Transcript

Included: The November 10, 2010 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section

HyattsvilleLife&Times

November 2010Hyattsville’s Community NewspaperVol. 7 No. 11

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A STREET pAvED WITh GREENDecatur Street in Edmonston is the greenest street on the East Coast, and maybe even the U.S. PAGE 3

dIrecTOr continued on page 12

AT ThE DRIvE-INPostcards from the Past talks about the days when drive-in movies and restaurants were popular in Hyattsville. PAGE 5

by Krista Atteberry

With less than one week on the job, Steve Yeskulsky, the city’s new Rec-reation and the Arts Director, hit the ground running by helping out at the Hyatt sville Volunteer Fire Department’s 5-mile run on Octo-ber 23. He was impressed with the more than 60 volunteers and the community spirit at the fi rst annual event, in which dozens of runners ages 10 to 75 competed.

Before coming to Hyatt sville, Yeskulsky served as a program co-ordinator for six years with Florida’s Sarasota County Government Parks and Recreation Department, where he “did a thousand things . . . includ-ing mostly overseeing larger special events.”

Originally from San Diego, he graduated from San Diego State University with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in art history and cul-tural anthropology. During his time in San Diego, he was instrumental in organizing an art exhibition, “Salon de San Diego,” to help raise funds for an AIDS charity. Yeskulsky also enjoys writing for the Parks & Rec Business magazine and is a certifi ed Park and Recreation Professional and Playground Inspector.

First on his agenda is gett ing accli-mated to the area and meeting more folks in the community. Also, once the city council approves the city’s Parks Master Plan, which is expect-

All work and all play

by Paula Minaert

In the not-too-distant future, the area around the Mall at Prince Georges and Northwestern High School could look very diff erent, because some major development projects are in the works there. Some of these projects are within the city’s borders and some fall just outside. All will have an impact on life in Hyatt sville.

1. Th e Landy Property Landy is owned by Marvin Blum-berg, a major developer in the Wash-ington region. He owns a 33.94-acre parcel of land located south of Northwestern High School and north of the mall. Most of this land is wooded and lies outside the city limits, except for a small portion at the northeast corner.

Th e District Council – which is the arbiter for development in Prince George’s County − recently approved a Landy proposal for residential construction on part of that land: an apartment building of about 400 units that would be on the street line of Belcrest Road.

Th e building would include the portion of land that is within the city. Th is has led to discussion on the city council of the city annex-ing the unincorporated portion so that the entire building would be in Hyatt sville, said council member Tim Hunt (Ward 3). His ward bor-ders the area of the proposed devel-opment and includes the portion within the city.

Th is is Phase One of the project and

Mall at Prince Georges area planning fornew, major development

Where the wild things areby Fred Seitz

Hyatt sville is frequently identifi ed as an arts community, but there is also a community of wildlife that lives both in our parks and backyards. Some residents have actively worked to encourage this by participating in the National Wildlife Federation’s Certifi ed Wildlife Habitat program.

NWF started the program in 1973 to help wildlife and “give people a way to connect with the natural world,” ac-cording to David Mizejewski, a NWF wildlife biologist. Since then, 135,000 homes across the country have been certifi ed as wildlife habitats. Hyatt sville has 23 of them.

fred seitzNicola Hain’s small pond is part of a certified habitat.

SPOOKYFESTThe city’s annual Halloween party

drew about 200 people of all ages. MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 10

Local residents get their heirlooms evaluated at Hyattsville’s version of the Antiques Roadshow. PAGE 2

HaBITaT continued on page 12 deVelOPMenT continued on page 13

IS ThAT TRASh OR TREASURE?

worth what I paid for them, years ago,” she told me. “I was told the table was 1790 and the chairs about 1810.”

I had brought two tea sets to be ap-praised. My husband’s great-grand-parents had brought one over from Ireland, with shamrocks painted on it. Th e other set came from my grand-parents’ house, and was pink and white with gold rims. Th e word “Nippon” was writt en on the bott om of each piece.

As each person walked away from the table aft er consulting with Mr. Weschler, the others would come up and ask what the verdict was.

“My shells are a novelty,” said Will Parkhurst. “Not worth much. But I don’t care.”

Doug Dudrow told the group, “Th is is a pastel, American, from about 1910. Not worth too much.”

“Will you sell it?” Gloria Th omp-son asked him.

“No.”“If you have a break-in at your

house, you know where to look,” she told him. “I love this picture.”

Debbie Franklin discovered that her table was a reproduction, made not in 1790 but in 1880. “But it is worth what I paid for it.”

I was disappointed in what I learned about my two tea sets. Bob’s family leg-end must have been mistaken, because the shamrock set was made in the 1920s – even though the family came over before 1900. And the Japanese set, while it was made in the late 19th

century, wouldn’t fetch much, either.“It’s actually a dessert set,” We-

schler told me. “See, these are berry dishes. But people don’t entertain like they used to. And they don’t want to hand wash anything.”

HPA president Kimberly Schmidt had brought in a framed map done in needlepoint. “Well, it’s as cheap as I thought. But that’s all right. My chil-dren’s great-grandmother made it as part of her exam to become a teacher in Canada. Th at’s worth a lot to me.”

She’d also brought a silver and blue brooch, which she said she was happy to know she could wear without worry.

Claudia Ferguson had to fi ght airport customs offi cials to keep the item she

brought. She said that when she visited Cuba, her aunt gave her a bronze statue of a litt le girl standing on a chair, which had been in her family for generations.

“Customs said it was an antique and belonged to the government of Cuba, but I kept arguing with them.

Th ey called in diff erent three people, but fi nally let me keep it.”

Stuart Eisenberg was pleased to fi nd out that his print wasn’t worth very much. “It’s a page from a book that someone framed. But I’ve been trying to get my brother to give me the mate to it, and he’s always said no because he thought it was valuable. Now I can tell him it’s not.”

In total, 32 tickets had been sold. Weschler said that that was the best he’d seen for a fi rst-time event. He also said that the items brought in ranged in value from $5 to $2,500. (I’d missed that item somehow.)

A fi nal comment came from Fred Hille, who came from St. Mary’s County. “A good appraisal is about more than monetary value. It’s also about tradition.”

Page 2 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010

a community newspaper chronicling the

life and times of Hyattsville

Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, Md 20781

Hyattsville Life & Times is published monthly by Hyattsville Community Newspaper, Inc., a 501c(3) nonprofi t cor-poration. Interested reporters should send their e-mail addresses to the editor to be reminded of deadlines and re-ceive internal news. Articles and news submitted may be edited. The dead-line is the last week of the month for the following month’s issue. Letters to the editor and opinions are encour-aged. For all e-mail correspondence with HL&T: news, features, tips, adver-tising and business write to [email protected]. To submit articles, letters to the editor, etc., e-mail [email protected].

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Managing editorSusie Currie

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Writers & contributorsVictoria Hille

Valerie RussellKimberly Schmidt

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Chris Currie - Vice PresidentJoseph Gigliotti - General Counsel

Paula Minaert - SecretaryPeggy Dee

Susie Currie - Ex Offi cioCirculation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. Mail to every address in Hyattsville. Additional copies are distrib-uted to libraries, selected businesses, community centers and churches in the city. Total circulation is 8,000.

