February 2011 Hyattsville Life & Times

Page 1

ThE bIRThs...

...AND ThE bEEs

Midwife-assisted home births are on the rise, according to a recent study. In Hyattsville, there were at least 15 in the last year alone. PAGE 6

A growing number of Hyattsville households are helping save the honeybee – and enjoying some pretty sweet benefits. PAGE 3

Savings on trash pilot less than expected by Karen J. Riley

The year-long pilot program of reduced trash pickup that ended last month saved the city only about 40 percent of the projected amount, according to information released during a series of public meetings in late January. Before the program began, city residents enjoyed twice-weekly trash pickup, which required a fleet of four garbage trucks staffed by three employees each, for a total annual cost of $797,328 a year. Once-weekly collection of household solid waste was one of the items recommended in a management and efficiency study conducted for the city in April 2009. City residents could easily accommodate the change, it was believed, because the city had distributed large capacity solid-waste refuse containers a few years before. Last October, the Hyattsville City Council agreed to experiment with a year-long pilot of a once-weekly solid waste collection with the intent of gathering sufficient data to determine

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trash continued on page 13

MORE hIsTORICAL ROUTE 1 REVELATIONs Legend & Lore’s series on Historic Route 1 continues with a tour of three locations of special importance to the history of African-Americans in Prince George’s County. PAGE 4

Hyattsville Life&Times

Vol. 8 No. 2

Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper

Community garden effort moves forward by Paula Minaert

The pre-dawn blaze started on the first floor and quickly engulfed the bungalow in the 4700 block of 40th Avenue. Parents Marcos Zelaya and Ena Hernandez managed to escape, along with 4-year-old Maria and 13-year-old Melani. But Melani’s twin, Kelli, and their 9-year-old sister, Kimberly, were unconscious when firefighters pulled them from the building.

After a process that has lasted more than a year, and involved several community meetings and much city council discussion, the Hyatt Park Community Garden is significantly closer to becoming a reality. The garden will be located in Hyatt Park, at the corner of Hamilton and 36th streets, the site of the former Jack and Jill Nursery School. That site was purchased in 2009 by the Maryland National-Capital Park and Planning Commission at the request of the city. The city then entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the commission and agreed to maintain the property. At press time, the city council was expected to approve a plan for an organic vegetable garden developed by the Hyatt Park Community Garden Association. Council originally had scheduled a presentation and a vote on January 24, but delayed it to have more time to look over the supporting documentation. That documentation, requested by Council, included a Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the garden association, administrative documents such as by-laws, a site plan, a fencing plan, a soiltesting plan, and a way to fairly distribute garden plots. That MOU states that the garden association will be responsible and liable for the costs and maintenance of the garden. According to the by-laws, the 40 plots proposed for the site

Fire continued on page 12

Garden continued on page 10

KEEPING

VIGIL

barb baNcroft

After fire, community rallies to help family by Susie Currie Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781

February 2011

In the aftermath of a fire that claimed the lives of two sisters and destroyed the family home, neighbors and businesses have come together to help pick up the pieces. Investigators have attributed the January 19 fire to an electrical malfunction, said Prince George’s County Fire Department spokesperson Mark Brady.

Included: The February 9, 2011 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section


Page 2

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

FromTheEditor

Talking across the generations by Paula Minaert

The two buildings sit next to each other on 42nd Avenue: Friendship Arms, a residence for seniors and people with disabilities, and Hyattsville Middle School. For a long time there wasn’t much contact between the two places. There is now. For several years, the city’s Office of Volunteer Services has brought together the students in Saralyn Trainor’s creative writing class and the seniors. Most recently, they worked together and created cards to celebrate Hyattsville’s 125th anniversary.

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) nonprofit corporation. Interested reporters should send their e-mail addresses to the editor to be reminded of deadlines and receive internal news. Articles and news submitted 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 editor, etc., e-mail susie@hyattsvillelife.com. executive editor Paula Minaert paula@hyattsvillelife.com 301.335.2519 Managing editor Susie Currie susie@hyattsvillelife.com 301.633.9209 Production Ashley Perks advertising advertising@hyattsvillelife.com 301.531.5234 Writers & contributors Victoria Hille Valerie Russell Kimberly Schmidt Hugh Turley board of directors Julia Duin - President Chris Currie - Vice President Joseph Gigliotti - General Counsel Paula Minaert - Secretary Peggy Dee Susie Currie - Ex Officio Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. Mail to every address in Hyattsville. Additional copies are distributed to libraries, selected businesses, community centers and churches in the city. Total circulation is 8,000. hl&t is a member of the national newspaper association.

students to learn something. Student Chanler Crawford worked with a man, Michael, who’d had a stroke and was in a wheelchair. “It was the worst thing that happened to him, but he stayed positive and moved on.” Jack Brittan-Powell said that the lesson he learned was if you’re nice to people, they’ll be nice to you. Let the final words come from Genevieve Thompson again: “The students made us feel like we’re not a forgotten generation, that we’re important.”

“We didn’t plan for them to us is technology. I told them about when the woman she worked make cards together, but that’s typewriters and how you used to with, Rosario, put a three-dimenwhat happened,” said Colleen Ais- have to almost pound them.” sional skirt and shirt on the card tis, manager of volunteer services, Sometimes the students were she made. “She’s very creative.” who had the idea for the cards. “I surprised by the seniors. Tedra Jessica Martinez related the life think the kids didn’t know how Brown, for example, didn’t ex- stories of the two residents she got much fun they’d have.” pect that Marlene would know to know, and said that the seniors In fact, I spoke with some of all the latest things on TV and also gave them advice. “Like stay them recently and “fun” was ex- the new songs. “She likes Beyon- in school and don’t get pregnant.” actly how student Karen Cerrato cé,” Tedra announced. The seniors didn’t always have described her experience. Her Melissa Avila was impressed to offer specific advice for the classmate Jason Segovia agreed, “Before I went there, I thought older people were boring. But they’re fun to listen to.” Brandee Craddock put in, “Now I think they’re just like us. I talked to a woman named Marlene. She said she didn’t like to do what everyone else did when she was younger, just like me. And she doesn’t like reality TV, and neither do I.” I talked to some Friendship Arms residents who participated in the project and they also enjoyed it. “The students were delightful to talk to,” said Genevieve Thompson. “They seemed so interested in hearing about our children and other things.” Renee Robinson added, “After we talked a while, they realized city of HyattsVille we have some things in common. The only big difference between A few of the cards created by students and seniors to celebrate Hyattsville’s 125th birthday.

LetterstotheEditor Dear Editors, I read with interest and some consternation your article about our local library (“Library Changes Pose Questions,” January 2011). While you brought up several distressing points about the library, I’d like to address the removal of several trees that occurred last year. You report that “the decision to cut the trees was Gannon’s” due to “disease or … a threat to the public.” What does this mean? There is no challenge to this statement whatsoever. Does our local tree ordinance not apply to the library grounds? Was this approved by the city? Does the planting of nine Eastern Redbuds (which do not grow big and have an average life span of 20 to 30 years) make up for the loss of these large trees? The comments of Gannon (and Teaze) appeared to be taken at face value. The quality of life in this city is largely dependent on the services we receive and the actions that our local government takes to hold accountable those who threaten to degrade this quality. A local paper should vigorously question those in power, and strive to report factual information, not just informa-

tion designed to make its readers feel good. Mark Zablocki Nicholson St. Bart Lawrence responds: It’s understandable that a story attempting to answer questions about the budget woes and tree cutting at our beloved library could cause consternation among readers. The library is a county entity, and our “local government” (i.e., Hyattsville) is not in a position to wield accountability. That is, the county can cut any tree it wants to on a county right-of-way. So, Gannon didn’t need the city’s blessing to trim or cut the trees. But, he told us, his decision was influenced by two items. First, a July 2010 facilities assessment prioritized “clear[ing] roof debris to prevent roof leakage”; to head off future problems, it advised trimming the trees nearest the building. Second, a professional arborist hired by the county last summer identified several trees that were diseased and should be removed. So down came the diseased trees.

