a Salvadoran flag read, “I carry my parents’ sacrifice in every step I take.”
Northwestern has 2,400 students, 37% of whom are learning English, and 1,750 of whom are Hispanic, according to the most recent state data.
Students at other Prince George’s County high schools also staged walkouts in February. Parents of county students have been detained or deported over the past six months. There have been no reports of ICE agents operating on the campuses of county schools.
During the week before the walkout, ICE took custody of a young Hyattsville asylum-seeker who is the single mother of children, ages 4 and 18 months.
She was detained when she went in for an appointment with immigration authorities, as first reported by NBC Washington on Feb. 6. Fr. Vidal Rivas, of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Hy-
attsville, confirmed that, as of press time, she remains in custody in an ICE detention facility in the south, and her children remain in the care of Rivas and his wife.
Northwestern High School students held a walkout in the afternoon of Feb. 9 to protest U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement activity.
KIT SLACK
EL PERIÓDICO COMUNITARIO DE
El 19 de febrero, funcionarios locales realizaron una manifestación contra el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE) en Hyattsville, cerca de un edificio de Belcrest Road donde, según se informa, ICE está ampliando sus oficinas. CORTESÍA DE KRISSI HUMNARD
Route 1 entrega alimentos a familias inmigrantes en medio de deportaciones
Por ALISON BECKWITH, fundadora de The Hyattsville Wire
Un grupo informal de residentes de la Ruta 1 ha estado entregando alimentos a familias inmigrantes, las cuales temen salir a espacios públicos en medio de las deportaciones masivas por parte de la administración de Trump.
Route 1 Mutual Aid se separó de la sección local Indivisible Route 1 Corridor a finales de octubre, con el propósito de ayudar a las familias afectadas por el cierre del gobierno. Tras iniciar como “Feeding Task Force” (“Grupo de Trabajo para la Alimentación”), el grupo cambió su nombre para atender una gama más amplia de crisis. Cuando el cierre gubernamental
MARZO 2026
Las autoridades locales doblan sus refuerzos contra ICE
Por JALEN WADE, SHARON O’MALLEY y KIT SLACK
El representante estadounidense Glenn Ivey (Distrito 4 de Maryland), los legisladores estatales y algunos concejales del condado de Prince George están impulsando nuevas leyes para restringir la forma en que los agentes federales de inmigración operan en el estado y el condado.
El gobernador de Maryland, Wes Moore, firmó una ley el 17 de febrero, la cual prohíbe a los agentes de policía locales llegar a acuerdos para hacer cumplir la ley de inmigración civil para el gobierno federal.
Esta ley fue patrocinada por la delegada de Maryland Nicole Williams, quien representa al
Distrito 12, que incluye a Hyattsville. Williams ha estado defendiendo esta iniciativa desde la primavera pasada.
En reuniones separadas realizadas en febrero, otros líderes locales calificaron la presencia del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE) como un peligro para los residentes.
El pasado 5 de febrero, Ivey se dirigió a 14.000 personas durante una asamblea virtual, señalando que los agentes de ICE deben seguir las mismas normas que la policía local.
En concreto, Ivey indicó su deseo de que todos los agentes de ICE utilicen cámaras corporales. Además, afirmó que no se les debería permitir usar máscaras ni ocultar sus identidades
y que deben estar obligados a contar con órdenes judiciales antes de iniciar su búsqueda en cualquier área.
“Los agentes de ICE intentan permanecer cubiertos y lo más discretos posible”, mencionó Ivey. “Tenemos que cambiar esto”.
Los líderes del condado han presentado por lo menos seis propuestas legislativas destinadas a defender a los residentes del condado de ICE, todas copatrocinadas por la presidenta del concejo, Krystal Oriadha. El concejal Eric Olson, que representa el Distrito 3, el cual incluye a College Park, trabaja junto con Oriadha en una legislación que busca prohibir que los agentes de ICE se cubran el
Juez federal decide que ICE no puede volver a detener a Abrego García
Por HEATHER WRIGHT
llegó a su fin, Route 1 Mutual Aid redirigió su enfoque para asistir a decenas de familias inmigrantes, labor que continúa mediante entregas semanales de alimentos respaldadas por donaciones, alianzas con organizaciones locales y contribuciones de la comunidad. Stephanie DeLorenzo, residente de Hyattsville que ayudó a fundar el grupo, le dijo a The Wire que su lista interna de correos electrónicos cuenta actualmente con 200 direcciones. Además, decenas de otros voluntarios ofrecen donaciones de manera regular a través de otras listas de correos electrónicos, grupos de Facebook e Instagram.