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FromTheEditor

by Paula Minaert

What’s in your house? A Tiff any lamp? A Chippendale chair? An un-known Turner painting? Or did that teapot come from 1960s Indiana and not 18th-century China, as your grandmother said?

Area residents searched through their homes in response to this question for the Hyatt sville Preser-vation Association’s own Antiques Roadshow-type event on October 30 in the Municipal Building’s mul-tipurpose room. Th omas Weschler of Weschler’s Auction & Appraisal Services brought his professional expertise to the occasion. Th e event, which raised money for HPA, lim-ited each person to two items and

Jewels or junk? Residents get an answerprohibited antiquities, books, for-eign coins, stamps and fi rearms.

Th at left plenty of other categories, though. As people waited for their numbers to be called, they walked around and checked out what oth-ers had unearthed.

Will Parkhurst, who lives on Farra-gut Street, held up two six-inch long shells (gun shells, not seashells). “My grandfather brought these back as souvenirs from Europe aft er World War I. We used them as paperweights for a while. I’m just curious about them, but they’re probably junk.”

Doug Dudrow, longtime city coun-cilmember for Ward 1, showed me a landscape. “Th is is chalk, I think. I get stuff at estate sales and auctions.”

Carol Kinzer, mother of Hyatt s-ville resident Debbie Simmons, came from Annapolis for the event and brought a lamp. “It doesn’t look like much until you turn it on,” she said. “But now look.” A drawing of trees etched on the glass shone soft -ly through. “Isn’t that prett y?”

Another person, Peggy Gugliuzza, came from Delaware at the invita-tion of her daughter-in-law Melanie. She cradled a doll in her arms, which she said had been her mother’s.

“It was made in Germany, I think in the 1880s. See, her head is porce-lain. And her arms and legs, even her hands and feet, they all bend. Th ey don’t make them like this now.”

“Did you play with her when you were a child?” I asked.

“Oh no, I wasn’t allowed to. It sat on a shelf. I call her Goldie. I just love her.”

Debbie Franklin lugged in a table and four chairs. “I just want to know if they’re

Krista atteberryAt the Hyattsville Preservation Association’s recent appraisal day, Thomas Weschler of Weschler’s Auction & Appraisal Services discusses the six-inch shells Will Parkhurst brought while HPA President Kimberly Schmidt looks on.

Krista atteberryDoug Dudrow with his 1910-era pastel.

“My grandfather brought these back ... after World War I. We used them as paperweights for a while.”

— Will ParkhurstFarragut Street

Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Page 3

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by Susie Currie

A mayor who sees his town flood repeatedly — once leaving 56 homes underwater — may find silver linings hard to come by. But Edmonston mayor Adam Ortiz saw the situation as an opportunity.

As one of the lowest areas in the region, said Ortiz, Ed-monston gets storm-water runoff from not only its own parking lots and streets, but from neighboring towns like Hyattsville and Riverdale Park as well. The town is perched on the banks of the Anacostia River, but it was this runoff that caused the flooding.

So when the time came to upgrade the town’s main thor-oughfare, Decatur Street, he set about looking for ways to “build the street as responsibly and sustainably as pos-sible.” The solution would need to address not only storm water, but insufficient lighting and sidewalks as well.

Now, Edmonston boasts what the Environmental Pro-tection Agency has called “the greenest street on the East Coast and possibly the U.S.”

“We’re the only street that has incorporated so many features from top to bottom,” Ortiz said of the seven-block stretch. The centerpiece: Tree boxes with rain gar-dens, which will direct an estimated 90 percent of storm water to the ground’s natural filtering system.

The tree boxes double as bump-outs, slowing cars and mak-ing the street safer for bikers and walkers; new permeable

paved bike lanes that connect to local trails are an added incen-tive to leave the car in the driveway. The expanded sidewalks, also permeable, are an ADA-compliant 3 feet wide.

New LED street lights are wind-pow-ered, and smaller, non-native trees have

given way to native large-growth trees, such as willow oak and Southern magnolia, that will form a tree canopy.

The project cost $1.3 million, 90 percent of which was covered by grants and federal stimulus funds.

“We already had the money set aside in the budget, so we were going to do it no matter what,” said Ortiz, whose day job is deputy chief of staff for Maryland Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown. “But when the stimulus came, EPA of-ficials were looking for shovel-ready projects,” and the process was far enough along to qualify.

The Chesapeake Bay Trust funded a $25,000 engineer-ing study, and soon other state and federal environmen-tal partners had signed on. Design help came from local organizations like the Low Impact Development Center and the Neighborhood Design Center.

Ortiz has been invited to speak about the project at the National Building Museum, a Maryland Municipal League conference, and the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment, which is con-sidering two bills that would fund similar infrastructure.

Decatur Street has already inspired one neighbor-ing town to build a similar street. Bladensburg officials have secured a $4 million grant from the Maryland State Highway Administration to be used on a .6-mile stretch of Route 450 running between the Peace Cross and Bladensburg Elementary. The EPA sponsored a design charette for the town on October 24.

“We have learned so much from [Edmonston] about the design and implementation of such a project,” said Bladensburg town administrator John Moss.

He said his town will expand on that model out of ne-cessity: “Their roadway is two lanes. Ours is four, carrying 57,000 cars a day, and it’s fronted with retail and parking.”

Ortiz hopes that more communities will follow Ed-monston’s lead. “Our project alone will not save the Bay,” he said. “But it can be part of the solution.”

Decatur Street goes green

city of edmonstonNew bike lanes and native-tree plantings are part of what makes this stretch of Decatur Street “the greenest on the East Coast,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

city of edmonstonAt last November’s green-street groundbreaking, Edmonston mayor Adam Ortiz was joined by, from right, Congresswoman Donna Edwards, EPA Admin-istrator Lisa Jackson, Edmonston council member Tra-cy Farrish and EPA official Dominique Leuckenhoff.

The centerpiece: Tree boxes with rain gardens, which will direct an estimated 90 percent of storm water to the ground’s natural filtering system.

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Dear Miss Floribunda,

I heard somewhere that in our cli-mate, autumn is the time to transplant trees and woody shrubs. I am thinking of transplanting some rose bushes but a neighbor of mine vehemently insists that I have to wait till spring. She hasn’t given me any reasons other than that she knows it’s best. Please reassure me — tell me I can go ahead!

Determined to Dig on Decatur Street

Dear Determined to Dig,

Could you possibly “dig” transplant-ing lilacs instead?  Early fall is a good time to bury bulbs; divide peonies, irises and other perennials; and plant trees, shrubs and roses in pots that you’ve gott en half-price from a nursery. But you should wait to transplant established roses.

Unlike your neighbor I can give you reasons. Roses oft en will bloom right up till frost, and you should never transplant anything in fl ower.  It is important that they be completely dormant before you transplant them. 

