April 2020 Hyattsville Life & Times

INSIDE

Life&Times & &Times

VOL. 17 NO. 4

HUMANS OF HYATTSVILLE: Residents share their stories of dealing with COVID-19. P. 2

HYATTSVILLE’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Inspiring words and creative artwork were painted by LW Arts and Design on the windows outside Busboys and Poets.

APRIL 2020

CONNECTIONS: Curiosity leads Chinese resident to Hyattsville.

P. 6

MARIA D. JAMES

COMMUNITY, CITY DEALS WITH COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Maintaining public safety — from a distance

By Heather Wright While most of us are sheltering at home in light of Gov. Larry Hogan’s March 30 executive order, essential public safety workers — police officers, firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel — are still very much on the job. But the job, as it is, has changed in many ways SEE HCPD ON 13 

Officials find ways to adapt

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne and Sophie Gorman Oriani As the novel coronavirus spreads throughout the D.C. metro area, city and county officials are scrambling to find ways to adapt. On March 30, Governor Larry Hogan issued a stay-at-home order, citing 1,413 cases in Maryland, including a one-month-old infant.

“This is a deadly public health crisis,” said Hogan.

“We are no longer asking or suggesting that Mary-

landers stay home. We are directing them to do so.”

On March 24, Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks sent an update notifying residents that the county government was reduced to essential functions only. Essential county functions include police, fire and emergency medical services, and the department of corrections among others. For the complete list, visit www. princegeorgescountymd.gov/3416/COVID-19Related-County-Closures.

SEE OFFICIALS ON 8 

Schools give out laptops to help with distance learning

By Lindsay Myers On April 3 Hyattsville Elementary School (HES), along with other area public schools, distributed Chromebook laptops to a large portion of its student body, many of whom SEE LAPTOPS ON 9 

CENTER SECTION: APRIL 7, 2020 ISSUE OF THE HYATTSVILLE REPORTER — IN ESPANOL TOO! HYATTSVILLE MD PERMIT NO. 1383

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Page 2

Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

HUMANS OF HYATTSVILLE

Everyday life under COVID-19

By Lindsay Myers

L

ast night I erased the whiteboard calendar in my kitchen. It was like erasing the lives of two different people. The first person’s life, scribbled into early March, burst with activity: birthday parties, baby showers, coffee dates, doctor appointments, work deadlines, reminders in bright red with loopy arrows pointing all over the place (“drop forms at school,” “pick up donuts for church!!”). The little multicolored scribbles of this person’s life wrestled with one another for real estate in the too small boxes of her daily life.

The second person’s life begins on March 16. Her life is bright white. Clean. Empty. Long. A couple of grey smudges, like smoke from an almost dead fire, survive in the margins of this person’s life. Remnants from what feels like a decade ago.

I wrote “April” in a springy purple color, determined to be cheery. But the emptiness of my calendar still rattles my spirit everytime I walk past it. The events of Holy Week, written prominently at the top of each day in the second week of April, remind me that this will be an Easter without Mass. An Easter without friends and family pushing through church doors with throaty hymns of joy bursting from their lungs.

Thankfully, the people of Hyattsville are who they are, and though this period of isolation has taken me away from my friends, it’s also introduced me to my neighbors. People I’ve never seen before now live in full view. On daily walks with my children, I see people totter-

Though this period of isolation has taken many away from friends, it’s also a good time to introduce yourself to your neighbors. COURTESY OF ANNA SHVETS FROM PEXELS

ing about in their garden beds, fixing shingles on their roofs, walking their dogs and riding bikes with their family members. People whose daily lives were so different from mine now extend a cheery greeting from their yards and wish me well. These tiny moments lift my spirits. They make me thankful to live where I do and remind me that, empty calendar aside, my life is still pretty blessed.

When the Hyattsville Life & Times reached out to residents to collect stories about their new normals, we received many accounts similar to my own.

Despite all of the changes and uncertainties of life under COVID-19, the people of Hyattsville are a hopeful bunch. Below are Managing Editor Maria D. James maria@hyattsvillelife.com

A community newspaper chronicling the life and times of Hyattsville Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781 http://HyattsvilleLife.com http://facebook.com/HyattsvilleLife http://twitter.com/HvilleTimes Hyattsville Life & Times is published monthly by Hyattsville Community Newspaper, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Editors welcome reader input, tips, articles, letters, opinion pieces and photographs, which may be submitted using the mailing address above or the email addresses provided.

Associate Editors Sophie Gorman Oriani sophie@hyattsvillelife.com Heather Wright heather@hyattsvillelife.com Webmaster Lindsay Myers lindsay@hyattsvillelife.com Layout & Design Editor Ashley Perks Copy Editor Nancy Welch Advertising advertising@hyattsvillelife.com 301.531.5234

some of their stories. When all of this is over, I intend to fill my calendar by having them over — perhaps we’ll make lemonade.

LIFE UNDER COVID-19 Ximena Serna, a 12-year-old resident who used to be homeschooled, said the transition to learning from home again hasn’t been as difficult for her as it has for some of her friends. Though she’s eager to get back to school, one benefit she’s experienced by staying home is that she can video chat with her friends in Japan, where she used to live.

“Normally it is too hard because of time-zone differences and school schedules,” she said.

Mary Ryan, who has been teleworking from home, said the Writers & Contributors Victoria Boucher, Aneurin Canham-Clyne, Julia Gaspar-Bates, Lauren Flynn Kelly, Chris McManes, Anna Walker Board of Directors Joseph Gigliotti — President and General Counsel Chris Currie — Vice President Reva Harris — Treasurer Rosanna Landis Weaver, Gretchen Brodtman, Debra Franklin, T. Carter Ross, Emily Strab Maria D. James — 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 9,300.

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

transition for her and her wife has been “a work in progress.”

Over the last few weeks, she has changed her priorities. At age 62, she is focusing on staying healthy and following the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines as much as possible.

“We are trying to remain positive,” said Ryan. “If I think too much about what might happen to my family, friends or me, I become overwhelmed and anxious. Focusing on the here and now and what I can control is a new priority.”

Ryan also said this time has taught her to be more “kind, understanding and compassionate toward others,” a sentiment shared by Jimmy McClellan from the Queens Chapel Manor area of Hyattsville. He said that the pause on normal activities has helped him reflect on people from walks of life that are different from his.

“My hope is that this time of pause for us will allow us to better understand how we can take that energy and make change in our society,” said McClellan.

“If we take the time to direct our energy to constructive differences in our one, beautiful world, I am optimistic for the post-COVID-19 world.”

For people juggling raising kids and working from home, this time of retreat has offered a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Dan Broder and his wife start teleworking at 6 a.m.

“It’s a strange time,” he said.

“Our schedules have completely changed.”

In between teleworking sessions, they care for their twoyear-old daughter. When everyone needs a break, they garden.

Broder summarized how many of us feel when the isolation feels suffocating.

“I’m looking forward to when the virus passes, and we can return to our normal routine. I never want to experience something like this again,” he said.

For some, “experiencing something like this” is a lot scarier than tackling the challenges of adjusting to life at home full time. After Emanda Thomas felt a tickle in her throat in midMarch, she quarantined herself to be safe. Within a week, she had experienced all of the standard symptoms of COVID-19.

“Fortunately, I was able to break my fever and curb the cough by staying hydrated,” she said. “I had a few challenging episodes of shortness of breath and heart palpitations, [but] I got my symptoms under control with herbs, oils, electrolytes, soups, steam inhalations, lemons, hot drinks and immune boosters. I called three times to try to get tested, but was unfortunately told that if I didn’t arrive with shortness of breath, cough and fever, I couldn’t get a test,” she said.

Though Thomas is fine now, her experience points to the likelihood that an unknown number of people have had the virus but will never be officially counted.

