Laurel 020515

CANINE CONCERNS Hyattsville forum addresses escaped, stray dogs. A-3

The Gazette

NEWS: Bringing business to city is key for newly appointed Mount Rainier official. A-6

NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNT Y

SPORTS: Sophomore puts the spotlight on Central’s swim team heading into championships. B-1

DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T

Thursday, February 5, 2015

25 cents

Graduation rates rise in the county Figures are highest in five years n

BY JAMIE

ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

PHOTOS BY EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY/THE GAZETTE

Northwestern High School Junior Hong Nhan, 16, of Hyattsville emerges from the water Friday at the 2015 Cool School challenge for Special Olympics. Below: Students from Bowie High School pose with a school banner Friday before plunging into the icy waters.

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Braving the icy waves County schools raise $6,000 for Special Olympics BY

Ten minutes before 2,000 teenagers in swimsuits hurled themselves into 34 degree bay water, the snowflakes began to fall at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis and a defiant cheer rose up from 72 school teams participating in the Maryland Special Olympics Cool School Challenge.

Two high schools from Bowie and Hyattsville represented Prince George’s County at the sixth annual Cool School event, where students jump into the icy Chesapeake Bay in exchange for

n

ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

Kenmoor Elementary School parents are protesting plans by the school system to turn their Landover school into an early childhood center, citing the school’s strong academic perfor-

ALICE POPOVICI STAFF WRITER

Plans to close school upset parents

BY JAMIE

C Street Flats expected to help Main Street grow BY

See PLUNGE, Page A-8

Landover school would reopen as early-childhood center

See GRADUATION, Page A-8

Laurel apartments to open in April

EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY STAFF WRITER

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Prince George’s County Public Schools’ graduation rates are at their highest in at least five years, which school officials credit to new programs and renewed collaboration between students, teachers and parents.

School system CEO Kevin Maxwell attributed the success of new programs begun last year such as an early warning system for at-risk students and the expansion of credit recovery.

“It’s a fantastic sign that we’re moving in the right direction,” Maxwell said of the graduation rate increase. “We still have progress to make, but we’re on the right path.”

The Maryland State Department of Education, or MSDE, released

graduation and dropout data for the 2013-2014 school year Jan. 27 through the Maryland State Report Card website.

Graduation rates in Prince George’s County, based on a fouryear cohort, rose from 74.1 percent in 2013 to 76.6 this year, the highest since MSDE began using cohorts to track graduation rates in 2010.

The four-year cohort tracks how many students who entered high school in fall 2010 graduated in spring 2014, while accounting for student transfers and deaths.

Prince George’s results are lower than the state four-year cohort graduation rate of 86.4 percent, but the county experienced a greater increase, 2.5 percent, over the state, which increased 1.4 percent from 2013’s 85.0 percent graduation rate.

Four high schools had graduation rates equal or higher than the state average: Bowie High (89.5),

mance and importance to the community.

“This is a school that is working. It is working and it should not be closed,” said Eric Shakir of Landover, parent of two children at Kenmoor. “We acknowledge that we need another ECC ... but this is not the way to do it.”

The school is one of two slated to be closed at the end of this year. The other school is Thomas Claggett Elementary School in District Heights. The school

system held a public forum in Upper Marlboro Jan. 28 regarding both closures and other boundary changes.

Both closures are part of school system CEO Kevin Maxwell’s proposed boundary changes for the 2015-16 school year.

Both schools are under-enrolled, with Claggett’s student population at 50 percent of its State Rated

See KENMOOR, Page A-8

Many residents who have watched a new apartment complex take shape in downtown Laurel over the past few months say the C Street Flats will liven up the quiet neighborhood and bring business to Main Street.

“I think it’ll bring new blood into the community,” said Ada Ghuman of Laurel, who is president of the Laurel Arts District Committee. “I’m very excited about it.”

Ghuman said the building’s location across the street from Venus Theater, in the heart of the city’s arts district, will bring more activity to the street. She said the apartment’s management company has been supportive of the arts district by helping support its annual arts festival.

The 142-unit apartment complex which is tailored to young, single professionals is set to open around

“People are really loving the walkability — the city of Laurel has done a really great job bringing life back to Main Street.”