Actualmente, Route 1 Mutual
ALIMENTOS
El 17 de febrero, un juez federal en Greenbelt dictaminó que Kilmar Abrego García no puede ser detenido de nuevo por las autoridades de inmigración, según indica The Associated Press, porque el período de 90 de detención ha concluido y el gobierno de Trump no tiene ningún plan viable para deportarlo.
El Gobierno estadounidense “lanzó una amenaza tras otra sin fundamento para deportarlo a países africanos sin posibilidades reales de éxito”, escribió la jueza federal Paula Xinis en su auto de febrero. “A partir de esto, el Tribunal concluye fácilmente que no hay ‘motivos fundados para creer’ que la deportación sea probable en un futuro razonablemente previsible”.
Abrego Garcia es un residente
del condado de Prince George y ha vivido en Maryland durante años. Él llegó a los EE.UU. ilegalmente hacia 2011 cuando tenía 16 años. En 2019, después de que la policía lo detuvo a las puertas de The Home Depot, en Hyattsville, un juez de inmigración dictaminó que no podía ser deportado a El Salvador porque su vida correría peligro debido a una banda que había puesto en su punto de mira a su familia. A pesar de ello, en marzo de 2025 fue deportado a una famosa prisión salvadoreña debido a lo que los abogados del Gobierno calificaron como un error. El gobierno de Trump trajo a Abrego García de regreso a EE.UU. en junio de 2025, pero solo después de emitir una orden de arresto por cargos de tráfico de personas en Tennessee, donde permaneció encarcelado
hasta su liberación en diciembre de 2025. Los abogados de Abrego García han argumentado que los cargos, que se derivaron de una parada de tráfico en 2022 durante la cual no se le impuso ninguna multa, son una represalia vengativa contra Abrego García por defender sus derechos constitucionales.
En su orden de febrero, Xinis señaló que el Gobierno no ha tomado medidas para enviar a Abrego García a Costa Rica, el único país que se ha ofrecido constantemente a aceptarlo como refugiado y al que él está dispuesto a ir. El abogado de Abrego García, Simon SandovalMoshenberg, está instando a la administración Trump a que realice un esfuerzo de buena fe para garantizar el traslado de Abrego García a Costa Rica, según The Associated Press
Aumentan los robos, disminuyen los hurtos a establecimientos comerciales en 2025
El jefe del Departamento de Policía
de Hyattsville (HPD), J. Towers, analiza las tendencias delictivas en 2025, los lectores de matrículas y la labor policial durante la tormenta de nieve
Por HEATHER WRIGHT
Mientras que los robos contra ciudadanos aumentaron en Hyattsville en 2025, los hurtos comerciales disminuyeron en comparación con el año pasado. Asimismo, los delitos violentos también se redujeron. Hubo una disminución del 39% en los hurtos comerciales en Hyattsville durante la segunda mitad de 2025, pasando de 23 incidentes en el segundo semestre de 2024 a 14 en 2025. De manera general, este delito (irrumpir en un negocio para robar algo) se redujo un 5% en 2025, de 36 frente a 38 casos. Los asaltos a establecimientos comerciales, es decir, el robo a un local comercial mediante el uso de la fuerza o amenazas, también disminuyeron entre 2024 y 2025 en un 48%, pasando de 29 incidentes a 15. En una entrevista realizada en febrero, el jefe del Departamento de Policía de Hyattsville, Jarod T. Towers, señaló que el departamento había detenido recientemente a un sospechoso de 34 años de Brentwood, al que se le imputaban cargos de robo en tres locales comerciales, entre finales de 2025 y comienzos de 2026. “En este momento se encuentra detenido sin derecho a fianza, y nuestras cifras de robos han disminuido”, afirmó Towers.
