Rain, rain, don’t go away by Ashby Henderson
C
ollecting rainwater is a tradition that dates back centuries. Today, the practice has become very simple, economical and environmentally friendly. There are many inexpensive kits available for collection and numerous do-it-yourself methods available both online and at popular gardening stores. Last month, the Anacostia Watershed Society worked with Aqua Barrel, a local company founded by Barry Chenkin, to put together its first rain-barrel workshop of the season. With the promise of a free rain-barrel kit to the first 10 participants, the spaces filled up very quickly. (The next event is scheduled for May; register now if you’re interested, to guarantee your spot.) Esther Mitchell, a state Master Gardener from the University of Maryland, reminded the group that area summers can be dry and often lead to drought conditions, with water restrictions. She recommends considering the following when trying to conserve water this summer: n Use sprinklers sparingly n Keep grass taller n Use mulch n Use native plants n Reduce lawn size n Collect rain water “Rain water can help you save money on your water bill,” Mitchell said. University of Maryland professor Delvin Fanning, of the department of environmental science and technology, also spoke at the event advocating the use of rain barrels. In addi-
RAIN continued on page 12
Vol. 5 No. 4
Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper
April 2008
Going Native
[Environment committee reports on solid waste, trash] by Sarah Nemeth
R
esident Kimberly Schmidt is an avid gardener who used to plant exotic flora in her 42nd Avenue yard. She supports proposed city charter changes for the broader allowance of native vegetation. Since 1995, Schmidt’s garden has required more water, much earlier in the year. “When you start watering in May, you start to realize you will not [be able] … to keep your exotic plants alive,” she said. So, Schmidt began planting native species like hydrangeas, columbine and crested iris. Now her yard attracts hummingbirds and bees, which promote a healthier ecosystem. “I know of at least five gardeners in the area on 42nd Avenue who have ‘gone native’,” she said. “It can be done and it can look beautiful.”
What’s being done
Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 43 Easton, MD 21601
The City of Hyattsville is talking trash — finding it, collecting it, decreasing it — and a new report from the environment committee has set goals for continuing what the city has in place and promoting mechanisms for future cleanup. “The big part of our recommendation is not just how the city operates, but how we as Hyattsville citizens operate,” said committee member James Groves in a letter to citizens. “It will be a change of culture for some. It will mean we will need to start thinking about things that maybe we did not think about before. It’s about you, us, as a community coming together to make a difference by changing some of our ways and habits.” The Hyattsville Environment Committee presented its Landfill Waste, Recycling and Compost
Report — the first of four reports on city environmental issues — to the City Council on March 10.The committee joined a conference on the Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative. It also reviewed waste-reduction documents drafted by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government’s Trash Free Potomac Watershed Initiative and the Environmental Protection Agency. It does not take a study to find trash around the city, though, Groves said. “Of course [there is trash] around the Metro, and if you happen to be caught at the light going south on Queens Chapel [Road] there is a ton on the road,’ he said. “But really, just walk around the neighborhood and start looking for it. It’s like it was there the whole time but you never noticed. The best way is to go around with a bag and see just how fast it fills up. One of the ideas is to have a map of Hyattsville where people would actually go online and mark where the bad spots where.That way the [Department of Public Works] could go there and clean up or at least keep a lookout for illegal dumpers.” Hyattsville is currently a member of the EPA’s Waste Wise program, said committee member Rebecca Schaaf. The voluntary program aids organizations in eliminating solid waste to cut costs and help the environment. Recommendations from the committee include: n Placing recycling bins at City Hall n Reducing waste at city events by using environmentally friendly products such as compostable cutlery and paper plates at the monthly Summer Jams
CHARTER CHANGE continued on page 13
Working through weeds by Sarah Nemeth
G
arbage in, garbage out, or so the saying goes. But in the case of a proposed policy in Hyattsville, the reverse may be true. The City Council has introduced a motion to modify the city charter’s section on overgrowth of grass and weeds. In the proposed changes, grass over 10 feet tall constitutes a nuisance. Loopholes in the proposed bill include the active protection of native plant species such as those listed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for the Piedmont and Coastal Plain areas of Maryland, and those listed by the state Department of Agriculture. The city’s code enforcement department does not have a staff ex-
WEEDS continued on page 13
Included: The April 9, 2008 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter—See Center Section
Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
Page 2
Home field advantage
Opinion:
by David Hill Special to the HL&T
The bene-Factor T by Sarah Nemeth
I
t showed up incognito. At first I thought it might be some cheap trick from a family member, or possibly anthrax. As I opened the package — which was curiously addressed to me in block letters with no return address — I felt like I was in one of those bad commercials where the guy gives his fiancé a small box gift after she’s unwrapped about 15 concentric boxes concealing it. I pried open the photo mailer, squeezing the edges to shake out the contents. Out tumbled an unsealed legal-size envelope. With increasing excitement, a bit of fear and tension, I flipped it open and pulled out a wad of greenbacks paper-clipped together. I yanked off the clip and unfolded four $10 bills that had been folded over in thirds. There was no note and no explanation. I don’t know who the Samaritan was, but I thank him for his humble gift. I hope to reinvest a gift into the community. Last week, I got another strange letter in the mail. I was beginning to think I might be the butt of some ill-placed conspiracy. How often does one open a letter from the IRS asking if one would like $400 back from a former employer who didn’t pay proper wages? It’s never happened to me before, and
so I flopped down on my blue comforter and rested my head back on the pillows thinking how undeserving I am. That sort of thing has happened to me before – receiving random money unexpectedly. I was once about to head out to work (a 35-minute drive) only to realize I had no gasoline in the car and even if I made it to work, I’d never make it home (What a nightmare! Sleeping in the conference room, showering where the industrial strength ink-stained pressroom employees scrub down, being at work for 24 hours … ugh). And payday wasn’t for another couple days. It was particularly cold that day, so I pulled out an old Columbia lined winter jacket that I hadn’t worn in at least three years. I decided to wear the whole ensemble, instead of just the fashionable pullout lining, which I usually chose for chilly days like this one. I unzipped the jacket pockets to clean them out and found it — $35. Ooo … and change too. I don’t know how often anonymous or unplanned donations fall into society, but I’m amazed that there are still miracles like this going on. It’s possible that a little bit of good can go a long way toward crafting greatness. Maybe this is the best type of welfare system we could ever have.