For many of us, the fear of contracting COVID-19 is ever-present. Fawaya Mohammed said she has learned to overcome her fear through a combination of trusting in God and hands-on projects.

“I have decided that what I like to do is painting. My husband and I, we took on painting the living room. I hope he stays home from work longer until we get our house in good shape.

I am hoping to power-wash and paint the house on the outside and sand the floor also … But don’t tell my husband I want to do that because I just tell him one day at a time,” chuckled Mohammed.

Email your “Life under COVID-19” stories to our webmaster at Lindsay@ hyattsvillelife. com, and we might just include them in our next issue. Stories from medical professionals, teachers and gig workers especially welcome!

Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

Page 3

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MCMANES SELECTED HL&T STAFF MEMBER OF THE QUARTER The editorial staff of the Hyattsville Life & Times (HL&T) selected staff writer Chris McManes as the volunteer staff member of the first quarter of 2020.

McManes was selected for his timely, well-written sports articles, including his heartfelt “In Memoriam” piece about the late DeMatha basketball coach and teacher, Coach Morgan Wootten.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

St. Jerome girls win first major basketball championship in 50 years

By Chris McManes St. Jerome Parish has an outstanding basketball tradition. Most of it, however, is on the boys’ side. This year, it’s the girls who have cleared room in the trophy case.

For the first time since 1970, the St. Jerome varsity girls won the Catholic Youth Organization’s 14U Mid-Atlantic City Championship.

It is CYO’s premier girls division.

“St. Jerome’s boys have had so much success over the years that I think it just makes sense for us to have a good girls basketball pro-

gram,” Head Coach Alick Dearie said. “For this particular group of girls to have won the championship with such class is impressive.

It really was a team effort.”

The Jaguars captured the lateFebruary crown at Stone Ridge School in Bethesda, with a 38-21 victory over Little Flower, the twotime reigning champion. St. Jerome finished 19-2 (.905 winning percentage).

Dearie, an assistant coach at Eleanor Roosevelt High School when it won the 2002 boys state championship, said this year’s

club was “by far” his favorite team to coach.

“The thing I’m most proud of is that they’re all good kids,” he said.

“They were always good to each other and always locked in. I never had a problem with anyone. They always played hard, had a smile on their face and did what I asked. It was a blast to coach them.

“I’m really proud to have done it with a bunch of girls that I’ve had for a long time.”

The Jaguars began the season on Thanksgiving weekend by winning the Dick Brown Memorial

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In the playoffs, the Jaguars defeated St. John the Baptist, 51-10, and Blessed Sacrament, 38-32.

Their triumph over Little Flower avenged an earlier one-point loss.

Danielle Foster was named Most Valuable Player.

Twelve of St. Jerome’s 13 players are in seventh or eighth grade.

In addition to Foster, the principal starters were River Adams, Carsyn Deanes, Kerri Greene and Kisa Lilley. Teammates included Reese Dearie (Alick’s daughter), Nyela Djossou, London Jones, Indira Onunkwo, Siya Ramdat, Serena Teachey, Alyssa Webster and sixth-grader Sabrina Walters.

“We had some really good players,” said Dearie, who has been assisted the past five years by Ugonna Onunkwo. “I’ll be shocked if you don’t see some of these girls playing Division I [college basketball] down the road.”

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Dearie began coaching an 8U coed team in 2013-14. By 2017, he had reached the 12U level. Things didn’t go well for the Jaguars when they played their first game in the Turkey Shootout.

“Blessed Sacrament, which has become our big rival, beat us by 30-something,” Dearie said. “It was a learning experience. But we got better and better every game.

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We ended up making the semifinals in our region, which was remarkable, given how we started.”

St. Jerome’s 2018-19 12U team won its region and captured a postseason city title at the Victory Youth Center in Southeast Washington. “We had come a long way since our first game against Blessed Sacrament,” Dearie said.

That season’s 14U squad lost in the CYO city championship semifinals against Mary of Nazareth. In their regular-season meeting, St. Jerome won as time expired.

“We ran an out-of-bounds play under our basket with one second left and scored to win,” Dearie said. “It’s one of my favorite wins ever.”

While Dearie was building his championship team, the Jaguar girls program was steadily improving. In 2016-17, Steve Baur coached a 14U squad that advanced to the championship of the tournament division (one level below Mid-Atlantic) undefeated.

Dearie’s club has been bolstered by girls from outside St. Jerome Academy. Under CYO rules, such players can participate if they attend a Catholic school or belong to a parish that doesn’t have a team.

“I hit the jackpot with Alick,” St. Jerome Athletic Director Joe Sego said. “He showed from day one that he was the right guy for the job. He’s an incredible motivator with a ton of energy. The girls love him.”

Dearie is already looking forward to next season.

“I’m going to have a group of kids that have been with me since 8U,” he said. “That’s going to be fun.”

Chris McManes has coached baseball and basketball at St. Jerome.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

Page 5

Temporary traffic devices provoke mixed reactions

By Sophie Gorman Oriani White plastic bollards at some intersections along Jefferson Street are drawing mixed reactions from Hyattsville residents.

Multiple residents wrote into the H.O.P.E. [Hyattsville Organization for a Positive Environment] email group to say the traffic calming devices are ugly. Some said the devices make turning difficult.

Other residents expressed appreciation for the bollards, citing pedestrian safety and the reduced speed at which cars drive. Many residents said that the ugliness was a small price to pay for the increase in safety.

A petition circulated last year requesting traffic calming devices for the 3900 block of Jefferson Street. The petition cited multiple car accidents along this stretch, including one at high speed.

Councilmember Robert Croslin (Ward 2) wrote in a March 21 email to H.O.P.E. that the devices were a test from the department of public works. “[They are] there temporarily to determine what changes could be considered to slow the traffic.�

The newly installed bollards extend into the roadway, narrowing the street and encouraging cars to slow down. They are installed at the intersections of Jefferson Street and 39th and 40th Avenues. “I am delighted and relieved to see a real calming device there,� wrote Hyattsville resident Lissa Bell in a March 21 email. Bell says she regularly bikes through the intersection of Jefferson Street and 40th Avenue and feels it is a very dangerous intersection.

Danny Schaible, who is also councilmember for Ward 2, lives

The newly installed bollards extend into the roadway, narrowing the street and encouraging cars to slow down. They are installed at the intersections of Jefferson Street and 39th and 40th Avenues.

near one of the intersections where the bollards have been installed. He stressed in a March 20 email that the bollards are temporary. “Long-term solutions for traffic calming in this area may include a ‘speed table’ at the intersection, a mid-block speed hump, and possible adjustments to the curb alignment to narrow the road prism, which typically results in motorists traveling at reduced speeds,� he wrote.

Schaible said the Toole Design Group has been hired to develop traffic calming strategies for the length of Jefferson Street. “Before [any] permanent actions are taken, I have been promised that a public meeting will be held,� he added in a March 23 follow-up email.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

Jessie Chu spent time in Italy before moving to the United States. COURTESY OF JESSIE CHU

CULTURAL CONNECTIONS

Chinese resident’s cultural curiosity eventually led her to Hyattsville

By Julia Gaspar-Bates

J

essie Chu was born in Beijing, China, into an uppermiddle-class family. Since her parents were very careeroriented, Chu lived with her grandparents and would see her parents every two weeks.

Born during the initial years of China’s one-child policy, Chu recalls the pressure she would feel from her parents growing up.

“The first thing they would ask is how were my grades.

They expected me to excel in all classes. Because they had such high standards for themselves career-wise, they also had great expectations for my own future. My mom famously

worked very hard managing hundreds of employees within the company she worked for.

She imparted upon me the importance of being independent and having a stable job.

I had eight cousins, and I had playdates [with] them every few weeks, but I still felt lonely growing up and always imagined that I’d have a big family of my own with many kids.”