It’s true that eastern redbuds don’t have anywhere near the same lifespan as an oak. Gannon noted that his decision to plant them was influenced by the fact that they are native to the area, fast-growing, drought-resistant, tolerant of pollution, and beautiful. Moreover, as the story mentioned, major renovations are coming to the library in the next few years, and it’s not clear what the renovation will mean to the site’s trees. Gannon deemed the redbuds a “stopgap measure to have something green and growing” until the architects, who may plant oaks, determine what the space will look like. I invite you and anyone else who is interested in the future of the library to come to the next Friends of the Hyattsville Branch meeting, scheduled for March 5 at 9 a.m. in the library. The Hyattsville Life & Times welcomes letters to the editor. Please submit them to Managing Editor Susie Currie at susie@hyattsvillelife.com or P.O. Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781. Once received, letters become the property of HL&T and may be edited for length or clarity.


Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

Page 3

buzz in Hyattsville A sweet

by Fred Seitz

Faced with a hive of bees, most people’s first reaction might be to head in the other direction. But at least five Hyattsville households are embracing the ancient art of apiculture, or beekeeping, a practice that dates back to at least 2400 BC. Most local beekeepers mentioned that they were concerned about the bee population’s decline in recent years, and wanted to help reverse the trend. Other benefits of these buzzing backyard guests include pollination, fresh honey, and the chance to witness the complex behavior of the honeybee. Startup costs range from $200 to $400 for the box and frames used to house the bees and provide a place to build their comb to raise young and store honey. Local keepers recommend making an additional investment in the annual series of classes sponsored by the Bowie-Upper Marlboro Beekeepers Association (BUMBA), which begins next month at Watkins Park Nature Center. Dave Roeder and Joe Buriel got their first hive in 2009 after completing the BUMBA training. Avid gardeners, they knew that about 15 to 30 percent of fruits

and vegetables depend on bees for pollination, and were concerned when they were not seeing many bees in their yard. They estimated spending about an hour a week caring for the hive. Bees are active when the temperature is above 50 degrees; then, much of the “work” involves observing them and checking to see if they have sufficient space and whether any pests, such as mites or hive beetles, have invaded. In cooler months, the keepers will open the hive less frequently to avoid heat loss. But they still have to check where the bees are in the hive and if they have enough food. In the cooler months, Dave and Joe feed the bees fondant (a sugary substance, like cake icing). This supplements the food energy the bees get from eating honey. Last year, Dave and Joe harvested about 50 pounds, which they enjoyed and shared with neighbors and friends. Harold Stone is another enthusiastic gardener who noticed fewer bees. Recognizing that more bees could increase his garden’s productivity, he began keeping them in 2009. He enjoys the “sustainable craft” aspect of beekeeping. His greatest “challenge” in beekeeping comes when the bees “swarm” (leave with the cur-

rent queen to find more space); his greatest benefit is the honey he harvests. Stone is keeping Italian bees, one of the two types (the other being Russian) of European bees living in local hives. These are more docile and produce more honey than many wild bees, such as the familiar bumblebee. The hives of wild bumblebees may have fewer than 100 bees, but European honeybee colonies usually start out with about 10,000 bees and expand to around 60,000 bees in midsummer, when pollen-gathering peaks. When the honeybees leave their hive to forage for pollen, they generally fly up and away from people and may fly as far as two to five miles to collect pollen. That’s further than many native pollinators will fly to retrieve pollen. The pollen is an important source of protein for the larvae. Honeybees also gather nectar, which they use as an energy source for the adults. The nectar is used to produce the honey and the source of the nectar will determine the honey’s flavor. Both native bees and honeybees will gather nectar from many native trees, such as tulip poplars and maples. bees continued on page 13

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Legend

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

LORE

and

Page 4

African-American history on Route 1: A driving tour by Kimberly Schmidt

When the enslaved 10-year-old Adam Francis Plummer came to Riversdale Plantation in 1829, he likely traveled up the BaltimoreWashington Turnpike, current-day Route 1. There he grew up playing with George Benedict Calvert, of the prominent Maryland Calvert family and founder of what became the University of Maryland. He learned farming and carpentry skills and often represented the Calvert Plantations at markets in Washington City and Georgetown. He also covertly learned to read and write, taught by John Bowser, a former slave and traveling preacher. Legend & Lore’s series on Historic Route 1 continues with a tour of three locations, just off Route 1 and of special importance to the history of AfricanAmericans in Prince George’s County. All three locations are on the National Historical Registry and all are easily visited in a day, driving north from Bladensburg to just past Beltsville. First we will visit Bostwick House in nearby Bladensburg.

Then we travel to the Riversdale House Museum and take a look at the life of Adam Francis Plummer, a slave who kept a diary from1841 until his death in 1905. Finally, we will stop in at the Abraham Lodge on Old Muirkirk Road to visit a kinship community, which is made up of residents with blood ties, founded by ironworkers after the Civil War.

Lowndes’ shipyards and cordage factories, until the Civil War ended slavery, their voices are silent. To invoke firsthand commentary on slave life in our area, one should read the diary kept by Adam Francis Plummer, available online at anacostia.si.edu/ Plummer/Plummer_Home. htm. He lived at Riversdale House, the next stop on our tour.

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One can still see the slave quarters on the third floor of the Bostwick House in Bladensburg. Bostwick was completed in 1746 by Christopher Lowndes, a wealthy merchant who participated in the transatlantic slave trade. It is a substantial property, one of four pre-Revolutionary War structures in Bladensburg. University of Maryland professor Donald Linebaugh has described Bostwick as a “small plantation” with perhaps 40 to 50 slaves. Although we know that slaves worked on this property, likely supplying labor for

Adam Francis Plummer’s family had deep roots in American soil. His grandfather, Cupid Plummer, fought as a substitute for his master during the American Revolution, thereby earning his freedom. Available sources do not address the question of how his descendents became slaves once again. Adam met Emily Saunders during her visit to Riversdale in 1839 with her owner, Sarah Ogle Hilleary. Shortly afterwards, Adam asked permission from Mistress Hilleary to court Emily. Hilleary approved

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

Page 5

MissFloribunda Dear Miss Floribunda, My growing family and I have recently moved from a townhouse in D.C. to a house in Hyattsville with a spacious backyard where our “stair-step children” (ages 3, 5 and 7) have room to romp. My husband and I had originally assumed we’d buy swings, slide, jungle gym, sandbox, basketball hoop and make a conventional playground, but we see some nice plantings back there and wonder if there isn’t some way to combine play space with an attractive but child-friendly garden. There are all kinds of landscaping plans online, but none specifically for such a combination. Needing Know-how On Nicholson Street Dear Needing know-how, As it happens, my niece Flora Belle Pepper also has a growing family. She and her husband Jalapeno have five little ones: Paprika, Piper, Pepe, Perchinka and Cayenne. They have designed a wonderful backyard garden that is safe, healthful and stimulating for children, yet not an eyesore for adults. A patio surrounded by formal rose beds forms an area the children have learned to respect as adult territory. An expanse of lawn gives the children a place to run and play catch. Attractive rustic wooden swings hang from tree branches, with a thick layer of soft mulch spread beneath them to cushion falls, and a tree house on a sturdy lower branch of one tree gives the children a “hideaway” not really hidden from the parents.