Allison Webb, property manager the end of April, said Allison Webb, property manager with Californiabased developer Klingbeil Capital Management. She said the property, which was 10 percent leased as of Monday, will feature a fitness center, an outdoor lounge and a cafe.

“Main Streets are making a huge comeback in America in general,”

See APARTMENTS, Page A-8

Four praised as heroes in Berwyn Heights fire Passersby acted quickly to pull woman, her father out of burning home n

BY

ALICE POPOVICI STAFF WRITER

A 62-year-old woman and her 93-year-old father escaped a fire Jan. 29 with the help of four passersby who pulled them outside as smoke and flames enveloped their Berwyn Heights home.

Norma and William Hathcock, who were treated for smoke inhalation, would have sus-

they saw the fire as they were returning from breakfast nearby around 9 a.m.

“We saw the flames shooting out of that window and the guy hanging out the window trying to breathe,” Williams said. “I could hear her screaming for help.”

Williams said they brought William Hathcock outside, just as Alvin Holloway of Hyattsville, who had been driving nearby and saw the smoke, pulled up to the house.

“The smoke was so thick you couldn’t see into the house,” said Holloway, 59. As he

NEWS

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tained more serious injuries were it not for the quick response of the four men, said Mark Brady, a spokesman for the Prince George’s County Fire and EMS Department. He praised the bravery of the men, who acted quickly and went inside the Seminole Place residence without protective equipment moments before about 35 firefighters from neighboring departments arrived on scene.

“They definitely are heroes in my eyes,” Brady said. “Every second counts in a situation when you’re trapped inside a burning house.”

Raphael Williams, 31, and Roderick Hill, 29, roommates who live down the street, said

B-8 A-2 B-6 B-3 A-9 B-1

BATTLE OF THE BRAINS Laurel school advances to Science Bowl semifinals; will face Largo team in March.

A-4

See RESCUE, Page A-8

Volume 18, No. 6, Two sections, 20 Pages Copyright © 2015 The Gazette

ALICE POPOVICI/THE GAZETTE

Roderick Hill (left) and Raphael Williams of Berwyn Heights stand in front of a burned-out home Jan. 29, hours after they and two other men helped a woman and her father escape the fire.

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EVENTS

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Send items at least two weeks in advance of the paper in which you would like them to appear. Go to calendar.gazette.net and click on the submit button. Questions? Call 301670-2070.

FEB. 5 Folk Life and Faraway Places Film Series: The Help, 2 p.m., New Carrollton Li-

brary, 7414 Riverdale Road, New Carrollton.

(PG-13, 2011, 146 min.) Based on Kathryn Stockett’s 2009 novel, “The Help” tells the story of Skeeter Phelan, a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer. But Skeeter turns her friends’ lives — and a small Mississippi town — upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families. Contact 301-459-6900.

FEB. 6 Boundaries: A dance-theatre response to #YesAllWomen, 8 p.m., Joe’s Movement

Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier. Boundaries is a dance-based theatre performance inspired by the #YesAllWomen Twitter feed. Through movement, text, song, and multi-media, Boundaries explores feminine sensuality, strength and vulnerability — all parts of a beautiful whole — as seen through the lens of men, women and the media. Contact 301-699-1819.

Meccorre Quartet, 8 p.m., The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center’s Gildenhorn Recital Hall, Stadium Drive and Route 193, College Park. Cost is $25 public/$20 NextLEVEL/$10 student. Contact 301-405-2787 or tickets.theclarice@umd.edu.

FEB. 7 Winter Bird Walk, 8 to 10 a.m., Patux-

ent Research Refuge National Wildlife Visitor Center, Powder Mill Road between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Rt. 197, Laurel. Search for birds in several refuge habitats on this guided hike. Field guides and binoculars are recommended.

Registration is required. Ages 8 and up.

Contact 301-497-5887.

Second Annual High School Breakfast, 9 a.m. to Noon at University of Maryland, Merrill College of Journalism, College Park, 1100 Knight Hall, College Park.

Come join us on Feb. 7, when WUSA9’s sports reporter David Owens moderates a distinguished panel of experts on the topic: “The Changing Nature of College Sports: What the high school athlete needs to know.” Free breakfast is provided. Contact 301-405-2399 or bmechum@umd.edu.