Growing up under the Communist party and the time of economic growth in China shaped Chu’s desire to travel abroad and experience other sociopolitical systems. One early memory was during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 during which her uncle, a professor at a military univer-

Chu says her personal approach is different from traditions in China, which rely heavily on “guanxi,” a tight network system that is the fabric of social and professional life.

sity, led a group of students to protest.

“He was arrested and lost his job, his home, his wife. My uncle was outspoken and wanted to do the right thing and see democracy. He eventually became a successful businessman. That demonstrated to me there are multiple paths toward success apart from being first in class.”

While studying in Beijing, Chu did an internship for an Italian company, which eventually led her to Perugia, Italy, where she studied and worked for seven years.

“I had a great time in Italy and made a lot of friends. Since there were few Chinese people in Perugia at that time, people were interested in getting to know me and learn about my culture.”

After completing an Italian language course in Perugia, she stayed on to complete an undergraduate degree in mass communication.

“Because of my language skills and background, I eventually got hired to coordinate multiple overseas educational missions for Italian professors and rectors to travel to China.”

This experience provided even more opportunities for Chu, even after she returned to Beijing for a few years before moving to the U.S., as she continued to be an educational

and cultural liaison between China and Italy.

Her experience in Italy also mitigated the culture shock in transitioning to the American way of life after moving here to the U.S. in April 2015. Chinese culture focuses on obedience and being reserved, but living in Italy during her early adult years helped Chu become a strong-willed, more independent woman. Nevertheless, she was surprised by the amount of diversity in America and the degree of Americans’ individualism.

Chu credits her professional success in Italy and the U.S. to the strong work ethic instilled by her parents and her ability to connect easily with people across cultures. She says her personal approach is different from traditions in China, which rely heavily on “guanxi,” a tight network system that is the fabric of social and professional life. Chu states “In China, relationships are more about trust and the guanxi between parties than formal agreements like contracts.”

Chu now feels that she has adapted well to American life and enjoys living in Hyattsville, where she resides with her Australian fiancé and their blended family of four children.

“In the beginning, I felt like I was stuck here, but I have grown to like it. I feel very safe having my kids walk around on the street. I like living with so many diverse people. My neighbors are from all corners of America, South America and Northern Africa. I like the small-town feel and how officials are actually serving the people and [trying] to make the community better.” As a Catholic convert, Chu and her family are also a part of the parish of St. Jerome Church where they attend Mass and where their children go to the parish school.

Chu admits to missing her family, particularly her 94-year old grandmother, authentic Chinese food and gardens, but does not see herself moving back to live in China.

“I don’t have plans to return to China because the education system here has more opportunities for my children. Also, I really appreciate the cultural diversity and equality.”

“Cultural Connections” is dedicated to bringing forth the voices of Hyattsville’s international residents. Interested in sharing your story? Contact culturalconnections@hyattsvillelife.com.

Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

Page 7

SECONDHAND NEWS

A local guide to thrifting and repurposing in uncertain times

By Lauren Flynn Kelly

A

s we self-isolate and flatten the curve of the new coronavirus, supporting our neighbors and keeping our small businesses afloat are two critical ways to maintain Hyattsville’s strong sense of community. Luckily there are many ways to accomplish this without straying far from home.

Highlighting eco-conscious practices that are in the spirit of this column, I give you a local guide to secondhand shopping, donating and repurposing in uncertain times.

SHOP LOCAL Many of our small nonessential businesses have come up with creative ways to continue serving customers while keeping their doors closed; these include some secondhand stores previously mentioned in this column. Red Onion Records, which I featured in my February column, is regularly pricing records and posting new listings to the @redonionrecords Instagram account, taking orders for local delivery, shipping items and selling e-gift cards.

View the online catalog at www.discogs. com/seller/Red_Onion_Records/profile.

My Dead Aunt’s Books also has many items online and will be running a 50% off sale in April. View the collection by searching Robert Harper Books at www. abebooks.com. Suffragette City, which shares the retail space in the SoHy Arts Building on Baltimore Avenue, is also selling online at etsy.com/shop/ nonasuch. And judging from her @suffragettecityvtg Instagram, owner Holli Mintzer has been busy making lots of repurposed jewelry for the virtual shop.

DONATE LOCAL As an essential provider of low-cost home repair materials, Community Forklift remains open to the public but with limited hours that may change on a week-to-week basis. They have suspended donation pickups but are still taking donations at the warehouse. Be sure to arrive 30 minutes before closing. “Requests for free appliances and home repair supplies have not slowed, and these materials are essential to helping low-income families self-isolate in safety,” according to a press release from the nonprofit organization located in nearby Edmonston. Visit communityforklift.org for updated store hours and details on how to donate or shop its online store at www. ebay.com/str/communityforklift.

Hyattsville resident Jamila Larson, executive director of the Homeless Children’s Playtime Project, has been collecting items to occupy the many homeless children sheltering in place in Washington, D.C. Residents can donate activity and sketch books, graphic novels and books for children and preteens, as long as the items are new or clean and gently used. Please email

Keep on making: Three Little Birds Sewing Co. is taking online orders, hosting virtual ‘sew-cials’ and classes and collecting handmade protective masks for health care workers. LAUREN FLYNN KELLY

her at jamila@playtimeproject.org, or consider making a monetary contribution. As of press time, the nonprofit organization had secured two matching grant offers, including one from Rachel Renée Russell and Nikki Russell, author and illustrator, respectively, of the popular Dork Diaries series!

Taking care to sanitize your hands and disinfect packaging, please consider picking up a few extra nonperishable goods next time you do a grocery run and placing them in the Blessing Box between Hyattsville Elementary School and St. Jerome Church on 43rd Avenue.

(Keep in mind that research shows the coronavirus can stay on cardboard for up to 24 hours and on plastic and stainless steel for up to two or three days.)

Meanwhile, the Facebook group Hyattsville Barter & Trade has temporarily shut down in order to discourage people from trading toys and other frequently used items, and GreenDrop has suspended clothing donation operations. So just

take your time spring cleaning and set aside items for when it’s safer to share.

This time of social distancing also means the cancellation of several popular swapping and resale events. The biannual sale hosted by the University Park Children’s Clothing Co-operative, originally scheduled for April 4, is postponed indefinitely. Community Forklift has canceled its annual garden party, and the Spring HY-Swap is off. But as you continue your spring cleaning, consider setting aside some colder weather items (and gently used Halloween costumes) for the Fall HY-Swap that will take place on Oct. 24 at the Hyattsville Municipal Building.

MAKE LOCAL Three Little Birds Sewing Co. is hosting virtual “sew-cials” and classes, and offering a free online tutorial for sewing cotton face masks to donate to health care professionals. Local makers have already donated hundreds of sewn masks, but the shop has

received requests for thousands more. For more information, visit www.threelittlebirdssewingco.com, where you can also shop for tons of new fabric and embroidery kits and have your order shipped.

Tanglewood Works can also meet your DIY needs through online sales and tutorials. And Will’s Decorating, soon to move to Hyattsville, is still taking curbside pickup and delivery orders from its Beltsville location.

During this difficult time, please do what you can to support these and other local businesses. Even if you have no interest in placing an online order, you can always purchase a gift card for a friend!

Lauren Flynn Kelly is the Hyattsville Life & Times thrifting and repurposing columnist.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

the

Hyattsville Reporter No. 385 • April 7, 2020

www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

City’s Response to COVID-19

gov or call 1-844-330-2020 to complete the census safely from your home.

The City continues to monitor the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and State and County Health department guidance to ensure proper planning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this time, all residents should follow Governor Hogan’s Stay-At-Home Executive Order. To protect yourself and your neighbors, use social distancing when traveling for an essential reason, limit gatherings to less than 10 people, thoroughly wash hands, and sanitize frequently used surfaces.

