OPENING DOORS Tradesmen jobs primed for county’s ex-offenders. A-6
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SPORTS: DeMatha looks back at one of the greatest basketball games in high school history. B-1
DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Thursday, January 29, 2015
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Lawmakers hope to restore $20M in education cuts n
Purple Line project funded, but faces uncertain fate
BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
ALICE POPOVICI/THE GAZETTE
Crews from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission repair a section of broken pipe that caused a large sinkhole on Edmonston Road early Tuesday morning.
Sinkhole swallows car, floods area Residents near Bladensburg dealing with damage, uncertainty n
BY
ALICE POPOVICI STAFF WRITER
Luz Martinez, 38, said she and her husband planned to stay in a hotel Tuesday evening after a water main break opened up a sinkhole outside their Edmonston
Road home near Bladensburg, flooding the basement — but they weren’t sure how to get there. “We don’t know what we have to do.” said Martinez, adding that part of the problem is their car was still parked on the other side of the sinkhole. She said a family of five who live in her basement narrowly escaped being swallowed by the hole, after climbing into their own car just as the ground underneath was
beginning to give way. She said the family managed to quickly get out of the car before it was submerged. “What I am worried about right now is the foundation [of the house],” said Martinez, whose house is located is in an unincorporated area between Bladensburg and Edmonston. Jerry Irvine, a spokesman for the
See SINKHOLE, Page A-7
College Park city manager will retire in June Longtime official oversaw parking improvements, worked closely with UM n
BY
ALICE POPOVICI STAFF WRITER
A former College Park mayor said he often described City Manager Joe Nagro — who will retire in June after more than 25 years with the city — as “the most popular guy in [College Park].” “He just has a great appreciation to not
only elected officials, but staff and the community as a whole,” said Steve Brayman of College Park, who served as mayor from 2001 until 2009. “Everyone knows him, he gets things done and Nagro he has a real commitment to the city.” Nagro, 69, of College Park, who began his career with the city as a councilman in 1989 and became deputy director of Public Works in 1997, has been City Manager
since 2005. City officials said he has overseen projects such the building of the downtown garage, the city’s contract to hire police officers from the Prince George’s County Police Department, and nurtured an improved relationship with the University of Maryland, College Park. “When I first took over, there wasn’t much of a relationship between the university and the city,” Nagro said. “There was always the issue of noise, vandalism in the downtown are ... we all have the same
See MANAGER, Page A-8
Longtime Laurel businesses focus on quality Owners say perseverance and dedication is key to overcoming economic challenges
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BY
ALICE POPOVICI STAFF WRITER
Randy Kroop said the 125-step process she uses to craft leather boots from scratch hasn’t changed one bit since her grandfather opened the downtown Laurel store in the mid-1920s — but
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finding the right materials can be tricky. Like other business owners in downtown Laurel who have weathered a recent recession and market shifts over the last few decades, Kroop said the main ingredient to success is perseverance. The boot maker, who took over A.M. Kroop and Sons, Inc. on C Street from her father in 1986, said part of the challenge is many of the manufacturers who used to supply her leather or adhesive for the boots have closed in recent decades. She said finding replacement
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A DIFFERENT BATTLE Prince George’s veterans seek better access to county services. A-4
parts for the machines she uses is getting more difficult. “You just have to research,” said Kroop, 61, of Columbia. “You just have to call and call and call, and find people that will supply you.” Kroop said the business has adapted to shifting demand since the 1980s, when its orders came mainly from racetracks, including Laurel Park and others as far away as Florida and New England. She said the bulk of the
See BUSINESS, Page A-7
RECYCLE
See EDUCATION, Page A-8
School board votes to eliminate credit cards Unopposed decision follows negative publicity, proposed legislation n
BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
The Prince George’s County school board voted to cut up their own county-issued credit cards, in the wake of media reports of past charges for expensive meals. “I think that doing this is the absolute right thing to do and I always have, regardless of media coverage,” said board chair Segun Eubanks prior to the vote. “We don’t need them, and the public has high expectations.” The vote to ban credit cards came as an amendment to a board policy revision on ex-
penditures introduced at the board’s Jan. 22 meeting. Board members Zabrina Epps (Dist. 1) and Dinora Hernandez (Dist. 3) were absent. The board is expected to make a final vote on the revision at its Feb. 12 meeting. In addition to $18,000 a year in salary, school board members receive $7,000 in reimbursements for expenses related to their duties, such as working meals and professional development conferences. The credit cards, intended to be used for allowable expenses related to board duties, came under increased scrutiny from legislators and community members after reports in October that some credit card expenditures included meals at local
See CREDIT CARDS, Page A-7
Randy Kroop, a thirdgeneration boot maker, works Jan. 15 on custom-made boots inside her business, A.M. Kroop and Sons, in downtown Laurel. BILL RYAN/ THE GAZETTE
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Prince George’s County leaders are hoping to restore $20 million in state education cuts, while convincing the state’s new governor that projects such as the Purple Line need to move forward. Prince George’s County Council Chair Mel Franklin (DDist. 9) of Upper Marlboro characterized Gov. Larry Hogan’s (R) proposed $40 billion budget as a “mixed bag” for the county. “It could have been worse. It doesn’t go to one extreme or the
other, which is in keeping in line with the governor’s promises,” Franklin said. Hogan’s budget includes $6.1 billion statewide for education, but also includes a 50 percent cut to the Geographical Cost of Education Index, or GCEI, a non-mandated formula that provides extra funding to larger, more urban school districts. Prince George’s County received $40 million from the GCEI last year. “The cuts to education are going to be difficult. These are real jobs and real people at stake,” Franklin said. A $20 million cut is the equivalent of 250 teaching positions, said Raymond Brown, Prince George’s County Public
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