july 2013 hyattsville life & times

Plans take root for new Art Works

Included: The July 9, 2013 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section

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HyattsvilleJuly 2013Hyattsville’s Community NewspaperVol. 10 No. 7

Life&Times

NIGHT OUT continued on page 12

THE WAY TO SAN JOSE

Local man makes � ve-day plane trip from California to College Park. PAGE 3

CRICKET CROSSES THE PONDAmerica’s Favorite Pastime isn’t in danger of being replaced anytime soon, but the game of cricket is making inroads on a � eld near you. PAGE 4

THE CLOSING OF QUEENS CHAPEL ROAD

by Susie Currie

� e city’s National Night Out Against Crime, scheduled for August 6, moves to Queens Cha-pel Town Center this year from Magruder Park. It will be the major city-sponsored event in West Hya� sville, replacing last year’s Handmade on Hamilton.

National Night Out, held an-nually on the � rst Tuesday eve-ning in August, is designed to strengthen police-community ties and promote Neighborhood Watch groups and other public-safety strategies. More than 15,000 communities participate nationwide, according to the group’s website, www.natw.org.

Hya� sville’s event is scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m. along Hamilton Street between Ager and Queens Chapel roads. A� erwards, a Take Back the Night walk will wind through neighborhood streets.

� e issue of what sort of event to hold in the area – which until two years ago hosted an Interna-tional Street Festival – has been controversial this year. In May, as part of a budget-cu� ing plan,

National Night Out moves to west side

Until 25 years ago, drivers could take Maryland’s Route 500 from the District line to Route 1. What happened? PAGE 11

August event to feature world music and cra� s

Budget passes at 11th hour

by Rosanna Landis Weaver

� e plans are drawn, the capi-tal campaign begun, and Piz-zeria Paradiso has announced its intention to share the space. But there’s still a great deal of work le� to complete before Art Works opens in its new location in 2014.

Of the initial steps, the an-nouncement that has ignited the most appetite among residents is the news of Pizzeria Paradiso. A� er all, when a restaurant has locations in Georgetown, Old Town Alexandria and Dupont Circle the fourth location has historically been more likely to be Bethesda than Hya� sville. But the owner of Pizzeria Para-diso, Ruth Gresser, is the partner of Art Works executive direc-tor Barbara Johnson, as well as a longtime supporter of the arts.

While the initial plan had been for a co� ee shop in the new lo-cation, which formerly housed


At the last minute, on June 28, the City Coun-cil passed a budget ordinance that both the mayor and councilmembers were dissatis� ed with. But they knew it was their only option to avoid starting the new � scal year on July 1 without an operating budget.

“I would rather pass a bad budget than have the city shut down,” said Councilmember Patrick Paschall (Ward 3) at the time.

� e council narrowly voted in May to

maintain the current tax rate for the eighth straight year. But lower assessments mean most residents will pay less in taxes and the major source of revenue for the city will be reduced. Expected revenue from property taxes is down over $1 million this year, from $11.32 million to $10.07 million.

With revenue estimated at $14.4 million, and expenses at $15.5 million, Hya� sville — for the � rst time in many years — will need to rely on $1 million from $8.4 million exist-ing fund balance to cover the shortfall in the

budget. � e fund balance has built up over several years when revenues exceeded ex-penses.

� e general fund budget for 2014 is $13.8 million, lower than it has been for three years. � e total budget of $21.7 million includes $1.7 million for debt service and $5.4 million for capital improvements.

� e Capital Improvement Plan is a � ve-year plan created in 2012, updated annually, and

JULIANA MOLINAChildren create at Art Works Studio School summer camps. When the studio moves to Hyattsville next year, it will share space with the fourth Pizzeria Paradiso in the metro area. ART WORKS continued on page 8

BUDGET continued on page 13

DC’s Pizzeria Paradiso slated to � ll space in former Marche building

Hyattsville Life & Times | July 2013

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) nonpro� t

corporation. Interested reporters should send their e-mail addresses to the editor to be reminded of deadlines and receive internal news. Articles and news submit-

ted may be edited. The deadline is the last week of the month for the following month’s issue. Letters to the editor and opinions are encouraged. For all e-mail

correspondence with HL&T: news, features, tips, advertising and business write to hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail.

com. To submit articles, letters to the edi-tor, etc., e-mail [email protected].

Executive Editor Susie Currie

[email protected]

Managing EditorRosanna Landis Weaver

[email protected]

Editorial InternScarlett Salem

ProductionAshley PerksAdvertising

[email protected]

Writers & ContributorsVictoria Hille, Molly Parrish,

Valerie Russell, Fred Seitz, Hugh Turley

Board of Directors Joseph Gigliotti - President and

General Counsel Chris Currie - Vice President

Susie Currie - SecretaryPeggy Dee, Karen J. Riley,

Valerie RussellRosanna Landis Weaver - Ex O� cio

Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. Mail to every address

in Hyattsville. Additional copies are dis-tributed to libraries, selected businesses, community centers and churches in the

city. Total circulation is 9,300.

HL&T is a member of the National Newspaper Association.

FromTheEditor

MyTwoCents

How did we get here?

by Loire Przygrodzki

Well, it happened again, that sympathetic aside that you get when someone hears that you don’t live in Montgomery County or Northern Vir-ginia. � ey don’t actually say it – most of the time – but you can see it in their expressions: Faces set grimly, with a glint of pity in the eye. You live THERE?!

Why, yes, I do! I live in Hya� sville, Maryland, a charming small town, just a mile from the D.C. line. I live in Prince George’s County. I am a pro-fessional, I am educated, and I want excellence for my family, no less than anyone else. � e un-initiated have no idea how magical it is here. In-stead of feeding stereotypes, I want you to know why I love this area.

Hya� sville is a community. A strong, fun, opin-ionated, wonderful community and it is only ge� ing be� er. Magruder Park is a stroller ride away from my home. It has playgrounds, a na-ture walk, and water. My daughters and I look at turtles on the Northwest Branch trail by the Anacostia River. � e canopy of old trees protects us, and the Hamilton Splash Park is amazing this time of year. � e City of Hya� sville and the park run many programs and camps for children. When I was a stay-at-home mom, the Parent/

Tot program at Magruder Park saved my sanity, providing toys, companionship and potlucks.

I live in a beautiful Arts and Cra� s bungalow in our historic district, rich in local history. A wom-an who lived here in the 1960s has contacted us, reminiscing about how wonderful her time here was. She told us that she birthed her � rst child in this house and now sends both of my daughters birthday presents. She also sent me photos that greatly assisted me in reconstructing the upper level of our home.

As an architectural designer, I am humbled by the rich diversity of architectural styles here. From ornate mansions to charming bungalows and colonial co� ages, Hya� s-ville has a large stock of historic homes, some of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. � e Hya� sville Preser-vation Association is an active group that spotlights some of them each May with the annual house tour. I am proud to say our home has participated in the past.

� en there is the wonderful mom’s group and listserv called HNMoms. Not only does this group host social activities such as the sea-sonal Vine Crawl and Hops Hop, but also sets up a system of meals when a new child is born in the community. When many people don’t

have the local support of their biological fami-lies, the support is in the families around us. � ere are so many children being born here in Hya� sville, smaller groups are created so that the children born the same year can be� er get to know each other.

I could go on and on: Prince George’s Pool, the Hya� sville Library, Bladensburg Waterfront Park, Prince George’s County Parks and Rec-reation, St. Jerome Academy and Hya� sville Elementary. I appreciate the dedicated parents and community members � ghting for excellent schools that are walkable and diverse and safe.

We have problems for sure, and there are many things that can be improved. Sometimes, when I get frustrated, I wish for a calmer, cleaner and newer environment. Home, though, is none of these things.

Hya� sville has taught me the value of a strong community and what kind of place I will want for my family for the rest of my life, wherever or whenever (or if ever) we end up moving. I am going to own it. I know what I want now. Hya� s-ville taught me.

Loire Przygrodzki and her husband Jozef live in Hya� sville with their two young daughters. � is article � rst appeared on her blog, � e Polish Chicken.


Here are some of the unpleas-ant realities of Hyattsville’s fiscal situation: There is less money coming in and our ob-ligations are growing. In other words, less income and more expenses. Dealing with these realities will require commit-ment on the part of all players to work in good faith.

