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Bowie budget may add services, not taxes Bike lanes, City Council considering increases to police department, new sports facility n
BY
CHASE COOK
STAFF WRITER
Bowie residents could have four more police officers patrolling the streets and a new non-emergency hotline for city services without seeing an increase in their property taxes for a fifth year in a row — a first in the city’s history.
Bowie officials have proposed a $59.3 million budget for fiscal 2015 — about $3.5 million more than the proposed fiscal 2014 budget — that looks much similar to that 2014 budget with a few funding changes throughout, said city manager David Deutsch. The budget is currently being considered by the City Council and will likely be approved in May and go into effect on July 1, Deutsch said. Deutsch said officials were able to add money in some departments without raising property taxes from 40 cents per $100 of the property’s value because the city had small revenue in-
creases and managed its finances well. “The idea was maintain city services, the tax rate and let’s address some of the capital projects,” Deutsch said, referencing some of the city’s capitol projects like the proposed indoor sports facility. One of the most significant funding changes is putting more money into the police department to hire four more officers, bringing the city’s total to 61, Deutsch said. The department also will likely receive money to start a non-emergency call center, a hotline residents can call to link directly with city police for issues like noise viola-
‘green’ plans eyed in Upper Marlboro
tions. The current budget proposes the police department receive about an additional $850,000. City Council also plans to discuss the possibility of a new $8 million to $9 million indoor sports facility that would house basketball courts and alleviate the demand on the Bowie Municipal Gym, said Mayor G. Frederick Robinson. The project would take several years before completion, Robinson said. City officials know there is a need for a new gym, but they don’t want to accrue a bunch of debt that
See BUDGET, Page A-8
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Student entrepreneur cafe cooks up big business
BY
Upper Marlboro storefronts and sidewalks could get a facelift in the next few years, but residents want more details regarding how soon they could expect the town beautification efforts to take place. The downtown improvement projects are part of a preliminary plan to bring out Upper Marlboro’s historic character and make it environmentally sustainable such as adding bicycle lanes and an energy-efficient addition to town hall, said Stephen Sonnett, president of the town’s board of commissioners. The 631-resident town, established in 1706, was designated as one of Maryland’s sustainable communities in March making it eligible to apply for a number of state grants to improve infrastructure and reinvest in historic buildings. First, officials will have to conduct studies to determine how much of this is feasible, Sonnett told about 26 residents gathered for a special meeting Monday at Trinity Episcopal Church
ALICE POPOVICI STAFF WRITER
Samuel P. Massie Academy teachers didn’t have to worry about bringing in their lunch Friday as their lounge was transformed into the bustling “The 7th Cafe,” a takeout restaurant staffed entirely by seventh-grade students. Chefs Dajah Baylor, 12, of Forestville, and Rashad Lathern, 13, of Suitland stirred pasta and marinara sauce as their manager, Victoria Watkins, 13, of Forestville, checked on trays of meatballs baking in the oven. The delivery crew awaited finished orders while Anaya Porter, 13, of District Heights, one of the restaurant’s three CEOs, kept an eye on the 20-person operation at the Forestville school. “The 7th Cafe” is part of an entrepreneurial project reading teacher Leslie Rankins has organized at the school every spring for about 10 years, to give her students a taste of what it’s like to open a business,
See BUSINESS, Page A-8
See DOWNTOWN, Page A-7 GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE
Teacher Leslie Rankins (right) scoops out macaroni and cheese Friday as student Victoria Watkins (left), 13, pulls chicken wings from the oven and fellow students Malik Benning (back, left), 12, and Anaya Porter, 13, look over food orders in the kitchen at Samuel P. Massie Academy in Forestville. A group of seventh-graders operated a food preparation and delivery service for faculty at the school as part of an entrepreneurship program.
Bowie dog’s death prompts owner assistance fund n
County fire officials partner to pay vet bills BY CHASE COOK STAFF WRITER
Whether the two- or four-legged version, Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department wants to insure any victims rescued from fires get the best recovery treatment possible even if it has to help cover the costs. The Fire/EMS department has created a new fund to help owners of pets injured in house fires pay for veterinarian bills, said Mark Brady, Fire/EMS spokesman. The PGFD and SPCA Sparky Fire Fund was created in partnership with the Anne Arundel County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or SPCA, after Bowie dog Otis died from injuries he obtained in an October house fire, Brady said. Another dog, Mylo, was injured in the fire but survived, he said.
NEWS
HELP IS ON THE WAY Ten county schools to receive full-time counselors thanks to new partnership.
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ALICE POPOVICI STAFF WRITER
Program teaches seventh-graders aspects of running own companies n
BY
Dowtown improvment projects include bicycle lanes
“We urged the family to get them to the vet, but they couldn’t afford to send the dogs to the vet,” Brady said. “We did our best when we found out what was going on.” Once the fund is available for use, Prince George’s County residents whose pets are injured in a house fire can have the animal transported to a veterinarian hospital, which will receive payment allowing for immediate assistance instead of waiting for someone to come up with the money, Brady said. The fund will be managed by the Anne Arundel SPCA, an animal advocate organization that assisted with Otis’s care after the October fire, said Rita Melvin, SPCA development and programs manager. Brady said he was aware Prince George’s County has an SPCA, but the Fire/EMS department partnered with Anne Arundel because its SPCA was familiar with what happened to Otis.
Three southern county sites get new artifical surfaces this summer; rest are in limbo
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A Bowie Police officer assists Otis with an oxygen mask designed for pets on Oct. 23, after a fire in Bowie. Otis died from his injuries because his owner couldn’t afford to pay for treatment.. MARK BRADY/PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY FIRE/EMS DEPARTMENT
High school field plans get turfed BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER
Oxon Hill High School football coach Craig Jeffries said he experiences a bittersweet feeling when he peers at the construction site that will be the school’s 5,000-seat stadium that features an artificial turf field. The school is scheduled to have access to the new field on June 15. The list of benefits that come with the installation of the synthetic surface is long: Better field conditions, athletes’ safety, lower cost and time needed for field maintenance and overall program pride, to name a few. But Jeffries said
See TURF, Page A-7
See DOG, Page A-8
SPORTS
GETTING A JUMP
Fairmont Heights senior clears hurdles to become a state title contender.
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