(YATTSVILLE
he Boston Red Sox won their second championship in four years last season, and for their success, they are rewarded with a trip halfway around the world to play a mix of regular season and exhibition games in Tokyo. As a Red Sox fan, I have to say that Major League Baseball choosing to have the Red Sox open their season in another hemisphere is a mistake of grand proportions. If you were to spend time around a ballclub during spring training or the regular season, the one thing that would stand out to you is that baseball is a game of routines. Baseball players grow accustomed to certain things such as spring training starting in mid-February and going for seven weeks until April 1, and the regular season ending in the first week of October. These are constants. Thirty baseball clubs plan their operations around this schedule, and for MLB to tell a team to break from the norm and go play games that count on the other side of the world is sabotage. In 2004, the New York Yankees started their season in
walked through the first month of the season. What angers me most about MLB opening their season abroad is that there has been a tradition dating back to the early 1900s that shows baseball’s all-stars going to Japan to play a series of exhibition games after the season is over to entertain the fans and try to bring baseball to the people of the world. (This is still done once every four years). This tour took place after the season was over and it was at the players’ discretion as to whether they went or not. It was not left up to a man in a suit at the MLB head offices in New York City telling them that they have to go. Whether or not you agree that going to Japan to open the regular season is a good idea, the fact of the matter is that it’s happening. Baseball is the most popular sport in Japan, and over the last 15 years, more Japanese professional players have made the jump from NPB to the United States. Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and New York Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui are the biggest
,IFE 4IMES
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 Hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail.com. For inquiries re advertising rates or to submit ad copy please email to Hyattsvillelife@Yahoo.com. Sarah Nemeth, Executive Editor 240.354.4832 or betweensundays@gmail.com
MLB is popular enough on its own, and it should stay where it belongs—in America. Tokyo by playing two exhibition games against Nippon Professional Baseball teams and two against the Tampa Bay Rays. Once these games were completed, both teams returned to their spring training sites and had one more week of workouts before starting their regular season in earnest. The Yankees started the season with eight wins and 11 losses, and they looked as if they had sleep-
names to leave Japan and become successful in the States. Even though they are successful everyday players, that doesn’t mean that MLB has to go to Japan in order to make our game more popular. MLB is popular enough on its own, and it should stay where it belongs — in America. David Hill is a former newsroom writer for sports radio in Buffalo, N.Y.
Ashby Henderson, Photographer Publication Production, Electronic Ink
Colleen Aistis Phil Houle
John Aquilino Bert Kapinus
Writers/Contribtors Keith Blackburn Michael Martucci
Steve Clements Hugh Turley
Ashley Henderson
Board of Directors Christopher Currie Matthew McKnight Tim Hunt Bert Kapinus Sarah Nemeth 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 7,500. HL&T is a member of the National Newspaper Association.
What do you think? hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail.com
|THE PUBLICATION DEADLINE for articles and letters in the May issue is Friday,April 25th. |
Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
Page 3
Assuring mistake-free elections by Michael Martucci
I
t is high time that Hyattsville’s political system invests in a better plan. Hey, only about 25 percent of the electorate goes to the polls to vote for our city council, according to old research, anyhow. How can we trust our government, and the whole way of Hyattsvillian life to a minority of citizens? What would happen if they made an error? One only needs to look at the current city council to answer that question. Good Lord, could we survive political dissent and strife on our city council? Would we allow political back-biting and clandestine maneuvering to be instilled on such an august body because a mere minority of our residents put certain individuals in office? Should less than 50 percent of residents be deciding who represents us when it comes to raising our taxes, changing our small town into a metropolis, or how high our grass should be allowed to grow? The only answer is to become less democratic and more socialist/communistic. Either everyone must be forced to vote, or we have to come up with a plan so ingenious as to render the voice of the people useless in the face of their impending stupidity. Hyattsville needs a superdelegate system. Since about only 500 votes are cast in most Hyattsville elections (again, according to dated research),
we will need to ensure that government types and business people with more savvy and political chops become super-delegates. If there are not enough of them then their votes should be valued at two- or three times that of the ordinary citizen. This way we can assure that the “unwashed masses” of Hyattsville don’t “make a mistake” in choosing who they want to represent them. This is not a new idea, mind you. I understand that the Democratic Party has had a similar operational scheme in place for over 20 years. Those crazy Republicans have an electoral college-like, winner-take-all system in a lot of their state primaries. But who wants to disenfranchise anyone by not giving proportional representation reflective of the vote? That would be unfair. The fair way of proportional representation however, might cause long, drawn out and notoriously close political races. Can you imagine the uproar within one party to end political races early in the name of party unity? I know it sounds farfetched, but in politics anything is possible. It might give one party unfair advantage over the other. Under the current one-man, onevote system in Hyattsville, tie votes are possible. Can we allow such a possibility to stand? How would we solve such an impasse — with a flip of a coin? That might work for the
football fan, but for politicians it is not likely to succeed without serious repercussions. We need a system where the populous can be overruled by an
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elite class of “supers.” Let’s join the super-delegate system and take this Democrat-stranglehold hamlet as far left as we possibly can. That seems to be the American way these
days as exemplified by the “party of the people.” As goes the nation, so too Hyattsville. What could be more American?
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Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
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Commentary and opinion on history & politics
Hugh’sNews Code name: Artichoke by Hugh Turley
T
here are things in our history that most Americans don’t know because they haven’t been told, or what they have been told is not true. Unfortunately, some of the things are so disturbing that many of us would prefer to keep it that way. Such is the case of the death of Frank Olson. On Monday, Nov. 23, 1953, Olson, a scientist at Fort Detrick, MD, told his boss he wanted to quit his job. The following Saturday Olson fell to his death from a tenth floor window of a hotel in New York City. Government officials told his widow and three young children that Olson jumped or fell from the window as a result of a nervous breakdown. That story remained “the truth” for 22 years. In 1975 the Rockefeller Commission’s examination of CIA domestic operations was reported in the Washington Post. The article said that a civilian employee of the Army had unknowingly taken LSD as part of a CIA test. The Post quoted the commission saying that the subject “developed serious side effects and was sent to New York with a CIA escort for psychiatric treatment. Several days later, he jumped from a tenth-floor window of his room and died as a result.” Although the victim was unnamed and a number of things in the Post article concerning the death were false, the widow, Alice Olson, and her children recognized that the man in the story was their husband and father. It was clear to them from the year, the tenth-floor window in New York and the victim being a scientist. The family states that it was also clear to them that the truth was being suppressed because the victim was unnamed and no one bothered to tell the family the story was being released. The family called a press conference and announced that they were filing a lawsuit against the United States government. The following day, Dick Cheney, then White House deputy staff director, sent a memo to his boss, then Chief of Staff Donald Rumsfeld, concerning the need to keep classified information secret. The Olson family would later find the memo at the Ford Presidential Library. President Gerald Ford invited the Olson family to the White House, apologized to the widow and her children, and promised a full accounting. CIA Director William Colby then invited Olson’s widow and her oldest
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son, Eric, to lunch in his office and gave them a redacted CIA file on Frank Olson. In return for what finally appeared to be the truth, the family dropped its lawsuit and agreed to a settlement. But they had been deceived again. The facts changed to say that Olson’s death was related to the infamous MKULTRA mind control experiments, but the conclusion that he fell or jumped remained the same. Further investigation convinced the Olsons that Frank had actually been murdered. The full story with links to official documents can be found on Eric Olson’s website www.FrankOlsonProject.org. In 1952, Frank Olson was a CIA officer and acting chief of the Special Operations at Fort Detrick, the government’s most secret biological weapons laboratory. His division researched and experimented with assassination techniques, biological warfare, terminal interrogations and LSD mind-control. A family statement in 2002 alleges Olson’s death was related to a CIA operation called ARTICHOKE that “involved the development of special, extreme methods of interrogation.” The file given to the family by Colby contained references to “the Artichoke Committee.” The family said that Frank Olson had ethical concerns after he “witnessed terminal interrogations in Germany in the summer of 1953” and he wanted to get out of his job. The Olson family eventually contacted Norman Cournoyer, one of Frank Olson’s oldest friends and closest colleagues at Fort Detrick. Cournoyer told the family that Olson joined the CIA in the late 1940s, and as part of the ARTICHOKE program made numerous trips to Europe where he witnessed torture interrogations of Soviet prisoners, Nazis and others. Cournoyer also told them Olson learned biological weapons, including anthrax were used during the Korean War, despite denials by the U.S. government. Cournoyer repeated his story in a 2002 German TV documentary film, “Code Name ARTICHOKE,” which can be seen on www.YouTube.com. In the past the Communist threat seemed to justify secret immoral activity; today, terrorism is used to justify secret CIA prisons overseas. If some official has a crisis of conscience will homicide be necessary?
Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
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Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
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CommunityAnnouncements Manorwood shootings result in death, injury
A March 26 shooting on Manorwood Drive left two Hyattsville men dead and two others wounded, Hyattsville Police Chief Douglas Holland said. According to the Prince George’s County Police Department — who handles homicides that occur within the City of Hyattsville — Nelson Ruben Turcios, 22, of Manorwood Drive and Salvador Enrique Vasquez, 30, of 35th Avenue were shot and killed after they were robbed by three African-American men. Police reports state that at 8:30 p.m., Turcios and Vasquez, along with two other people, were preparing to leave for an outing when they were robbed on Manorwood Drive. One of the assailants then shot all four men. The suspects then fled in a dark sedan, headed the wrong way down the one-way street, reports state. One victim, Manuel Zelaya, 28, remains hospitalized at Washington Hospital in serious condition.The other victim, who was not identified by county police, was treated at a hospital and released. According to Holland, the crime was not a driveby shooting and there is no indication that it was gang related.
Hyattsville awarded $250,000, largest grant in county
Hyattsville has been awarded a $250,000 Community Legacy Grant for construction and rehabilitation of 4318 Gallatin Street, also known as the “mustard building,� which is being redeveloped for city use by the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation. The grant, which was awarded by the state Department of Housing and Community Development, was announced by Gov. Martin O’Malley last month. It is the largest of the grants offered in Prince George’s County and one of the largest in the state. The “mustard building� has been part of the history of Hyattsville for over a century, and its revitalization is a critical component of city’s U.S. Route 1 Corridor and the county’s Gateway Arts and Entertainment District. Community Legacy Grants provide local governments and community development organizations with funding for projects aimed at strengthening communities through activities including business attraction and retention, encouraging home ownership and commercial revitalization. Funding, in the form of grants and loans, is available for projects located in Priority Funding Areas to compliment investments and create leverage for additional funding and serve as a catalyst for redevelopment.
Resident home from tour of duty
Staff Sgt. Daniel “Eduardo� Lizanne, 26, has returned to the United States after a year-and-a-halflong tour of duty with the military in Iraq. Lizanne is now stationed in North Carolina for three months. He will then travel to Georgia where he will be trained to be a helicopter pilot. Lizanne is the son of City Councilman Carlos Lizanne (Ward 4).
‘Mother Earth’ gets primped
In celebration of Earth Day 2008, the City of Hyattsville will sponsor city-wide clean-up events on April 19. All interested groups and individual volunteers are encouraged to participate; please contact the Office of Volunteer Services at 301.985.5057 for the location of sites needing attention. Safety guidelines, cotton work gloves, litter sticks, trash bags, and (if needed) hip waders will be available. Participation in clean-up events satisfies the State of Maryland Student Service Learning requirement.
Dietz Park community meeting

Bring your ideas for upgrades to the park including playground equipment replacement and other infrastructure components. Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission staff will provide photos and catalogues of playground equipment options.
The meeting, scheduled for 2 p.m. on May 3, will be hosted by County Councilman Will Campos (D-Dist. 2) of Hyattsville and MNCPPC. 
It will be held at Dietz Park (entrance on Oliver Street near 42nd Avenue) with a rain location at Hyattsville City Administration Building, 4310 Gallatin Street, Prangley Room. For more information contact Campos’s aide Brad Frome at 301.952.4436.
HIP neighbors moving in this summer
Mosi Harrington, executive director of the Housing Initiative Partnership, updated the City Council on Renaissance Square, a 44-unit apartment building on Jefferson Street near Baltimore Avenue. The housing is for artists with low income and is 70 percent complete. Interior work is being done now and drywall has been installed on all four floors of the building. The apartments, which include one- and two-bedroom units, will rent for $395 to $940. Six of the units will be outfitted for persons with disabilities. There is
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS continued on page 7
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Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
Page 7
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
currently a waiting list of 30 people for the housing. It is expected that residents will start moving in inJuly, Harrington said. For more information visit www. hiphomes.org.
New appointment to tax task force
The City Council last month approved Mayor William Gardiner’s appointment of resident Adam Copeland to the city’s Real Property Tax Task Force Committee. He replaces a member of the committee who indicated that she is no longer able to participate due to unexpected family duties. Copeland, an economist with the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Bureau of Economic Analysis, is a resident of Ward 1.
City to purchase technology to track DPW fleet
The City Council authorized members of city administration to enter into a contract to buy the Dossier Fleet Maintenance/Management Software system from Arsenault Associates for $19,637 plus an estimated $600 to $800 for travel and living expenses for the trainers. As part of this motion, the council also authorized administration to acquire a new server from GHA Technologies for the purpose of running the fleet management software system for $2,825. It also approved the reallocation of $8,300 of fiscal year 2008 funding from the administration line item to cover the cost of purchasing the system and related hardware.
Hyattsville kids in “Wizard of Oz” first weekend of May
About 100 children ages five to 18 from Hyattsville and the surrounding areas will sing, act and dance in the Cheverly Young
What do you think? We want to hear from you! hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail.com.
continued from page 6
Actors’ Guild musical production of “The Wizard of Oz” the first weekend of May. The wicked witch, flying monkeys, good witch Glinda, and wizard will “fly” on cables via ZFX Flying Illusions, a company that flies Peter Pan and others on Broadway. The role of Toto will be played by a real dog part of the time. The performances feature a live orchestra, costumes by designer, Dougie Gowin, and scenes and sets by designer Eddie Arrendondo. Hyattsville thespians include Nayo Campbell, Ngozi Onuma, Grace Pooley, Caylie Martucci, Elian Imlay-Maire, Nathaniel & Marlena Groves and Leslie Holt. Performances are at the Publick Playhouse at 7:30 p.m. on May 1-2, at 2 p.m. on May 3 and at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on May 4. Call the Playhouse at 301.277.1710 now to buy tickets by credit card or for more information. Tickets are $12 for adults; $10 for seniors and students; and $8 for children 12 and under. More info is also available at www.cheverlyyoungactors.org.
Open house at local school
University Park Elementary School is hosting an Open House from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on April 22 for parents of prospective students within the school boundaries. A welcome and school overview by the principal and the school’s PTA president and parents will be followed by a tour of the school. For questions, please contact Becky Widman at 301.779.0848 or Vicky Foxworth at 301.699.0166.
Rosa Parks sculpture design competition
The National Endowment for the Arts announces funds for the production of a statue to commemorate civil rights activist Rosa Parks. The work will be placed in National Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol. The statue must be made of bronze
and finished with a traditional patina. It must be life-sized in a traditional style, as required for statues in the grand hall. It will be placed on a hollow, granite-clad pedestal with a simple inscription. Eligible applicants must be citizens of the U.S. Deadline for applications is May 30. For more information visit www.nea.gov/ grants/apply/RosaParks.html.