While the solutions must be found here, many of the roots of the problems are beyond the purview of Hya� sville.

Falling revenue based on fall-ing real-estate assessments are a direct result of the � nancial crisis that began in 2008. What caused

the cascading collapse of the real estate market, which is behind the decline in revenue of over $1 million this year alone?

I’ve seen many discussions of Wall Street’s culpability, but none that accuse Gallatin Street of playing a role. Yet our town, like so many others across the country, must struggle with de-clining revenue. (Hya� sville is later in dealing with this than many municipalities, because though assessments began falling a few years ago, until this year the addition of new properties kept revenue at least � at.)

Likewise, in all the articles I’ve read about the rising cost of health care, aging populations, and the � nancial implications for society of these fundamental changes, none have mentioned either our mayor or city council members. Perhaps past Hya� s-ville city o� cials — and indi-cations are that they must have been long past since these ben-e� ts have been in place for 20 years — failed to accurately an-

ticipate the costs they would en-tail, but it’s current o� cials that must make decisions before the costs rise more.

Other local municipalities have dealt with declining revenue by raising the tax rate so that the amount of revenue would remain the same, or even increase. Many towns and cities have reduced health bene� ts for employees and retirees, sometimes drasti-cally, and taken action sooner to address the increasing liabilities such plans create.

For now the mayor and city council have kept our tax rate the same, and seem commi� ed to � nding a fair and reasonable way to address OPEB obligations while honoring the employees who have given so much to the city.

It is likely that decisions will be reached soon; this council is very engaged in the specif-ics of the issue and seems ever closer to finding a compromise. Since six of the 10 have been in office just since May, it seems

reasonable that they ask ques-tions as they make the difficult decisions prior councils were unable or unwilling to resolve. I’ve been impressed with the thoughtful questions. Under the new plan, what would hap-pen if a police officer was in-jured on the job and retired on disability before he’d earned enough years be eligible under OPEB? The level of compas-sion in that question reflects well on council members, and on their commitment to be fair to employees.

The Hyattsville Life & Times has a policy of not taking po-sitions on city government is-sues. We won’t endorse one OPEB scenario over another, or say whether we think it is wise to combine two events to save money. However, it should not be controversial to endorse a general policy of open, hon-est, respectful communication. Readers are advised to consider whether the paid advertise-ment taken out by the mayor (see page 9) moves us in that direction.

I hope all parties will focus on resolving current problems rath-er than positioning themselves

You live in Hya� sville?! Yes, we do

Dear Editor (and people of Hya� sville!)

We, the kids of Roots and Shoots would like to help the Monarch bu� er� ies (and other pollinators,) by asking all the people in Hya� s-ville to plant milkweed, bu� er� y bushes, � owers, and other pollina-tor friendly plants. We are worried because bu� er� ies are threatened by storms, pollution, tractors, crop dusting, insecticides, natural predators, and loss of habitat. If we all work together we can save the earth, bu� er� ies, and natures!

Evan, Owen, Robin, Mason, Hannah, Nella, Aidan, Olive

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

to avoid blame for the situation we face together. As always when wrestling with such challenges, the devil is in the details, but the devil doesn’t have to be in how we treat each other.


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by Woody Wilder

Under normal circumstances, a year-long parasailing and snorkel-ing adventure in the Philippines with the love of your life might be a trip of a lifetime.

For Hyattsville resident Hugh McElrath, 62, it opened the door to another trip that was equally memorable. He and his wife, Sallie, returned in January from their ex-tended Southeast Asia jaunt, made possible by her job transfer. By mid-March, he was back in California readying for a cross-country flight.

But this wasn’t your run-of-the-mill, United six-hour flight from LAX to Dulles. It took five days. In a 2006 touring motor glider McElrath had just purchased – and would be piloting.

McElrath’s glider, a Pipistrel Vi-rus, is a far cry from Boeing’s mam-moth Dreamliner. There was no first-class service; only room for two persons, and they used spare clothing as seat cushions. The one carry-on bag airlines allow? Fine, as long as it wasn’t heavier than 8.8 pounds. McElrath says he packed little more than a change of under-wear and a toothbrush.

The engine? Let’s just say that the 20-horse field in the Kentucky Derby can produce a quarter of its horsepower.

McElrath first became acquainted with the 1,300-pound plane on the way home from the Philippines, in January. He and Sallie had decided to spend some time in San Francis-co before continuing to Hyattsville, where they have lived for 27 years.

For McElrath, who has had a pi-lot’s license since 1979, that meant a trip to a nearby airfield in San Jose. The avid adventurer spent some time with the little glider, and by the end of the trip, he had decided to expand his flying hori-zons by buying it.

In mid-March, he returned to San Jose and spent nearly two weeks dealing with licensing and main-tenance issues. He also looked up Greg Read, “an uber-mechanic” who had worked at the airfield where the glider was based, to see if Read would agree to make the trip with him.

At first, the recently unem-ployed Read had no interest in flying again. But a few beers with McElrath changed his mind. Over drinks, the pair learned they were on the same Navy submarine over 30 years ago.

And so, on March 30, the two men departed San Jose. Bolstered by a strong cold front behind them, they reached a cruising altitude of 9,500 feet.

Five days – three full, two half – and 24 flight hours later, McElrath and Read touched down at Col-lege Park Airport. Recalling the trip, McElrath says the most strik-ing thing was “the vast emptiness of Texas.”

He had plenty of time to study it, as it took a full day of flying – nine hours – to cross the state.

“It was a whole lot of empty coun-try, with mineral extraction the only thing going on,” he said. “We tried to stay near the interstate.”

McElrath grew up in Louisville,

Kentucky, and often visited Bow-man Field, the local airport. Sallie, too, is from Louisville, but the two met in Naples, where he was sta-tioned with the Navy.

When he went to sign up for an Italian class, his eye caught the “pretty blonde” at the register. As fate would have it, she was not only from his hometown but also knew his mother.

Their first date? A 90-minute air-plane tour of Naples and the sur-rounding areas of Vesuvius, Amalfi and Capri.

Years later, the couple find them-selves in Hyattsville with an empty nest. Their son Dewi, who was born in Italy, is in the Marines now, while son Jasper is enrolled at the Univer-sity of South Carolina. McElrath, now retired, worked for the federal government for 30 years as a Naval officer, a civilian and a contractor.

It might be more accurate to call Hyattsville a home base. From Na-ples to the Philippines, and to their upcoming vacation in northeast-ern Spain, the McElraths love trav-eling the world gliding, snorkeling and parasailing.

When not abroad, they take ad-vantage of the outdoor amenities that Hyattsville and the surround-ing area can offer.

And, of course, there is the flying.

Empty nester takes flightGreG read

In April, Hyattsville resident Hugh McElrath, right, piloted a motor glider from coast to coast, accompanied by mechanic Greg Read.

Chiwami TakaGiHugh McElrath’s 2006 Pipistrel Virus in its former home, a private airport in San Jose, California. This spring, he flew it to its new home in College Park.


by Megan J. Brockett

It may just be the most popular thing in town that you’ve never heard of.

� e Washington Cricket League (WCL) is the largest in the D.C. metro area, boasting nearly 40 teams in three divisions. Formed in 1974 and a member of the USA Cricket Association, the League hosts clubs from Maryland, Virgin-ia and Washington.

And one of the 14 � elds they play on is just outside of Hya� sville, on 16th Avenue near the intersection of Chillum Road, with two more in Riverdale Park and Adelphi.

WCL team members come from such countries as India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Jamaica and Trinidad, forming a melting pot of di� erent cultures and di� erent languages, with one common love: the game of cricket.

“It is very popular here,” said Waqas Shahid, a member of the Vir-ginia Cricket Club. “� ere’s a lot of cricket in this area because … a lot of immigrants were living here and there was no other sport for them to play. � ey were not good in basket-ball or football. Basically, they got into either cricket or soccer.”

Among American sports, baseball is the closest thing to cricket. But the � eld is more circular rather than diamond-shaped and it centers around a rectangular strip called a pitch. Cricket bats are � at-fronted, more like paddles than baseball bats, and the balls are harder and heavier than baseballs.

As in baseball, one team is up

at bat while the other � elds, and the team with the most runs at the end of the game wins. Instead of four bases, there are two wick-ets, at either end of the pitch; the batsman (not ba� er) scores each time he runs back and forth be-tween them.