Of course, there are always excep-tions to any rule. I know of a family that decided to sell the home of a beloved grandmother aft er her passing,  and wanted to distribute her decades-old rose bushes among themselves. Th e new owners were going to move in during the dog days of summer, so the family hired a landscaper who used a tree fork to move the roses without disturbing their root systems.  Th at,

however, was an act of desperation.Now, if you want to be one up on

your neighbor, you can inform her she is wrong on one point: Th e best time to transplant roses is not spring but late winter. Late February or early March is good, depending on when the ground thaws in any given year.

You may possibly remember a much earlier column in which a gardener asked me when to give roses their fi rst pruning in spring. My advisor, Citizen Cane, informed me that the time to prune is when the forsythia on your block has bloomed, and not before.  You want to take advantage of that fair-ly brief period between the time the soil soft ens and the rose bush comes out of dormancy.  If you wait till the forsythia has bloomed, it is too late.

You got me wondering why it is the custom in this area to plant trees in au-tumn rather than in the spring, before they leaf out. I asked an expert, Grover Arboretum, for the reason. He ex-plained that a tree planted during our all-too-brief spring suff ers consider-able stress from our hot and oft en peri-odically dry summers while it is trying to get established. When planted (or transplanted) in autumn it has cool wet weather for sett ling in before go-ing dormant. He recommends the last week of September through the fi rst week of October for optimum results.

To discuss this and other gardening top-ics, please come to the next meeting of the Hyatt sville Horticultural Society at 10 a.m. on Saturday, November 20, at the Municipal Center. Please email questions to fl [email protected].

MyTwoCents

by Shirley Fisher

Over the last few months, I feel the Hyatt sville Police Department has had some undeserved criticism in the local papers. So I’d like to share some things they’ve done right.

As a nurse, there were many nights when I would come in at 1 or 2 a.m. I would call HPD and ask for an es-cort. If there was a car available, they would sit in front of my house until I was safely inside. If not, the dis-patcher would send me to a lighted area to wait for a car. Th e dispatch-ers and the offi cers were always polite and professional and never considered my situation too trivial to address.

Th is past summer, on a day when it was 96 degrees in the shade, two dogs wandered down the street and one appeared to be injured. Prince George’s County Animal Control

had no trucks available. I called the HPD and within minutes three cars arrived. Offi cers Riggs, Harley and Nemser quickly corralled the dogs behind a fence. I watched one offi -cer using his personal bott led water to cool one dog down while gently cradling the dog on his lap.

I have gone on the holiday “Santa with a Badge” outing and felt proud of these offi cers and the care and compassion they showed to those kids facing a diffi cult holiday. I saw police offi cers reach into their own pockets to help these kids get the gift s they wanted when the donated gift cards weren’t enough. “Th anks” is not a big enough word.

I watched Chief Holland trying to pair each child with an offi cer. Th anks to Cpl. Rudinski for putt ing it together; thanks to Sgt. Purvis and Lt. Roski for taking on a set of

Giving thanks to the police

Photo courtesy of the city of hyattsVilleTarget employees Marissa Hamlet and Sean Donnelly with members of Hyattsville Police Department’s Community Action Team: Sgt. Suzie Johnson, Sgt. Chris Purvis, PFC Jimmy Denault, and Lt. Mark Roski.

twins from our intensive care unit who had many physical and devel-opmental challenges.

From Holland to the offi cer on the street, let’s remember that they put their lives on the line for us ev-ery day. In fact, the chief recently accepted an award from the local Target on behalf of his force; crime there is down more than 20 percent in two years.

When I hear someone make nega-tive comments about our police, or read negative comments in the pa-per, I want to ask these people: Who do you call fi rst when you’re scared or feel unsafe? Who do you count on to know how to handle situations

that you’re unable to? Let’s give these police offi cers the support and respect they deserve.

We never know when we may need them and they have to put their lives on the line for us. Will we sometimes disagree with them? Maybe — that’s life! Will they sometimes make mis-takes? Maybe. Th ey’re only human. But let’s support them and let them know we appreciate everything they do. If you see one on the street, just smile and say “Th anks!” I think they would like to know you are there for them just as they are there for you.

Shirley Fisher has lived in Hyatt sville since 1963.

Let’s give these police offi cers the support and respect they deserve. We never know when we may need them.

near the gas station. Frank was a patron of the bowling alley on East-West High-way where the Giant grocery store is now. And neither of them will ever forget the flooding on East West Highway, be-low Prince George’s Plaza, from Hurri-cane Agnes in 1972.

When Frank and Barbara were growing up in our fair city, the neighborhood kids played together. Kickball, baseball, football, bicycle riding, roller skat-ing and jumping rope were some of the favorites. Frank loved to catch crayfish in the park streams.

Th e old Hyatt sville movie theater on Route 1 would sponsor a double

feature for only 25 cents. Barbara has fond memories of them raising their own money by babysitt ing or delivering newspapers.

The children of the 1950s went out in large groups on Halloween to trick-or-treat and were perfectly safe. The kids knew all their neigh-bors and who gave out the best treats. Barbara fondly remembers the grownups sitting in lawn chairs in the front and back yards, talking to their neighbors for hours.

The schools were different then, too. Girls were forbidden to wear pants of any type. Boys  could not wear denim jeans, T shirts or sneakers. There were no com-puters and the kids had to study for school tests and prepare their homework without Google.

Th e couple’s very favorite memory is that most neighborhood moth-

ers did not work outside the home. Th e kids did not have babysitt ers in those days and came home each eve-ning to a home-cooked family meal.

While Barbara and Frank are glad to be living today, with so many technological advances, they are happy that they grew up in Hyattsville “in the good old days” when life was much simpler and moved at a slower pace.

Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Page 5

The area that is now the prince George’s plaza Metro Station used to be an open fi eld with sand pits where Frank Yator played as a boy.

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by Peggy Dee

My neighbors, Barbara Runion and Frank Yator, have been mar-ried for 17  years and both have lived most of their lives in Hyatts-ville. Frank attended the old Ager Road Elementary School, now Rosa Parks Elementary. There was an old rickety wooden foot bridge outside the school that ter-rified young Frank.

Still vivid in Frank’s memory is the old Peoples Drug Store on Hamilton Street, where the post office is now. He used to buy his comic books there. Also on Ham-ilton Street was the very popular Pizza Pan Restaurant, which did a brisk neighborhood business.    

Barbara still cherishes memories of going to the Queens Chapel drive-in movie theater and the Mighty Mo Drive-In Restaurant, with its delicious pork BBQ sand-wiches and tasty orange freezes. She purchased her first automo-bile, a Ford Maverick, at Palmer Ford, a dealership that was torn

down in the late 1970s to make room for the West Hyattsville Metro Station.  

Both Frank and Barbara remem-ber the original Prince George’s Plaza, which was not enclosed. Christmas shopping in the wind, rain and snow made the holiday season all the more festive.

The area that is now the Prince George’s Plaza Metro Station used to be an open field with sand pits where Frank played as a boy. He re-members the carnivals held on the northeast corner of the field,

Drive-in movies, restaurants part of Hyatt sville history

library of congressPrince George’s Plaza in 1959

Page 6 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010

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MATH & BEYONDMathematics for ALL ages from elementary school to calculusDon’t wait for the first bad grade — give your child a jump start this year!You will not find a better math tutor — references available!Michael Karpman301-613-MATH (6284)[email protected] years of teaching and tutoring mathematics

GRE math preparation (don’t put off grad school because you are afraid of math!)