most charming is a shaded area where in a little “fairy garden” one comes upon miniature twig furniture, a ring of mushrooms, and tiny figurines peeping out from behind ferns. All this in less than one-fourth of an acre! For a number of actual plans to follow, the Peppers recommend A Child’s Garden: 60 Ideas to Make Any Garden Come Alive for

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Of course, children love to make secret places. In the vegetable garden each year, they help plant a “sunflower house.” Sunflowers of lower height spaced between very high Russian Mammoth sunflowers create windows to peek into and out of, and morning glories, moonflowers and colorful climbing beans form a roof of vines. The “floor” is planted with mint-scented pennyroyal. When the sunflower seeds ripen, they attract gorgeous red cardinals, who often come in couples and feed each other seeds. The “lady” cardinal is the only female bird that sings, and silvery cardinal duets enchant the children. The sunflower house is within the kids’ area of the vegetable garden, where the youngsters nurture miniature varieties of gourds and watermelon as well as a giant pumpkin. (Children like the extremes of size.) A “flower clock” contains flowers that open at different times of day, and a semi-circular “rainbow” bed is planted in arched strips of monochromatic plants

and vegetables. Fragrant herbs, resistant to trampling, border little mulched pathways dotted with whimsical stepping stones — some made by the children — that lead to various special features farther back in the garden. One path leads to a raised bed filled with “pettable” plants like lamb’s ear, velvety coxcombs, and touch-me-nots with fuzzy pods that shoot out seeds when pressed. Another leads to a patch of delicious high-bush blueberries, free of thorns. Fruit trees were planted at the birth of each child: cherry, apricot, apple, pear and peach, and each child delights in the seasonal development of his or her tree. The trees are planted in such a way that the top branches can be trained to form a top to what is to be a natural gazebo. No poisons are used in the garden, and bird, bat and butterfly houses are strategically placed to attract fascinating visitors. And yes, behind screens of ornamental grasses you will find a basketball hoop and a slide. Perhaps

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

Home births on the rise in Hyattsville by Amira Aycock and Susie Currie

courtesy roberts family Merrill, Alan and Elizabeth Roberts. The couple wasn’t planning on a home birth, but Alan had other ideas.

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In the not-too-distant past, having a baby automatically meant a lengthy hospital stay. But today, increasing numbers of women are bypassing the hospital altogether. Midwife-assisted home births are on the rise, according to a 2010 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Hyattsville, there were 15 in the last year alone, according to Suzanne McGowan, a local doula (a labor and birth assistant) with clients all over the region. She has attended births at hospitals, birthing centers, and living rooms. “A woman can have a baby wherever she wants,” says McGowan, “and I’ve seen more women choosing to stay home for the birth.” Why the increase? Reasons vary, but many mothers try it after having negative experiences in other settings. Peggy Burgoyne delivered her fourth child at home after having the first two in the hospital and the third in a birth center. “The whole experience was impersonal and uncomfortable,” she said of her two hospital births. “I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle with the nurses, who were telling me I couldn’t do what I wanted to do with my own baby. It didn’t matter what I wanted.” The birth center had closed by the time she and her husband, Alan, were expecting their

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fourth. “People kept asking me what my back-up hospital was, but I’d had three easy births, and I knew I was low-risk and everything would go fine. And it did.” Jolene Bowman also decided against a hospital birth after having one. “[Hospital] policies are made without any allowance for intelligent decision-making, or for your personal risk factors,” she said. “The hospital’s policy says you do this or that for every woman, regardless of her individual situation, and that’s what happened at my first birth.” This time, after asking friends and researching online, Bowman found a highly recommended Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), also known as a directentry midwife. “She had extensive experience with all kinds of complications,” she said. Fortunately, she also had four-wheel drive; a healthy baby girl arrived weeks early at the height of Snowmaggedon. “The midwife drove through the blizzard to get to us,” Bowman recalls, laughing. For their first child, Heather and Jacob Wood had planned to deliver at Shady Grove hospital. But they switched two weeks before the due date, when the nurse-midwives they were seeing recommended more medical intervention than they wanted. “I really wanted to try to have a natural birth, with no drugs,” said Heather. “And if they were already pressuring me to induce, what would the chances be?” Still, before meeting the midwife, the couple was skeptical about giving birth at home. “I had the idea that birth is a very complicated medical event and you have to have lots of medical equipment and personnel standing by. Also, it sounded pretty messy,” said Jacob. “The reality was none of those things.” A healthy baby girl was born at home – in the nursery where she now sleeps – last May. Elizabeth Roberts thought her firstborn would arrive in the Alexandria birth center where she’d been going for prenatal visits. As they were preparing to go there, her husband, Merrill, joked, “I’m just going to take this to the car. Let me know if you see a head.” “When he got back, I said, ‘Um, honey? I see one,’ “ Elizabeth recalled with a laugh. Twenty minutes later, she was holding her son. One advantage she hadn’t foreseen was the convenience. “It was great being able to climb in my own bed and sleep for six hours,” births continued on page 9


Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

Page 7

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Through April 9 Resonant Forms brings together the work of artists Martha Jackson-Jarvis, Alonzo Davis and Frank Smith in a show of sculpture, paintings and other media. It’s on display at both the Brentwood Arts Exchange and the Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center, which share space at the Gateway Arts Center, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood. Free. Hours vary; call 301.277.2863 or 301.209.0592 for schedule information.

February 11 Area artist Rick Ruggles sees hearts in shadows, leaves, fruit, even cacti, and for a decade, he has captured them in photographs. Some will be on display tonight during a book signing of Finding Heart, Ruggles’ collaboration with poet Steve Godwin. A slideshow of images from the book will be interspersed with readings of the accompanying poems. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. Spotlight Coffee Café, 3311 Rhode Island Avenue, Mount Rainier. 301.209.2995.

February 12 It may not seem like it, but planting time is just around the corner. The Hyattsville

gram, aimed at ages 3 and up, explores how bugs spend the winter. Free. 3 p.m. Old Parish House, 4711 Knox Road, College Park, 301.927.3013.

February 14

rick ruggles A heart image from Rick Ruggles’ and Steve Godwin’s book, Finding Heart.

Horticultural Society seed sale will have everything you need to plan your garden. Whether your space is filled with shade, cats or children, you’ll find seeds to suit, as well as advice from seasoned gardeners. Free. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mary Prangley Room, City Hall, on the second floor of the municipal building. 301.277.7129 or 301.864.4882 .

February 13 Science writer Amy Hansen presents Bugs and Bugsicles, based on her children’s book of the same name. The pro-

Have a heart on Valentine’s Day with Schubert, Schubert & Schubert, a concert by the Auryn Quartet to benefit the Zelaya-Hernandez family (see cover story) and the Hyattsville Christmas in April project. $5. 8 p.m. St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 5901 36th Avenue. 301.699.5440.

February 18 You’ve heard of Zumba, now see what it’s all about. To raise money for a summer camping trip to Florida, Girl Scout Troop 5864 is hosting an evening of the trendy Latin-inspired fitness workout for ages 7 and up. All levels are welcome. Adults, $10; adult with one child, $15; family rate, $20. 7 to 8:15 p.m. St. James Catholic Church, 3628 Rhode Island Avenue, Mount Rainier. 202.340.3308.