Like many WCL players, Shahid, a native of Pakistan, grew up in a

culture immersed in cricket. Be-fore joining the League, he played professionally at the national level. So did several other local players, some of whom are well known in the cricket world.

Where Shahid is from, the sport is in people’s blood, he said.

“Even if they don’t play cricket, they follow cricket so closely,” he

said. “� ey’re glued to their TV watching the national games for their own countries and other countries.”

Bilal Razzaq, a member of the Dulles Cricket Club, described cricket in the D.C. metro area as a type of subculture, likening it to the hype surrounding Latino soccer leagues.

“� e people who are into it, they’re … very, very into it,” he said.

� ey’d have to be, to play in the Washington Cricket League. Matches are held every weekend from April to September, and games last about seven hours.

“It’s a test of your stamina,” Dulles Cricket Club player Kartik Rad-hakrishnan said. “So it’s a tough game, a big man’s game.”

For Shahid, who lives in Delaware, it’s a commitment that eats up near-ly 12 hours of his weekend, with the trip to Hya� sville taking about two hours each way.

“My wife [doesn’t] like it that much,” he said, smiling. “But it’s fun. I won’t even know where the seven hours are going, to be hon-est; this is how exciting it gets. It’s like a child playing a sport – I still feel the same way. � at’s what keeps me going.”

Cricket teams go to bat on local � elds

MEGAN J. BROCKETTThe Washington Cricket League has matches every weekend from April to September on fields around the metro area, including ones in Chillum, Riverdale Park and Adelphi. Recently, the Dulles and Virginia clubs played on the Chillum field (above right). Waqas Shahid (above left), who has competed at the national level, shows off his cricket bat. Shahid plays for the Virginia Cricket Club, shown here warming up on the field.

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Choir heads for south afriCa

At about the same time this paper lands in your mailbox, a plane full of Northwestern High School choir students should be landing in South Africa. When we wrote about this choir in February, the trip was very much in doubt. Fundraising had begun well over a year be-fore, but the money on had was far short of the six-figure goal. Since then, more than $200,000 was raised through some combination of hard work, generosity, luck, grace and more hard work. Many of you contributed in some fashion to that, and the choir is deeply grateful.

BaseBall team triumphs

Congratulations to the Lewisdale-University Park 12-and-under baseball team, who finished the season with a record of 14-0-1. The LUP team was the only undefeated one of all age groups that played in the Prince George’s County Boys & Girls Club League. The team, which included several residents of Hyattsville and Mount Rainier since HMB didn’t field a team, was named co-champion with Clinton after repeated rainouts of the final playoff game.

poliCe searCh woods

On July 2, residents of the garden apartments along Dean Drive awoke to heavy police activity in the woods behind their homes. In addition to several police vehicles, a bus brought members of the Prince George’s County Police Academy to the site. The academy members searched the forested area between Toledo Terrace and Northwestern High School for evidence related to a death investi-gation, according to officials at the site. A University Hills resident, who routinely walks his dog there, encountered Homeland Security officers and others using ground-penetrating radar. Prince George’s County Police Department spokesperson Julie Parker later told the HL&T that the investigation was in regards to a death “some time ago” and that the search yielded “nothing of import.”

News Briefs

richard sturgesThe Lewisdale-University Park 12-and-under baseball team pitcher and catcher confer between batters at a June double-header. The team was the only undefeated one in its league.

newer salons. She estimates that she has more than 150 new clients so far this year, offering them the latest and widest selec-tion of grooming services.

Kraham, owner of Paws of En-chantment, offers holistic ser-vices such as acupuncture and chakra balancing for the pets, while Paw Zen owner Leslie Ri-ley focuses primarily on self-ser-vice washing, giving owners the space and instructions to wash their own pets while offering a bare-bones grooming service in response to customer demand.

Prices among them vary almost as much as the services they of-fer. Mansilla strikes a middle ground, charging between about $40 to $90 for grooming and $20 to $60 for a wash, depending on pet size. Riley charges less than half that because customers do a lot of the work, and Kraham’s

prices can be more than double for rarer holistic services. At Chichie’s, the $70 to $125 fee includes bathing, grooming, nail trimming and ear cleaning.

Most pet owners handle ani-mal hygiene themselves. But the growth of such businesses sug-gest that many others are happy to outsource.

“It all depends on the dog’s tem-perament,” said Grace Adams, an employee at Hyattsville’s Big Bad Woof (slogan: “Essentials for the Socially Conscious Pet”).

Or, perhaps, the owner’s skill level. “I’m awful at washing my own dog,” said Carolyn Agan recently as she waited in the Grooming by Em lobby. “So it’s great to have someone else do it.”

Another bonus: the range of services. Agan said that she loves having all the options. “Maybe next week I’ll dye her hair!”


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by Josh Logue and Susie Currie

For decades, Chichie’s Pet Bou-tique had the local dog-groom-ing market pretty well cornered. Owner Odessa McDaniels can still remember the day she and her husband Michael opened their business at 3114 Hamilton Street: “March 3, 1972,” she said in a recent interview, while put-ting the finishing touches on a Shih Tzu.

But now the venerable West

Hyattsville business has some competition from the other side of town. The pet-grooming industry is growing nationally, and in the past several years that trend has also been evidenced by three new businesses on the Route 1 arts corridor.

The oldest of these is the ho-listic pet spa Paws of Enchant-ment, at 3415 Perry Street, which moved to Mount Rainier six years ago from Takoma Park. Cassandra Kraham started the business there, inside The Big

Grooming a business: Salons for pets f lourish

Courtesy of Paws of enChantmentCassandra Kraham, a pet groomer in the Washington area since 1997, specializes in terriers, like Checkers, a Wheaton Terrier.

Bad Woof ’s original location. In June 2009, Grooming by

Em opened a mile up the road, at 4552 Rhode Island Avenue in Brentwood. A couple months later and another mile north, Paw Zen opened in Hyattsville at 4812 Rhode Island Avenue.

These businesses offer pets many of the services salons and spas offer people: mud facials, baths, shampoos, hair cutting and styl-ing, and, in some cases, a place to stay for the day (or longer).

Although the salons are clus-tered in a relatively small area, none of the owners said they saw each other as competition. Besides, notes Grooming by Em owner Emily Mansilla, “There are a lot of dogs in the area – plenty to go around.”

Indeed, 62 percent of U.S. households owned a pet in 2012, compared to 56 percent in 1988, according to a survey from the American Pet Product Asso-ciation. The pet grooming and boarding industry has seen rev-enue rise each of the last 15 years to $4.7 billion in 2012, according to IBISWorld, an industry-based research organization.

The local businesses have a unique focus and differing at-titudes toward expansion. The services they offer differ enough that each business has managed to carve a comfortable niche.

Mansilla has pursued growth most aggressively of the three

Dr. Mark H. Sugar and the Belcrest Surgery Center

practicing podiatry in Hyattsville since 1975Are you experiencing heel pain, bunions, ingrown toenails, hammertoes, fungus toenails or any conditions associated with arthritis, tendonitis, nerve or circula-tion disorders or sport-exercise injuries? We treat any and all foot problems both conservatively and surgically. Our hours are flexible and we accept most insurance plans. Feel free to contact us for any questions or information. The Belcrest Surgery Center is fully accredited and certi-fied and offers convenient and comfortable treatment for out-patient foot surgery.

6505 Belcrest Road, Suite One Hyattsville, 301-699-5900

New Deal Cafe

113 Centerway – Greenbelt, MD www.newdealcafe.com 301.474.5642

Friday, July 12: KERQ (electric guitar) Sunday, July 14: Luisa & the Reverbs

Wednesday, July 17: Pub Quiz Saturday, July 19: Kiva (world music)

Sunday, July 21: Not 2 Cool Jazz Trio Brunch Wednesday, July 24: Cajun Music Jam

Sunday, July 28: The Nighthawks

Mediterranean cuisine Beer & Wine

Music 6 nights a week!


Senior Fitness FridaysAgeless Grace Exercise ClassAgeless Grace is a fitness and wellness program that consists of 21 simple exercises designed to improve healthy longevity. The exercises are designed to be performed in a seated chair and almost anyone can do them, regardless of most physical conditions.