Como se informó el pasado agosto, para abordar el incremento del 47% en los robos a establecimientos comerciales entre la primera mitad de 2024 y la primera mitad de 2025, Towers y un representante del Departamento de Desarrollo Comunitario y Económico de la ciudad visitaron los negocios locales (especialmente los que habían sido robados) con un enfoque integral que incluía consejos de prevención de robos y apoyo para solicitar una subvención destinada a mejorar las fachadas. Esta subvención puede ayudar a cubrir costos para mejores cerraduras, cámaras e iluminación.
Towers indicó que no está claro si las visitas a estos locales comerciales contribuyeron a la disminución de robos comerciales. “Aunque fortalecer las relaciones siempre es algo positivo”, respondió, “honestamente, no puedo decir con certeza que
DELITOS CONTRA LAS PERSONAS
El cambio porcentual para muchas categorías de delitos contra las personas disminuyó desde 2024, excepto la violación, que tuvo un aumento del 20 por ciento, y el robo de vehículos, que se mantuvo igual.
-100% / homicidio 20% / violación
-48% / robo comercial
-28% / robo ciudadano
-8% / agresión
0% / robo de auto
DELITOS CONTRA LA PROPIEDAD
Los incendios provocados aumentaron un 200 por ciento, con dos casos denunciados en 2025 frente a cero en 2024. El robo y el allanamiento de moradas aumentaron, pero el robo comercial y el robo de vehículos disminuyeron.
-5% / robo comercial
-27% / vehículo robado
8% / robo residencial
SOURCE: HYATTSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
esto haya tenido un impacto significativo en la tendencia que observamos, ya que se fue reduciendo en 2025. No puedo tomar crédito de esto”.
En general, la delincuencia violenta se ha reducido un 16% año tras año, al pasar de 225 incidentes en 2024 a 188 en 2025. Los abusos sexuales fueron una excepción a esta tendencia, con 6 casos reportados en 2025 frente a 5 en 2024, lo cual representa un aumento del 20%.
Por el contrario, los delitos contra la propiedad privada aumentaron un 13% año tras año, debido principalmente a un incremento del 28% en los robos, que pasaron de 465 asaltos registrados en 2024 a 596 en 2025.
Aunque varias categorías delictivas, entre ellas los asaltos, agresiones y hurtos de vehículos, se dispararon en 2023 y desde entonces han ido disminuyendo, los robos en 2025 fueron incluso más elevados que en 2023 (596 en 2025 frente a 562 en 2023).
Towers atribuyó el incremen-
28% / robo
200% / incendio provocado
to de los robos a la difícil situación económica y mencionó que esta tendencia no se limitaba solamente a Hyattsville. “Estamos viendo que muchas personas están pasando un momento muy difícil, y cuando la gente enfrenta dificultades, tendemos a observar más robos relacionados con la inseguridad alimentaria, vivienda y este tipo de cosas”. Towers resaltó que ciudades con perfiles comerciales y empresariales como Hyattsville registraron aumentos similares en robos.
El asalto de vehículos mediante el uso de la fuerza y la intimidación, los cuales aumentaron de forma alarmante durante la pandemia, se ha estabilizado y vuelve a ser un incidente de poca frecuencia: se registraron 4 casos tanto en 2024 como en 2025. Por otro lado, los robos de vehículos disminuyeron un 27%, con 116 incidentes en 2025, comparado con los 158 de 2024.
Reconocimiento a los lectores de matrículas
Towers enfatizó que la compra reciente de los lectores de matrículas ayudó al Departamento de Policía de Hyattsville a ubicar y detener al sospechoso de 29 años involucrado en el tiroteo ocurrido el día de Año Nuevo en el bloque 3300 de East-West Highway. Towers explicó que un hombre ingresó a un edificio de apartamentos y abrió fuego, disparando a través de las paredes.
En las 72 horas posteriores a la emisión de la orden de detención contra el sospechoso el 4 de enero, el sistema nacional de lectura de matrículas notificó a la policía que había reingresado a la ciudad. El sospechoso fue detenido en un control de tráfico en el estacionamiento del mismo complejo de apartamentos donde ocurrió el tiroteo, fue acusado de tres cargos por intento de homicidio y, según Towers, en el momento de la publicación de esta noticia, el sospechoso permanece detenido sin derecho a fianza.