February 19

The Deliveries are performing in concert at the Hyattsville library. Free. 3 p.m. 6530 Adelphi Road. 301.985.4690.

February 21 Learn your way around your bike with The Park Tool School®, a class in bicycle repair and maintenance that begins tonight at Arrow Bicycle. Over six sessions, Hyattsville’s own Chris Militello will cover everything from changing tires and tubes to adjusting gears to lubing cables. Bring your bicycle and wear clothes that can get dirty. $150. Mondays, 6 to 7:30 p.m., through March 28. 5108 Baltimore Avenue. To register, call 301.531.9250 or e-mail info@arrowbicycle.com.

February 28 By now, you’ve probably read our cover story on the fire that claimed two girls as well as their family home. Today, you can help just by visiting Franklins. Mention the Zelaya-Hernandez fund, and 20 percent of your restaurant check will go to the fund. 5121 Baltimore Avenue. 301.927.2740.

When was the last time you heard jazz while checking out books? This afternoon,

calendar continued on page 8

Spring Break Camp Escape April 18 – 22, 2011 Early registration opens January 18 for City of Hyattsville

Summer Campregistration Registration February, too! residents. General beginsbegins Februaryin 1 for all.

Camp Escape offers a fun-filled Spring Break week for kids ages 5 through 9 and 10 through 13. Camp takes place at the City of Hyattsville’s Magruder Park Recreation Center, 3911 Hamilton Street. Our staff strives to foster creativity andconfidence in each camper.

Campers will enjoy: Games Arts & Crafts

For hours, fees, and registration information, please visit http://www.hyattsville.org/camps

Sports Eco-themed activities


Hyattsville R

PageHR1 HR1 Page

HyattsvilleLife Life&&Times Times|| February February2011 2011 Hyattsville

the

www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

No. 210 • Februa

Just 131 Days ‘til Summer Camp Starts

What are you doing on your summer vacation? If you’re lucky enough to be a kid between the ages of 3 and 13, you can spend your summer with the Department of Recreation and the Arts. We offer three camps, all featuring age-appropriate summer fun in a safe, caring environment. Camp Tiny Tots is a half-day program for kids ages 3 and 4. It meets at the City Municipal Building. Crafts, trips to the playground, music and more are all part of the program. Learn more at http://www.hyattsville.org/tinytots Camp Jamboree offers a full-day program for kids ages 5 to 9, with Before and After Care available. Each session includes a special focus area, like tennis or the environment. Weekly excursions to the Hamilton Park Splash Pool and area attractions are also included. Last year, Campers visited the National Zoo, the National Building Museum Lego Exhibit, and took a tour of the White House. Camp meets at the Magruder Park Recreation Center.

CALENDAR FEBRUARY 2011 10 14 16 19 21 22 24 28

Spring Field Permit Meeting, 7:00 PM City Council Work Session, 8:00 PM Hyattsville Environmental Committee meeting, 7:30 PM Belle’s Ball: Parent & Child Sweetheart Dance, 5:00 to 7:00 PM Presidents’ Day Holiday City Administrative Offices closed. No Yard Waste, White Goods, or Tire pick-up, City-wide City Council Meeting, 8:00 PM Blood Drive, 2:00 to 7:30 PM Candidate Registration begins for Citywide Election of May 3, 2011 * Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at the City Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street.

Learn more at http://www.hyattsville. org/jamboree Camp Discovery will keep ages 10 to 13 busy in a full-day program with Before and After Care available. Sessions feature a special focus area, like basketball or dance. Campers swim at the Hamilton Park Splash Pool each week, weather permitting, and also explore the greater Washington DC area. This year, Camp Discovery will meet at Hyattsville Elementary School. Learn more at http://www.hyattsville.org/discovery Registration is also open for our Spring Break Camp Escape. Details and registration forms for all of our programs can be found at http://www. hyattsville.org/camps, or contact Jacquay Plummer at jplummer@hyattsville.org or call 301/985-5027.


Reporter HyattsvilleLife Life&&Times Times|| February February 2011 2011 Hyattsville

ary 9, 2011

IN OTHER NEWS... SPRING FIELD PERMIT MEETING Any group interested in using the City’s fields should plan to attend the Spring Field Permit Meeting on Thursday, February 10 at 7:00 PM in the City Municipal Building. If you are unable to attend, please call 301/985-5020 or email Steve Yeskulsky, Director of Recreation and the Arts at syeskulsky@ hyattsville.org for information.

BELLE’S BALL: PARENT & CHILD DANCE RETURNS FEB 19 Break out your sparkliest party dress! The Parent & Child Dance returns on Saturday, February 19 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. This year’s theme is Beauty & the Beast. We’ll have dancing and refreshments and everything for a special night out on the town for parents or caregivers and their little prince or princess, ages 3 to 10. Reserve your spot by calling 301/985-5020 or visiting http://www.hyattsville. org/belle

PRESIDENTS’ DAY HOLIDAY City Administrative offices are closed on Monday, February 21 in honor of the Presidents Day holiday. In addition, there is no Yard Waste, White Goods, or Tire pick-up, City-wide. The City Council Meeting that would normally occur on the third Monday of the month is scheduled for Tuesday, February 22.

SAVE A LIFE. GIVE BLOOD ON FEB 24 The City will host a Red Cross Blood Drive on Thursday, February 24 from 2:00 to 7:30 PM. You can register online. Visit the City’s homepage calendar at http://www. hyattsville.org and click on “Blood Drive” to get the link to register you for our location and date.

CANDIDATE REGISTRATION OPENS FOR CITY-WIDE ELECTION ON FEBRUARY 28 The next City-wide election takes place Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Candidates may register beginning February 28. Registration closes on March 25 at 5:00 PM. For information on the process, please contact City Clerk Doug Barber at 301/985-5009, or watch your mailbox. A special edition of the

Hyattsville Reporter devoted to the May election will arrive mid-February.

CALL FOR GROUPS TO MARCH IN ANNIVERSARY PARADE The City’s 125th Anniversary Parade will take place on Saturday, April 16. Community groups, youth groups, classic car drivers, marching bands, step teams, fire and police units, and other civic organizations are invited to participate! Please visit http://www.hyattsville.org/parade for details, including a registration form.

SNOW REMOVAL REMINDERS When snow falls, remember that property owners are required to clear their sidewalks within 24 hours. Code Enforcement inspectors do issue warning notices and citations to property owners who do not clear their walks. Please be a good neighbor!

PLANNING FOR FY12 BUDGET BEGINS IN FEBRUARY The FY12 budget process begins this month. Residents can download last year’s approved budget and stay up-to-date with this year’s process on the City’s website: http://www.hyattsville.org/budget.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK Are 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.

RECREATION NEWS IN YOUR INBOX The City’s Department of Recreation and the Arts offers a year-long calendar 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 affordable family fun in Hyattsville. Visit http://www.hyattsville.org/ eNews to subscribe.