Join us for our Summer Session!Fridays, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.June 7 through August 2, 2013NEW LOCATION!4310 Gallatin Street, First Floor Multi-Purpose Room

Only $2 per session! For more information or to register, please call Emily Stowers, Senior Services Coordinator at 301/985-5058 or [email protected]

SummerJam 2012

presents

Admission is free; delicious food for sale

The second Friday of every month, May through September, 6:30 to 8:30 PMCity Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin StreetRain or Shine!

July 12 - Uncle Jack BandAugust 9 - The RoustaboutsSeptember 13 - Just Us

COMMUNITY CALENDARJuly 17Cellist Jodi Beder and poet Kay Lindsey bring their interactive show to Busboys & Poets, combining original poetry, storytelling and music. $10; tick-ets available online at www.joes-movement.org. 8 p.m. 5331 Bal-timore Avenue. 301.779.2787.

July 20When you’ve finished read-ing Deborah Moggach’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel by the poolside, head indoors to discuss the book with others. Moggach, an English writer, saw her novel adapted into a criti-cally acclaimed movie in 2012. Free. 3 p.m. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Road. 301.985.4690.

July 21Grupo Miel Band returns to Arts on the Waterfront, mu-sical performances played at sunset overlooking the water-shed. Bring the family to check out the band’s Latin rhythms, cumbias, bachatas and meren-gues. All ages welcome. Free. 6 to 7:30 p.m. Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 An-

napolis Road, Bladensburg. 301.779.0371.

July 25Watch the Pixar film Brave under the evening sky, part of the College Park Aviation Mu-seum Summer Outdoor Series. You can also enjoy hands-on activities inside the museum and popcorn and sno-cones will also be served throughout the evening. Free with regu-lar museum admission of $4 for adults ($2 for children). 7 to 11 p.m. College Park Avia-tion Museum, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park. 301.864.6029.

July 31 and August 7Bring a blanket or lawn chair to en-joy some of the area’s top jazz mu-sicians at Jazz on the Lawn, Riv-ersdale House Museum’s summer music series. You can also bring a picnic from home or buy dinner on-site from the Calvert House. Free. 7 p.m. Riversdale House Mu-seum, 4811 Riverdale Road, River-dale Park. 301.927.3498.

August 4Island music and extended

hours mark the Arts on the Waterfront Grand Finale, a family-friendly festival at Bladensburg Waterfront Park. Free. 2 to 8 p.m. Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 An-napolis Road, Bladensburg. 301.779.0371.

August 6The city’s National Night Out moves to a new location this year, bringing with it all the family-friendly fun you remember from years past and adding international per-formances. Kids: Have a bike, but no helmet? Bring it to Ar-row Bicycle’s obstacle course that evening and you can get a free helmet, while supplies last. Free. 5 to 9 p.m. along Hamilton Street between Ager and Queens Chapel roads. 301.985.5000.

August 10Brush up on your spelling skills just in time for the new school year with the End of Summer Spelling Bee. Ages 8 to 10. Free. 1 p.m. Hyattsville Branch Library, 6530 Adelphi Road. 301.985.4690.

Ongoing

The Hyattsville Farmer’s Market has returned for the season to the parking lot of 3505 Hamilton Street, adja-cent to Bestway and across from the Hyattsville Com-munity Garden. Stop by to sample the bounty of South-ern Maryland. Free. Tues-days through October 29, 2 to 6 p.m. 301.985.5000 or 301.627.0977.

At the producers-only River-dale Park Farmer’s Market, fruits and vegetables are only the beginning. Depending on the week, shoppers may find baked goods, wine, soap, herbs and more. Free. Thursdays, 3 to 7 p.m. Riverdale Park, 301.332.6258.

Take advantage of having one of the county’s best turf fields in the neighborhood as the Xtreme Teens host Safe Sum-mer Drop-In Soccer. Come play 6-on-6 soccer under the lights on Tuesday nights through August 13. Ages 12 to 17, 8 to 10 p.m.; ages 18 to 24,

10 p.m. to midnight. Heurich Turf Field, 2916 Nicholson St. 301.446.6800.

The Health Ministry of St. Mark the Evangelist Church offers an ongoing yoga class on Friday mornings. All ages are welcome; class is gentle enough for active seniors. $6 per class. 9 a.m. 7501 Adelphi Road. Contact Sharon Klees at 301.422.7026.

The Prince George’s County Audubon society and the Patux-ent Bird Club team up to host an early evening guided bird walk along the Luther Goldman Birding Trail at Lake Arteme-sia. Walks are held every first and third Thursday at 6 p.m. and start at the lake parking lot at Berwyn Road and Ballew Avenue. Free. 301.459.3375 or [email protected].

The Hyattsville library offers a variety of storytimes. Space is limited; free tickets avail-able at the children’s desk. Ages 9-23 months with caregiver:

calendar continued on page 8

Hyattsville Reporterthe

No. 268 • July 9, 2013www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

Page HR1 Hyattsville Life & Times | July 2013 Hyattsville Life & Times | July 2013 Page HR2

IN OTHER NEWS...

JULY 2013

CALENDAR

Wednesday, July 10Environmental Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM Friday, July 12Ageless Grace Summer Session, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Outback Steakhouse Summer Jam featuring the Uncle Jack Band, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Monday, July 15Council Meeting, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Tuesday, July 16Planning Committee, 7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Friday, July 19Ageless Grace Summer Session, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Monday, July 22Council Meeting, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Wednesday, July 24A.G.E.S. Senior Monthly Workshop, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AMEmergency Preparedness for Seasoned Adults

Code Compliance Committee Meeting, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Friday, July 26Ageless Grace Summer Session, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at the City Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street.

AGELESS GRACE SENIOR EXERCISE CLASSES CONTINUE THROUGH AUGUST 2NDThe summer session of our Ageless Grace Senior Exercise class started Friday, June 7. It runs eight weeks, through Friday, August 2. (No class the week of July 4th!) This low-impact, seated exercise class is offered at 10:00 AM on Fridays at the City Municipal Build-ing, First Floor Multi-Purpose Room. $2 per class. Ageless Grace is a proven technique to develop both body and mind, with an em-phasis on healthy longevity.Intrigued? Learn more here: www.agelessgrace.com. Ready to

register? Call Emily Stowers, our Senior Services Coordinator, at 301/985-5058.

HYATTSVILLE FARMERS MARKET & BUY LOCAL CHALLENGEThe Hyattsville Farmers Market is back! Find fresh produce and more on Tuesday afternoons, 3:00 to 6:00 PM, at 3505 Hamilton Street (behind the former BB&T Bank building). Free parking is available on site.If you’ve never tried eating local from our area Farmers Markets,

late July is a great time to give it a try. The 2013 Buy Local Challenge encourages Marylanders to take this pledge:

I pledge to eat at least one thing from a local farm every day during Buy Local

Week.

Buy Local week is July 20th through July 28th this year. So far, there

have been over 5,000 pledges!Learn more about

the challenge or take the pledge here: http://www.

buy-local-challenge.com/ Look-ing for information on the Hyattsville

Farmers Market? Check out their Face-b o o k page. Search for “Hyattsville

F a r m e r s Market.”

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY RECYCLING UPDATESThe Department of Public Works is working with Prince George’s County to resolve issues related to recycling collection in the City. Please note that the County’s recycling contractor may pick up recycling as early as 6:30 AM or late as 8:30 PM. Residents should plan to have their Toters out during these times. If you are having trouble with your County recycling collection, you may also report it to the City’s Department of Public Works at 301/985-5032. We are attempting to document the problem in order to identify a solution.

FY14 BUDGET ADOPTEDThe Mayor and Council adopted an FY14 budget on June 27, 2013. Budget planning materials are available at www.hyattsville.org/FY14 and the full budget will be uploaded in mid-July.

UPDATES FROM WSSC – IS WORK PLANNED FOR YOUR STREET?Looking for updates on WSSC projects in your neighborhood? Use their maps to see the status of current projects. Maps can be accessed on WSSC’s website: http://gisweb.wsscwater.com/InYourNeigh-borhood/

SAFE AT HOME WORKSHOP FOR SENIORS JULY The next A.G.E.S. (Aging Gracefully Educational Series) workshop takes place on Wednesday, July 24 at 10 AM at the City Municipal Building, in the First Floor Multi-Purpose Room. Our July topic is Emergency Preparedness for Seasoned Adults. De-partment of Public Works personnel will also be on hand to talk about the City’s response to emer-gencies. Questions? Contact Emily Stowers at 301/985-5058 or email [email protected] to learn more or RSVP.