“Ahora mismo, no puedo predecir qué estaba haciendo allí y por qué regresó al lugar de los hechos”, mencionó Towers, “pero creo que se puede afirmar con toda seguridad que, con la asistencia de esta tecnología,
hemos evitado que se cometiera otro delito”.
La tormenta de nieve exige cambios en la actuación policial
A finales de enero, una tormenta de nieve azotó al área del DMV con más de 6 pulgadas de nieve, aguanieve y hielo. Towers afirmó que la tormenta demostró la resiliencia y flexibilidad de los agentes del orden público. “Pasan de combatir el crimen y perseguir a sospechosos armados o responder a una llamada por un disparador activo en un edificio de apartamentos, a hacer muñecos de nieve con los niños”, señaló.
Towers describió cómo, además de sus patrullas habituales, durante la tormenta de nieve los agentes ayudaron a conductores varados y colaboraron con el personal médico para llegar a lugares donde la nieve ha impedido el paso a ambulancias.
“La nieve y el hielo reducen la velocidad de las personas, ralentizan la delincuencia; hay menos personas afuera cometiendo delitos”, dijo Towers, “y esto nos permite hacer lo que realmente queremos hacer, que es ayudar a la gente y brindarles un servicio”.
El jefe del HPD, Jarod T. Towers, dijo que los agentes de policía ayudaron a los automovilistas varados durante la tormenta invernal de enero. CORTESÍA
ICE amplía su presencia en cuidad de Hyattsville
Por HEATHER WRIGHT
El Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) está expandiendo sus oficinas en el edificio Metro 1, ubicado en 6506 Belcrest Road, como parte de un plan para agregar más de 150 oficinas en todo el país, según un artículo de la revista Wired publicado el 10 de febrero. El edificio Metro 1 ya alberga a abogados federales de deportación a través de su oficina regional de la Oficina del Asesor Jurídico Principal (OPLA, por sus siglas en inglés). La OPLA es el programa legal más grande del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, según su sitio web, y actúa como el "representante exclusivo del DHS en los procedimientos de deportación de inmigrantes ante la Oficina Ejecutiva para la Revisión de Inmigración, litigando todos los casos de deportación."
El edificio Metro 1 se encuentra a pocas cuadras de la Corte de Inmigración de Hyattsville, sobre Toledo Road.
En octubre, el gobierno federal emitió una solicitud de espacio de oficinas completamente amoblado que pudiera albergar 35 puestos de trabajo, además de una sala de conferencias y un cu-
arto exclusivo para servidores informáticos. El espacio debía estar dentro de un radio de cinco millas de la Ciudad de Hyattsville. Según The Hyattsville Wire, los dos contratos de arrendamiento del espacio actual en Belcrest Road — con números de arrendamiento federal GS-11PLMD00527 y GS-11P-LMD12697 — aparecen en el inventario mensual de arrendamientos de octubre 2025 de la Administración de Servicios Generales. Sin embargo, a partir de noviembre 2025, justo después de que venciera el plazo para presentar propuestas el 7 de noviembre, las direcciones y los nombres de los arrendadores dejaron de aparecer en esos dos contratos.
Aparentemente en respuesta a la expansión de oficinas del ICE, el 19 de febrero la ejecutiva del condado Aisha Braveboy firmó una orden ejecutiva que establece una moratoria inmediata sobre cualquier propuesta que busque utilizar alguna propiedad del condado como centro de detención. En febrero, un informante habló con el canal WUSA9 para denunciar las graves condiciones a las que están sometidos los inmigrantes detenidos en las instalaciones del ICE en Baltimore.
rostro, promover la verificación policial del condado de las identidades de estos agentes y restringir el acceso de ICE a los edificios, parques y bibliotecas del condado para aplicar leyes de inmigración civil.