Hyattsville Horticultural Society Annual Seed Sale, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hyatts-

ville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin St., Hyattsville. Please look for us in the Mary

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

Prangley Room on the second floor. We will have many varieties of seeds from Hart’s Seeds and Landreth Heirloom Seeds, displays on butterfly and container gardening, gardening pamphlets, used books, baked goods and hot soup. Contact victoria.boucher@gmail.com.

Movements through History, 3 to 4 p.m., Columbia Park Community Center, 1901 Kent Village Drive, Landover. Celebrate Black History Month with a rich performance featuring music, dance, and drama. The performance will be choreographed, directed and performed by students from various schools, with help from the performing arts group, “The Most Visions.” The program is open to youth who’d like to display their talents.

Please call the center for details. Contact 301-445-4508; TTY 301-445-4512.

FEB. 8 Unconditional Love Pet Adoption Event, WAGS/Greenbelt Animal Shelter,

Noon to 3 p.m., Greenbelt PetSmart, 7475 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt. Cats and dogs from the Greenbelt Shelter will be there.

Visit www.greenbeltmd.gov/animalshelter) for pet profiles. Contact 240-508-7533 or lcrossed@greenbeltmd.gov.

Ripped from the Headlines, 1 to 4 p.m., Laurel Museum, 817 Main St., Laurel.

2015 Laurel Museum Exhibit. Explore how Laurel’s news coverage has changed over the years and how it has remained the same. Contact 301-725-7975 or visit www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org.

African American Inventors, 2 to 4 p.m., Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel. Patricia Sluby, author of “The Inventive Spirit of African Americans” and “The Entrepreneurial Spirit of African Americans” will discuss well known and not so well known inventions attributed to African Americans.

Light refreshments available after the program. Contact 301-377-7800 or montpelier.arts@pgparks.com.

FEB. 9 Chinese/English Preschool Storytime,

7 p.m., Greenbelt Library, 11 Crescent Road, Greenbelt. Ages 3-5. Enjoy stories, songs, rhymes and other activities in Chinese and English. Please pick up ticket at the Information Desk. Contact 301-3455800.

MAC: Manga and Anime Club, 7 p.m., Hyattsville Library, 6530 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville. Ages 13-18. Watch your favorite anime, talk about and preview new

SAT

7

Valentine-Making Party, 10 a.m. to

Noon at Hyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin St., Hyattsville. All ages are invited. Make a special valentine for a friend and another for a Hyattsville senior. Live music. Sponsored

by Hyattsville Aging in Place, the all-volunteer nonprofit working toward an age-friendly community.

Questions? Call 301-887-3101. Email hapcares@gmail.com.

MORE INTERACTIVE CALENDAR ITEMS AT WWW.GAZETTE.NET manga, create art, comics and costumes, enjoy snacks. Join fellow anime and manga fans at the new Hyattsville Manga and Anime Club. Contact 301-985-4690.

FEB. 10 African History & Culture Lecture Series, 7 p.m., Greenbelt Library, 11

Crescent Road, Greenbelt. Afro-Latinos: The Hidden Legacy (C.R. Gibbs). Contact 301-345-5800.

Nature’s Wings, 7:30 p.m., College Park Aviation Museum, 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive, College Park. Monarch Butterfly Conservation. Monarch butterflies are threatened by loss of habitat, herbicide and insecticide, disappearance of food and more, but steps can be taken to protect and restore their populations.

Contact 301-864-6029; TTY 301-699-2544.

A&E

Listening for the Song of the Jasmine: Ragamala Dance Company brings latest show to The Clarice.

Eleanor Roosevelt girls swim team goes for its 14th straight county championship on Saturday. Check online for coverage on the county’s top swimmers.

SPORTS

Why is the pollen count high? What causes thunder?

Email weather@gazette.net with your weather-related questions and they may be answered by an NBC 4 meteorologist.

FEB. 11 Worlds of Wildlife, 10 to 11 a.m., Patuxent Research Refuge National Wildlife Visitor Center, Powder Mill Road between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Rt. 197, Laurel. Discover Patuxent’s amazing variety of life from big to small and fuzzy to slimy through interactive games, stories and a hike. Registration is required. Ages 5-7. Contact 301-4975887.