MISSED MONDAY’S MEETING? CATCH THE REBROADCAST

The City’s cable station is now rebroadcasting City Council Meetings at a variety of times. Tune in on Monday at 10

AM; Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 AM, 3 PM, and 10 PM; Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 AM and 9 PM; or Sat-

urdays and Sundays at 12 NOON. We will broad-cast the most recent Council Meeting. The City’s

channel is 71 on Comcast and 12 on Verizon. Questions? Comments? Please talk to Jona-than Alexander, the City’s cable coordinator, at

[email protected] or 301/985-5028.

LABOR DAY TRASH COLLECTION CHANGESThere will be no Yard Waste collection the week of Monday, Sep-tember 2nd due to the Labor Day holiday.Questions? Call the Department of Public Works at 301/985-5032.

FOURTH ANNUAL HYATTSVILLE COMMUNITY MULTICULTURAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS FAIR The First United Methodist Church of Hyattsville will host their fourth annual Multicultural Health and Wellness Fair on Saturday, September 21, 2013 from 10 AM to 4 PM. The event will take place on the church’s campus, 6201 Belcrest Road. There is no charge to attend!More than 40 providers will be on hand to help residents to make

better health choices. This year’s fair will emphasize the role of technology.

Questions? Call 301/927-6133 or email Dorrett Carroll, [email protected] or Dr. Mary Carter-Williams [email protected]. The church’s website is www.fumchy.org.

NIXLEThe City is now using Nixle to send public safety alerts and information via both email and text message. This system replaces the SafeCity website previously in use. Many of our neighboring jurisdictions also use Nixle to send out information. Please note that Nixle won’t report on every

incident – typically alerts are sent when the HCPD needs to alert the public to a potentially dangerous situation, or when we are

National Night Out Against Crime is on the move! This year’s event takes place on Hamilton Street at Queens Chapel Road.

Festivities open at 5:00 PM sharp.

Throughout the evening, we’ll have:

• Moon bounces and other kid-friendly fun• Crafts from all over the world to try• Demonstrations and meet-and-greets with local law enforcement officials

Performances include:

• From Africa … by way of Brazil! Samba Trovão, an energetic mix of sam-ba, reggae and more. Better yet, Samba Trovão has deep roots right here in Hyattsville!• Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra has wowed crowds from Dakar to Ontario, but they’ve long called Hyattsville home. The pannists will bring their take on the Caribbean musical form to Hamilton Street.

The event is free and open to the public! Free snow cones while supplies last.

We’ll end with a Take Back the Night walk through the neighborhood, led by the City of Hyattsville police and local volunteers.

Volunteers welcome! Contact Colleen Aistis at [email protected] or 301/985-5057.

asking for your help solving a crime. In other cases, Nixle messages relate to road closures, power outages, etc. If you have a nixle.com account, there is no need to create a new one. Simply log in and add the City of Hyattsville to your wire. New to Nixle? Register at www.nixle.com or enroll using the widget online at http://www.hyattsville.org/stayinformed.

FIND US ON FACEBOOKAre you on Facebook? You can now keep up with City events and happenings at www.facebook.com/cityofhyattsville. 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.

HYATT PARK COMMUNITY GARDENLooking for information on the Community Garden? The Hyatt Park Community Garden just keeps growing! They now have their own website. For information on the 2013 gardening season, please visit them at hyattparkgarden.org.

National Night Out moves to Hamilton Street

July 12: The next Outback Steakhouse Summer Jam

The Outback Steakhouse Summer Jam series continues on Friday, July 12 with the Uncle Jack Band. Get ready for Uncle Jack’s special blend of funk, disco, and Motown. Dancin’ shoes strongly encouraged!Special thanks goes to Gregory Kithcart of Outback

Steakhouse Hyattsville, located at 3500 East West Highway at the Mall at Prince George’s Plaza, for once again serving as our signature sponsor.The Outback Steakhouse Summer Jam Series has become

a favorite Friday night event throughout the summer months. Held from 6:30 to 8:30 PM on the second Friday of the month, this event includes delicious food (burgers, chicken and hot dogs) provided and prepared by Outback Steakhouse of Hyattsville, a beer and wine garden, musical entertainment, the ever popular moon bounce and Mandy the Clown and her very talented face painter. Our thanks

to McDonald Auto Body Towing Division for their spon-sorship of Mandy’s performance! Join us at the City Municipal Building at 4310 Gallatin

Street, rain or shine! We’re outside on Gallatin Street if the sun is shining. In the event of inclement weather, the Jam moves inside.Attendance is free and open to everyone. There is a

charge for food and beverages.

July 12 - Uncle Jack BandAugust 9 - The RoustaboutsSeptember 13 - Just Us

Find out more at www.hyattsville.org/summerjam or call Cheri Everhart, the City’s recreation events coordinator, at 301/985-5021.

UNCLE JACK BAND


University Town Center • Next to PG Plaza 6504 America Blvd. #105 Hyattsville, MD 301-887-1818

OLD DOMINION BREWHOUSE & RESTAURANT

University Town Center • Next to PG Plaza University Town Center • Next to PG Plaza 301-887-1818301-887-1818301-887-1818301-887-1818301-887-1818301-887-1818301-887-1818

Daily Happy Hour Specials Mon. - Sat.

4-7 pmAppetizers

as low as $2.00

Come enjoy all the games on our 25

HDTVs!

Karaoke every Wednesday

night!

china buffetchina buffetchina buffetall you can eat

Shrimp • Snow Crab Legs • Sushi Salmon • Mussels • Fish • Salad

Fruit Salad • Seafood • Soup • General Tso’s Chicken • Seafood Delight • Ice Cream • Cake • And MUCH MORE!

University Town Center, across from Royal 14 Theaters 6504 America Blvd. #105 Hyattsville, MD 301-887-1991

15% OFFEntire Dinner Check

(Min. $20)Valid only at Old Dominion Brewhouse. Discount does not apply

to daily specials or happy hour. Coupon may not be combined with any other offer. Expires 7/31/2013

15% OFFEntire Dinner Check

(Min. $15)Coupon valid only at Tokyo Sushi and

China Buffet. Coupon may not be combined with any other offer. Expires 7/31/2013

Mondays, 10:15 a.m. Ages 2-3: Mondays, 11 a.m. Ages 3-5: Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m. Ages 3-6: Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Eng-lish-Spanish Storytime for ages 3-6: Saturdays, 11 a.m. 6530 Adelphi Road. 301.985.4690.

Rise + Rhyme kicks off the week for the 5-and-under set with storytelling, perfor-mances and more. Suggested donation, $5. Monday morn-

ings from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Zinn Room, Busboys & Po-ets, 5331 Baltimore Avenue. 301.779.2787.

Summer means it’s time again for the free Anacostia River Boat Tours, held Tuesdays through Fridays from noon to 12:45. All ages are welcome to join a park naturalist on a pon-toon boat to search for birds and other wildlife. Evening rides will be held on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 5 p.m. Free; registration required for

groups of 12 or more. Bladens-burg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg. 301.779.0371.

Community Calendar is a se-lect 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 consid-eration, please e-mail [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781. Deadline for August sub-missions is July 23.

Tai Chi Classes

University Park Church of the Brethren4413 Tuckerman Street

University Park, MD 20784(near University of MD, College Park)

Class Size is Limited so Enroll Today!

www.DancingInSilence.comCall 301-466-5894

First 2 classes FREETues., Wed., Thurs. classes

COMMUNITY CALENDARCALENDAR continued from page 7

Marche florist, as time passed Gresser came to believe the spot was well-suited for one of her restaurants. “She wasn’t actu-ally looking for a new location,” notes Johnson, “but it seems like the right next step for both of us.” Johnson adds that this takes Piz-zeria Paradiso back to its roots as a neighborhood restaurant, which first opened its Dupont Circle location on the second floor of a townhouse in 1991.