AdirondAck Tree experTs

Recipient of Checkbook Magazine’s “Check of Quality”

Proudly serving the Citizens of Hyattsville since 1996

REMOVAL • PRUNING TRIMMING

Free Estimates!

301-595-2827On-Line Coupons

www.adirondacktreeexperts.com

Senior Citizen Discounts • Visa and Mastercard Accepted

FULLY LICENSED AND INSURED

Hyattsville Cyclocross

Photos by Valerie russellMore than 400 racers turned out for the second annual Hyattsville Cyclocross on October 10. The Magruder Park course featured obstacles (far right) requiring riders to dismount. Winners in several categories included (right), from left, Lesley Golenor, Laurel Larsen and Katy Curran.

Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Page 7

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Pottery PaintingSeaSonaL art WorKSHoP:

Saturday, November 13th11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Paint a cup, bowl, or a set of 2 holiday ornaments with Color Me Mine

$20 fee covers pottery piece, supplies, and light refreshments. Reservations required.

Call 301/985-5020.All ages welcome! Children must be accompanied by an adult.

City Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Streetwww.hyattsville.org/recreation

November chaNges to the trash collectioN

schedule1. There will be no Yard Waste pick up the weeks of Veterans Day (November 7) and Thanksgiving (November 21).

2. The week of Veterans Day, beginning November 7, trash pickup will occur a day earlier if your regularly scheduled day is Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Trash pickup for Friday will occur as usual.

3. The week of Thanksgiving, beginning November 21, trash pickup will occur a day earlier if your regularly scheduled day is Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Trash pickup regularly scheduled for Friday will occur on Saturday.

Visit hyattsville.org for more information.

calendar continued on page 8

Pressed for time?

Wash & Fold Drop OffFull Service • Same DayLaundry ServiceFree Pick Up & Delivery

American Mega Laundromat301-559-0707

MegaLaundromat.comAcross West Hyattsville Metro StationCorner of Ager Road & Hamilton St.Open 7 Days a Week 6 am to 11:30 pmWeekly & Monthly Laundry Service Plans Available

or do it yourself at

the brentwood arts exchange“Safe in my Nest,” a piece by Tim Tate, will be shown at the All Mixed Up show at the Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Through November 27See artwork composed of two or more media in All Mixed Up: A Juried Exhibition of Mixed Media Work. Held annually for artists who live, work, or study in Prince George’s County, this year’s show is juried by art collector Philippa Hughes. Exhibit is on display weekdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood. 301.277.2863.

Through February 25On loan from the Smithsonian National Air and Space

Page HR1 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010

HYATTSVILLE POLICE RECEIVE COMMUNITY AWARD

Target area managers Valarie Younger and Sean Donnelly pre-sented City of Hyattsville Police Chief Douglas Holland with a 2010 Private and Public partner-ship award. � e award recognizes the strong working relationship between Target and the City police. Over the past two years, the Target store has reported a decrease of more than 20% in security inci-dents. Target has been a key sup-porter of the City’s National Night Out Against Crime.

CRIME DROPS FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

During last month’s Community Crime Watch Meeting, Police Chief Douglas Holland shared an update on crime statistics. Crime continues to drop, with the City reporting an overall decrease of over 5% in the � rst nine months of 2010. � is continues

the favorable trend from 2009, when crime dropped by 10%. To read the full presentation and see all of the sta-tistics, visit http://www.hyattsville.org/police

LEAF COLLECTION

Leaf collection resumed No-vember 1, 2010. Route infor-mation, helpful tips, and more can be found at http://www.hyattsville.org/leaves.

MARY PRANGLEY CLEAN UP DAY SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 13

All homes served by the Depart-ment of Public Works will receive one special Saturday trash pick-up on November 13. City trucks will make one pass through the City be-ginning at 9:00 a.m. � is is the per-fect opportunity to dispose of bulky

items or larger amounts of trash. Call 301/985-5032 with questions.

WARD 3 COMMUNITY MEETING SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 13

Councilmembers Matt McKnight and Tim Hunt will host a Com-

munity Meeting for Ward 3 resi- dents at Prince

George’s Plaza C o m m u n i t y Center, 6600

A d e l p h i Road, at

10:00 am on Saturday, No-vember 13.

NATIONAL FAMILY VOLUNTEER DAY IS NOVEMBER 20

Celebrate � anksgiving by bringing the whole family to volunteer! Our group will clean up the area near the University Hills Duck Pond Park, located at the end of Wells Parkway. Equipment provided, but please

GET READY TO LIGHT UP THE SKY!Judging for the City’s annual holiday decorating contest will take place on Wednesday, December 15 beginning at 7:00 p.m. There is no need to enter; simply turn on your lights by 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 15 and keep them on until 9:00 p.m. Our judges will consider every decorated property.

Judges choose First, Second, and Third Place winners from each of the City’s fi ve wards. The Mayor also se-lects a favorite to receive The Mayor’s Award.

Interested in serving as a judge? Contact your Council Member. Call 301/985-5000 or see http://www.hyatts-ville.org/council for contact information.

Wondering if you’ve won? Honorees are notifi ed by mail as soon as we receive the judges’ decisions. De-partment of Recreation and the Arts staff will photo-graph your home for a presentation to the Mayor and City Council in January 2011. We will invite you to re-ceive your award in person at that time.

Results will also appear in the January edition of the Hyattsville Reporter and on our website at http://www.hyattsville.org/lightup

NOVEMBER 2010CALENDARHyattsville Reporterthe

No. 204 • November 9, 2010

IN OTHER NEWS...

www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

Page HR1 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Page HR2

No Yard Waste pick-up. Modi� ed trash collection sched-ule in e� ect due to Veterans Day holiday on � ursday. No leaf vacuuming this week.Council Work Session & Special City Council Meeting, 7:00 PM

Veterans Day Holiday. City Administrative O� ces closed; no trash collection.

Mary Prangley Clean-up Day

Community Meeting: Ward 3 Residents, 10:00 AM, Prince George’s County Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Road.

Arts Workshop: Pottery Painting, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Visit http://www.hyattsville.org/recreation for details.

City Council Meeting, 8:00 PM

National Family Volunteer Day, 9:00 AM, University Hills Duck Pond Park, Wells Parkway.

No Yard Waste pick-up. Modi� ed trash collection sched-ule in e� ect due to � anksgiving holiday on � ursday and Friday. No leaf vacuuming this week.

� anksgiving Holiday. City Administrative O� ces closed; no trash collection.

� anksgiving Holiday. City Administrative O� ces closed; no trash collection.

� e City of Hyattsville wishes everyone a Happy � anksgiving

8

11

13

1520

22

25

26

dress for the elements! Call 301/985-5057 for details or to RSVP.

RECREATION NEWS IN YOUR INBOX

� e City’s Department of Recreation and the Arts o� ers a year-long cal-endar of programs for the whole family. To stay up-to-date, residents can now subscribe to the Department’s monthly eNews. Packed with details on upcoming events, it is a must-read if you’re looking for a� ordable fami-ly fun in Hyattsville. Visit http://www.hyattsville.org/eNews to subscribe.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Are you on Facebook? You can now keep up with City events and happenings at www.facebook.com/cityo� yattsville. When you see Vainglorious, the silver metal bird sculpture at Centennial Park, you’ll know you’re in the right place. He is kind enough to serve as the City’s wall photo.