PageHR2 HR2 Page

GOING GREEN IN 2011 In 2010, the City of Hyattsville adopted a Sustainability Policy to guide our decision-making and ensure that we are considering the environmental impact of our programs and services. As part of the policy, the Hyattsville Environmental Committee helped develop a list of simple ways City residents can green their routines in 2011. This series will appear throughout City publications and on our website throughout the year. February’s installment is simple: know what goes in your Blue Recycling Toter! If you receive Prince George’s County recycling services (most City residents do), then you can put an everincreasing amount of material into your Blue Recycling Toter. Here’s a complete list, current as of February 2011: Glass • Food and beverage containers Metals • Empty aerosol cans • Aluminum, bimetal, ferrous, and steel food and beverage containers • Aluminum foil • Coat hangers Mixed Paper/Corrugated Cardboard • All paper • Aseptic/gable-top milk and juice cartons • Catalogs • Flattened corrugated cardboard (boxes) • Frozen food packaging • Hard- and soft- covered books • Kraft paper bags and wrapping paper • Magazines • Newspapers with inserts • Paper board (cereal and cracker boxes) • Telephone books Plastics • Bagged grocery bags, shrink wrap, and stretch-film (Insert all bags within one bag; no loose single bags) • Drinking cups/glasses • Flower pots • Narrow-neck containers with code identification numbers 1 through 7 • Wide-mouth containers such as peanut butter, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise and whipped topping; margarine/butter tubs. • Prescription bottles • Coat hangers It doesn’t leave much for the regular trash! That’s good news for the planet, but also for City residents. Taking materials to the landfill is expensive, so the less you throw out, the more resources the City has to direct elsewhere. Learn more at http://www.hyattsville.org/green


Page 8

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

calendar

4 p.m. Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly. 301.277.1710.

continued from page 7

March 6

March 12

Top dancers from area schools and studios bring their best to the Love 2 Dance Teen Showcase. $10; students and seniors, $5.

Marking the bicentennial of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, the Prince George’s Choral Society joins the church choir for

Fleisher’s Jewelers

Celebrating 61 Years in Hyattsville

Monday, February 14th is Valentine’s Day, don’t forget your Valentine, we have lots of gifts to choose from, or place your special order by Thursday the 11th* *shipping charges apply

FREE ESTIMATES Diamonds • Gold & Silver Jewelry • Watches and More

FULL SERVICE JEWELER

Jewelry & Watch Repair • Engraving •Watch Batteries Installed •Appraisals • Pearl Restringing

MASONIC JEWELRY & REGALIA 3108 Queens Chapel Road Hours: Hyattsville, Maryland 20782 M-F: 9:30 - 6:00 301-699-5552 Saturday: 9:00 - 5:00

Your neighborhood jeweler

a performance of Mozart’s choral masterwork, “Great Mass in C Minor.” $10. 5901 36th Avenue. 301.559.8686. To be part of the choir, come to a rehearsal (Wednesdays, 7:30, at the church) or contact Joyce Rose at 301.328.0256.

Ongoing Knowing your way around a toolbox helps during Christmas in April, but it’s not necessary. Organizers are seeking volunteers both skilled (especially an architect, a plumber and an electrician) and unskilled to help transform the neighborhood home of a senior citizen and her daughter, a recent amputee. Build day is April 30. Contact the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation (CDC) to get involved: 301.779.1426 or eisenberg@hyattsvillecdc.org. 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 susie@hyattsvillelife.com or mail to P.O. Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781. Deadline for March submissions is February 26.

Book Notes Local resident David Levy has published an environmental fiction novel, and you can peruse it during the book-signing party from 2 to 5 p.m. on March 20 at the home of Bill and Laurie Eckert, 4203 Jefferson Street. Food and drink will be provided and fellow author Julia Duin, who will have some of her own books on display, will be giving a harp demonstration for children. Called Revolt of the Animals, Levy’s book is about the world’s finned and four-legged creatures uniting to prevent humans from destroying the world by nuclear war. It begins when species from around the world secretly meet one night at the National Zoo, where they plot ways to foil man’s plans for war. Levy has produced a clever book with some very well-done illustrations

and he uses wit and originality to express his point that the world’s animals are valuable and deserve protection. Another local author, Todd Kliman, wishes to clarify some of his quotes in a recent HL&T column. He wishes to separate “a statement I made about my not focusing locally in my marketing and a lament about the lack of interest in serious books in the larger culture. As quoted, I seem to be saying that residents of Hyattsville don’t read, and that’s not at all what I said or meant to imply. It makes me look dismissive and ungrateful of the community, when just the opposite is true. I love it here, and people have been wonderfully supportive of me and my book. [When] my editor asked why I had identified myself as living in Hyattsville, as opposed to just outside Washington, D.C. I told her, ‘You’d know if you lived here.’ ”

GREEN HOMES HYATTSVILLE Applications Being Accepted Now

Be our Guest! Belle’s Ball Parent & Child Dance Party

Saturday, February 19 5:00 to 7:00 PM City Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street A night on the town just right for parents and kids ages 3 to 10 $5 per person Reserve your spot online at http://www.hyattsville.org/belle or by calling 301/985-5020

Lower your utility costs, increase your home’s value, and improve the environment through the City’s new Green Homes Hyattsville program. Eligible residents will receive a free energy assessment of their home, as well as assistance with the recommended upgrades and retrofits. Learn more at http://www.hyattsville.org/green or contact the Office of Community Development at 301/985-5000.


Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

Page 9

births

continued from page 6

she said. “Then we watched a movie and ordered Chinese. Like a normal day, except with a baby.” The safety of home birth is a subject of heated debate. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association contend that women put themselves and their babies at unnecessary risk if they choose to give birth at home. Uncomplicated births can become complicated without warning, and sometimes require emergency medical care. But supporters say that routine hospital policies can lead to unnecessary interventions, putting mothers and their babies at risk for preventable and often serious complications. The American College of Nurse-Midwives and the World Health Organization support home birth for healthy, lowrisk women, such as those who have already had complicationfree deliveries. “It’s not like a hospital birth is

courtesy families Clockwise from above: Regina Bowman, Stephen Burgoyne and Marie Wood were among the babies born recently in Hyattsville homes.

risk-free and a home birth is a tragedy waiting to happen,” says McGowan. “There are risks no matter what you do. But all the research so far indicates that a home birth with a qualified attendant is safe for most women.” Currently, Maryland is one of 25 states that does not license CPMs, who learn their trade • • •

either in a midwifery school or in an apprenticeship. They are not nurses and therefore attend births in homes and birth centers only. Certified Nurse-Midwives (CNMs) attend nursing school and then specialize in midwifery, and, in Maryland, can practice in hospitals, birth centers and homes.

  

    



 

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15% OFF

Entire Dinner Check (Min. $20)

Daily Happy Hour Specials Mon. - Sat. 4-7 pm Appetizers as low as $2.00 Come enjoy all the games on our 25 HDTVs!

301-887-1818

all you can eat

china buffet

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 2/28/2011.

15% OFF

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Coupon valid only at Tokyo Sushi and China Buffet. Coupon may not be combined with any other offer. Expires 2/28/2011.

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10% OFF In-Store Purchase

Exp 2/28/11


Page 10

Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

legends

continued from page 4

A final stop on our driving tour

Want to search a back issue? E-mail an article to a friend? Find an advertiser? See current and archived editions of the Hyattsville Life & Times at www.issuu.com/ hyattsvillelifeandtimes IS THAT TRASH

OR TREASURE? get their heirlooms Local residents version evaluated at Hyattsville’s Roadshow. of the Antiques

Subscribe for free and get notified of each monthly issue before the Hyattsville print version arrives in your SPINNING YARNA mailbox! AT THE DRIVE-IN

the days the Past talks about were Postcards from movies and restaurants when drive-in PAGE 5 popular in Hyattsville.

