LEADING THE WAY Bowie senior center achieves national honor. A-3
Gazette-Star
NEWS: Bowie Councilman made it his mission to ‘serve the heart of Bowie’ A-4
SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNT Y
SPORTS: Douglass wins region title; advances to Saturday’s state semifinal game. B-1
DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Thursday, November 27, 2014
25 cents
County bill seeks to limit sex trafficking Applies civil penalties for hotels giving hourly rates n
BY JAMIE
ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Prince George’s County officials hope to strike another blow against human sex trafficking in county hotels and motels. County Bills 79 and 80 were passed unanimously by the Prince George’s County Council on Nov. 19, its last meeting before the new council is sworn in Dec. 1. Both bills were amended prior to passage, based on recommendations from business organizations. CB 79 prohibits lodging establishments from offering reduced hourly rates, something police say is common in the sex trafficking industry.
See LEGISLATION, Page A-8 BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Connie Young of Bowie has her plate filled by Robin Robinson of Fort Washington during the Knights of St. Johns in Bowie, special Thanksgiving for seniors on Nov. 20 at Ascension Catholic Church in Bowie.
Dishing up a feast
Annual Knights of St. John’s event serves Bowie’s seniors BY
EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY STAFF WRITER
E
leven years after the death of a Bowie man known for his dedication to his church and the community, his son stands in a building named after him and welcomes local seniors to a home-cooked Thanksgiving feast. Joe Bates of Bowie, president of the Knights of St. John’s organization, has helped plan a Thanksgiving Dinner for Seniors at his father’s eponymous hall, the James R. Bates hall, at Ascension Catholic Church since about 2010, he said. “It’s just helping people in the community and being able to give back,” said Bates, who said he feels like the tradition helps carry
on his father’s legacy. “It’s an honor.” The Knights, a Bowie-based charitable organization, have been holding the feast since 2003, the year that James Bates passed away, but had to move to the church hall four years ago when their guests outgrew the Knights building in Old Town Bowie, Bates said. Around 75 Bowie-area seniors attended the event on Nov. 20 this year and socialized over a meal of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing and more. Many of the Thanksgiving meal attendees live in Bowie and have been participating in the event for years, said Connie Young of Bowie, who said she used to attend the event annually with her husband before he passed away. Young said the fact that the Knights’ Thanksgiving meal is held a week early al-
Bowie turns its focus on felines n
City supports initiatives of local animal groups BY
EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY STAFF WRITER
lows participants to spend the Holiday with their families. “It’s great to get a beautiful Thanksgiving meal with friendly people,” Young said. “I’ve been coming for years and everybody knows me and knew my husband. This was one of his favorite things to do.” Lois Shelton of New Carrollton attended the event for the first time this year and agreed with Young that it can be a hassle to prepare a full Thanksgiving dinner. “By the time you become a grandmother, you don’t want to cook a big Thanksgiving meal,” Young said. “Over the hills and through the woods, it’s nice for somebody to serve grandmother.”
Bowie officials showed their commitment to both twolegged and four-legged residents by supporting two initiatives aimed at caring for stray and pet cats. On Nov. 17, Bowie started construction of a “cat room” at City Hall for lost domesticated cats and also formally approved a city-wide “trap-neuter-release,” or TNR, program designed to manage the feral cat population. There could be more than 3,000 free-roaming cats in Bowie, based on a formula developed by Phoenix-based Petsmart Charities. The cat holding room is an expansion of a temporary animal shelter built into City Hall in 2011 and is the result of a partnership between the city and Bowie Citizens for Local Animal Welfare, or CLAW. Tara Kelley-Baker, president of CLAW, and CLAW vice
See DINNER, Page A-8
See FELINES, Page A-8
Upper Marlboro nonprofit ‘Stuff-A-Truck’ drive benefits Oxon Hill County effort collects more seeks permanent home than 700 pounds of food n
Fun 4 Kids Foundation hopes to “rebirth” programs in personal facility n
BY
KIRSTEN PETERSEN STAFF WRITER
After years of holding meetings at IHOP restaurants, play rehearsals in churches and football practices at Sasscer Field, Upper Marlboro residents Johnny and Audrey Jones say their nonprofit, Fun 4 Kids Foundation, deserves its own space. But not just any space — the cou-
Unemployed and raising four children, Lakeisha Davis, 28, of Oxon Hill said she couldn’t afford to spend Thanksgiving with her family in Cincinnati. But Davis said her Thanksgiving plans got “happier” when she received a turkey and nonperishable food from the Glassmanor/Oxon Hill Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative. “That’s a blessing for people like me and others to receive food like that
See FOUNDATION, Page A-9
See FOOD, Page A-8
BY
STAFF WRITER
B-9 A-2 B-7 B-4 A-11 B-1
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
What to get the fitness buffs, gardening enthusiasts, kids and others on your list; plus: stocking stuffer ideas for adults and holiday events throughout Prince George’s ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT
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KIRSTEN PETERSEN
SPECIAL SECTION
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ple has launched a $12 million fundraiser to build their own facility and fields. “In the nine years we’ve been pushing our foundation, it’s time to launch and do something big,” Johnny Jones said. The Joneses started the Fun 4 Kids Foundation in 2005 as a “multifaceted” organization serving all community members and their diverse needs. They said their mission is to help youth and adults reach their greatest potential by creating a safe and caring community.
Volume 17, No. 48, Two sections, 20 Pages Copyright © 2014 The Gazette Please
RECYCLE
Tiawana Silver (left), 50, of Fort Washington; Anthony Redmond, 42, of Clinton and his daughter Arianna, 11, sort through food donations dropped off Nov. 15 in Oxon Hill. KIRSTEN PETERSEN/ THE GAZETTE