The restaurant will be in the northeast corner of the building, opposite the greenhouse. The greenhouse, well, that will be the greenhouse where children in the after-school program can grow and harvest vegetables. Johnson describes it as the hub of the pro-gram, which was slated to open in the fall of 2014. It will in Johnson’s terms include, “homework, grow-ing, drawing, sculpting, cooking and eating.” In theory, the chil-dren will be interested in tasting food they have helped grow.

In addition to serving elemen-tary school students, Johnson wants this to be a place where teenagers could gather. “We [as a society] don’t have the same options for those kids to be cre-ative,” notes Johnson, who points to the success of Art Works’ teen summer camp.

The process of preparing the building will be a long one. There will need to be bureaucratic ap-provals for the aftercare program and the restaurant, with a raft of separate regulations covering each, all of which the architects are considering. For example, they’ve already decided that there should be separate entranc-es to the restaurant and the cul-tural arts center.

These transformations and vi-sions will require funding, of course. This spring, the studio was awarded a $90,000 grant from the Community Develop-ment Block Grant (CDBG) for facade improvement.

The city altered its inter-nal limitations regarding how much of the federal money it would award in a single grant.

Johnson says they made that decision when they “saw the intense amount of work needed to make that building a beauti-ful landmark.”

Work could begin as early as mid-July, contingent on approv-als and the chain of paperwork involved with the grant. The grant has a matching component which will require the buyers to raise additional money as well.

On June 20, Johnson and Gress-er, who have been together for 21 years, held a kickoff campaign $250 per plate Chef ’s Dinner in their home. This was the second such event for Art Works in which chefs donate their time, talent and food to prepare a private meal for a gathering of supporters. John-son notes that this is form of fun-draising is ideal for new launches, since “it is very hard to get fund-ing for new programs when you have nothing to show.”

Last year’s event raised $5,000 for At School After School, an arts program that began at Thomas Stone Elementary in Mount Rainier and expanded to Hyattsville Elementary and other local schools. Since that program has proven successful, it will be easier to seek fund-ing through traditional grant sources, so it seemed appropri-ate to use the Chef ’s Dinner for another launch.

After the crowd had feasted on the antipasti course, the insalata course, the pasta course and carne course – all prepared by well-known chefs – and before the dolce course, Johnson spoke. She shared inspiring stories of the lives of children who’d al-ready experienced the program and about the vision for the new space.

“Our new facility will offer sev-eral studios where we now have just one,” she told the crowd. “We will have dedicated spaces for our toddler artists, our paint-ers, sculptors, and digital art-ists along with a beautiful new gallery space for the exhibition of art by local artists and activ-ists.” The event raised more than $20,000.

Plans have already begun for the next major fundraiser, tentatively

ARTwORks continued from page 1

photo courtesy of pizzeria paradisoD.C. favorite Pizzeria Paradiso will be opening a restaurant in the northeast corner of the building that used to house Marche Florist on Route 1 in Hyattsville.

Hyattsville Life & Times | July 2013 Page 9

MissFloribundaDear Miss Floribunda,

I read in your May column that you are “a self-confessed rosemaniac” with presumably over 100 rose bushes in your garden. Well, as much as you have touted poison-� ee gardening, I can’t believe you can have a thriving rose garden without using toxins. Please explain.

Gotcha on Gallatin Street

Dear Gotcha,

You are obviously a� er more confessions and I will give you only one. Fi� een years ago, my oldest friend gave me the exquisite hybrid tea rose “Peace” as a housewarm-ing gi� . Almost as soon as it was planted, it was a� acked by aphids. In a moment of desperation, I succumbed to the toxin of temptation and went out and bought a poisonous extermination spray.

As I walked out to the bush, weapon in hand, a ladybird (or ladybug) � ew past my nose. Where there is one, there are al-ways other aphid-eating coccinellids. � at never-squirted spray bo� le is quarantined in a dark corner of my basement. � e same rose is presently blooming inviolate in the sun.

Since that time, my reading on organic rose gardening has led me to conclude that pesticides are far worse than a few pests.

If I have lost rose bushes, it has been for the following reasons: 1) failure to dig the original hole deep enough to

remove clay and substitute compost and organic fertilizers; 2) neglect of deep watering during its first three summers; 3) overly close planting, which fosters mildew from lack of air circulation and causes competition for nutrients; or 4) encroachment of tree roots and shade from other plantings.

I’ve also made occasional unwise choices of roses. Certain hybrid tea roses are indeed too fussy to be invited into my garden. The American Rose As-sociation now sends me a booklet every

year that rates new and old roses for ex-cellence and ease of care.

My main criterion for roses is that they smell like roses. Many of those long-stemmed and fussy “showgirl” hybrid teas are all looks and no charm, being devoid of fragrance. � e more easygoing � oribundas sometimes do have fragrance, sometimes don’t. I choose those that do.

My favorites are still the classic antique roses, the beauty of which is incompara-ble and the perfume of which is justly fa-mous as Old Rose. In midsummer I really

depend on lilies, phlox and annual pinks for sweet fragrance. Herbs, marigolds, or-namental garlic and geraniums provide sharper notes to keep the olfactory olio from being cloying. � ey also ward o� many pests.

I do not maintain a monoculture, but intermingle with the roses many annuals and native plants that a� ract bene� cial insects. � is companion-planting method has taken time and patience, but the result is a nice balance of fascinating and o� en beautiful varieties of insects in my garden and few mosquitoes.

Aside from pruning and providing lots of compost early in the spring, my only real chore in the dog days of summer is watering.

We are living at a time when pesticides are one of the greatest threats to ecol-ogy. � e balance of nature is upset and the health of all is threatened. Years ago, reaction to Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring saved birds from DDT. Nowadays more and more evidence links bee-colony col-lapse, white-nose syndrome in bats, the near-demise of monarch and other bu� er-� y species, and other truly alarming eco-logical disasters to use of other pesticides. Responsible farming and gardening have never been more important.

To discuss this and other gardening concerns, you are welcome to come to the next meet-ing of the Hya� sville Horticultural Society at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, at the home of Je� and Marsha Moulton, 6122 42nd Avenue. Please send further questions to � [email protected].

Miss Floribunda believes that pesticides are far worse than a few pests on her roses.

CLASSIC CARDIOLOGYWe fix broken hearts!

RAYMON K. NELSON, M.D. ABIM BOARD CERTIFIED CARDIOLOGY & INTERNAL MEDICINE 6525 BELCREST ROAD, SUITE 220HYATTSVILLE, MD 20782 (across from PG PLAZA)OFFICE : 301-779-7525 FAX: 301-779-4997MOST INSURANCES ACCEPTED

www.classiccardiology.com

CARDIOVASCULAR EVALUATIONS INTERNAL MEDICINE EVALUATIONS HYPERTENSION DIABETES MELLITUSPRE-OP CONSULTATIONS NUCLEAR STRESS TESTING ECHOCARDIOGRAMSVENOUS SONOGRAMS CAROTID DOPPLERS ARTERIAL DOPPLERS BLOOD SCREENINGS

PACEMAKER ANALYSIS HOLTER MONITORING CHOLESTEROL SCREENINGBLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING ELECTROCARDIOGRAMS CARDIAC CATHERIZATIONSHEMO DYNAMIC MONITORING PULSE OXIMETRYYEARLY PHYSICAL EXAMS PATIENT HEALTH EDUCATION CLASSES SPIROMETRY

SERVICES WE OFFER:

PROVERBS 4:23– ABOVE ALL ELSE, GUARD YOUR HEART, FOR IT IS THE WELLSPRING OF LIFE.

The FY 2014 Budget passed by the City Council last week is

almost certain to require additional revenues (new or increased taxes) over the next three fiscal years. The Budget I proposed would not have required such actions. Our property tax revenues fell by more than 10%. This means we should have taken action today to avoid even harder decisions tomorrow. Here are some of the exam-ples from our new budget that highlight my concerns.

The Council shifted previ-ously-approved Margruder Park renovation funds to continue the multiyear reno-vation of the Arcade Build-ing. Cost estimates to com-plete the Building started at $2M, rose to $4M and are unlikely to stop there. Our ability to bring the project to completion is not certain and parking needs have not been addressed.

The Council continued to delay action to reform our current retiree health pro-gram which is a costly de-cision. Our fiscal liability increases with each year we delay. The Council voted to fund the program assuming reform but made no decision on how to reform it. The budget level is therefore in-sufficient to projected costs. Passing reforms will not help this year’s program budget gap.