Additional updates and resources can be found at www.hyattsville.org/ covid-19.

Meals on Wheels: Meals on Wheels of College Park (which also serves HVL) is in need of volunteers to help deliver and prepare meals to seniors and people with disabilities in nearby areas - especially during this crisis.

Drivers typically deliver one day a week and two to four times a month between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on weekdays. Kitchen volunteers, who’ll help prepare and assemble meals, are needed for one or more days a week, between 8:30 a.m. and noon on weekdays. Please be assured that Meals on Wheels is following all directives issued by the County and State to protect its volunteers. For more information, contact Danielle Carter at (336) 473-8525 or dscarter86@yahoo.com.

COVID-19 Hotline and Screening Site: If you have questions or believe you are experiencing virus symptoms of COVID-19 such as fever, shortness of breath, and coughing, please call the Prince George’s County Coronavirus Hotline at (301) 883-6627. Callers that meet the CDC’s guidelines for testing can schedule an appointment at the FedEx Field screening site. The County will not accept walkups without an appointment.

Hyattsville Helps: Need help with the delivery of groceries or other tasks you’re unable to do at this time? Or do you find yourself with extra time or resources to help your neighbors? Let Mayor Hollingsworth and City staff know! They’re matching residents in need of help with those who can give.

To get started, call (301) 985 5020, text “Hyattsville” to 31996, or visit www. hyattsville.org/volunteer.

Stay Connected: Keep up with events, general and emergency notices, programs, and more through your local government! Follow our Facebook (@ cityofhyattsville), Twitter (@HyattsvilleMD), Instagram (@cityofhyattsville) accounts, subscribe to email and text alerts at www.hyattsville.org/notifyme, and text HVL to 99411 for emergency safety alerts.

Business Resources: Businesses and non-profit organizations impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Maryland can visit www.hyattsville. org/covidbizresources for a central hub of available Federal, State, and local grants and loan programs.

Applications for the City’s Commercial Façade Improvement program, which matches owners dollar-for-dollar in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to make exterior improvements to their businesses, are now being accepted. Please note that applications can be submitted but will not be processed during this time. Visit www. hyattsville.org/facade for guidelines and additional information.

City Events & Services

A list of suspended, limited, and continuing services is listed below. Please visit www.hyattsville.org/covid-19 for the most up-to-date information.

Continuing Services & Activities: • Hyattsville Council Meetings (videoconference)

Age-Friendly Programs

Senior Call Check: The Maryland Department of Aging offers free daily check in calls for residents of ages 65 or more. The program also provides a regular update on the coronavirus pandemic. Residents must have an active land line phone or cell phone to participate. The free service will place an automated daily call at a regularly scheduled time. If the call is not answered after three attempts, the service will call an alternate person on your behalf to check on you. To sign up, please visit aging.maryland.gov or call (866) 502-0560.

Hyattsville City Clerk Laura Reams and family share positive message for the community. La Secretaria de la Ciudad de Hyattsville Laura Reams y su familia comparten un mensaje positivo para la comunidad.

• Parking Enforcement • Police Patrols & Emergency Response • Solid Waste & Recycling Collections Limited or Suspended Services & Activities: • Access to Municipal Facilities (call (301) 985-5060 for impounded vehicles) • Business & Residential Parking Applications Processing • Call-A-Bus Transportation • Compost & Yard Waste Pickup (limited to first and third Mondays of month) • Licensing and Permitting (business, single family, and multi-family licenses expiring during State of Emergency extended until 30 days after emergency is lifted) • Notary and Fingerprinting • Parks (open from dawn to dusk) • Playground Equipment • UMD Shuttle Transportation • White Good Appliances & Bulk Items Pickup City Cancellations and Postponements: • Ageless Grace Exercise Classes • Anniversary Festival, April 23 – 26 – postponed • Board and Committee Meetings • Community Yoga • Electronics & Paint Recycling Day, April 11 - postponed • Invasive Plant Removals • Mary Prangley Cleanup Day, May 2 – postponed • Police Ride-a-Long’s

• Senior Bus Trips • Spring Camp Magruder, April 6 – 10 • Spring Community Yard Sale, April 17 – 19 • Senior Dining & Lecture Series • Senior Law Day, May 1 • Tax Sale Clinic, April 30 • Teen Center and Tutoring • Ward Check-Ins Public Meetings: For the most up-todate information regarding all City of Hyattsville advisory board and committee meetings during April and May, visit www.hyattsville.org. Following Governor Hogan’s Stay-At-Home Executive Order, please note that the Council meetings and budget work sessions will be conducted via videoconference.

Those meetings can be viewed on cable channels 71 (Comcast), 12 (Verizon) & streamed online via the City’s webpage, hyattsville.org/meetings - where public comments may also be submitted.

Parking Citations: Please note that parking citations can only be paid online by visiting www.hyattsville.org and selecting Parking and then Pay Parking Tickets in the following window. For questions or concerns, please call (301) 985-5000.

Complete Your Census Online: The 2020 Census is underway and HVL is asking you to take 10 minutes out of your day to complete 9 simple questions!

Responding is easy, safe and important, and is key to shaping the future of our community. Visit www.my2020Census.

Senior Grocery Shopping Hours: Nearby local grocery stores have announced special shopping hours for older adults or vulnerable individuals.

The following list is current at the time of print. For more information, please contact stores directly.

• Aldi (3025 Hamilton Street) – Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

• Giant Food (3521 East-West Highway) – Daily, 6 – 7 a.m.

• Safeway (3702 East-West Highway) – Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7 – 9 a.m.

• Save-A-Lot (5615 Sargent Road) – Daily, 7 – 9 a.m.

• Target (3500 East-West Highway) – Tuesdays & Wednesdays, 8 – 9 a.m.

• Whole Foods Market (6621 Baltimore Avenue) – Daily, 7 – 8 a.m.

Youth Services

Online Spring Camp Magruder: Camp Magruder is coming to your homes this Spring Break! From April 6 to April 10, coaches will have daily craft, STEM, and exercise video activities for campers to follow at home, as well as a couple of live virtual events.

To join in on the free fun, visit www. hyattsville.org/camponline.

Creative Minds at Home: The Creative Minds toddler/parent program is moving its 2020 spring session online for free! It will include bilingual content, tutorials on simple crafts and activities using ordinary objects, and special guest entertainers! The sessions start on April 14 and finish on May 21, taking place Tuesdays through Thursdays. For more information, visit www. hyattsville.org/creativeminds.

Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

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el

Reportero de

Hyattsville

No. 385 • 7 de Abril, 2020

www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

Respuesta de la Ciudad al COVID-19

La Ciudad continua a seguir las recomendaciones del Centro para el Control de Enfermedades (CDC), la Organización Mundial de Salud (WHO) y las del Estado y Condado para estar apropiadamente preparado a la pandemia del coronavirus. Durante este tiempo, todos los residentes deben seguir la Orden Ejecutiva del Gobernador Hogan de quedarse en casa. Para protegerse a usted y a sus vecinos, use el distanciamiento social cuando salga por una razón esencial, limite reuniones a menos de 10 personas, lavese las manos cuidadosamente y desinfecte espacios comunes que usa.

Recursos y actualizaciones adicionales pueden ser encontradas en www.hyattsville.org/covid-19.

Línea Directa y Sitio de Detección del COVID-19: Sí usted tiene preguntas o piensa que esta teniendo síntomas del coronavirus como una fiebre, toz, o falta de respiración, por favor llame a la línea directa de coronavirus del Condado Prince George’s al (301) 883-6627.

Personas que llamen y cumplen con las pautas del Centro de Enefermedades para hacerse la prueba del coronavirus pueden hacer una cita en el centro de detección ubicado por el FedEx Field. El Condado no le hará prueba a nadie que no tenga cita.