Parks department seeks lifeguards for summer swimming activities
Lifeguards working at county-run aquatic facilities can make up to $4,000 this summer. Several lifeguard training classes are scheduled at many locations, times and dates. The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission offers free uniforms, paid training, a fitness program, flexible schedules, on-site supervisors, year-round jobs and promotions. For information, contact an indoor pool directly or the Aquatic Job Hotline at 301.249.8880. Indoor pools offering classes are: n Allentown Fitness & Splash Park, Fort Washington: 301.449.5567 n Theresa Banks Aquatics Center, Glenarden: 301.772.5516 n Fairland Aquatics Center, Laurel: 301.362.6060 n Rollingcrest-Chillum Splash Pool, Chillum: 301.853.9115 n Sports and Learning Center, Landover: 301.583.2400 Additional summer pools offering jobs: n J. Franklyn Bourne Pool, Seat Pleasant: 301.772.5516 n Hamilton Swimming Pool, Hyattsville: 301.853.9115 n Ellen E. Linson Pool, College Park: 301.277.3717 n Glenn Dale Splash Park, Glenn Dale: 301.352.8983 n Lane Manor Splash Park, Hyattsville: 301.853.9115 n N. Barnaby Swimming Pool, Oxon Hill: 301.449.5567
Art, eggs and recycling in College Park
Arts Specialist Elizabeth Morisette will lead students at four College Park elementary schools to create wish eggs for the earth using recycled paper basketry from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 19 at the Old Parish House, 4711 Knox Road. Then, in time for Earth Day, get together with friends and family at the Old Parish House to create a woven nest for the eggs, to be displayed around College Park. To register call 301.927.3013 or visit info@cpae.org.
Book club offers spring reading list
On April 18 the College Park book club will meet to discuss women in non-fiction literature at 7:30 p.m. at the Old Parish House, 4711 Knox Road, College Park. The group will read books by women from a variety of backgrounds, and will meet one Friday evening per month. The club will be reading “Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume Two 1933-1938,” by Blanche Wiesen Cook. For more information call 301.927.3013, or e-mail info@cpae.org. A complete list of the books planned for the spring is available online at www.cpae.org.
Fishing seminar offered to kids
Kids can go fishing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 19 at the Stephen Decatur Community Center, 8200 Pinewood Drive, Clinton. Hawg Wild Bassmasters have planned a free fishing seminar for the kids with several stations set up to offer a prospective on the outdoors and what it has to offer. Information will address conservation, fish identification, a casting event and safety. All participants will have the opportunity to see and board boats. The program is for families, and a casting competition is open to children ages 7 to 14. For more information, call 301.297.4648.
Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
Page 8
Wild Zappers by Vicki Kriz
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yattsville Middle School pupils were gesturing during the Wild Zappers performance, a behavior seen as disrespectful during a typical school assembly. This was not a typical performance. Despite all this activity, the pupils were completely silent. Pupils were talking and singing with their hands as they signed along with the Wild Zappers, an all-deaf male dance company that performed at the school on March 27. Based in the Washington, D.C. area, the group is directed by Fred Michael Beam who dances along with Marc Bowman and Ronnie Bradley. The company was founded in 1989 to promote educational awareness of deaf culture through entertainment. It is now a part of Invisible Hands Inc., a nonprofit organization founded by Beam in 1997 to promote this awareness in hopes of strengthening the bonds between the deaf and hearing communities. “People appreciate diversity in America,” Beam said through an interpreter. “I don’t want [young people] to grow up thinking that deaf people can’t do anything.” The group performed at HMS as a part of an educational workshop called “Let’s Sign and Dance” designed to introduce pupils to American Sign Language and deaf culture through sign-song and dance. This was the Wild Zappers’ first performance at HMS. As a magnet school for the creative and performing arts, fine arts assemblies are held quarterly. “We like to expose the children to different art forms,” Assistant Principal Aundrea McCall said. The assembly began with the Wild Zappers immediately asking for the participation of the pupil audience, demonstrating how to sign the
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phrase, “What’s up?” and reply, “I’m cool.” The dancers then performed a dance to Janet Jackson’s song “Escapade.” Pupils clapped their hands for the group at the song’s conclusion, an opportunity the Wild Zappers used to teach another aspect of deaf culture. “That’s the clap for people who can hear, but I’m deaf—I can’t hear.” Beam signed while Bradley interpreted for the audience. “I can hear you with my eyes.” The performers began waving their hands in the air while students mimicked, demonstrating the “deaf clap.” Bradley explained that although they cannot hear, the performers are able to dance to music by feeling vibrations as well as seeing the beat count. They also use hearing aids to pick up high and low sounds. Sometimes, however, the way the performers move is dictated not by beat or rhythm, but rather their feelings.
“We have the timing inside of us to follow,” Beam said.“Sometimes we just go by how we feel and move.” The cafeteria erupted in applause at the end of the performance, but the room was completely silent; pupils shaking their hands in the air. “I used to think ‘How can they hear?’” eighth-grader Kacki Chavan said. “But they said they could see and feel.” “They can do anything regular people can do,” Justin Ahalt, also in eighth-grade, said. The Wild Zappers hope that pupils will gain a better understanding of deaf individuals from their educational performance. Beam quoted Gallaudet University’s former president I.K. Jordan, telling pupils,“Deaf people can do anything but hear.” The performance also introduces pupils to other means of communication besides speaking, including sign language and body gestures, Bowman said.
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Singing with seraphim by Victoria Hille
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hen Pope Benedict XVII celebrates Mass at Nationals Park on April 17, vocalists from three Hyattsville Catholic Churches will be among those singing in the Papal Mass Choir. Two more will sing in the Archdiocesan Mass Choir, which will present special music on the same occasion. Out of 550 Catholics in music ministry and choirs from churches in 83 parishes or religious groups who auditioned, 250 were chosen. Marie Lambert, a soprano in the choir of St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church, is among those selected to sing with this “heavenly host.” St. Mark’s on Adelphi Road is the church where rehearsals take place, and its magnificent crucifix will hover over the altar where Pope Benedict will consecrate the Eucharist at Nationals Park. However, there is no doubt that it is St. Mary’s Catholic Church that is best represented among the Hyattsville churches. Its associate director, Lila Pantazis, will be among the first sopranos. With her from the Contemporary Choir she conducts are Mike Reeher, tenor, Orlando “Orly” Marinaccio, bass and Marjijane “Emjay” Wenzler, alto. In addition, St. Mary’s organist, Alan Ogden, who also sings in the Sanctuary Choir, will be among the basses in the Papal Mass Choir. Another bass and cantor from the Sanctuary Choir, Glenn Ottley, whose daughter Judith is its director, will add his voice, as will Helen Moro, an alto. “I am really glad for the opportunity to be in the choir,” Ottley said. “After a day at work, a two-
Symbol at St. Mark’s makes an appearance before Pope The 14-foot tall crucifix suspended above the altar at St. Mark Church has been selected to form the backdrop for the April 17 Mass with Pope Benedict XVI at Nationals Park baseball stadium in Washington, D.C. “This is an honor for our parish, to have the cross that hangs over our altar to hang over the altar during the Mass that Pope Benedict will be celebrating,” said Rev. John McKay, pastor of St. Mark’s, in a press release. The Archdiocese of Washington searched for a crucifix that would be large enough to be in scale with the 50-foot square sanctuary and that also would be moveable. The cross at St. Mark’s was installed when the church was built in 1999, and is suspended with airplane cable. It is made of walnut by Buster Watkins of Barnesville. The corpus, or body of Christ, was purchased through McKay Church Goods of Ohio. More than 45,000 people are expected to attend the Mass with Pope Benedict.