Advocacy & the 2015 Maryland Legislative Session, Noon to 2 p.m., New

Get complete, current weather information at NBCWashington.com

GAZETTE CONTACTS The Gazette-Star – 13501 Virginia Manor Road Laurel, MD 20707 Main phone: 240-473-7500, Fax: 240-473-7501 Jeffrey Lyles, managing editor: 240-473-7508

Carrollton Library, 7414 Riverdale Road, New Carrollton. With the deficits facing the State of Maryland, it is important to understand the issues that are being discussed, and how your organization can make a difference. Contact Omnia Joehar at 301-429-0414, Ext. 306 by Feb. 9.

The Gazette (ISSN 1077-5641) is published weekly for $29.99 a year by The Gazette, 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, MD 20877. Periodicals postage paid at Gaithersburg, Md. Postmaster: Send address changes. VOL. 18, NO. 6 • 2 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES

Youth Services Center, 4912 Nantucket Road, College Park. Teens will prepare for Valentine’s Day with a card making workshop. Contact 301-345-4425: TTY 301-445-4512.

The Gazette corrects errors promptly on Page A-2 and online. To comment on the accuracy or adequacy of coverage, contact editor Jeffrey Lyles at 240-473-7508 or email jlyles@gazette.net.

CORRECTIONS

Xtreme Teens: Valentine’s Day Card Workshop, 3:30 to 4 p.m., College Park

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Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

Hyattsville forum addresses residents’ canine concerns Residents seek solutions for escaped, stray canines

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BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

Nancy Meyer of Hyattsville said a community menace is making her fearful in her community — and they attack on four legs.

Meyer said her dog has been attacked several times by loose dogs roaming the neighborhood, and she said she recently tried to protect a friend’s dog when it was attacked.

“It makes me afraid to live in this community and walk my dog, and really has given me pause,” Meyer said during a Jan. 27 forum on loose dogs in Hyattsville. “If I’m afraid to walk on my own street, because I’ve seen 150 pound dogs going after people, kids, adults, other dogs, my feelings about living here really changes.”

Mount Rainier resident Joanne Kirsch of the Gateway Dog Club said she organized a forum to discuss options for dealing with loose dogs following online discussions about dog attacks in Mount Rainier and Hyattsville.

“It occurred to me that this has become a real problem,” Kirsch said.

Angela Crankfield-Edmond, director of epidemiology and disease control with the Prince George’s County Health Department, which handles animal bite reports, said there were 723 reported dog bites in the county in 2014, which she said is fairly typical compared with previous years.

Joseph Mattingly, field supervisor for the Prince George’s County animal control, said the county does not track attacks against other animals.

The meeting discussed ways community members can coordinate efforts to protect against loose dogs, as well as provide information on laws regarding problematic dogs and how to deal with an encounter with a loose dog.

Laura Costas, a Silver Spring dog trainer specializing in aggression issues, said a loose dog doesn’t even need to be aggressive to be a problem, if it confronts another dog on a leash.

“Unfortunately, the culture here is that, ‘Well, my dog gets to run free because he’s friendly’,” Costas said. “But if a loose dog barges into your personal space, your dog is likely to have a negative reaction.”

Costas warned individuals walking their dog to be especially careful when encountering a loose dog.

“If you have a dog that does not have a person, or is with a person, but breaks away from that person, you can’t control that situation. You can control yourself, you might be able to control your dog, but you can’t control the other dog,” Costas said. “There really isn’t a magic bullet you can apply to a situation where one dog is on a leash and another one isn’t.”

Mattingly said there are usually only one or two animal control officers on duty at a time to respond to calls from anywhere in the county.

“This is a very, very large county,” Mattingly said. “A lot of times we can’t get there for three or more hours, or longer.”

Meyer said it is up to residents to come up with solutions for loose dogs.

“We have to organize ourselves in the community, the responsible pet owners, and we’ve got to come up with strategies to figure out how to deal with this,” Meyer said.

Adrianne Lefkowitz of Riverdale said she hopes gatherings such as the dog forum can help better connect dog owners and share information.