Hyattsville Ayuda: ¿Necesita ayuda a qué alguien le vaya a traer comida de la tienda o alguna otra cosa que no puede hacer durante este tiempo? ¿O se encuentra que ahora tiene tiempo extra o tiene recursos adicionales para ayudarle a sus vecinos? ¡Deje saber a la Alcaldesa Hollingsworth y los empleados de la Ciudad! Ellos están conectando a residentes que necesitan ayuda con aquellos que pueden dar. Para empezar, llame al (301) 985-5020, envíe un texto con la palabra comunidad al 31996 o visite a www.hyattsville.org/volunteer.

Mantente Conectado: ¡Este al tanto con eventos, noticias de emergencia y generales, programas y mucho más con su gobierno local! Siga nuestras cuentas de Facebook (@cityofhyattsville), Twitter (@HyattsvilleMD), Instagram (@cityofhyattsville), inscríbase a recibir alertas de texto o correo electrónico en www. hyattsville.org/notifyme y envíe un texto con la palabra HVL al 99411 para recibir alertas de emergencia y seguridad.

Recursos para Negocios: Organizaciones sin fines de lucro y negocios impactados por la pandemia del coronavirus en el Estado de Maryland pueden visitar a www.hyattsville.org/covidbizresources para un centro de información de programas de subvenciones y prestamos Federales, Estatales y del Condado.

Aplicaciones para el Programa de la Ciudad de Subvenciones de Mejoramientos para Negocios Comerciales, lo cual iguala dólar por dólar la cantidad que el dueño invierte (cantidades de $5,000 hasta $50,000) para hacer mejoramientos al exterior del negocio, ahora están siendo aceptadas. Por favor note que aplicaciones pueden ser sometidas, pero no serán procesadas durante este tiempo. Visite www.hyattsville.org/facade para información adicional.

p.m. Voluntarios de cocina, quienes ayudan a preparar y empacar la comida, se ocupan por uno o más días a la semana, entra las 8:30 a.m. a mediodía. Tenga la seguridad de que Meals on Wheels sigue todas las directivas emitidas por el Condado y el Estado para proteger a sus voluntarios. Si desea ayudar, por favor contacte a Danielle Carter al (336) 473-8525 o vía correo electrónico a dscarter86@yahoo.com.

Programas Amigables con la Edad

Council Vicepresident Carrianna Suiter completing her Census online and making sure Hyattsville is being counted. La Vicepresidenta del Concejo Carrianna Suiter completando su Censo por el internet y asegurándose de que Hyattsville sea contado.

Servicios y Eventos de la Ciudad

Una lista de servicios suspendidos, limitados y continuando que la Ciudad ofrece esta debajo. Por favor visite www. hyattsville.org/covid-19 para la información más reciente.

Servicios y Actividades que Continúan: • Reuniones del Concejo de Hyattsville (videoconferencia) • Enfuerzo de Parqueo • Vigilancia de Policía y Servicios de Emergencia • Recolección de Basura y Reciclaje Actividades y Servicios Suspendidos o Limitados: • Acceso a Facilidades del Municipio (llame (301) 985-5060 para vehículos confiscados) • Procesamiento de Aplicaciones de Negocios y Parqueo Residencial • Transportación del Llame-Al-Bus • Recolección de Compostaje y Residuos de Yarda (limitado a los primeros y terceros lunes del mes) • Permisos y licencias (licencias de negocios, de multihogar o de rentar expirándose durante Estado de Emergencia tendrán fechas limites extendidas 30 días mas al día después de que el Estado de Emergencia haya pasado) • Notario y Huellas • Parques (abiertos solo de amanecer a anochecer) • Área de Juegos • Transportación de los Autobuses de UMD • Recolección de Basuras Grandes y Electrodomésticos Eventos Cancelados o Pospuestos • Clases de Ejercicio Ageless Grace • Fiesta del Aniversario, 23 – 26 de abril - pospuesta • Reuniones de Juntas y Comités • Yoga Comunitario • Día de Reciclaje de Pintura y Electrónicos, 11 de abril - pospuesta • Eventos de Remover Plantas Invasoras y No Nativas • Día de Limpieza Mary Prangley, 2 de mayo – pospuesta • Paseos con Policías • Viajes de Autobuses para Gente Mayor • Spring Camp Magruder, 6 – 10 de abril

• Venta Comunitaria de primavera, 17 – 19 de abril • Serie de Lectura y Comida para Gente Mayor • Día de Ley para Gente Mayor, 1 de mayo • Clínica de Venta de Impuestos, 30 de abril • Servicios de Tutoría y Centro de Jóvenes • Reuniones de Distritos Reuniones Públicas: Para la información más reciente sobre todas las reuniones de juntas y comités de Hyattsville que están programadas para tomar plazo abril y mayo, por favor visite al sitio web www.hyattsville.org. Siguiendo la Orden Ejecutiva del Gobernador Hogan de quedarse en casa, las reuniones entre el Concejo y las sesiones de trabajo del presupuesto será conducidas por videoconferencia. Esas reuniones también podrán ser vistas por los canales de cable 71 (Comcast) y 12 (Verizon), además de estar disponibles vía www.hyattsville. org/meetings, donde comentarios públicos pueden ser sometidos.

Multas de Parqueo: Por favor note que multas de parqueo solo pueden ser pagadas por internet. Para pagar una multa, visite www.hyattsville.org y selecciones “Parking” y después “Pay Parking Tickets” en la segunda pagina. Si tiene alguna pregunta, por favor llame al (301) 985-5000.

Complete su Censo por Internet: ¡El 2020 Censo ya está en marcha y Hyattsville le esta pidiendo a que tome 10 minutos de su día para completar 9 simple preguntas! Completando el Censo es fácil, seguro e importante y es clave para el futuro de nuestra comunidad.

Visite el sitio web a www.my2020Censu. gov o llame al 1-844-330-2020 para poder completar el Censo seguramente en su hogar.

Servicio de Comida a Domicilio: La organización Meals on Wheels de College Park (que también sirve a HVL) sigue buscando voluntarios para que ayuden a preparar y distribuir comida a personas mayores o con una discapacidad – especialmente durante esta crisis. Conductores normalmente manejan una vez a la semana y de una a cuatro veces al mes entre semana durante las 10:30 a.m. y 1

Chequeo por Teléfono: El Departamento de Envejecimiento de Maryland ofrece un servicio gratuito de un chequeo diario por teléfono a residentes de 65 años o más. El programa también provee una actualización sobre la pandemia de coronavirus. Residentes deben tener una línea activa de casa de teléfono o un celular para participar. El servicio trabaja haciendo una llamada automatiza a un tiempo programado cada día.

Si la llamada no es contestada después de tres llamadas, el servicio llamara con una persona para chequear su bienestar.

Para inscribirse, por favor llame al (866) 502-0560 o visite aging.maryland.gov.

Horas Especiales: Tiendas locales han anunciado horas especiales para que la gente de mayor edad o individuales con problemas de salud pueden seguramente vayan de compras. La lista siguiente fue compuesta al tiempo de escribir esta publicación. Para información más exacta, por favor llame a las tiendas directamente.

• Aldi (3025 Hamilton Street) – martes & jueves, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

• Giant Food (3521 East-West Highway) – diario, 6 – 7 a.m.

• Safeway (3702 East-West Highway) – martes & jueves, 7 – 9 a.m.

• Save-A-Lot (5615 Sargent Road) – diario, 7 – 9 a.m.

• Target (3500 East-West Highway) – martes & miércoles, 8 – 9 a.m.

• Whole Foods Market (6621 Baltimore Avenue) – diario, 7 – 8 a.m.