1948-2008
and-a-half hour rehearsal is quite a stretch but that’s all forgotten when you hear the wonderful singing and know that you are a part of it.” Marinaccio, who at 78 still retains a rich bass voice, recalls that when he volunteered for the Papal Mass Choir to sing for Pope John Paul II in 1979, no audition was required. Perhaps because the present Pope is known as a great music lover, an effort is being made to present a truly celestial sound. Marinaccio, praises the director, Thomas Stehle, as “one of the best I’ve ever had the privilege to sing with and the music is the most diversified and interesting I can recall singing.” The consensus among this group is that Stehle is a tactful and persistent perfectionist who knows how to motivate the singers and convey the techniques to make Gregorian chants float and hymns exult. Lila Pantazis, wife and mother of five children, chiropractor, guitarist, singer, and music minister for over 30 years, gave perhaps the most eloquent expression of the spirit of singers. “I am so enjoying this opportunity to prepare for and sing at the upcoming Mass,” she said. “I look to the Holy Father as a beacon and shepherd of my Catholic faith and sharing ministry with him at this Mass emphasizes our world call to worship and mission. As Catholic Christians we hope for an ultimate unity among all people in love and caring for each other in the Lord Jesus ... What better way to celebrate than at the Holy Mass with 4,100 of our closest brothers and sisters.” Victoria Hille, who sings in the Traditional Choir of St. Jerome’s Catholic Church, will be singing second soprano during the Papal Mass.
Troop 224 celebrates 60th anniversary By Colleen Aistis
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n Feb. 28 the Boy Scouts of America Troop 224 celebrated its 60th anniversary in the Gold Room of St. Jerome’s Catholic Church. Cake, popcorn (invented in 1948), a 1948 trivia game and skits were the order of the evening. Troop 224 was founded by Joseph C. Maratta in 1948 and has been continuously sponsored by St. Jerome’s since that time. The overflow of Troop 224 would often meet in the classrooms at DeMatha Catholic High School. In 1948, Scouts learned Morse code and wore woolen uniforms and the field cap popularized by World War II soldiers. They were encouraged to devote a considerable amount of their meeting time to practice military drills that were in accordance with the U.S. Infantry Drill Regulations. According to the Handbook for Scoutmasters, it was thought that “five or 10 minutes at each meeting would help to keep the morale of the troop up.” At its peak, Troop 224’s membership exceeded 70 scouts, about twice what it is today. Currently over 30 scouts and their families enjoy the values of scouting. Troop 224 is supported by 12 adult Committee members, one Scoutmaster and nine Assistant Scoutmasters.The active membership of Troop 224 represents young men from Hyattsville, Bowie, Mount Rainer, College Park, University Hills, Riverdale Park and Washington, D.C.
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The troop participates in weekly meetings, monthly camping trips and a one-week stay at a B.S.A. summer camp. Scouts focus on activities that encourage leadership in a safe environment. Through outdoor activities and service projects, Scouts actively advance in rank, earn merit badges and demonstrate their duty and responsibility as citizens in their communities, the country and the world. Troop 224 also proudly participates in the Annual World Punkin Chunkin Tournament, held each fall in Nassau, Del., with their entry The Good Turn Trebuchet.
Brett Tielman answers a trivia question about the year 1948.
Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
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Music on 43rd Street
UNIVERSITY TOWN CENTER
Local man finds music in his faith by Jessica Wilson
THE NEW TOWN NEAR DOWNTOWN!
O
n a tree-lined street in Hyattsville where blossoms are in bloom, so is Curt Lucas’s latest musical venture. Sitting on his front porch, Lucas plays guitar for his biggest fans — sons Noah, Samuel and Jonah. Lucas has been playing guitar since he was nine, a preferred alternative to the piano lessons his siblings were encouraged to take. But it didn’t become a passion at first.
you hold in your hands, what gifts and talents do you have and how can they be used and he encouraged us to think about that and pray about that and I did that. I thought about writing, wanting to write more and to express my faith through my music.� Being a father of three and working full time, Lucas does not have a lot of time to sit down and write, but says sometimes the songs just come to him. By day, he works in program ministry with the American Baptist Churches, a national
"I SOMETIMES THINK THE WAY I LOOK AT LIFE IS, LIFE IS HARD, GOD IS GOOD AND I THINK THE MUSIC SPEAKS TO THAT MESSAGE."
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“I wasn’t real into it and I played until my music teacher told me to stop coming, because he could tell I was practicing everything I was supposed to for a week a half hour before my lesson,� Lucas said. “So I stopped and a couple of years later I picked it up again.� Originally from Easton, Conn., Lucas started playing again in high school, and in college, played at coffee houses and bars. His music of choice was Bob Dylan, the Beatles and Neil Young. But now, when he performs, his play list includes his own music. “That’s a more recent phenomenon,� he said. “Probably around 2000, I started writing more. The CD is a combination of songs that I wrote over a four or five year period,� he said. The CD is called “Beyond the Blue� and features Lucas’ soothing acoustic style with songs that express his faith and messages anyone can relate too. “I was playing some at University Baptist Church, and I started writing again, and the pastor preached a sermon,� he said. “The point of the sermon was to consider the things
organization that supports Baptist churches throughout the country. He does, however, try to find ways to work his musical talents into his day job. “Working for the American Baptist Churches has provided me an opportunity play in Atlanta,� he said. “I’ve played at a couple of the biannual meetings.� But his music can be heard close to home as well. Last year, he participated in the community Good Friday service at Hyattsville’s First United Methodist Church. He has also performed at the Washington VA Medical Center as part of their Pastoral Care Week and at their annual Memorial Service in November to honor veterans. Lucas is working on songs for a second CD that will build on his Bob Dylan/Woody Guthrie style of music. But at the end of the day, it is the lyrics that ring true. “I sometimes think the way I look at life is, life is hard, God is good and I think the music speaks to that message,� he said. You can hear Lucas’s music at www.curtlucas.com.
Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
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‘Hurricane by the horns’
Agencies take aim at emergency preparedness by Sarah Nemeth
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hen Hurricane Zodiac hit the Virginia/North Carolina border, the effects of the storm swelled parts of Hyattsville with massive flooding, power outages and debris strewn along the southern and western portions of the city. Barbara Crutchfield, a member of Hyattsville’s Community Emergency Response Team, was called out of her sleep early Tuesday morning and advised to report to command central: City Hall. But the trees weren’t swaying and there was no debris in sight: The hurricane existed only in the minds of the planners of an emergency preparedness drill. Not so much as a cloud darkened the sky as she made her way to Gallatin Street. Good news for Crutchfield, who helped staff a desk at an emergency pre-
paredness drill for volunteer registration during a catastrophic event. Volunteer centers, nonprofits and emergency managers from across the Metro region held a regional exercise to practice mobilizing volunteers in the case of a large-scale disaster. Volunteers started at a registration table and moved on to an interview, an agency referral confirmation, a training/safety bureau and finally a snack table of fruits and water for the road. Ken Greenhouse, a CERT member and an amateur radio operator, worked a table with ham equipment that can be useful during emergencies to foster communication between agencies. Battery-powered amateur radios were used to connect rescue shelters during Hurricane Isabel, Greenhouse said. And while a deluge of volunteers
is a blessing, the chaos it often brings can be a bane, said Chris Geldart, director of the Office of the National Capital Region Coordination for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “A whole lot of people want to come and help,” he said. “If they all show up … that becomes something else.” Depending on the level of disaster in an emergency situation, more than one command center can be set up, said Calvin Hawkins, municipal liaison with the Prince George’s County Office of Emergency Management. To help the CERT volunteers, a group of Mormon missionaries went through the motions, testing the system. “The basics [of our] beliefs is to support government and be a good, active community member,” said Elder Wilcox, one of 14 missionaries
Want more information? For CERT information contact Hawkins at cshawkins@co.pg.md.us For county volunteer center information contact e-mail info@princegeorgesvolunteer.org.
helping out. “This is huge,” Geldart said. “You’ve got to get out of your office and start practice [so you can] react to what’s happening. Every
time you exercise and use a different scenario you have a different situation. It’s better to sweat in practice than bleed in war.”
What do you think? We want to hear from you! To submit articles, letters to the editor, etc., e-mail Hyattsvillelifeandtimes@gmail.com.
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Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
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rom what I have seen, certain types of sunflowers are native to Maryland. This project is not about sunflowers, it’s really about bees and pollination in a suburban setting. The idea behind the project, as listed on the website www.greatsunflower.org is that you are sent sunflower seeds to grow and then you observe bee activity and report it to the site. Last year, the loss of huge amounts of bees was reported across the country. This has a huge effect on our environment and our entire eco-structure. While this loss of bees was predominantly noticed in non-suburban settings, there has not been a lot of study about urban/city settings. This project will provide an insight into how our green spaces in the urban, suburban and rural landscapes are connected as well as shedding light on how to help pollinators. What we need are innovative strategies to maximize the benefits of our wild and semi-wild habitat remnants. The Great Sunflower Project is the first step.  Here is more of what they are trying to accomplish:  Recent data on bumble bees in an urban setting suggests that urban bees may also be declining (McFrederick & LeBuhn 2006, Fenter and LeBuhn submitted). While the loss of these pollinators is important, it is more important to understand what effect these losses have had on pollinator services. We do not know much about how healthy bee populations are maintained in an urban environment. Because natural habitats are
The great sunflower project
uncommon in urban landscapes, they may not provide enough resources to support viable pollinator communities. However, if other habitats, such as urban gardens and restored areas, are sufficiently connected to natural habitat, then native populations may thrive. By finding a way to track and
value the goods and services provided by natural ecosystems, we will find a future in which conservation is mainstream, economically attractive and commonplace throughout the world.The data you collect from your sunflower will be a start. Submitted by Jim Groves
RAIN continued from page 1 tion to summer droughts, this area sometimes gets a great deal of rain at other times of the year. Some residents may experience a flooded basement. By using rain barrels, Fanning said, he has ended his basement floods. Major rain causes the local water tables to rise and when there are many storms in a short amount of time the rain water simply has nowhere to go, leading to serious flooding. “Preventing water from going in the rivers reduces floods,� Fanning said.“So rain barrels are great for the whole community.� The sponsors of this event will assist you in using a rain barrel in your garden. Aqua Barrel’s Web page, www.aquabarrel.com, has information on everything you need to have your own rain barrel. The
What’s happening in your area of the city?
Tell us what you’d like to see in future issues of HL&T. Contact Sarah at 240.354.4832
Marc Imlay of the AWS schools residents in the art of rain barrels.
University of Maryland has horticultural consultants that are available weekdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. to answer gardening questions. Call 800.342.2507 or visit them on the
Web at www.hgic.umd.edu. To sign up for the next rainbarrel workshop call the AWS at 301.699.6204 or on the Web at www.anacostiaws.org.
Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
Page 13
WEEDS
MissFloribunda Dear Miss Floribunda, I just moved to Hyattsville and am planning a native garden. What native plants have worked well in this area? Also, I’ve noticed that a couple of neighbors have signs designating their yards as wildlife sanctuaries. How does this work? Thanks, A Neighbor Who Wants to Go Native Dear Neighbor, Let’s answer your question about the signs first. These yard signs are from the National Wildlife Federation and indicate that your garden is a Certified Wildlife Habitat. It costs $15 to apply for certification, plus $25 for the recycled aluminum signs. For complete information you can call 800.822.9919, visit www.nwf. org/backyard/ or come to the next Hyattsville Horticultural Society meeting at 10 a.m. on April 19, at the Hyattsville Municipal Building. One of our members is authorized by the NWF to certify yards. The basic requirements are to provide food, water and a habitat. This can be as simple as growing sunflowers, filling a birdbath, and providing birdhouses, shrubs and trees for nesting. This brings us to your inquiry concerning appropriate native plants. Well, I called my Aunt Sioux and she was delighted to help. First she went on and on about the advantages they have because of their modest water needs, their resistance to pests, their ease of care, their benefits to the environment and, of course, their beauty. She recommends starting with black-eyed Susans (our state flower), common wood violets, blue
CHARTER CHANGE
continued from page 1
wood asters, wild bergamot, Virginia bluebells and moss phlox. The redbud is a wonderful small tree to begin with. It is graceful yet tough as shoe leather and you can get trees that bloom in white, rose or knock-your-eye-out magenta. Among more challenging plants are Jacks-in-the-pulpit, but Sioux just loves them and rescued several from the site of the local Starbucks. They thrive under her touch and she thinks they are worth your while. For an exhaustive list, I would suggest you check the Web site of the Maryland Native Plant society at www. mdflora.org/publications/natives2plant_lists.html. There are several big sales coming up where you can find native plants as well as many others. On April 26 the National Arboretum, which is located not far from Hyattsville, will have its fabulous annual sale. That same Saturday, and Sunday as well, the Franciscan Monastery Garden Guild will have its annual sale at the Franciscan Monastery at 14th Quincy streets, just off Michigan Avenue in northeast Washington D.C. They present an enormous selection of herbs, as well as many shrubs, small trees, perennials and roses. Also, if you’d like organic compost, watch the Hyattsville list serve for an upcoming HHS sale of Chesapeake Green at Community Forklift. Chesapeake Green comes from the Chesapeake Bay and does not harm the bay when it returns to it in groundwater. “Miss Floribunda” is the collected wisdom of the Hyattsville Horticultural Society, which was compiled and edited into this column by Victoria Hille.
pert trained to differentiate between habitat and overgrowth, said director Jerry Hampton. It is possible that these types of habitats will become havens for rats, he said. Things like vegetables and seed from bird feeders will be a draw for rodents. “Rats will eat just about anything and they will travel great distances to a food source,” Hampton said, adding that at one point rats traveled blocks to dine on contents of a Dumpster at Castle Manor Apartments. Animal feces is the greatest draw for rats with dog and cat food coming in second, Hampton said.