“We would like to find a way to empower dog owners, to have materials available online, and encourage them to talk to their neighbors,” Lefkowitz said. “Oftentimes, it’s not someone who is willfully breaking the law, it’s someone who maybe doesn’t know the best way to keep their dog contained and they need help.”

Mattingly said what is needed is greater enforcement of regulations already on the books.

“The laws are fine; the problem is enforcement,” Mattingly said. “You’ve got to attend the City Council meetings, budget hearings. You’ve got to be vocal to the right people.” janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

Author publishes novel “Once I started writing it, I just couldn’t stop.”

Sawyer said she is already working on a sequel, based on a minor character from her first novel.

Sawyer also teaches entrepreneurship at Hospitality High School in Washington, D.C. — JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU

A little cut up

JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU/THE GAZETTE

Tej Garski (right) of College Park helps her daughter Talika Garski, 3, cut a polka-dotted straw Jan. 23 at the Little Makers craft night hosted by the Greenbelt Makerspace.

After 25, Greenbelt Kmart is set for closure Liquidation sales to run until doors shut mid-April

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BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

After more than a quarter of a century in business, the Greenbelt Kmart will close its doors in April, and that’s sad news to Lanham residents Ron and Rose Corazzi.

“I really wish the store wasn’t closing,” Rose Corazzi said after shopping at the Kmart Feb. 2. She said it was a short distance from their home, and they have made frequent trips to the store over the years.

“It’s been very convenient to us,” added Ron Corazzi.

The Kmart store in Greenbelt, located at 8829 Greenbelt Road in the Cipriano Square Shopping Center will close to the public in mid-April, said Howard Riefs, director of corporate communications for Hoffman Estates, Ill.-based Sears Holdings. Kmart merged with Sears in 2005.

“Store closures are part of a series of actions we’re taking to reduce on-going expenses, adjust our asset base and accelerate the transformation of our business model,” Riefs said in an email.

Riefs said no other closures have been announced in

Prince George’s County.

Riefs said the company’s investments in online and integrated retail are aimed at providing alternative shopping methods for individuals who previously shopped at stores that have closed.

Store management at the Greenbelt store declined to comment, referring all inquiries to Riefs’ office.

Riefs declined to comment if sales had declined at the Greenbelt store, saying Sears Holding does not release individual store information.

Company-wide, Sears Holdings reported an operating loss of $490 million for the third quarter of 2014, the JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU/THE GAZETTE most recent earnings information available.

A shopper enters the Greenbelt Kmart on the second day of its liquidation Riefs said the Greenbelt sale, Feb. 2.

Kmart, which opened in October 1989, has 158 emditional discounts for jewelry the Kmart’s closing would have ployees, mostly part-time and and other items. a major impact on his life. hourly, who will be eligible to Riefs said customers “I have to be honest with receive severance packages with layaway contracts at the you, no,” Mason said after and to apply for open posi- Greenbelt store may either tions at other Sears and Kmart pay off their contract early, or shopping at the store Feb. 2. stores. transfer the contract online or “You have Target right down the street.”

On Feb. 1, the store began to another store. a liquidation sale of 10 to 30 Lanham resident Eric Majanfenson-comeau@ percent off the ticketed price son said that while he appreciof most merchandise, with ad- ated the sales, he did not think gazette.net

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Andrena Sawyer of Hyattsville has just released her debut novel, “The Long Way Home,” a story about a young woman’s journey of love, loss and redemption.

Sawyer, an entrepreneur who runs a consulting firm for nonprofits, said she has written personal development articles for women, but that “The Long Way Home” is her first foray into fiction.

Sawyer said she started writing the novel five years ago, while working as a social worker in Ohio.

“My clients’ experiences really inspired me to write this story, and the character of Alonna Jones,” Sawyer said.

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THE GAZETTE

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Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

Laurel school advances to Science Bowl semifinals Residents

question apartment feedback

Bond Mill Elementary will face Largo team in March

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BY

EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY STAFF WRITER

Four Laurel elementary school students said their secret to their Science Bowl success is not just a stellar study ethic and quick game buzzer skills, but a strong friendship that translates into seamless teamwork.