Servicios de Menores

Camp Magruder por Internet: ¡El Camp Magruder viene a sus hogares estas vacaciones de primavera! Desde al 6 al 10 de abril, consejeros tendrán actividades diariamente por video sobre la artesanía, aprendizaje para estimular el cerebro y ejercicio para que los menores en la casa se mantengan activos. ¡Hasta abra un par de eventos en vivo! Para tomar ventaja de esta diversión gratuita, visite www.hyattsville.org/camponline.

Mentes Creativas en el Hogar: El programa para menores y padres, Mente Creativas, ¡esta moviendo su sesión de primavera al internet sin ningún costo! ¡Esto incluirá contenido bilingüe, tutoriales sobre artesanías simples y actividades utilizando objetos ordinarios, y a invitados especiales! Las sesiones empiezan el 14 de abril y continúan hasta el 21 de mayo, tomando plazo los martes, miércoles y jueves. Para más información, visite www.hyattsville.org/ creativeminds.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

OFFICIALS FROM PAGE 1

As of 11:30 a.m. on April 5, there were 785 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, in Prince George’s County, according to the Maryland COVID-19 case map dashboard.

The department of health has not released the number of Hyattsville residents affected, according to an April 2 email from Hyattsville Mayor Candace Hollingsworth, who wrote that she and other mayors in the county are concerned with the “limited data … on the impact at the local level.”

A Prince George’s County resident was the first Marylander to die from COVID-19. Sixtyseven people have died in Maryland as of April 5, according to the Maryland Department of Health’s Twitter page. One of them was Terrance Burke, a counselor and basketball coach at Northwestern High School.

A new COVID-19 screening clinic has opened at FedExField in Landover. According to a March 27 press release, the screening site will only test people who meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testing guidelines, and screening is by appointment only. For an initial required screening via telehealth, call the Prince George’s County Health Department Coronavirus hotline at

Mayor Candace Hollingsworth has organized Hyattsville Helps to connect residents in need with neighbors who can help them. COURTESY OF THE CITY OF HYATTSVILLE

301.883.6627.

In Hyattsville, nearly all city events and meetings are canceled or postponed until at least April 27. This includes committee meetings, teen tutoring and mentoring, senior bus trips, Camp Magruder’s spring session, the Easter egg hunt, the community yard sale, and the city’s anniversary carnival and parade.

Call-A-Bus services for seniors and people with disabilities will provide essential trips to grocery stores, pharmacies and medical appointments.

For a Call-A-Bus ride, call 301.985.5020. Yard waste and compost will be picked up only on the first and third Mondays of the month.

Police patrols and emergency response, solid waste and recycling collections, and parking enforcement will continue. City council will continue to meet using a remote teleconference system.

On March 23, Hyattsville city council passed an emergency uncodified ordinance confirming “the City Administrator’s authority to take all appropri-

ate and reasonable actions necessary” to deal with the coronavirus crisis in the City of Hyattsville. “This is [in] large part because the situation is evolving quickly,” wrote Hollingsworth in an April 2 email.

Hollingsworth has organized the Hyattsville Helps initiative to match neighbors in need with neighbors who can help them. Neighbors who need help or have help to offer can call 301.985.5020, and a member of the city staff will return the call within 24 hours. The mayor also noted that she is meeting weekly with business and community stakeholders to keep them informed.

Hollingsworth is delegating the handling of many immediate needs to city staff, while she focuses on the future recovery.

“I am turning my eye toward preparing our community for intensive recovery,” she wrote.

As part of this focus, Hollingsworth described how she is in conversations with local leaders in other cities across the country and is participating in the Coronavirus Local Response Initiative sponsored

by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which she says has been an “excellent resource.”

Moreover, Hollingsworth has proposed a fund, suggested at $1 million, to help Hyattsville recover from the effects of this

Hollingsworth has proposed a fund, suggested at $1 million, to help Hyattsville recover from the effects of this pandemic.

pandemic. The city council was to discuss this proposal at their April 6 meeting.

“The council will work together to develop criteria for disbursement from that fund and the priorities it should address,” Hollingsworth wrote in the April 2 email.

“It is our sincere desire that we all persevere through these challenging times and continue to be an example of what a caring community truly is,” wrote Hollingsworth in a March 13 statement.

For a complete list of which Hyattsville-sponsored activities are canceled and postponed, visit http://www.hyattsville.org/788/ Coronavirus-COVID-19.

-$18,250

-$18,250

Por cada residente que no completa el Censo

For each resident who does not complete the Census

HYATTSVILLE PIERDE ESTA CANTIDAD EN FONDOS FEDERALES Tome el Censo por internet, en un centro designado, con su teléfono o por correo ¡Hyattsville está Contando en TI!

FACIL SEGURO

IMPORTANTE

#HVLCuenta • hyattsville.org/HVLCounts Por favor note que la agencia del Censo no comparte su información con ninguna otra agencia y organización, ni preguntara por su estatus inmigratorio

HYATTSVILLE LOSES THIS AMOUNT IN FEDERAL FUNDING Take the Census online, on-site, by phone or mail Hyattsville is Counting on YOU!

EASY SAFE IMPORTANT #HVLCounts • hyattsville.org/HVLCounts

Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

Page 9

LAPTOPS FROM PAGE 1

have struggled to adapt to online learning without devices of their own. Parents, at least a third of them clad in personal protective equipment, stood 6 feet apart from one another in three lines that snaked back across the school’s blacktop play yard. Many clutched the items they were told to bring with them by Prince George’s County Public Schools: their child’s report card, a personal ID and a personal pen for signing forms.

The scene was eerily quiet as the members of each line waited to be called forward to the makeshift distribution stations in the shadow of the building.

A police officer directed foot traffic as parents trickled in and out of the yard. Almost no one stopped to talk as they hurried back to their vehicles.

The distribution event, just one of dozens around the county, went smoothly.

Meredith Muth, the president of the HES Parent Teacher Association, said that equipping students with proper devices

Silent lines of adults waiting to pick up school-issued Chromebooks replaced the normal bustle and noise of children playing on the Hyattsville Elementary School blacktop on the morning of April 3. LINDSAY MYERS

goes a long way toward ensuring that all students have access to high-quality public education during the pandemic.

“As most students in Hyattsville public schools come from

low-income families, access to devices and the internet has been an enormous barrier to ensuring equity in distance learning. Distribution of Chromebooks is an enormous

undertaking for this county. I am glad to see this happened today,” said Muth.

Parents also expressed their relief at receiving the Chromebooks. Kristen Wares, whose daughter Tess is a first-grader at HES, said that she purchased a tablet for her daughter to use for schoolwork, but that it had been difficult for her daughter to navigate the unfamiliar interface. She

anticipates that Tess’s familiarity with the school-issued Chromebooks will help the school day run more smoothly.

Most importantly, Wares said, is that the teachers at HES have worked hard to ensure their students are still receiving the best education they can under the circumstances.

“I’m so impressed. Her teacher is amazing. They’re all going above and beyond,” said Wares.

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Page 10

Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

MISS FLORIBUNDA

How to prep for floods with your garden Dear Miss Floribunda, I read with great interest your interview with Dr. Wolf last month on the effects of climate change on home garden planning. I had noticed the “false spring” problem but didn’t know what to call it. Are there other aspects of climate change that affect those of us trying to grow a few flowers and vegetables in our own yards? I have heard that melting glaciers are causing a rise in the sea level. Last spring I visited the coast of North Carolina and was shocked when I saw what people there call “ghost forests” of trees killed by a rise in sea levels. Are only coastal areas in trouble, or does any of this affect those of us who garden inland? I can’t help but wonder because I noticed the campaign against building on the flood plain next to Magruder Park.

Would building there make groundwater come up and flood the rest of us? Would it do anything to the groundwater in general? Any other effects?

Just Asking on Jefferson Street Dear Just Asking, Thank you for these very pertinent questions. As the great poet John Donne expressed in “No Man Is An Island,” everything is interconnected.