“Folks who don’t clean up often or leave dog food out are more [at fault] than these kinds of habitats,” he said of a potential rat problem. The lush growth indicated in the proposed ordinance could also bring in snakes, and standing water used in some types of gardening could lead to mosquitoes, Hampton said. Although his office gets some complaints about rats now, the problem is much less than it had been in years past when utility companies were digging up city roads, he said. But Councilwoman Paula Perry (Ward 4) is still concerned about the rodents, as two people in her area have been bitten by rats. “Are we going to allow the kids to be bitten by rats?” she asked the council.
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n Placing recycling bins next to each trash can on city streets n Hosting federal, state and county non-governmental agencies to educate residents. Other suggestions include making city offices paperless and providing laptop computers to council members to reduce paper use during council functions. Dovetailing with the HEC’s report is council discussion to amend the city charter regarding condition of weeds and grass, in an effort to make violations clearer to both residents and code enforcement officials. “Unlike a lot of code violations where the violation may be clear … the violation in this case may not be clear,” said Mayor William Gardiner. The charter change seeks to more clearly define what constitutes a violation. Some factors for consideration include the presence of native plant species and wildflowers, vegetables or herbs. Proposals also include requiring remedy of the violation within 18 days as opposed to the current fiveday time frame. For residents like attorney M.A. Sheehan, whose yard was posted
and then mowed down by the city while she was out of town, this proposal is of utmost importance. “I thought about suing, but decided not to,” she said. “I think a proper process wasn’t in place.” Other proposed changes to the charter include making breaches clear on violation notices and adding persons with expertise to advise the city-appointed appeals board.
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Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
Page 14
‘Ultimate’ pastime
Any given Saturday, it’s game on at Magruder Park by Jessica Wilson
M
agruder Park is filling up with athletes of all kinds as various sports teams start coming out of hibernation for a new season. But for the Hyattsville Ultimate club, it is just another Saturday of a season that goes all year long. What’s so “ultimate” about what they do, you ask? We’re talking ultimate Frisbee. “It’s a cross between football and soccer,” said club founder Colin Strauss Riggs. “It’s much more of a throwing sport than soccer.” Riggs founded the club with some other members about two-and-ahalf years ago. By putting feelers out on the HOPE (Hyattsville Organization for a Positive Environment) list serve, he was able to garner interest and since then, the group has grown by word of mouth. There are 10 to 15 people on any given Saturday and anyone is welcome to join. Though some members of the group have played in college or with other organized groups, no experience is necessary. “The most challenging thing for beginning players is developing good short-range throws that they are comfortable with in a game,” Riggs said. “When you catch the disc, you are then expected to throw
it to the next person, and that can be a lot of pressure. If you drop it the other team gets it, and that is bad.” Ultimate Frisbee is a non-contact sport that focuses on throwing, or passing, the Frisbee to a teammate. You have 10 seconds to pass, and cannot run when in possession of the disc.Though scoring in the other team’s end zone is the objective, for this group, it is mostly about having fun. “None of us take ourselves too seriously,” said Bob Koerpel, Hyattsville resident and team member. “The best thing is the spirit of the game. It’s all about having fun.” The club stretches beyond Hyattsville. Players come from Takoma Park and even Gaithersburg. Washington, D.C. resident Lukas Phomsquath was jogging by one Saturday when he was invited to join a pick-up game. “It’s a work out and it’s also fun,” he said. “We all come down here to drop a few pounds,” Koerpel laughed. “It kind of combines the endurance of soccer and the skill of … basketball and football.” Riggs said the group tries to play year round, but attendance suffers when it is really cold.There are usually at least four or five people per team; the standard is seven. Riggs said they have played with more, but it tends to
The Hyattsville Ultimate club works up a cold sweat on a field at Magruder Park last month. The team plays an extreme form of Frisbee.
make the field pretty crowded. The group is strong thanks to consistent presence. They catch up with one another before the game starts at 10 a.m. and sometimes bring children or other family members to watch or to play at the park. “I think the general attraction is the easygoing competition,” Riggs said. “It allows interaction without the stress that other sports can bring.”
Members of the Hyattsville Ultimate club toss a Frisbee around Magruder Park during a high-energy game last month.
Hyattsville nets congressional funding Staff reports
these cities is over 14 square miles and over 62,000 residents, accordongressman Steny Hoyer ing Hyattsville police chief Doug(D-Md.) of Mechanicsville las Holland. “Police radio and data was in Hyattsville last month interoperability is crucial to effecfor a briefing on plans for a re- tive responses to large-scale disasters gional communications center that and daily public safety needs. The would encompass the municipalities ultimate goal is for the combined of Hyattsville, Bladensburg, Greenmunicipal systems belt, Mount Rainto be compatible ier and Riverdale and interoperable Park. Hoyer sewith systems of cured $658,000 for Prince George’s area communicaCounty public tions law enforcesafety agencies ment equipment in and other jurisdicthe Consolidated tions within the Appropriations Act National Capital of 2008. He refers Region,” Holland to project fundsaid in briefing ing such as these as materials. Prince “congressional iniGeorge’s County tiatives,” admitting Congressman Steny Hoyer, left, has over 25 police that others call it and Mayor William Gardiner agencies within “pork” and present its borders and it as “something most agencies do not have compatawful.” “But in reality, it can be ible radio and data systems. In the something very good like this that past two years the Hyattsville City we ought to do,” he said. “Part of my Council has worked to identify and job is to partner with local commu- present priorities to congressional nities, to join in as a partner in this leaders for funding consideration. effort.” The essential components of Council President Krista Atteberry this center are interoperable systems (Ward 3) spearheaded completing between the municipalities’ law en- the applications to our congressioforcement agencies — records man- nal offices. “The $658,000 through agement, computer dispatch, voice Hoyer for this important project communications and mobile data represents a significant success story processing. The combined total of for the city’s efforts,” she said.
C
Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
Page 15
What to do when summer finds you by Ashby Henderson and Jessica Wilson
I
f you live in Hyattsville and you are looking for activities to pass the time you live in the right place. Hyattsville is packed with fun things to do, fun places to go and community activities that make the spring preview just a sampling of what is available. Start with the Hyattsville 122nd Anniversary Parade and Festival scheduled for May 10. The parade will begin at 10:00 a.m. at Hyattsville Middle School and will end at Magruder Park followed by the festival at the park at noon. Cheri Everhart and Joanne Mood, of the Hyattsville Department of Recreation and the Arts, are working this year to provide parade performances and festival vendors. “We have well over 40 entries in this year’s parade including numerous classic cars, mounted police units, community groups, scouts, kinetic sculpture and many others I am over looking and many more to be announced,” Everhart said. The festival’s feature entertainment is The Kelly Bell Band who will be performing at 1:00 p.m. at Magruder Park. There will also be a Mini-Train to tour children around the park, a moon bounce to help the children jump above the park, a craft tent and kid’s games. All of this activity may make you hungry and you will most likely find yourself at the right place and at the right time. Any appetite should be satisfied with the menu that includes bar-be-cue, pit beef, fried turkey, kabobs, adobo, teriyaki, Italian sausage and side dishes to die for. And worry not, the desserts are covered, from very fine kettle corn, to maple crusted walnuts and funnel cakes. Over 15 artists will have booths set up for a shopping experience. The artist market features the Hyattsville area’s local artists selling their products in-
cluding framed photographs, paintings, custom jewelry, pottery and clothing. Those interested in helping out can contact Colleen Aistis, Hyattsville’s volunteer coordinator, to participate in the activities. The parade and festival set up and clean up is only one small vision in the volunteer activities available in the city. There are many others, like spending a Saturday morning cleaning up Magruder Park. Aistis has managed to make hip wader boots available to those who are willing to take the plunge to clean up the local waterways and will be able to provide a canoe to float the trash bags downstream. “We seem to be able to get a few outside volunteers,” she said. “We only wish we could get more Hyattsville volunteers.”