The quartet of fifth graders from Bond Mill Elementary, who also participate in team sports and Boy Scouts together, won Tuesday’s semifinal qualifying competition and will advance to play Perrywood Elementary of Largo on March 31.

“It’s like we have one mind whenever we’re up there,” said Bond Mill team captain Michael Stroud, 11, of Laurel. “It just feels like we have that one mind, thinking together, floating above our heads.”

The Prince George’s County public school system’s annual Science Bowl is a Jeopardy!-style competition where elementary and middle school students compete in teams of three and answer science-related trivia questions.

Michael Stroud led his team in a 245 to 210 victory against a team from Magnolia Elementary in Lanham during the final round of Tuesday’s competition after beating Glenarden Woods Elementary School 265 to 245 in the opening round.

Bladensburg community say officials approved complex without their input n

BY

ALICE POPOVICI STAFF WRITER

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Bond Mill Elementary fifth-graders Peyton Ridgely, Michael Stroud and Braxton Harsley compete Tuesday at the Science Bowl competition in Landover.

Bond Mill’s team also included Braxton Harsley, 11, of Laurel; Peyton Ridgely, 11, of Laurel; and Joshua Webb, 10, of Laurel, who tag teamed with Peyton during Tuesday’s game.

Tuesday’s final round was a close one, with both teams tied at 190 with just a few questions left on the game show board.

“It was pretty scary [when the round was so close], but I knew they would pull through eventually and they did,” said Peyton, who competed during round one and switched with

alternate Joshua Webb for the final round.

Magnolia’s team won its first round against Northview Elementary of Bowie 255 to 195 and included members Obinna Ufomadu, Belal Mobaidin, Ellan Reid, Areeb Malik, Abdulai Bah, Flauyne Tsongwain and Justice Wright.

Bond Mill Principal Justin Fitzgerald said he was thrilled to see his team claim victory in the first round against Glenarden, one of the winningest teams in Science Bowl history,

and even more excited when his students won the competition.

“I’m so proud of them.

They have been working so hard to get to this point,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve been on the other side a lot in the 29 years of the competition, so getting a chance to move forward, we’re very proud and very excited.”

Science Bowl Host Dave Zahren said it is obvious when teams like Bond Mill are cohesive and work together well.

“I just think the fact that they know each other so well, that kind of collaboration, that teamwork pays off,” Zahren said. “They were ready. They wanted to win.”

Braxton said his team will study hard before returning to the Science Bowl next month to play in the semifinals.

“I’ve seen a video of Perrywood this year and they go pretty intense, so I think they’ll be great competition for us.” eshaughnessy@gazette.net

Bladensburg residents said they are concerned a proposed apartment building will worsen the town’s already-crowded parking.

But the larger problem said residents, who attended a Jan. 24 town forum, is that the mayor and council did not ask the community for feedback before voting to support a proposal to bring a 100-unit Bladensburg Commons building to 58th Avenue last summer.

“It’s still unclear to me what was perceived as the advantage of having the building,” said Garrine Laney, who has lived in Bladensburg almost 30 years. “I don’t understand what the vision is.

What are we trying to accomplish here?”

Town Administrator John Moss said residents did have an opportunity to learn about the project and make comments during at least one work session, but approval for the project rests with the Prince George’s County Planning Board. He said a hearing date has not yet been set, but residents will have an opportunity to be heard once the board begins reviewing the project.

The benefits of the project to the community would include tax revenue as well as bringing diversity to the community, such as a young work force who want affordable housing and access to culture, Moss said.

Laney said that instead of unattractive buildings she would like to see more nature, trees and birds around her, and asked officials if they have considered taking measures to make the town greener.

Councilman Cris Mendoza (Ward 1) said officials offered to plant trees in residents’ homes last summer, but only two residents took them up on the offer.

Chris Melendez, a resident who chairs the Citizens Action Committee of Bladensburg, said she has filed an appeal with the Prince George’s County Park and Planning Board, listing among her concerns that the proposed building has not adequately planned for parking and that neighborhood schools cannot accommodate more students.

She said she is waiting for a hearing date.