The Council voted to increase the number of Police cars by 25% next year rather than waiting a year or two when our fiscal picture is clearer.

Budget documents show that FY 2014 is underfunded. I be-lieve we needed to make the hard choices this year to avoid harder and more unpleasant action in the near future.

This is why I voted against this Budget.

Marc Tartaro, Mayor

Why I voted against the Hyattsville City Budget

This message is paid for by marc TarTaro. represenTaTions or opinions expressed herein are noT necessarily Those of hyaTTsville communiTy newspaper inc., iTs employees or agenTs.


Christian Science Church8300 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville • 301-422-1822

Sunday church services — 10:30 a.m.

Sunday school (youth up to 20) — 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday evening testimony meetings — 7:30 p.m.

All are welcome • Free literature available

Loving Care PediatricsJanet V. Johnson, MD

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NatureNearby

by Fred Seitz

� e white-tailed deer, the largest native mammal in the metropoli-tan area, has been a prominent area resident for decades. � e big browsers, which stand 3 to 4 feet tall and can weigh up to 300 pounds as adults, continue to make their rounds in the parks, bike paths and backyards in Hy-a� sville and seem less fearful than ever.

Bucks and does usually form separate small groups with a dominant male or female in each group. Behaviorally, they o� en manage their group status with a variety of ear lowering, aggres-sive looks and an occasional kick to a challenging deer. To des-ignate territory, males will en-gage in tree rubbing and ground scraping; rarely will there be the head-bu� ing shown in nature � lms, even during mating season.

Although they enjoy native plants in Magruder Park, the deer do not limit their brows-ing to the park. � ey frequently leap tall fences in a single bound and invaded backyards to nibble and defoliate shrubs, lawns and vegetables. In winter, deer o� en chew branches o� small trees.

In Maryland’s colonial past, the local hoofer was a popular source for food and clothing among early se� lers and Native Ameri-cans, and a popular food among the state’s other predators of that period, wolves and cougars. While the furry predators have moved West, the former colo-

nists, for a time, threatened the deer with forest harvests and de-velopment. Maryland’s White-tailed Deer Management plan indicates that in 1729, Maryland began to prohibit hunting of deer between January and July.

In early 20th-century Mary-land, deer could be found only in Allegany and Garre� coun-ties. Deer hunts were prohibited statewide in 1902, and deer ref-uges were created in 1920. Hunt-ing was again permi� ed in 1927 in Allegany County; today, it’s al-lowed throughout the state dur-ing hunting season.

� e number of deer have � uc-tuated over the years, estimates ranging from 246,000 in 1998 to

233,000 today. Managed hunts and contraceptives are among the tools used to help control the state’s deer population.

� e movie Bambi endeared deer to most of the population. Does o� en give birth to one or two young in June, and to this day, when people see a fawn by itself, they may believe it is aban-doned and needs help. (I expe-rienced this phenomenon when hiking in Catoctin Park some years back.) But typically, Mom has gone o� to graze so she can produce enough milk to keep the fawn nourished, and will return a� er her snack.

Many recent human interactions with deer have convinced some

Oh, deer: A � eld guide to the white-tailed deer

FRED SEITZThe author passed the buck on an overcast morning in Magruder Park.

that Bambi has turned to the dark side. While deer do seem to de-vour native plants in the woods and may compromise the wood-lands by browsing shrubs, they also enjoy both well-groomed and weedy backyard gardens. State o� cial George Timko, as-sistant director for the Depart-ment of Natural Resource’s deer project, indicates that these yards o� er welcome habitat with food and without hunters.

� e DNR page lists native plants and trees which deer sup-posedly will not eat. Some of their suggestions include foam � owers (the local deer have never touched mine), jack-in-the-pulpit, purple cone� ower,

wood fern, Christmas fern, spice-bush and serviceberry. � e site also suggests that some repel-lants, fences and dogs may help protect yards. (One of my dogs is an e� ective “cop” for the deer who can easily jump my fence.)

Deer also damage crops, add-ing costs to farmers and grocery shoppers, and o� en contribute to vehicle damage and collisions. � ey have also been cited as vec-tors for lyme disease due to their tendency to carry ticks – but this is something of a bad rap, as many more ubiquitous cri� ers, such as mice, squirrels, cats, raccoons and dogs, also provide free tick trans-port.

Deer elicit varied responses from Marylanders, ranging from “So cute!” to “More hunting should be allowed!” with corresponding expenditures. In 2006, all wildlife-viewing expenditures (such as binoculars and guided tours) were over $600 million, while and hunt-ing gear and license expenditures totaled $113 million. So deer are still an economic resource for the state, though few of us wear buck-skin on a regular basis.

While our locals may occasion-ally smash a tail light, steal our veggies and bring us a tick or two, they do o� er a picturesque view in morning, evening and overcast day. We most o� en see groups of three or four deer in our neigh-borhood, but groups (dare we say herds) of 10 or more deer are sometimes seen along the North-west Branch and in Magruder Park.


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By Hugh Turley

Built in 1933, Maryland Route 500 has served motorists trav-eling from the District line, where Michigan Avenue be-comes Queens Chapel Road, through Chillum, Hyattsville and University Park. The road ends at the intersection of East-West Highway (Maryland Route 410) and Adelphi Road. It picks up again only a few yards away from the apparent dead end, behind a landscaped buffer in University Park, but to get there from Adelphi re-quires several turns in a resi-dential neighborhood.

Drivers can then take Queens Chapel straight to Route 1, but not many do. Unless you’ve lived here for more than 25 years, you may not remember that once, all drivers could do that; the road used to continue, unbro-ken, from East-West Highway to Route 1. � at section of the state highway was closed in 1988 dur-ing construction of the Metro Green Line, when a tunnel be-tween the Prince George’s Plaza and College Park stations was built under the road.

Since that was the reason given for turning part of a highway into a neighborhood street, most drivers thought it would only be a temporary inconvenience. But some people had other plans.

With the road no longer a high-way, ownership of it was trans-ferred from the State Highway Administration to the town of University Park. � at meant that debate on the street’s future was limited to town residents. Plans to permanently close the road divided the community of Uni-versity Park.

� e closure of the road brought tranquility to some residents who (understandably) wanted the section of the highway per-manently closed. A few said that it would increase their property values.

But some said the closure would negatively impact resi-dential streets with tra� c. Other residents objected to the tra� c congestion the closure caused on Adelphi Road, East-West High-way and Route 1.

Parris Glendening, then county executive and later Maryland’s

governor, signed residents’ peti-tion to reopen the road. When citizens, even leading citizens, oppose the plans of their govern-ment, a study is usually ordered at taxpayer expense. In 1991, the

town commissioned a study of the impact of the closure on the town, without concern for com-muters or surrounding commu-nities.

When the study recommended keeping the road closed, Uni-versity Park resident Eric Bu-beck was quoted in news re-ports, “When you eliminate [Queens Chapel] you will spend the rest of the future try-ing to make up for the loss of a good road.” He was right. Uni-versity Park and the affected communities nearby ordered more traffic studies, installed speed bumps and barriers, and limited access to more roads. At the intersection of Route 1 and East-West Highway, turn lanes were expanded and traf-fic lights adjusted, but nothing solves the traffic mess.

In 1993, University Park citi-zens petitioned for a referendum that ended the ba� le with a 736 to 495 vote to keep the road closed. Some residents contin-ued the � ght to reopen the road in 1995, pu� ing up more than 200 “Open Queens Chapel” yard signs. � ey were mostly only vis-ible to commuters navigating around the town. � e road re-mains closed.

Maryland State Senator Paul Pinsky, a University Park resi-dent, was asked recently about reopening the road.

“I think we should make every e� ort to minimize the potential cut-through tra� c [and] open-ing Queens Chapel would only exacerbate that situation,” he said. “� e people spoke – and there was support for the closing – when it was decided to keep it closed 20 years ago.”

But people in surrounding com-munities had no voice in the decision. Longtime Hya� sville resident Nelson Minnich vehe-mently opposed the closure 25 years ago. Today, he says that “it’s about time the highway reopen. ... It was an important route and there were plans to widen it. It was a logical route, just look at a map.”