He wrote, “If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were.” What happens on the coast has repercussions inland. The coastal ecosystems that aren’t destroyed outright reestablish on flood plains.

Salt water from the encroaching ocean killed trees and created ghost forests. COURTESY OF PEXELS

While many people view flood plains as wasted space just begging to have houses built on them, there is a strong connection between what you saw in North Carolina and why we need flood plains. The ecosystems they preserve contain pollinating insects as well as bats, turtles and amphibians that keep down mosquito populations. Right now, if you go anywhere near Magruder Park, you will hear a jubilant chorus of spring-peeper frogs singing a vernal villanelle.

Salt water from the encroaching ocean killed the ghost forests you saw. As water flows still farther inland, salt and harmful chemical pollutants are filtered out in flood plains. North Carolina has put in place ambitious plans to protect, restore and develop flood plains — a precedent having been set as far back as the 19th century by the Gullah people who farmed rice in swampland there. Not

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surprisingly, after the failure of levees during Hurricane Katrina, important flood-plain restoration projects were created in Louisiana. Closer to home, the Chesapeake Bay Program, a partnership of several watershed organizations, and our local Anacostia Watershed Society are developing similar initiatives.

Sediment deposited on flood plains makes soil especially rich. Flood-plain farming is prevalent in many parts of the world and certain areas of the U.S. It is being further developed in areas of the U.S. where increased flooding resulting from climate change has environmentalists seeking alternatives to dams and levees. An example is successful rice farming in the Yolo Bypass of California, where levees were removed five years ago. These flooded fields now also provide a habitat for migrating salmon.

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permeable driveways, parking lots and streets built on flood plains impede normal hydrologic function, then downwardflowing stormwater and rising streams will flood adjacent land and structures. Contaminated by building materials, lawn chemicals and runoff from roads, this water will flow into nearby neighborhoods and damage those homes and gardens as well as the structures actually built on the plains. To date, plans to divert water have been far from foolproof. Because storms producing torrential rain have become more frequent and more severe, periodic flooding is a reasonable expectation. Flood plains have never been needed more. The damage done to the Chesapeake Bay by contaminated stormwater is yet another concern.

Although county, state and federal policies discourage or prohibit building on flood plains, Prince George’s County decision-makers often disregard these common-sense policies and allow developers to build intensively on flood plains. The future is likely to bring lawsuits, and the damages will be paid with tax dollars.

Recently, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) paid millions of dollars to homeowners in Baltimore County whose houses had to be condemned because of extensive water damage, though homeowners recouped only 75% of fair-market value.

The demolition alone cost more than $1 million. Financial compensation may have been little or no comfort to those who hoped to live permanently in those homes.

So, what can the home gar-

dener do when a protective flood plain disappears? This month, with the obligation to stay home because of the coronavirus pandemic, you can spend time preparing your garden as much as possible for that eventuality. Along with such spring activities as pruning rose bushes and planting lettuce, why not install rain barrels? Climate change brings alternating periods of deluge and drought. You can store water during heavy rains that otherwise might seep into your basement and then use it when you need it most. If you have a wet basement, you likely know that there is no substitute for an efficient sump pump, but it’s still a good idea to plant azaleas or some other thirsty shrubs along the foundation of your home. If you can afford to, it would be a good idea to replace your concrete driveway with permeable material. You might also want to turn at least a portion of your lawn into a rain garden.

I wish I could invite you to what up to now has been the annual Hyattsville Horticultural Society plant exchange in April, where you could have acquired plants suitable for rain gardens. However, the event has been cancelled because of the need for social distancing.

My next column should give some idea of when HHS meetings might resume.

Miss Floribunda is the Hyattsville Life & Times garden columnist. You may email her your questions at floribundav@ gmail.com.

Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

Page 11

COMMUNITY RESOURCES All information and resources published are as of April 4.

Hyattsville Helps

required to accompany students nor are students required to show ID. For a list of participating schools, visit pgcps.org/ coronavirus/meal-sites.

The city has established a hotline for residents seeking assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic and associated service closures.

301.985.5020. hyattsville.org/ hvlhelps

COVID-19 Hourly Employee Assistance Fund

A fund is available for laid-off hourly workers who earn less than $19 an hour, giving Prince George’s County residents access to an Employ Prince George’s gift card of up to $200. A number of retailers, grocers and restaurants in Prince George’s County will offer discounts for those making purchases with these cash cards. Employ Prince George’s will begin taking applications the week of April 6. Apply at employpgedge.com.

Meal Program for Students

Prince George’s County Public Schools is providing meals to students from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 36 locations. Students may pick up the meals in one visit.

Parents and guardians are not

Shopping Opportunities for Seniors & Vulnerable Residents

Aldi: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

Safeway Supermarket: Tuesday and Thursday from 7 to 9 a.m.

Giant Supermarket: Daily from 6 to 7 a.m.

Target: Wednesday from 8 to 9 a.m.

Walgreens: Tuesdays from 8 to 9 a.m.

Whole Foods: Daily from 7 to 8

am. (seniors-only, ID required)

Virtual Tip Jar: Help Our Local Baristas, Bartenders and Servers

Give tips to service workers and employees who are unemployed or underemployed.Visit sohycoop.com.

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Video, audio and installation artist, Barry Schmetter, aka Resonant Space will offer livestream shows every Friday evening at 7 p.m. Tune in to twitch.tv/resonant_space.

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Learn about the list of virtual yoga classes offered online.

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Free PGCMLS library resources

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Take advantage of the library’s digital suite and over 85 online resources available 24/7 at pgcmls.info/digital-suite. Library card is required. Apply for a virtual library card online or by using the PGCMLS library app.

The Hyattsville Social Distancing Safari Hunt, which included dozens of stuffed animals hidden across the City of Hyattsville was held on March 30. Hyattsville resident Mosi Harrington organized the event, and Oliver Westberry was the winner.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

SoHy Co-op provides creative assistance to small businesses

By Anna Walker Small businesses in South Hyattsville have an energetic new source of support in the nonprofit organization SoHy Co-op, which was founded by Krissi Humbard, Bronwyn King and Daniel Simon. “We actively began reaching out to businesses to grow our membership in February and held our first small business meet-up in March, just before the COVID-19 situation,” said Humbard.

The co-op focuses on supporting businesses along the Route 1 Corridor from Green Owl Design, near Hamilton Street, to Shortcake Bakery, near Charles Armentrout Drive. “We are lucky to have so many great organizations working to support this area,” Humbard noted.

All three founders are deeply invested in the community. Simon is a small business owner who also owns property in the SoHy area. Humbard and King have organized community events in Hyattsville for several years, including art walks, the Light It Up holiday shopping event, HyFest musical festival and the SoHy Scavenger Hunt.

They are also co-curators of Studio SoHy, (www.studiosohy. com), an art gallery located in the hallway of Vigilante Cof-

fee Company, which opened its doors in March 2015 as a space reflecting the community of artists working and living in the DMV area.

SoHy Co-op’s mission is to create and support a vibrant mix of community, commerce and culture in the SoHy area of Hyattsville. The co-op founders concur: “There is a wonderful mix of businesses operating in this area of Hyattsville.” The organization supports existing businesses and is eager to attract new and diverse businesses that would like to call Hyattsville home. The group plans to use live events and social media to create greater buzz.

Sangfroid Distilling is a business member of the SoHy Co-op.

“The biggest advantage to join-

ing the co-op is that our voices as business leaders are stronger when we come together as a collective than on an individual basis,” said Sangfroid Distilling co-owner Nate Groenendyk.

“When we pool our knowledge and resources, we are much more well equipped to have a significant impact on the issues that will help to continue to improve the small business climate in Hyattsville and the community at large.”