“I’m hoping that we can sit down with the developer and have a full conversation about the site plan,” Melendez said. “We really want them to do serious impact studies.” apopovici@gazette.net

Schools get grant funds

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Greenbelt awarded $9,634 in grants for projects at six area schools through its Advisory Committee on Education, or ACE. Every year since 2010, ACE awards up to $500 for special projects submitted by schools in Greenbelt.

Last year, Greenbelt officials voted to increase the total budget for grants from $7,000 to $9,500.

“We feel the quality of the proposals received reflect that increased grant amount,” said ACE member John Gardner.

This year, ACE approved 20 grant requests, for Eleanor Roosevelt High School ($2,410); Greenbelt Elementary ($2,282.79); Springhill Lake Elementary ($1,000); Magnolia Elementary ($1,984); Robert Goddard French Immersion ($1,457.95) and Turning Point Academy ($500) in Greenbelt.

Gardner said that a total of 33 proposals were received.

— JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

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Former county councilman recalled as gentleman, diplomat Official lauded for community service n

BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

Former Prince George’s County Councilman Marvin Wilson was a diplomat and a gentleman, who worked behind the scenes to build consensus and get things done, said former colleagues and friends.

Wilson, 81, died Jan. 29. The cause of death is not known at this time, according to county officials.

“The kind of gentleman and statesman that he was is something not likely to be seen in this county again,” said County Councilwoman Andrea Harrison (D-Dist. 5) of Springdale. “I will miss my friend, my mentor and my adopted dad.”

Services were held beginning 9 a.m. today at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 2020 St. Joseph Drive, Largo. A viewing is scheduled for 9 a.m. followed by acknowledgements at 10 a.m. and a Mass of Christian Burial

at 11 a.m., said County Council spokeswoman Angela Rouson.

Wilson moved to Glenarden in 1964 to raise his two daughters in Prince George’s County, Harrison said.

Wilson served as Glenarden councilman at-large from 1970 to 1991, when he became mayor, filling the term left by Harrison’s father, James Fletcher Jr., who was elected to the County Council.

Glenarden Council President Carolyn Smallwood (Ward I) said Wilson had a huge, positive impact on the city, helping to spur economic development and youth programs in the city.

“He was very well-liked and well respected among council members and former council members,” Smallwood said.

County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) said Wilson was instrumental in making Glenarden a thriving community.

“He was very heavily involved in making Glenarden a pillar of the middle-class African American community,” he said.

When Fletcher died in 1994, Wilson succeeded him again, serving Fletcher’s remaining

Marvin F. Wilson is sworn into office for his first full term on Dec. 5, 1994. term on the council.

He was elected to his first term in the November 1994 General Election, and re-elected in 1998, after which he was term-limited.

Wilson and former County Executive Wayne Curry were primarily responsible for the ne-

County artist creates heart-healthy play April production will engage children through song, interaction n

BY

EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY STAFF WRITER

As a jazz singer and performer, Natti Wright had no idea she would one day use her music to teach children the benefits of exercise and a healthy diet.

Now, the Bowie resident says her musical background prepared her for one of the greatest projects of her life.

“I had wonderful plans for a jazz career, but sometimes blessings come in different ways,” Wright said. “I kind of feel as though the different styles of music I studied were all in preparation for this.”

Wright, 52, is the creator of “My Little World,” an educational music series she said that elementary school teachers can purchase and use to teach fundamental academic and healthrelated skills in a fun way.

A former childcare center manager and classically-trained musician, Wright said she noticed children were easily bored with traditional nursery rhymes or alphabet songs. Her version of the ABC’s is set to African Congo music.

“Young children are inundated with music, and when they come to preschool, it’s kind of dumbed down — [with educators] not realizing [they] have complex rhythms and complex melodies in their head,” she said. “I thought, let me take this as far as I can, let me see how far I can go with this.”

Last year, Wright compiled her characters, songs and lessons into a theater production called “Your Heart Jumps to the Beat,” which will make its Maryland debut at the Bowie Center for Performing Arts in April.

Wright said “Your Heart Jumps to the Beat” will be an interactive performance, allowing children to exercise with the music and move with the actors.

She enlisted the help of local artists — such as Kelsey Collie, former dean of fine arts at Howard University — to help guide the play’s artistic direction.