La concejala del condado, Wanika Fisher, que representa al Distrito 2, que incluye a Hyattsville, patrocina un proyecto de ley, el cual obligaría al condado a trabajar con una organización sin ánimo de lucro para elaborar una lista de residentes del condado potencialmente bajo custodia de ICE, con el fin de proteger sus libertades civiles. Tom Dernoga, concejal del condado que representa al Distrito 1, que incluye a Laurel y parte de College Park, anunció en febrero que tiene la intención de presentar un proyecto de ley para impedir que las personas empleadas por ICE después del 30 de junio de 2025, puedan acceder a puestos de trabajo en el gobierno del condado.
La propuesta de Dernoga se alinea con una iniciativa más amplia a nivel estatal conocida como la ley “ICE Breaker de 2026”, patrocinada por el delegado estatal Adrian Boafo (Distrito 23). El proyecto de ley prohibirá permanentemente que cualquier persona que se haya incorporado a ICE como agente juramentado después del 20 de enero de 2025 pueda ocupar en el futuro un puesto en cualquier agencia
Declaración del Comité Ejecutivo de la PTA de la Escuela Primaria Hyattsville
La PTA de la Escuela Primaria Hyattsville está al tanto de los informes recientes sobre una posible expansión de las oficinas administrativas del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) cerca del University Town Center.
Según informes locales, ICE podría estar ampliando su presencia en Hyattsville, incluyendo espacio cerca de Belcrest Road y el corredor de la corte de inmigración. Nuestro papel como PTA no
es político. Nuestra responsabilidad es apoyar y proteger el bienestar de cada estudiante y familia en nuestra comunidad escolar.
HES es una escuela orgullosamente diversa, donde las familias provienen de diversos orígenes, culturas y experiencias migratorias. Cuando las familias sienten miedo o incertidumbre en su comunidad, los estudiantes trasladan ese estrés a las aulas. La seguridad de los
El 19 de febrero se llevó a cabo una manifestación contra el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos en Hyattsville, cerca de un edificio de Belcrest Road que ya alberga abogados de deportación y está cerca del Tribunal de Inmigración de Hyattsville.
CORTESÍA DE KRISSI HUMBARD
estatal de orden público en Maryland.
Oriadha mencionó que su equipo está revisando la legislación relacionada con ICE en todo el país y afirmó que quiere proteger a los residentes incluso si las nuevas leyes propuestas enfrentan impugnaciones legales.
“Les dije que, incluso si esta legislación pudiera ser impugnada legalmente, vamos a llevarla tan lejos como podamos”, afirmó Oriadha.
Ivey argumentó que el estado debería procesar a los agentes de ICE por deli-
tos, señalando que esto es importante porque un presidente no puede indultar a personas por delitos estatales.
“Creemos que, si hay mayor responsabilidad, habrá una mejor conducta”, concluyó Ivey.
En una reunión celebrada el 5 de febrero, el comandante de la policía del condado de Prince George, James Keleti, de la División 1 de Hyattsville, le recordó a un pequeño grupo de residentes de College Park que la policía del condado no se encarga de hacer cumplir las leyes de
estudiantes incluye no solo la seguridad física, sino también la seguridad emocional y la posibilidad de asistir a la escuela listos para aprender. Queremos que todas las familias de HES sepan:
• Todos los niños pertenecen a nuestra comunidad escolar.
• Las escuelas deben seguir siendo espacios seguros y acogedores centrados en el aprendizaje.
• Ningún niño debe tener miedo de asistir a la escuela ni de participar en las actividades escolares o de la PTA.
• La PTA mantiene su compromiso de compartir información precisa y conectar a las familias con recursos comunitarios confiables cuando sea necesario. Animamos a las familias a mantenerse informadas a través de fuentes confiables y a comunicarse con el personal escolar o la directiva de la PTA si necesitan apoyo. Nuestro enfoque sigue siendo claro: proteger a los estudiantes, apoyar a las familias y garantizar que la Escuela Primaria Hyattsville siga siendo un lugar donde cada niño se sienta seguro, reconocido y valorado.