Highways are built to serve so-ciety as a whole. Closing part of a highway for the good of a few is hurtful to our communities. � e gridlock caused by the closure of Queens Chapel Road still bur-dens the masses daily.

A� er 25 years, is it time to reopen Queens Chapel?

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Hugh’sNews

“It’s about time the highway reopen. ... It was an important route.”

— Nelson Minnichlongtime Hya� sville resident

Community Services Director Abby Sandel proposed replacing last year’s $46,000 Handmade on Hamilton with three outdoor movie nights in West Hya� sville. At $4,500 for the series, this would have represented a savings of about 90 percent.

“People come out in droves for movies at that location,” Sandel

told the city council at its May 22 meeting. “It’s by far the most popu-lar place in the city for screenings.”

But some councilmembers, particularly Edouard Haba (Ward 4) and Joseph Solomon (Ward 5), wanted the Interna-tional Street Festival revived, too. � e festival “would bring people together and highlight the diversity” of the area, said Haba, who repeatedly brought the ma� er before his colleagues

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representatives, she proposed moving the already-scheduled festival across town.

She also pointed out that since National Night Out speci� cally targets crime, it makes sense to move it to an area whose crime rates are among the highest in the city. Queens Chapel Town Center is in Ward 5, near the Ward 4 boundary. In 2012, those two wards accounted for nearly 70 percent of crime in the city, according to the Hya� sville Police Department’s annual sta-tistics.

Another plus, she said, is that closing the street on a Tuesday rather than a Saturday “sig-ni� cantly reduces the overtime costs” for police o� cers and public-works employees sta� ng the festival. Businesses there, too, would be impacted less by blocking o� a street on a week-day rather than a weekend.

Commuters, though, may be more a� ected.

“It’s like nobody in this build-ing understands what life is like on the west side of the city, be-cause you want to close o� a major thoroughfare to a Metro station on a business day,” said Marshall, adding that car, bus and foot tra� c would be dis-rupted.

Bringing back the International

Street Festival, Sandel said, would be cost-prohibitive. May-or Marc Tartaro had asked all department heads to trim their budgets by at least 10 percent, since the city is facing a shortfall in � scal year 2014.

As a compromise, Haba and Solomon suggested merging the two events. So this year’s National Night Out may have a di� erent � avor than the ones at Magruder Park.

As in past years, there will be Arrow Bicycle’s obstacle course (with free helmets to the � rst 75 kids to stop by who need one), Mandy the Clown, moon bounces, police agencies, and corporate sponsors, including Target.

But there will also be interna-tional-themed cra� s and enter-tainment. Some of the Interna-tional Street Festival performers have already been booked, in-cluding the Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra. � e Brazilian percussion band Blo-co Afro Samba Trovão is also scheduled to perform.

Shani Warner (Ward 2) saw the changes as “a way to keep the In-ternational Festival alive ... [in a way] that we could a� ord” in a time of budget cuts.

“I think this combined event has great potential,” she added.

at subsequent meetings. Last held in 2010, the late-

September event had become a tradition in West Hya� sville. Performers demonstrated Japa-nese, Bolivian and Indian dance and played a variety of world music. � e entertainment ran all a� ernoon, ending with what used to be the city’s only annual � reworks display.

But in 2011, the city’s 125th anniversary party was held that weekend instead, at the Arcade Building. In 2012, November’s Handmade on Hamilton, which showcased local and regional artists, drew sparse crowds to West Hya� sville.

“� e Arts District is on the east side of the city, not the west side,” said longtime resident Da-vid Marshall. “Sure, we like arts on the west side, but it’s not our primary concern.”

City o� cials blamed the low turnout on blustery weather and a lack of corporate sponsors. National Night Out, now in its 30th year, has neither of those problems, Sandel said at the June 6 meeting. Since the plan to replace a street festival with a movie series had not been well-received by the area’s council

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PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMBA TRAVAOBrazilian band Samba Travao is playing at National Night Out this year.

funded from bond issues, general fund transfers, leases and state grants. This year, the projects include $2 million to improve parking on Route 1, and several ongoing public works projects.

While there are small cuts throughout the budget, the over-all picture remains generally con-sistent and few services will be cut. Proposed savings under the police budget, for example, are expected to be found by not fill-ing open positions.

The entire budget process has been particularly rocky this year, with many councilmembers ex-pressing frustration at getting less information later in the pro-cess than in past years.

The budget ordinance last year passed on May 7, after hefty “budget books” had been dis-tributed to each councilmem-bers. This year, said Paschall, they first received a one-and-a-half page summary of budget changes on May 20— the same night he and five other newly elected councilmembers were sworn in.

While Paschall characterizes the budget as bad, he character-izes the process as “horrendous.”

A number of changes to the budget were approved at a June

19 council meeting that the mayor did not attend. However, the one representing the greatest expense was a budgeted amount of $92,470 toward reducing Oth-er Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) liabilities.

Since taking office, Mayor Marc Tartaro has encouraged each council to address this issue. The current council seems close adopting changes. The city cur-rently pays retirees an amount per month toward their health insurance equal to what they re-ceived before retiring.

All replacement plans under discussion are based on one proposed by the city earlier this spring. At retirement, the plan would pay $12.50 per month per number of years in service until age 65, when the worker is eli-gible for Medicare. At that time, the payment would be cut in half to help defray the cost of gap in-surance.

The details under negotiation among the council are around how to phase changes in for long-time city employees who have served the city believing they would receive similar ben-efits. Under the scenario that seems most likely to be adopted retires age 60 and above will stay on the current plan, and their dependents will have a one-year notice period before changing to

a $6.25 plan. Retirees under age 60 will stay on current benefits for five years (or until age 65 if that is sooner), and then move to the reduced payments. Among the issues that still remain to be resolved is the treatment of those who retire on disability.

Even small variations to the plan have long-term impacts that are difficult to calculate, so council members put forward a budget item of $10,000 “for the purposes of obtaining updated actuarial studies run for OPEB.”

At the same meeting, the coun-cil also approved an additional $200,000 designed for “autho-rization to negotiate with the Farrell McGlynn Associates to develop permit-ready construc-tion drawings and a compre-hensive, turnkey estimate” for the long-stalled Arcade Building project. Paschall explained that the current contract with the engineer could have elapsed in July, meaning that “we were in a situation where we were going to lose work that we’ve done” because some design rights may have reverted to the engineer at that point.

The Arcade Building, located next to City Hall, was acquired by the city in October 2000, and Paschall points out the building costs the city in maintenance now to avoid having a “more di-

lapidated building that will either cost more to repair or be worth less” if the city sold it. One sig-nificant obstacle to completing the project— besides the price tag— is that the council has yet to decide how to use the space. Among the options are public meeting rooms, additional city offices, performance space, office space for local nonprofits and re-tail businesses.

Tartaro objects to this expen-diture in the paid advertisement he took out in the current issue of the paper on page 9. He told the HL&T, “If we’re not going to build it right now, what’s the point of spending money on de-sign? Can we afford to build and staff it?”

A number of the potential cost-saving measures identified by council members were related to bond issues. Since the bonds

themselves will not be issued until late in the year and no pay-ments need be made on them until 2015, they do not show up as saving for the 2014 funding year but in the four years after.

Another June 19 resolution was designed to require the city ad-ministrator and staff to inform the council when significant changes or interruptions occur in ongoing projects, and require contractors to communicate more quickly with city staff and council members.

Communication will clearly re-main an issue in the coming year, between the council and with the citizens. Tartaro, the sole vote against the budget, said, “I have a responsibility to let the residents know that when the en-tire council approved the budget and I voted no, I felt that I had to explain that decision.”


National Night Out Against Crime 2013

JOIN US FOR

IN ITS NEW LOCATIONHAMILTON ST. BETWEEN AGER & QUEENS CHAPEL ROADS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 65 to 9 PM• International music performances, including Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra. • Try making crafts from around the world! • Free family fun: moon bounces, the Arrow Bicycle safety course, Mandy the Clown• Meet and greet with local law enforcement representatives

www.hyattsville.org/nightout

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Take Back the Night walk through the neighborhood!Can’t take part in the walk? Leave your porch light on!

budget continued from page 1


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july 2013 hyattsville life & times

Documents

e issue

new scal year

new location

major citysponsored

hya svilles event

new art worksincluded

night walk

e council