ANNOUNCING...

Green HomesHyattsville

Looking for ways to lower your utility costs, increase your home’s value, and help the environment? An Energy Assessment can identify strategies to accomplish all of these goals. Quali� ed City of Hyattsville resi-dents, including seniors over the age of 65 and lower-income residents, may qualify to receive an Energy Assessment free of charge through the Green Homes Hyatts-ville retro� t program.If your home is se-

lected for an Energy As-sessment, you may also be eligible for � nancial assistance completing the suggested upgrades. Up-grades range from quick � xes like replacing

weather stripping or aged applianc-es to more complex projects in-cluding replacing doors or win-dows or adding solar panels.� e O� ce of Community

Development will host two information ses-sions for interested residents. Join us on � ursday, December 2, 2010 at 2:00 PM or 7:00 PM at the City

Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street.

Can’t make the meeting? Call 301/985-5000 or visit

http://www.hyattsville.org/retro� t to learn more. DAVID SAWYER

Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Page HR2

HYATTSVILLE POLICE RECEIVE COMMUNITY AWARD

Target area managers Valarie Younger and Sean Donnelly pre-sented City of Hyattsville Police Chief Douglas Holland with a 2010 Private and Public partner-ship award. � e award recognizes the strong working relationship between Target and the City police. Over the past two years, the Target store has reported a decrease of more than 20% in security inci-dents. Target has been a key sup-porter of the City’s National Night Out Against Crime.

CRIME DROPS FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW

During last month’s Community Crime Watch Meeting, Police Chief Douglas Holland shared an update on crime statistics. Crime continues to drop, with the City reporting an overall decrease of over 5% in the � rst nine months of 2010. � is continues

the favorable trend from 2009, when crime dropped by 10%. To read the full presentation and see all of the sta-tistics, visit http://www.hyattsville.org/police

LEAF COLLECTION

Leaf collection resumed No-vember 1, 2010. Route infor-mation, helpful tips, and more can be found at http://www.hyattsville.org/leaves.

MARY PRANGLEY CLEAN UP DAY SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 13

All homes served by the Depart-ment of Public Works will receive one special Saturday trash pick-up on November 13. City trucks will make one pass through the City be-ginning at 9:00 a.m. � is is the per-fect opportunity to dispose of bulky

items or larger amounts of trash. Call 301/985-5032 with questions.

WARD 3 COMMUNITY MEETING SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 13

Councilmembers Matt McKnight and Tim Hunt will host a Com-

munity Meeting for Ward 3 resi- dents at Prince

George’s Plaza C o m m u n i t y Center, 6600

A d e l p h i Road, at

10:00 am on Saturday, No-vember 13.

NATIONAL FAMILY VOLUNTEER DAY IS NOVEMBER 20

Celebrate � anksgiving by bringing the whole family to volunteer! Our group will clean up the area near the University Hills Duck Pond Park, located at the end of Wells Parkway. Equipment provided, but please

GET READY TO LIGHT UP THE SKY!Judging for the City’s annual holiday decorating contest will take place on Wednesday, December 15 beginning at 7:00 p.m. There is no need to enter; simply turn on your lights by 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 15 and keep them on until 9:00 p.m. Our judges will consider every decorated property.

Judges choose First, Second, and Third Place winners from each of the City’s fi ve wards. The Mayor also se-lects a favorite to receive The Mayor’s Award.

Interested in serving as a judge? Contact your Council Member. Call 301/985-5000 or see http://www.hyatts-ville.org/council for contact information.

Wondering if you’ve won? Honorees are notifi ed by mail as soon as we receive the judges’ decisions. De-partment of Recreation and the Arts staff will photo-graph your home for a presentation to the Mayor and City Council in January 2011. We will invite you to re-ceive your award in person at that time.

Results will also appear in the January edition of the Hyattsville Reporter and on our website at http://www.hyattsville.org/lightup

NOVEMBER 2010CALENDARHyattsville Reporterthe

No. 204 • November 9, 2010

IN OTHER NEWS...

www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

Page HR1 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Page HR2

No Yard Waste pick-up. Modi� ed trash collection sched-ule in e� ect due to Veterans Day holiday on � ursday. No leaf vacuuming this week.Council Work Session & Special City Council Meeting, 7:00 PM

Veterans Day Holiday. City Administrative O� ces closed; no trash collection.

Mary Prangley Clean-up Day

Community Meeting: Ward 3 Residents, 10:00 AM, Prince George’s County Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Road.

Arts Workshop: Pottery Painting, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Visit http://www.hyattsville.org/recreation for details.

City Council Meeting, 8:00 PM

National Family Volunteer Day, 9:00 AM, University Hills Duck Pond Park, Wells Parkway.

No Yard Waste pick-up. Modi� ed trash collection sched-ule in e� ect due to � anksgiving holiday on � ursday and Friday. No leaf vacuuming this week.

� anksgiving Holiday. City Administrative O� ces closed; no trash collection.

� anksgiving Holiday. City Administrative O� ces closed; no trash collection.

� e City of Hyattsville wishes everyone a Happy � anksgiving

8

11

13

1520

22

25

26

dress for the elements! Call 301/985-5057 for details or to RSVP.

RECREATION NEWS IN YOUR INBOX

� e City’s Department of Recreation and the Arts o� ers a year-long cal-endar of programs for the whole family. To stay up-to-date, residents can now subscribe to the Department’s monthly eNews. Packed with details on upcoming events, it is a must-read if you’re looking for a� ordable fami-ly fun in Hyattsville. Visit http://www.hyattsville.org/eNews to subscribe.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

Are you on Facebook? You can now keep up with City events and happenings at www.facebook.com/cityo� yattsville. When you see Vainglorious, the silver metal bird sculpture at Centennial Park, you’ll know you’re in the right place. He is kind enough to serve as the City’s wall photo.

ANNOUNCING...

Green HomesHyattsville

Looking for ways to lower your utility costs, increase your home’s value, and help the environment? An Energy Assessment can identify strategies to accomplish all of these goals. Quali� ed City of Hyattsville resi-dents, including seniors over the age of 65 and lower-income residents, may qualify to receive an Energy Assessment free of charge through the Green Homes Hyatts-ville retro� t program.If your home is se-

lected for an Energy As-sessment, you may also be eligible for � nancial assistance completing the suggested upgrades. Up-grades range from quick � xes like replacing

weather stripping or aged applianc-es to more complex projects in-cluding replacing doors or win-dows or adding solar panels.� e O� ce of Community

Development will host two information ses-sions for interested residents. Join us on � ursday, December 2, 2010 at 2:00 PM or 7:00 PM at the City

Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street.

Can’t make the meeting? Call 301/985-5000 or visit

http://www.hyattsville.org/retro� t to learn more. DAVID SAWYER

Museum, Fly Now! is an exhibit of 40 inter-national aviation posters from 1860 to the present. Free with museum admission of $4 for adults and $2 for ages 18 and under. Noon to 4 p.m. College Park Aviation Museum. 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park. 301.864.6029.