PAVED A STREET WITH GREEN is the

PAGE 2

Hyattsville

in Edmonston Decatur Street the East Coast, and on greenest street U.S. PAGE 3 maybe even the

Life&Times

All work and all play

Atteberry by Krista the job, one week on With less than the city’s new RecSteve Yeskulsky, Arts Director, hit the reation and helping out running by Fire 7 the ground sville VolunteerOcto- Vol. on at the Hyatt 5-mile run Department’s impressed with the was and the ber 23. He 60 volunteers annual more than first spirit at the runners community dozens of event, in which competed. ages 10 to 75 to Hyattsville, Before coming as a program coYeskulsky servedyears with Florida’s six Parks ordinator for Government Sarasota CountyDepartment, where and Recreation things . . . includhe “did a thousand larger special overseeing ing mostly events.” Diego, he from San Originally Diego State from San graduated Bachelor of with two and culUniversity in art history time Arts degrees During his in tural anthropology. he was instrumental “Salon in San Diego, an art exhibition, funds organizing to help raise also de San Diego,” charity. Yeskulsky for an AIDS for the Parks & Rec ed enjoys writing and is a certifi Business magazine Professional Recreation Park and Inspector. ing accliand Playground agenda is gett more First on his area and meeting once mated to the Also, community. city’s folks in the approves the the city council which is expectPlan, Parks Master DIRECTOR continued

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 43 Easton, MD 21601

Abraham Hall: 7612 Old Muirkirk Road, Beltsville

needed work, they worked for the company. In 1868, three years after the Civil War ended, a group of six African-American ironworkers paid a total of $5 to purchase a lot for “a place of public worship for the Colored people of the neighborhood.” The church was named “Queen’s Chapel” after Thomas Queen, one of the founding members. Twenty years later, ironworker Augustus Ross built a log home nearby on Muirkirk Road. Others followed and the kinship community of Rossdale was established. Today Rossville remains a kinship community, and the Queen’s Chapel United Methodist Church still holds Sunday services. (The original structure burned; the church was rebuilt and has been expanded many times over its history.) Many Rossville residents trace their familial roots and their properties to Muirkirk’s 19th-century African-American ironworkers.

on page 12

Hyattsville’s

No. 11

November

Newspaper

Community

Minaert by Paula

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

Property 1. The Landyby Marvin Blum-

SPOOKYST

FE

party annual Halloween ages. The cityʼs 200 people of all drew about ON PAGE 10 MORE PHOTOS

things Where the wild an arts community, identified as lives both is frequently of wildlife that actively Hyattsville have also a community Some residents but there is and backyards. participating in the National in our parks this by Habitat program. worked to encourage Certified Wildlife and help wildlife Wildlife Federation’sprogram in 1973 to world,” acthe with the natural NWF started a way to connect a NWF wildlife biologist. “give people have been David Mizejewski, across the country cording to 135,000 homes Hyattsville has 23 of them. Since then, wildlife habitats. page 12 certified as continued on

The November

10, 2010

Issue of

NEW PLAYGRO AT MAGRUD UND ER

Magruder Park is undergoing complete a nearly playground renovation, four new play with structures. PAGE 3

small pond

is part of a

The Hyattsville

certified habitat.

Reporter

GETTING KICKS ON YOUR RT.

1 Legend and Lore asks: Why surrounding all the romance the Route 1 is almost famed Route 66 when its cousin as long and just as storied? PAGE

Police collect unwanted medica tions

Landy is owned the Washdeveloper in berg, a major He owns a 33.94ington region. land located south of and acre parcel High School of Northwestern Most of this land mall. north of the lies outside the city and is wooded portion at for a small limits, except corner. the northeast Council – which in The District for development is the arbiter County − recently Prince George’s proposal for a Landy approved on part of construction residential building of apartment that land: an that would be on the about 400 units Belcrest Road. the street line of would include The building that is within the land on portion of led to discussion city. This has of the city annexthe city council portion so be ing the unincorporated building would member that the entire said council in Hyattsville, ward bor(Ward 3). His develTim Hunt of the proposed portion ders the area includes the opment and and within the city. One of the project This is Phase

are

FRED SEITZ

Nicola Hainʼs

HABITAT

Included:

2010

Mall at Prince Georges area planning for new, major development

by Fred Seitz

Life & Times Hyattsville PO Box 132 MD 20781 Hyattsville,

February 12: Information table about the Hyatt Park Community Garden at the Hyattsville Horticultural Society Seed Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Prangley Room of the Municipal Building. Blank garden applications will be available. Applications will also be available online. February 26: Public information session about the garden to answer questions and distribute applications. March 2: Public information session about the garden to answer questions and distribute applications. Week of March 5th: Door-to-door outreach about the community garden to distribute applications. March 12: Garden plot distribution lottery. Successful applicants will be able to choose their plots at this meeting.

of Route 1 takes us to Abraham Hall in Rossville, a kinship community in Beltsville built by African-American ironworkers of the nearby Muirkirk Ironworks. The small, beautifully preserved chapel-like structure was built in 1889 as a lodge for the Benevolent Sons and Daughters of Abraham, a fraternal organization. It was restored in 2008 and houses the county’s Black History Program as well as the pictorial exhibit “When Iron Was Hot: African American Ironworkers of Muirkirk.” The history of Abraham Hall is intertwined with that of the Muirkirk Ironworks, which was owned by Boston industrialist Charles Coffin, who managed it from 1860 until his death in 1912. Like many men of the Gilded Age, Coffin ran the Muirkirk Ironworks like a small principality. Laborers worked in the company factory, bought goods from the company store, often on credit, and slept in company-owned beds. If their wives

By Lara Beaven

DEVELOPMENT

— See Center

continued on

page 13

Section

GLASS HOUSE

2

DC GlassWorks glassblowing is a public-access strong sense studio that fosters a of community. PAGE 4

Life&Times

Hyattsville of unused police collected dozens medications dents Sept. from resitime national25 as part of a firstprescription initiative to prevent drugs into the from wrong hands or falling Vol. the water 7 No. 10 entering supply. “I thought no one Hyattsvil to go out would of their want le’s Communit drugs,” way to said return Hyattsville Sgt. Chris Purvis, y Newspape police offi the lied the cer who donations. r talhe said, But by the end, October residents — anonymously had deposited By 2010 Paula Minaert – a total pounds (approximately of 8.8 tainers At a September ing and 60 conand a more than city council ing, several Hyattsville few bags of pills). ternoon 4,500 new peak-hour meetHyattsville af- recommendation Communications Manager held up based on vehicle residents yellow Abby Sandel current trips, signs that city is more traffi jected development. traffic and to lift that current said the open to read “No traffic restriction c” road’s proholding event in thoroughfare,”and “No commuter bound Nina Faye, during a similar the future traffi on westpeak hours, who lives hoping munity tention if there bury 43 rd Avenue c between Route continues if traffi to draw on Queensinterest. is comto what c there 1 and to at- tionedRoad, said that they call long-standing Spearheaded traffic hours. during peak provements increase and she questhe numbers serious morning if imto state Enforcement by the federal their streets. traffic problems presented layed. Cheri Fulton Sabra, roads are Drug Wang to on dehas lived by a number Agency and They bury since “One day the council in “Why July. facilitate I was [at 1987 and on Queensof national backed cent were worried forcement and 41 st in the effort community traffic about a was involved Queensbury traffic study law ] for six into my re- in from a ganizations,and public health en- tants done by Enter sign that led to the asked resident the afternoon. minutes at state Sabra, consul3:30 or- estimating being posted. Do Not Wang Day aimed National Take Margaret road?” And I traffic than that traffi the Sept. & Associates She said Hayes Back c on the 13 city they claimed saw more prescription to reduce the have more that city streets hour. now but street is Hugh Turley, council meeting.at in a halfrisk of is than 3,500 better will how If I can’t trust drugs sumed routinely still bad – and Life & Times a columnist being this number, new morncan I trust inappropriately. drivers conignore for the any tion drug the sign. Other bury, said, who lives on Another Prescripresidents of them?” abuse, Queenspoint of “One-way lem nationally, a growing questioned the recommendation contention even shouldn’t the Queensbury was goal a last resort.” be is a major probfor the DEA. for QueensburyHe believes to make focus one-way the An additional should westbound be to benefit take-back of the effort was TRAFFIC unused continued prescription preventing on page 12 being drugs flushed from down the toilet,