by Vicki Kriz
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ith peppermint candies, medals and ribbons, promises of school dances and field trips, some local schools might appear to be having too much fun on a school day. But all of these are a part of motivating students to perform well as they gear up for Maryland School Assessment testing this month. MSA testing measures basic and advanced skills in reading and math and satisfies the testing requirements set by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, according to the Maryland State Department of Education Web site. These tests will be given to students in grades three through eight. A MSA in science, first given last year, is again being field-tested in grade eight. Schools must meet a certain performance level in a category for all students along with subgroup categories that include five racial groups, special education students, students who speak limited Eng-
FromTheHills by Tim Hunt
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hen residents of University Hills noticed Verizon working in the neighborhood a couple of months back, excitement grew as many neighbors had been anticipating the introduction of FiOS as an option for highspeed Internet service and highdefinition television. FiOS brings the fiber optic technology used in large business telecommunication networks to the home. Instead of using pulses of electricity transmitted over a copper wire, fiber optic cable consists of hair-thin strands of glass fiber through which laser generated pulses of light transmit data.
“It enables us to provide faster speeds of internet service and enables us to provide high quality video,” said Sandy Arnette, spokesperson for Verizon. Promotional materials issued by Verizon also proclaim the superiority of FiOS to other technologies such as cable. When a customer orders FiOS, Verizon will run a fiber drop wire from the utility pole to the home where a box called the Optical Network Terminal is installed. The ONT converts the optical signal to an electrical signal. Once converted, the existing telephone wire in the home is used and the video and data signals are transmitted over the existing coaxial cable. Verizon will install a router for
Biding the bay
The Anacostia Watershed Society has volunteer programs that give people the opportunity to experience the great outdoors and enjoy the warm weather. One activity the organization focuses on is invasive plant removal, according to Steven Reynolds, membership and communication manager. “It is a good workout and a nice, pleasant way to spend a morning or an afternoon,” he said. There are also trash removal sites that are maintained by the organization’s volunteers around the river and its tributaries. But their biggest cleanup event is just around the corner. On April 26th, the organization will be picking up trash for their Earth Day Cleanup and Rally Celebration. For the really ambitious outdoors
enthusiast, June 2nd is the date for the AWS’s annual Paddle to the Bay. This five-day paddling and camping expedition starts in the Anacostia and goes all the way to Point Lookout, MD. “It’s a good chance to make contact with the river and see what it can do for you,” Reynolds said. “Parts of the Anacostia are very green, and you can’t see any buildings. There is a lot of wild life you’d never think to see. It’s also a great way to unwind.” Reynolds said wildlife you might find on the banks of the Anacostia includes ospreys, bald eagles, American egrets and blue herons. If you just want to get out for a breath of fresh air, there are the nearby Northeast and Northwest Branch trails, part of the Anacostia River’s tributary trails.
Making the grade lish and students who receive free and reduced-price lunches. If schools fail to meet performance levels in a category for two consecutive years, they are said to have made “adequate yearly progress” and will qualify to begin the State School Improvement procedure. This involves schools’ revamping curriculum to aid students in meeting state standards. Ultimately, if a school fails to meet performance levels in five years, a school-system takeover is issued. The English for Speakers of Other Languages program at Hyattsville Middle School did not meet the AYP last year, and the school found that the curriculum did not address state standards, the school’s Data Coach Sharon Laurich said. The curriculum has since been modified, giving the school high hopes for an improvement in
student performance. Local schools have been preparing students for months, incorporating fun educational activities into the daily school day and providing incentives to encourage students to attend school during testing and focus on performing at their best. Jeannie Washburn, principal of Hyattsville Elementary School, said that if 100 percent of her students attend testing, she will dye her hair blue and gold — the school colors — and go up on the roof of the school, where she will throw down paper airplanes containing prizes to students below. The school will be holding a dance on April 18 to reward students for completing testing. “It’s to encourage them to do their best,” Washburn said. “That’s what we ask for.” Students at Hyattsville Middle
Family friendly activities abound at Summer Jam.
School have been preparing for testing in a series of special days and events. Students participated in “Peppermint Day” where they received peppermint candies after reading a 2007 Washington Post article that said the candy improved test-taking ability. HMS students have also been participating in “Survivor MSA,” an event organized by Laurich, where students are split into teams to perform in a series of math and reading challenges with winning students receiving medals and ribbons. “We want [pupils] to get a good, upbeat feeling of the MSA and instruction,” Laurich said. The team that wins the most challenges ultimately wins a free dance after MSA testing. Students who attend all testing days will have the opportunity to attend a bowling or skating field trip. MSA reading testing takes place on April 1-2 with math testing being given on April 8-9 and science on April 29-30 and May 5-6.
High-speed in the Hills video and data services and will run new wires as needed. “A typical installation takes four to six hours, but varies based upon the specific installation,” Arnette said. “Customers can use their existing phones. Video usually requires a settop box or cable card to receive all of the video services that Verizon offers.” One of the first University Hills residents to have FiOS installed is F.C. Stark III. “I got the entire package,” Stark said. On the date of installation, the Verizon crew arrived promptly and completed the installation with telephone, video, and Internet service up and running in just over three hours. The only unresolved issue was that even though previously ordered, the HD and HD DVR boxes that enable the high-definition television service were unavailable at the time of installation.The installers estimat-
ed a minimum of one month for the back ordered boxes. Even so, Stark is happy with his decision. “The standard fiber signal is as good as the signal from Comcast,” he said. “I’m very pleased with the fiber TV.” While Verizon promotes the virtues of fiber optics, it wants to ensure all customers that other services such as DSL will remain unchanged. “DSL and FiOS technologies are completely separate,” Arnette said. “One technology does not in any way affect the performance of the other.” In other neighborhood news, progress is being made by the University of Maryland to try and avoid instances where excessive noise from Byrd Stadium disturbs neighborhood residents. Last October, the post-game press conference for
a university football game being broadcast over the stadium public address system lasted until well after midnight and was at such a volume that many residents complained. At the time, James Greenwell, senior associate athletics Director, promised residents that he would address their concerns at the end of the football season in committee meetings that focused on improving athletic operations. “Certainly, we need to find out why it’s happening,” Greenwell said recently. “We have decided to make adjustments to the sound system to keep the noise in the stadium. I won’t consider [the issue] resolved until we make the adjustments and have similar conditions to understand if it worked. It [will] be difficult for us to create those conditions but we’ll try in August before the season.”
Hyattsville Life&Times | April 2008
Page 16
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