November 16Art historian Aneta Georgievska-Shine pres-ents a lecture based on her book Rubens and the Archaeology of Myth, which examines the artist’s approach to classical mythology. $5; $2.50 for students. 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Riv-ersdale House Museum. 4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420.

November 18 to January 9Part of Gaylord National Resort’s Christmas on the Potomac program, ICE! will feature 10 col-orful scenes from the Dr. Seuss classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Created with over 2 mil-

lion pounds of ice, sculptures include the Grinch’s frozen mountaintop lair, 20-foot-tall ice slides, the village of Who-ville, Max the dog, Cindy Lou Who, and, of course, the green one himself. Tick-ets start at $24; discounts for children and seniors. Free for ages 3 and under. National Harbor, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor. Hours vary; for more information, call 301.965.4000 or vis-it www.ChristmasOnThePotomac.com.

November 18The Ugandan Orphans Choir, made up of 10 children ages 8 to 14, presents an evening of traditional African song and dance. Adults, $20; youth and seniors, $12. 7 p.m. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mt. Rainier. 301.699.1819.

November 21If you’re looking for unique gift ideas, why not take a glass ornaments class? Learn how to blow colored glass ornaments in this workshop, part of DC Glassworks Introduction to Glass se-ries. 1 to 5 p.m. $165. Class is also offered on December 11 and 19. DC Glassworks, 5366 46th Avenue, Edmonston. 301.927.8271.

November 26It’s opening day for the 23rd Annual Win-ter Festival of Lights, the popular holiday display featuring over a million twinkling lights. Please bring canned food to donate. Admission per car or van is $5 for a single visit or $10 for a multi-visit pass. 5 to 9:30 p.m. daily until January 2. Watkins Regional Park. 301 Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marl-boro. 301.699.2456.

Come to the 11th Annual Gingerbread House Contest and Show. A tiki hut, haunted house, and ski chalet are just a few of the creative designs of years past; see what this year’s contestants have come up with and vote for your favorite. $1. Noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday until December 12. Darnall’s Chance House Mu-seum. 14800 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro. 301.952.8010.

December 3Head to the park for the city’s annual Holiday Tree Lighting. Free. 7 p.m. Magruder Park. 4000 Hamilton Street. 301.985.5020.

December 4At the city’s Breakfast with Santa, chil-dren will enjoy pancakes and face time with the man in red. $5 includes break-fast and photo with Santa; $3 for breakfast only. 9 to 11 a.m. Municipal Building. 4310 Gallatin Street. Reservations required. 301.985.5020.

At Breakfast With Sint Niklaas, children will meet the Flemish forerunner of Santa Claus and receive a gift bag. Adults, $5; children, $9. 10 a.m. No walk-ins. Reser-vations required by November 30. Riv-

Page 8 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

calendar continued on page 9

CALENDAR continued from page 7

the college ParK aViation museumSome of the vintage aviation posters on display at the College Park Aviation Museum.

gaylord national resortOne of the scenes from the classic story How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, carved in ice, at the Gaylord National Resort’s Christmas on the Potomac program.

GROWwith usPrint circulation – Up 10% (from one year ago)

Online visits – Up 250% (last 12 mos. vs.

previous 12 mos.)

Where growing your business is not just a part of growing ours – it’s central to our mission as a non-profit organization

To advertise, contact [email protected] or 301-531-5234

Hyattsville Area Businesses:

Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Page 9

Helping Sell HyattsvilleAnd our Neighboring Community

Salesperson, Long & Foster

Real Estate, Inc.

9094 Baltimore Avenue, College Park, MD 20740cell: 240-938-6060 office: 301-441-9511 ext. 261

email: [email protected]

web: ANNBARRETT.LNFRE.COM

Honored as #1 Top Producing Agent,

Long & Foster, College Park 2009

Look to me as your real estate resource!

Beautiful Updated

Rambler 3 BRs, 2 Full

baths, 4700 40th

Ave. Hyattsville $335,000

Gorgeous Updated Victorian 3+BRs, 2 full baths, 5209 42nd Ave.

Hyattsville $379,000

Ann Barrett, Realtor®

REDUCED

SOLD SOLD

UNDER CONTRACT

9327 Limestone Place, College ParkSpacious Rambler with 4+ Bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 Fireplaces, wood floors and

more $275,000

Charming Cape Cod, 3 BRs, 1 ½ baths, 4110 Kennedy St.

Hyattsville $334,000

HYATTSVILLE VACUUM CLEANER SERVICEHome of

THE CLEANERS CORNERVacuum Cleaner Sales and Service

Sewing Machine RepairJanitorial Equipment and Supplies

Carpet Cleaning Equipment and Supplies5219 Baltimore Avenue • Hyattsville, Maryland 20781

Tel: 301-277-3553 • Fax: 301-277-7142e-mail: [email protected]

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Alexander Community Dance Group

Hyattsville’s New Center for the Performing Arts

Classes forming now for children and adults: Tap • Ballet • Line Dance Hip Hop • Modern • JazzPageantry Modeling • Universal Exercise4318 Hamilton Street, Hyattsville, MD 20781(301) 486-4590 or (301) 651-1806 [email protected]

CALENDAR continued from page 8

ersdale House Museum. 4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420.

Apparently, Santa doesn’t always use a sleigh. At the Santa Fly-In, children can have their picture taken with Santa and create a craft. Free with museum admis-sion of $4 for adults and $2 for ages 18 and under. Noon to 4 p.m. College Park Aviation Muse-um. 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park. 301.864.6029.

Browse handmade items from 30 local artists at the Mt. Rain-ier Community Craft Fair. No need for a sitter; young children can visit the Children’s Corner sponsored by Girl Scout Troop 5864, which will also be selling jewelry, purses, toys, fragrant soaps, holiday ornaments and more. Free. 10 a.m. to 4 pm. Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mt. Rainier. 301.655.5274.

December 12Watch dancers and drummers at the Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration, which also features a talk on the holiday’s history. $10; students and seniors, $8. 4 p.m. Publick Play-house. 5445 Landover Road, Ch-everly. 301.277.1710.

Ongoing Hyattsville Elementary School is gearing up for its first book sale, and invites you to donate books, DVDs and CDs for the spring event. Drop books off at the school’s main office, 5311 43rd Avenue, or schedule a do-nation with PTA president Bart Law-rence ([email protected] or 301.312.9129).

Area couple Milton and Linda Mc-Gehee, who were profiled in our pages recently, are still collecting new items for wounded soldiers, including disposable cameras, toi-letries, puzzle books, playing cards, DVDs, and, especially, new towels and washcloths. Call 301.559.0864 to donate or volunteer.

Through March, naturalists will lead a guided hike around Lake Arteme-sia and the Luther Goldman Birding Trail on the first and third Thursdays of the month. Lake Artemesia, 8200 55th Avenue, Berwyn Heights. Free. 3 to 4:30 p.m. 301.627.7755.