Mark Burke, brewer and founder of Streetcar 82 Brewing Co., agrees. “The SoHy Co-op has been helpful for us by championing the small businesses along our geographic area of Route 1,” he said. “I see it as becoming a hyper-local force for businesses in our area, attracting new artisan businesses to fill the empty storefronts, providing support and creating a community of Makers to provide mutual support and creating the type of energy that attracts the critical mass necessary for small businesses to thrive.”

SoHy Co-op is also invested in enhancing the streetscape along Route 1 by making the area inviting and pedestrianfriendly. The organization’s vision includes colorful crosswalks and sidewalks, and pocket parks created by adding

planters and benches. “We will work with the businesses and the city to flesh out these ideas,” said Humbard.

To cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, SoHy Co-op has been holding virtual meetings with partner businesses, updating the co-op’s resource list on their website and trying to keep on top of issues related to their partners, including closures and changing hours.

“The co-op has provided a virtual meeting place for all the businesses to share resources and ideas for how to best navigate both the health aspect of this pandemic as well as the impact on small businesses,” commented Groenendyk. “It has been an invaluable trove of information that all of us have been thankful to have during this difficult time.”

The SoHy Co-op team is also invested in the impact small businesses in the area are having during this pandemic. Many SoHy businesses are reinventing themselves on the fly, offering online ordering and curbside pickup. In addition to keeping the public updated through their website, the co-op hosts a weekly virtual happy hour so that businesses can share ideas with each other.

“We also started a virtual tip

jar for employees who work in the SoHy area and have suddenly had their hours reduced or have found themselves without a job. We love the small businesses in this area and want to do what we can to ensure they are able to re-open after the pandemic,” said Humbard.

As of press time, the co-op had recently launched the SoHy Swag Challenge contest on Instagram (#sohyswag). Participants post photos of treasures they’ve purchased from SoHy businesses or items they’ve crafted using goods from SoHy businesses. Four $25 gift cards to SoHy businesses of the winners’ choice will be awarded as prizes. The challenge runs from April 1 to 15.

“We thought it would be a fun way for folks to kill some time while drumming up support for SoHy businesses,” said Humbard.

The SoHy Co-op is a membership organization. Current members include Green Owl Design, Sangfroid Distilling, Arrow Bicycle, Train Printing, Satchmoe Art and Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. Membership fees are $100 annually or $25/quarter.

Businesses can go to www. sohycoop.com and register to become a member.

-$18,250

-$18,250

Por cada residente que no completa el Censo

For each resident who does not complete the Census

HYATTSVILLE PIERDE ESTA CANTIDAD EN FONDOS FEDERALES Tome el Censo por internet, en un centro designado, con su teléfono o por correo ¡Hyattsville está Contando en TI!

FACIL SEGURO

IMPORTANTE

#HVLCuenta • hyattsville.org/HVLCounts Por favor note que la agencia del Censo no comparte su información con ninguna otra agencia y organización, ni preguntara por su estatus inmigratorio

HYATTSVILLE LOSES THIS AMOUNT IN FEDERAL FUNDING Take the Census online, on-site, by phone or mail Hyattsville is Counting on YOU!

EASY SAFE IMPORTANT #HVLCounts • hyattsville.org/HVLCounts

Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

Page 13

HCPD FROM PAGE 1

in this time of COVID-19 and social distancing.

During a March 31 phone interview, Acting Lt. Zachary Nemser described how the typical day’s work for a patrolling officer “is a completely different job at this point.” In normal times, the Hyattsville City Police Department (HCPD) prides itself on its community policing and its proactive face-to-face interactions with residents.

Currently, however, HCPD officers are practicing social distancing while serving the community. “The goal is to deter crime and to keep our officers as safe as possible,” said Nemser. “We’re taking all necessary steps to make sure officers are as safe as possible so that they can keep doing their jobs.”

According to a city-issued March 15 community advisory about changes to HCPD practices, dispatchers now screen crime-report calls to determine if anyone on location is demonstrating symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

Additionally, non-emergency crime reports are taken over the phone “for crimes no longer in progress, or where no suspect is present,” and access to the Hyattsville Municipal Building is limited to city staff and individuals requiring emergency services. In-person meetings, ride-alongs and fingerprinting services have been suspended.

HCPD officers are trying to remain in their cars while on patrol unless a crime or emergency is in progress. According to Nemser, their focus is on remaining as visible as possible, while staying safe. Officers have protective gear, including masks and gloves, that they can wear if they encounter someone who might be symptomatic for COVID-19.

While always focused on ensuring safety and enforcing laws, HCPD has shifted its em-

A Hyattsville City Police Department (HCPD) officer conducts his shift briefing in Magruder Park while members of Squad 4 practice social distancing. HCPD shift briefings are normally conducted in the roll call room at the police station. COURTESY OF THE HYATTSVILLE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT

While always focused on ensuring safety and enforcing laws, HCPD has shifted its emphasis to promoting and enforcing public social distancing.

phasis to promoting and enforcing public social distancing, including dispersing groups of more than 10 people and monitoring whether open businesses are essential. In contrast, minor traffic violations are less of a priority than usual, according to Nemser.

This shift in emphasis is consistent with practices in police

departments across the nation.

As quoted in The Washington Post, Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum said, “The last thing a police officer wants to do today is make an arrest unless they absolutely have to. Police officers are trying to do what the rest of America is doing, put distance between themselves and other people.”

When responding to emergency calls, HCPD officers accompanying the fire department and EMS to a location are remaining outside unless entry is absolutely necessary, said Nemser.

Due to the nature of their work, the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD) has taken numerous steps in response to the coronavirus. According to the HVFD website (www.hvfd.com/covid19), they have established a COVID-19 Operations Committee, are administering twice daily health checks to on-duty personnel and have obtained food supplies for duty crews to cover all

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meals during this emergency.

In addition, several locally based members have moved into the firehouse to increase the number of live-in volunteers. Dave Iannone, HVFD vice president, wrote in an email, “We have about a dozen men and women living at the firehouse in Firefighter/EMS and EMS capabilities, along with many local-based volunteers who are on scheduled shifts at the firehouse to ensure full staffing at all times.”

As of press time, no HCPD officer had tested positive for COVID-19, but Nemser stated that the department has “manpower planning” in place in case officers do get sick. “We’ll work through whatever we need to, when the time comes,” he said.

According to Jennifer Donelan, acting director of Public Information for Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department, the department had one member who tested positive for COVID-19 as of March 31. She noted that “we did not release at which station that member serves because it would violate their rights to privacy.”

There have been some unintended benefits of social distancing. “We’ve seen a drastic decrease in crime,” said Nemser.

Because residents are largely complying with the stay-athome order, there is less opportunity for criminal activity.

Nemser said that the department is closely monitoring some crime categories such as shoplifting and domestic violence, but has not seen an increase in those areas thus far.

This reduction in crime is consistent with a Washington Post analysis of reported crimes from more than a dozen cities — including D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas — that found a significant decline in crime that started mid-March when calls and orders for social distancing came into prominence.

Nemser said the department has been “incredibly pleased” with the community response to the executive orders. The HCPD has had to break up a few groups of more than 10 people and speak to some businesses that were not compliant, but all warned parties responded appropriately, and no further action has been warranted.

Nemser emphasized that the stay-at-home order does not keep people from going outside to exercise, walk their dog or engage in other essential activities. He encouraged residents to maintain social distancing, avoid gathering in groups of more than 10 and make trips outside the house for essential purposes only.

And he urged residents to continue to call the police if they see anything that looks suspicious.

“Keep safe. Keep your family safe,” said Nemser. “That’s what’s best for keeping officers safe so that they can protect the community.”

The HVFD is seeking donations of protective equipment, food and cleaning supplies at this time. For further details, visit www.hvfd.com/ covid19 or email covid19@hvfd. com. Please do not deliver items or money to the fire station without prior approval and coordination.

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Hyattsville Life & Times | April 2020

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