Resident

s complai

DRUGS continued

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 43 Easton, MD 21601

will be distributed by a lottery. Twenty plots will be set aside for people who live in condominiums, townhouses, and apartments, and 20 for those who live in detached single dwellings or duplexes. Names will be picked alternately from each group. If there are no more applicants from one of these groups before all the spaces are allocated, then the other group will be eligible for all the remaining spaces. Residents of Hyattsville who are 18 or older are eligible to enter the lottery, with a limit of one plot per household and there will be a $30 yearly fee for each plot.

Tentative schedule garden activities of

Abraham Hall, in Beltsville, was built in 1889 as an African-American fraternal lodge.

on page

10

n about

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Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781

Garden

continued from page 1

aunt. The thwarted plan resulted in Emily and four children being sold two years later to a violent master who lived on Meridian Hill in Washington, D.C. The distance meant that Adam could see his family only twice a year. Without the support of her husband, Emily’s living conditions deteriorated, probably causing the death of their ninth child. In spite of her worsening living conditions, Emily, evidently a strong woman, protected her children, at one point fighting off both a violent slave master and a police constable with a raw goose and a dining room chair. (She hit the master with the goose she was preparing and brandished the chair at the constable). According to family lore recorded in her daughter Nellie’s book, Out of the Depths, or, the Triumph of the Cross (available from the county library system), neither Emily nor her family was ever beaten again. When the family was reunited after the Civil War, Adam settled them on land in Riverdale. Some family members eventually moved to Hyattsville. Adam’s grandson lived in Hyattsville and was responsible for lighting and extinguishing the gas lamps that lined Route One. Sarah Miranda, who had been sold to a master in New Orleans, became a founder of the Capitol Heights St. Paul Baptist Church, which still has descendents of Adam and Emily on its membership rolls.

of Natural tory. Various Hisknitters and crocheters,

including more than Tangled Skein, used 100 from Hyattsville’s to make yarn and A the reef. fibers of The Hyperbolic all sorts Crochet runs through Coral Reef exhibit April 24, Margaret 2011. and Christine Curators Wertheim, YARN continued

Included

: The October

6, 2010

Issue

of The

Hyattsvi

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Some of the pieces PHOTO BY residents CHRIS CURRIE handmade for the by Hyattsville Hyperbolic Reef, an exhibit Crochet opening later this Coral at the Smithsonian month.

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Center

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

Page 11

COMMENTARY & OPINION ON HISTORY & POLITICS

Hugh’sNews

Cracking down on peaceful protesters in America by Hugh Turley

It’s rare to hear reports of journalists being detained by the authorities in the United States. But last November 21, American University graduate student Kaelyn Forde was arrested while covering a protest outside Fort Benning, Ga. The annual protest began 20 years ago on the first anniversary of the murder of six Jesuit priests, slain in El Salvador along with their housekeeper and her 15-year-old daughter. A Con-

gressional task force connected a number of those responsible for the 1989 massacre to graduates of the School of the Americas at Fort Benning. Critics call it the School of the Assassins and allege that the school – which has since been renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation — has trained military leaders to torture and murder. The thousands of protesters who gather annually hope to close the institute, which provides training to Latin American military personnel. The recent

rally drew only about 6,000 people according to Hendrick Voss, a spokesperson for School of the Americas Watch, the group that organizes the protest. In the past as many as 17,000 protesters gathered at the gates of the fort, sometimes with celebrities like actor Martin Sheen and folk legend Pete Seeger. The left-leaning activists have included the United Auto Workers, AFL-CIO, NAACP, and Catholic nuns and priests. In the 1990s thousands would trespass onto the military base as an act of civil disobedience in order to

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obedience. Perhaps left-leaning groups are less inclined to protest under a Democratic president who promised to close the Guantanamo prison. It is perhaps ironic that the treatment of protesters has become more severe under a president whose election they generally supported. Voss said that documents he obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show that “after 2001, the priority status of observation of SOA Watch was changed to counter-terrorism surveillance, which does not make sense because it is a peaceful nonviolent group.” He alleges that the night before the protest, undercover police officers “infiltrated the group saying they were activists and wanted to be part of an action.” When the HL&T contacted Kaelyn Forde, she refused to discuss her arrest or comment on her job as a correspondent with Russia Today television.

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be arrested, and they would be briefly detained. Recently judges have been handing down tougher sentences of six months in the federal penitentiary. This year only four individuals stepped onto the military base in the act of civil disobedience, and each is now serving a six-month prison sentence. Almost two dozen people were arrested in November who did not participate in civil disobedience but were in the area, including Forde. She was visibly shaken when bound and taken away by the police along with her cameraman, Jon Conway. On the bus transporting her to jail – where she would be held for 32 hours — Forde could be heard pleading that the restraints on her wrists were too tight. “I can’t feel my fingers,” she cried. Dwindling attendance at the annual Fort Benning protest may be due to harsher police tactics and longer sentences for civil dis-

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Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

fire

continued from page 1

Kimberly, a fourth-grader at Hyattsville Elementary School, died soon after arriving at Children’s National Medical Center; Kelli, a student at Hyattsville Middle School, died on January 24 at Baltimore’s shock trauma center, where she was being treated in a hyperbaric chamber for smoke inhalation. Neighbors awakened to the sounds of screams and sirens as 10 fire trucks and at least as many emergency, rescue and police vehicles lined the street for blocks. Many watched from porches and backyards as firefighters swarmed the home, extinguishing the blaze and throwing furnishings from a second-story window. Cynthia Verdow lives across the street. She had woken up at

around 3:30 a.m. and gone outside for a cigarette when she noticed an orange glow behind one of the front windows. Then she heard Kimberly screaming for her father. She went back inside to call 911, the first of six neighbors to do so. On the tape, she is heard urging the parents not to go back in the house, amid wails and screams. “By the time I got back on the porch, both windows were orange,” she recalled later. “The parents had gone out the back way, and I saw them loop back around to the front. I could hear Marcos shouting for help. By that time both windows were gone. “I saw them bring Kimberly out, and I knew she wasn’t with us anymore.” neighbors take action Later that day, more than 50

Neighbors of the Zelaya-Hernandez family awoke to this scene on January 19.