This isn’t your toddler’s Sit & Spin. At A Tangled Skein yarn shop, the name refers to fourth-Friday gather-ings where drop-spindle and spin-ning-wheel users can work on indi-vidual projects, guided by spinning expert Anne O’Connor. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. And if you need more chances to unwind, come to the twice weekly Sit & Stitch sessions: Wednesdays,

7 to 9 p.m., and Thursdays, 1 to 3 p.m. They’re open to knitters and crocheters of any experience level. Free. 5200 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 101. 301.779.3399.

The producers-only Riverdale Park Farmers Market offers a variety of vegetables, fruits, honey, baked goods, meat, jams, flowers and more. Free. Thursdays, 3 to 7 p.m. through Nov. 18. At the intersection of Rhode Island Avenue and Queensbury Road, River-dale Park. 301.332.6258.

The Hyattsville library offers a vari-ety of storytimes. Space is limited; free tickets available at the Children’s

Desk. Ages 9-23 months with care-giver:  Mondays, 10:15 a.m.  Ages 2-3: Mondays, 11 a.m. and Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m.  Ages 3-5:  Tuesdays, 11 a.m. Ages 3-6:  Wednesdays, 7 p.m. English-Spanish Storytime for ages 3-6: Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. 6530 Adel-phi Road. 301.985.4690.  

Community Calendar is compiled by Susie Currie. It’s a select listing of events happening in and around Hyattsville from the 15th of the issue month to the 15th of the following month. To submit an item for consideration, please e-mail  [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781. Deadline for De-cember submissions is November 23.

Page 10 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010

HAPPY HYATTSVILLE

HOLIDAYSTree Lighting at Magruder ParkFri, Dec 3, 7:00 PMCarolers dressed in full costume, one of Hyattsville’s largest trees ever, hot chocolate & more

Children’s Holiday Breakfast with Santa Sat, Dec 4, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. $3 per guest for breakfast only or $5 including a photo with Santadetails & RSVP at www.hyattsville.org/breakfast

Light Up the Sky Contest JudgingWed, Dec 15, 6:00 p.m. www.hyattsville.org/lightup

City of Hyattsville Department of Recreation & the Arts 301/985-5020 http://www.hyattsville.org/holidays

a scary good time

Photos by Valerie russellThe city’s new director of recreation and the arts, Steve Yeskulsky, brought his twins (above) to Spooky Fest, held on October 30 at Magruder Park. The Halloween fun included face painting (top right) and a costume contest (top middle) that got even pets into the act -- but it proved to be a bit much for some little pumpkins (left).

Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Page 11

Visit Hyattsville’s most unusual restaurant and enjoy our own microbrews on tap, fine wine and good food.

Franklins5123 Baltimore AveHyattsville, MD 20781301-927-2740

“Franklins is awesome!”–Pubcrawler.com

Loving Care PediatricsJanet V. Johnson, MD

6525 Belcrest Road Suite #203Hyattsville, Maryland 20783

Tel: 301-403-8808Fax: 301-403-1341

School Physicals • Immunizations • Sport Physicals • Minor Emergency Care • Ear Piercing • Urgent/Sick

Child Visit • CPR/First Aid ClassM-F 9 - 6 p.m. • Evening & Saturday hours by appointment

Same day appointment available*Most Insurance Accepted*

International Travel Vaccines6525 Belcrest Road

Suite #203Hyattsville, Maryland 20782

(301) 403-8808

Yellow fever, Typhoid, Cholera, Hepatitis A, Malaria, Polio, etc.

Lawson’s PharmacyPICK-UP & DELIVERYOF PRESCRIPTIONS

Ostomy Supplies, Sr. Citizen’s DiscountsConvalescent Aids

Sales & RentalsRichard Sabatelli, R. Ph.301-864-4043

3415 Hamilton St., Hyattsville, MD 20782

COMMENTARY & OPINION ON HISTORY & POLITICS

Hugh’sNews

by Hugh Turley

Hyatt sville mayor Bill Gardiner has encour-aged citizens to read the recent Sabra, Wang & Associates Transportation Study. It may be bett er understood when compared with a similar report, done for the city in 1991 by Th e Institute for Governmental Service at the University of Maryland.

Both studies note that the state highways around Hyatt sville are congested, and they examine traffi c fl ows on residential streets like Jeff erson, Critt enden, 42nd Avenue and Queensbury Road. But the diff erences be-tween the two are telling.

Keeping streets accessible for fi re and rescue vehicles in an emergency was a factor in the University of Maryland study, and research-ers sought input from the fi re department. Th e current study did not include the Hyatt s-ville Volunteer Fire Department on its list of “stakeholders.” Although local residents arelisted as stakeholders, it off ers litt le to address some neighbors’ petitions to the city for less traffi c.

Th e goal of the University of Maryland study, consistent with that of many citi-zens, was to reduce commuter traffi c cutt ing through neighborhoods. Residents partici-pated, with the police department gather-

ing the data. License plate numbers were carefully noted to determine how many cars were coming into or leaving neighborhoods versus cars passing through. Th e result: 60 percent of the traffi c on Queensbury was found to be passing through.

Th e recommendations that fl owed from this, such as traffi c restrictions dur-ing peak hours, reduced commuter traffi c cutt ing through the city. Paul Sil-berman of Sabra, Wang characterized them as “old, stale recommendations,” calling his company’s study a “fresh look.”

Th at “fresh look” was to enable “more eff ective use of existing capacity” and “adding capacity.” Th e new-er team gathered data con-cerning traffi c volume and speeds to optimize traffi c fl ow on residential streets.

At a September 7 city council meeting Mayor Gardiner said, “I know if I were living

on Queensbury or Oglethorpe I may be con-cerned that there is a proposal to run traffi c through my street.” One would think that as mayor, he would be concerned even though

A tale of two traffi c studies he is not living on one of these streets.Two more notable diff erences: Th e Uni-

versity of Maryland study features the au-thors’ names on the cover page. Th e Sabra, Wang study lists no authors. Could it be that no one wants to take credit for it?

More importantly, by using volunteers, the fi rst study cost taxpayers nothing. Copies are available for $5.25. Councilman Tim Hunt promised to try to make it available at the city website.

Th e Sabra, Wang study cost taxpayers $46,764.60. Th e summary is available at the city website. Copies of the appendices can cost almost $100 at 20 cents per page from the city clerk. Before purchasing the appen-dices, one should be aware they include 100 pages of public bus timetables; city offi cials had not bothered to acquire the appendices of the study they paid for until I asked to see them.

Some have argued that the two reports can-not be compared because the current one is a more comprehensive “transportation study.” What they really mean is it has more fi ller, like bus timetables, from which the highly informative conclusion is reached that “the city does not own or operate its own transit services,” but it is served by Metro, Th e Bus, and WMATA. For such fresh knowledge we have to spend thousands of dollars?

Th ere’s an old saying that hiring a consul-tant is like paying someone to borrow your watch to tell you the time. Never was it more fi tt ing.

City of Hyattsville Transportation Study Transportation Study

July 2010

R E P O R T

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Page 12 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010

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ed to be presented in December, he will be the point person on the plan’s implementation. And with the city celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011, Yeskulsky’s job will be to work closely with the city council and res-idents on commemoration activities for the year.