Firmado,
Jamie McGonnigal, Presidente Aliya Yanwcey, Covicepresidenta Sara Bendoraitis, Covicepresidenta Amy Parker, Tesorera Chanel Brown, Secretaria
ALIMENTOS
VIENE DE PÁG. 13
Aid colabora con los Colectivos por los Derechos de los Inmigrantes en los condados de Montgomery y Prince George, los cuales brindan servicios a residentes que tienen a algún miembro de su familia detenido por el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE).
Además, está trabajando en conjunto con la Universidad Comunitaria de Prince George para ayudar a los estudiantes que toman clases de ESOL, GED y ciudadanía, así como también la compañía Denizens Brewing Co. funciona como punto de recogida de donaciones.
El grupo también cuenta con un programa de “Porch Ambassador” (“Embajadores de Porche”) para personas que quieran organizar mini campañas de colecta de alimentos para apoyarlo.
Inicialmente, el grupo había planeado operar hasta febrero como un programa a corto plazo, sin embargo, recientemente decidió continuar su trabajo de manera indefinida.
Para hacer una donación, ser voluntario o unirse a la lista de correos electrónicos de Route 1 Mutual Aid, visite su página web o sígalos en Instagram.
Reimpreso con permiso de The Hyattsville Wire, la principal fuente de noticias sobre estilo de vida para el corredor de la Ruta 1. www.hyattsvillewire.com
ICE VIENE DE PÁG. 13
FOTO DE ARCHIVO
Estudiantes de la secundaria de Northwestern
salen de la escuela para protestar contra ICE
Por KIT SLACK
El 9 de febrero a las 2 p. m., los estudiantes de la secundaria Northwestern salieron de la escuela con un equipo de sonido, un megáfono y carteles hechos a mano, protestando contra las recientes actividades del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de los Estados Unidos (ICE).
Los estudiantes caminaron en círculos por el estacionamiento de buses frente a la escuela, deteniéndose espontáneamente para animar.
Las estudiantes Miriam y Jovanna, cuyos apellidos fueron omitidos, dijeron que se enteraron de la protesta planificada a través de Instagram. “Esta es mi cultura”, dijo Miriam. “Prefiero representar esto antes que cualquier otra cosa”.
“Crecimos en una familia de inmigrantes”, señaló Jovanna. “Todo lo que podamos hacer para apoyar, lo haremos”.
Los carteles hechos a mano que llevaban los estudiantes incluían versículos de la Biblia; uno de ellos mostraba, en letras blancas con fondo negro, una cita de Levítico 19:33-34: “Cuando un extranjero viva con ustedes en su tierra, no lo maltraten. Al extranjero que viva con ustedes lo tratarán como si fuera uno de ustedes, y lo amarán como a ustedes mismos, porque también ustedes fueron extranjeros en Egipto. Yo soy el Señor su Dios”. Por otro lado, varios
de estos carteles eran profanos:
“F*CK ICE”. Además, algunos estudiantes se envolvieron en banderas del Salvador y la República Dominicana. Un cartel con una bandera salvadoreña decía: “llevo el sacrificio de mis padres en cada paso que doy”. Northwestern cuenta con 2.400 estudiantes, de los cuales el 37% está aprendiendo inglés y 1.750 se identifican como hispanos, según los datos estatales más recientes. Los estudiantes de al menos
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Los estudiantes de Northwestern High School hicieron una huelga en la tarde del 9 de febrero para protestar contra la actividad del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos. KIT SLACK
otras 4 escuelas secundarias del condado de Prince George organizaron protestas similares en febrero.
Padres de estudiantes del condado han sido detenidos o deportados en los últimos seis meses. No se han realizado reportes de agentes de ICE operando en los campus escolares del condado.
Durante la semana previa a la protesta, ICE detuvo a una joven solicitante de asilo en Hyattsville, quien es madre soltera de dos ni-
ños de 4 años y 18 meses. La mujer fue detenida mientras acudía a una cita con las autoridades de inmigración, según reportó inicialmente NBC Washington el 6 de febrero. El padre Vidal Rivas, de la iglesia episcopal St. Matthew en Hyattsville, confirmó que, en el momento de redactar esta noticia, la mujer continúa bajo custodia en un centro de detención de ICE en el sur, y los niños se encuentran bajo el cuidado de Rivas y su esposa.
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