people gathered at a nearby home to organize help with, among other things, transportation, child care, housing, and securing and coordinating donations of food, clothes and money. The Hyattsville Community Development Corporation estab- Kimberly, top, lished a fund for and Kelli tax-deductible Hernandez donations for the family. A couple around the corner adopted the family dog, Pumpkin. Next-door neighbors drove family members back and forth to the Baltimore hospital and assisted with funeral arrangements. Dozens of local residents turned out the following Saturday to tidy the property, filling several bags with debris. Sgt. Suzie Johnson, a Hyattsville police officer, used to live next door to the house; her husband, Steve, grew up in it. She remembers celebrating many Thanksgivings and Christmases there. Her daughter was a classmate of Kelli’s, and she herself “knew all the girls through my work with the schools.” Johnson has turned her office into a temporary storage unit for the steady stream of donated furnishings. “My office is full of stuff for when they get an apartment,” she said. “People have been coming by to drop off TVs, dishes, blankets, pots and pans.” As the news of the tragedy spread, several memorial events

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were planned. During an evening assembly at Hyattsville Elementary School on January 28, Kimberly’s teacher, Meg Nemeth, read aloud from the girl’s classroom journal. “Dear Mom and Dad,” began a letter she wrote for a September assignment. “I always think about you like every day because I love you … I will never sopt loveing [sic] you.” On January 29 – which would have been Kimberly’s 10th birthday – there were candlelight vigils both at Magruder Park, arranged by school parents, and in front of the house, organized by neighbors. Rev. Tom Malionek, an Episcopal priest who lives a block away, led a prayer service that included blessing the house and grounds with holy water. Luminarias lined the snow along the sidewalk as about 75 people filled the blocked-off street, holding candles. The crowd included neighbors, school parents, police officers and firefighters, as well as the former residents of the house. Barb Bancroft, an artist who lives across the street, had crafted a cross out of white foam core; draped in blue and spotlighted, it formed the focal point of the ceremony. Next to it stood a statue of the Madonna that other neighbors had donated to replace the one in the yard that was, like everything else, destroyed in the fire. Later that night was the first of two public viewings at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church on Nicholson Street. Held from 8 p.m. to midnight on January 29 and 30, they drew a total of about 2,500 mourners. They went back and forth between the sanctuary, where

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DONATION INFORMATION Tax-deductible donations for the family can be sent via Paypal through the www.hyattsvillecdc.org website. Checks may be sent to 5004 42nd Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20781. Write Zelaya Family Relief Fund on the memo line and make the check out to Hyattsville CDC. 301.779.1426. Neighbors are also trying to secure a car and temporary housing for the family, who are staying with cousins in Langley Park.

people filed in a slow line past twin white open caskets, and the fellowship hall, where a long buffet line was set up near several round tables. Many in the crowd were wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with photos of the girls and the legend “Kimberly & Kelli: Siempre Estaran en Nuestros Corazones. Always in Our Hearts.” A funeral Mass was celebrated on January 31 at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Cheverly, followed by interment at Gate of Heaven cemetery in Silver Spring. Under a white-gray sky, mourners sang Spanish hymns at the gravesite before the caskets were lowered. Local businesses join in At press time, the family fund set up by the CDC had reached $28,000, about a quarter of what organizers hope to raise. CDC Executive Director Stuart Eisenberg said that donations have come from people and businesses in 20 states, including Alaska. Local restaurants have responded as well. A collection jar by the door of Rhode Island Reds has brought in over $1,000 so far. On a recent Friday, Outback Steakhouse donated 10 percent of its 4 to 11 p.m. receipts. On February 28, Franklins will donate 20 percent of receipts from patrons who mention the Zelaya-Hernandez fund. In addition, a classical music concert on February 14 at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church will benefit the fund. Jessica’s Bridal Shop donated two pink beaded gowns for Kelli and Kimberly, and Cedar Hill Funeral Home, in Suitland, donated all funeral expenses. Gate of Heaven donated the burial plots. Northwestern High School opened its doors for a benefit concert by the Colours dance troupe on January 29; plans are underway for more memorial fundraisers at the school. For the Colours performance, Alley Cat Towing plowed part of the school parking lot for free and donated to the fund afterwards. “If tragedy has to strike you,” said Gloria Thompson, treasurer of the CDC, “it should strike you in Hyattsville. This community is absolutely amazing.”


Hyattsville Life & Times | February 2011

Page 13

bees

continued from page 3

Kate Dawson and Nate Santry got their hive in 2010 after completing the BUMBA training. They had bought apple trees and wanted to encourage their pollination. Nate said he has particularly enjoyed watching the bees’ behavior and indicated the hive actually functions as a single organism. The social organization of honeybees is complex, with one queen in a hive, thousands of female workers and fewer male drones, whose only function is to fertilize the queen. Their communication is intricate, using pheromones and specific movements. Both contribute to people’s fascination with them. Nikki Thompson, who has kept bees in Hyattsville since 2002,

fred seitz Comb from the hive of Nikki Thompson, a Hyattsville beekeeper for nearly a decade.

says that she been interested in bees since she was a child. For her, apiculture is a way “to have a window on the environment.” People who cannot be beekeepers can still try to “garden with a natural viewpoint,” she says, by providing trees and other plant nectar sources. Stone says that initially, some of his neighbors were concerned about his beekeeping, but now

many stop by to watch the bees. The local beekeepers stressed that while they have been stung by their bees occasionally, when this happened it was due to a beekeeper mistake, such as working on the hive too early in the morning or moving about too quickly. They believe much of the fear about bees is unwarranted and due in part to mistaking wasps for bees. The next Beekeeping Short Course runs Thursdays from March 3 to April 7, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Watkins Park Nature Center, 301 Watkins Park Drive, Largo. Cost is $30; topics include bee biology and behavior, how to set up and manage a hive, and how to harvest honey and pollen. For more information, contact 301.868.2086 or beefriend@verizon.net.

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trash

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whether to make once-weekly service permanent. At the time, the Public Works Department estimated that cutting service from twice a week to once a week would save the city about $214,000 annually by trimming the number of trucks in the city’s fleet from four to three and reducing the need to hire temporary workers. However, data now available for the first nine months of the pilot show a much smaller cost savings of $69,000 and an estimated 12-month savings of $87,000, Hyattsville Public Works Director Patrick J. Ryan said at the meetings. The savings reported by Public Works is “less than half ” of what the city had projected, noted council member Timothy Hunt (Ward 3) at the January 24 meeting. With insufficient data available before the program was implemented to use as a reference point, it’s hard to evaluate the results, he added. But some of the city council members who attended the Jan. 24 public meeting weren’t impressed by the pilot’s results. There’s been “nothing like the last year” for the amount of garbage seen on city streets, said Ruth Ann Frazier (Ward 5). Paula Perry (Ward 4) added that “it’s not working that well if we have a trashy

neighborhood.” The handful of attendees who braved the wintry weather to discuss the pilot program on January 24 were solidly against it. As a result of the longer waits between pickups, “I see garbage everywhere,” said Queensbury Road resident Nina Faye. “All summer long, there are stinking cans,” she said, recalling that her neighbors complained about finding maggots in their garbage toters during summer months. “Residents overwhelmingly don’t want this,” Faye maintained. But judging from the turnout at the other public meetings evaluating the program, they seem to have made their peace with it: Three people attended the meeting on January 25 and one on January 27. As part of the pilot, the Department of Public Works also sought to educate the public to recycle, put all solid waste in the city’s refuse containers and to park them at the curb only on the appropriate collection days, he said. Compliance has been relatively high for the first year but some challenges still remain, especially continued confusion over the department’s holiday collection schedules. The city council will now consider the public comments and eventually vote on whether to return to twice-weekly collection, retain once-weekly collection or adopt something different.

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