Overall, he says, he loves his job and “the chance to see the direct ef-fect of my efforts take place in the

community.” Yeskulsky is looking forward to the upcoming series of holiday events in the city – the Tree Lighting Celebration, Breakfast with Santa, and the Light up the Sky con-test. “I can’t wait to bring my twin girls to the tree lighting event,” he added.

Yeskulsky stresses that “my door is open [to residents] and I’m open to looking at trying out new ideas.” He summed up his enthusiasm for his new job in Hyattsville this way: “I love to come to work – I get to play!”

Nicola Hain’s certified habitat on Nicholson Street is a beautiful half-acre lot behind her house. It includes a small pond, several bird-baths, several dead trees, a bat house, many native plants (including Joe Pye weed, butterfly weed, jewel-weed, elderberry shrubs, milkweed, cardinal flowers, and winterberry, to name just a few). Hain has lived in the house since the mid-1970s and has worked to encourage wildlife in her yard for many years.

She purchased adjacent yardage in the late 1970s because she saw it as “sacred” and “undisturbed by machines” and a suitable place for wildlife. She has enjoyed the com-pany of many birds, a family of rac-coons, bats, an occasional fox and turtles. She uses compost and leaves to enrich her soil. The elderberry and winterberry provide food for birds; the milkweed and cardinal flowers are excellent nectar sources. Hain es-timates that she spends about three hours a day maintaining the space for her wonderful wild neighbors.

Heather Martley has had her Madi-son Street habitat for about two years; she recognized that natural landscapes were beneficial for not only the wildlife, but for the air and watershed as well. She refills a large saucer of water daily for her wild visitors, and her hedgerow

of serviceberries, winterberries, blue-berries, purple coneflowers and black-eyed Susans gives animals both food and cover. A birdhouse and a mature oak tree offer nesting places. She has extensive mulch in her yard and com-posts her leaves, kitchen waste and yard waste. She reports seeing many more birds, as well as raccoons, since she cre-ated her habitat.

A certified habitat can be a small backyard, a schoolyard or an apart-ment balcony. It must include five components: • At least three food sources (bird

feeders, native plants, berries, nuts, fruits, nectar).• At least one water source (bird-

bath, pond, water garden, stream).

• Two types of cover (birdhouse, bat house, thicket, rock pile, log pile, toad abode).• Two places to raise young (dense

shrubs, mature trees, nesting box, pond, dead trees and snags, host plants for caterpillars).• Sustainable gardening practices

(mulch, compost, rain garden, chemi-cal-free fertilizer, non-invasive plants).

If a property meets the five crite-ria, residents can register it online at www.nwf.org. There is a $20 regis-tration fee; funds are used to support the program. No special training is required, though there is informa-tion on the NWF website and most habitat hosts have read books about native plants and natural gardening. Once certified, the homeowner can purchase a yard sign with the desig-nation. Standard signs are $30; per-sonalized lawn plaques start at $150.

In 1998, the program expanded to include Community Wildlife Certi-fication, in which jurisdictions can accumulate points based on such factors as the number of certified habitats, creating demonstration gardens, creating a community habi-tat team, and providing information on wildlife habitats.

Bowie and Takoma Park have reg-istered to become Certified Habi-tat Communities. With its natural resources and familiar wildlife, Hyattsville might be a worthy future candidate.

DIRECTOR continued from page 1

city of hyattsVilleSteve Yeskulsky, Hyattsville’s new director of recreation and the arts, makes his first visit to Magruder Park.

hAbITAT continued from page 1

fred seitzA birdbath serves as a water source in this local Certified Wildlife Habitat.

Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010 Page 13

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it is part of a larger proposal that was approved by the District Council some years back.

Stuart Eisenberg, executive director of the Hyattsville Community Development Cor-poration, said, “Landy didn’t go forward at the time. Now the developer has updated it, and is trying to do it in phases. I think eventually they’ll end up building something as big as the original proposal, which was 1,200 units.”

The Hyattsville City Council voted to sup-port this, the first phase of the project, with the stipulation that storm water management be handled on the site.

2. Belcrest PlazaLast October, the HL&T described property owner Percontee’s plans for replacing the approx-imately 600 units of the red-brick garden-style apartments with 2,750 units − plus a 33-story skyscraper with retail and office space in what would be the tallest skyscraper in the metro area.

Since then, the District Council has ap-proved certain components of Percontee’s plan: row homes, townhomes, and some mul-tifamily buildings. One component of the original plan, the towering Georgian Plaza, has not been approved; the Council sent it back to Percontee to address certain issues, said Coun-cilmember Hunt, such as “getting more things at street level, as opposed to a five-story park-ing garage, and working things out with the owner of Toledo Road so the streets connect. The Council told the developer to address these issues.”

Percontee’s plans for redeveloping 25 acres of land along Toledo Terrace, north and north-

west of the Mall at Prince Georges, would be a high-density, transit-oriented development.

The project would include retail and office space (235,000 sq. ft.), residential units (over 2,600), and public amenity space (40,000 sq. ft.).

“It’s huge for Hyattsville,” said Eisenberg. “It has many components: townhomes, multifam-ily housing, mixed office and residential, just office, and office and retail. If it gets absorbed into the city, it will significantly increase our tax base. And it does make sense to annex properties. We’ll be dealing with any problems of this development, so we might as well have

the authority to address the problems.“I think this is a great development, exactly

what’s called for in our planning documents. Those garden apartments that are there now

are kind of at the end of their expected life and they’d be either rehabbed or built new. Now with the Transit District Overlay Zone allow-ing increased density [near Metro stations], it would be profitable and fit in with the county’s master plan for development.”

Hyattsville Mayor Bill Gardiner said that the city has hired a consultant to calculate the fi-nancial costs and benefits of annexing the area.

3. University Town Center Herschel Blumberg, brother of Marvin Blum-berg, developed the University Town Center complex, which includes shops, residences, offices and a movie theater. He also owns a parcel of land just north of UTC, which is cur-rently a parking lot.

Published sources say that Blumberg is hop-ing to win a contract from the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Services to build new offices on that site — offices that would total nearly a million square feet.

Mayor Gardiner said no other proposed project in the area would be as beneficial to the city.

“The city would get nearly $1.6 million in taxes [annually] from it. There would be some increased service demand, but not nearly as much as would be generated by real property tax revenue. Another important benefit is that it would bring somewhere around 2,000 to 3,000 employees who would eat and shop around here. Some may rent or buy around here. And it will likely spur exterior renovations to the Mall at Prince Georges, and accelerate the de-molition and redevelopment of the apartments behind the mall. It would also increase demand for office space by contractors to HHS.”

Speaking about all these approved and pro-posed projects, Councilmember Hunt said he has concerns about the level of density being proposed and the accompanying traffic.

“It’s not that I’m against development that adds to traffic, but we need to determine what we’re capable of handling and I’m not sure that’s been resolved, despite the Sabra, Wang study.

“In short, we need to keep commuter traffic off our residential streets.”

DEvELOpMENT continued from page 1

illustration by the hl&t1: Landy Property. 2: Belcrest Plaza. 3: University Town Center

Page 14 Hyattsville Life & Times | November 2010

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