Wright recruited about a dozen local residents, including students from Bowie area high schools and Bowie State University, to help her bring characters such as “Dr. Thumpabump” and “Mr. Learner” to life.

“Jordy is a boy who is very hungry, but doesn’t eat breakfast, and who wants to learn how to count,” said Stephen Robinson, 16, of Bowie, about his character in the production.

“With the help of friends from his school, he learns how to count and learns his colors.”

Stephen said he met Wright while Christmas caroling at her home and was excited when she asked him to join the cast.

“It’s been a great experience and it opened up doors and it has been a good chance to get some exposure,” said Stephen, who wants to study music in college.

Another cast member — Jordan Williams, 17, of Lanham — said it was a bit of a challenge to fall into her character. “[My character, Terri,] is a brainiac, so basically she knows everything about everything,” Jordan said. “When we first started I felt a little nervous [to] pull out an inner child. But I feel like it helps to be yourself more and be silly and fun.”

Collie of Washington, D.C., started Howard’s children’s theatre program in 1973 and said music, theatrics and interactivity are a winning combination for educational success among young children.

“One of the things we’ve learned from Sesame Street and things like that is kids learn very quickly through things like that.

I just knew this would work,” Collie said. “Natii is a very talented young woman. She’s very talented and she has a great business sense. ” eshaughnessy@gazette.net

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gotiations that led to the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex becoming part of the deal to open FedEx Field in Landover, said M.H. “Jim” Estepp, president of the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable.

“Getting the Sports and

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY GOVERNMENT

Learning Complex added to the FedEx Field deal was a major project of his and the former county executive,” Estepp said.

The complex opened in 2000 and in 2013, the outdoor stadium at the complex was named after Wilson.

“He was dedicated to mak-

ing sure that was a world-class facility,” Baker said.

Estepp said Wilson was a consummate diplomat.

“He was a real consensus builder, and I think that’s very important to have when you’re serving on a legislative body,” Estepp said.

Harrison said Wilson was dedicated to his role as a public servant.

“His sole mission in life was to serve the people, especially those who had been forgotten,” Harrison said. “He was an extremely compassionate person.”

David Harrington, president of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce, succeeded Wilson when Wilson left the council in 2002.

“He was a gentleman first and foremost, who took seriously his duties as a council man,” he said. “I hope he’ll always be remembered as a person who put the needs of the county and of his constituents first.” janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

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Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

College funds may get reduced Hogan plan could cut baseline budget amount n

BY DEIDRE MCPHILLIPS CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE

A provision in a state statute guarantees that each of Maryland’s community colleges receives no less than it did the prior year, but Gov. Larry Hogan’s proposed budget for the 2016 fiscal year includes plans to reverse that.

Under the current formula, funding and distribution of aid for community colleges is tied to per-student funding received by University System of Maryland schools, which are set to receive the largest increase — $15.5 million or 1.3 percent — in higher education dollars in Hogan’s 2016 budget.

The state’s 16 community colleges, which educate more than 500,000 students, are not part of the University System of Maryland, which is made up of public, four-year institutions.

Hogan’s budget cuts the formula’s baseline amount, resulting in an $800,000 decrease in year-over-year direct state aid to community colleges, and his Budget Reconciliation and Financing Act of 2015, if approved by the legislature, would not allow legislators to make up the difference.

The act, reflected in Hogan’s 2016 fiscal year budget, also restricts community

tion that would support the college’s dual enrollment program, a growing and important initiative that encourages high school students to focus on higher education early on, she said.

“But what we don’t want to do is pass more of the cost on to the students,” said Viniar, as tuitions have already seen increases in recent years.

“When you are paying your own way, even $15 more for a course means a lot.”

Acting Secretary of the Maryland Higher Education Commission Jennie HunterCevera, a member of Hogan’s cabinet, said her group is working on an internal effectiveness and efficiency review to ensure budget dollars are being used the best they can.

“Education is changing, especially higher education,” said Hunter-Cevera. “[Tuition] is a moving target, so much of it depending on the economy. Going forward, we have to focus on regional needs and formulas that match the needs that we’re seeing from the students.”

Hunter-Cevera said she knows from experience that there is no “one-size-fits-all approach” to higher education.

Hunter-Cevera said that she plans to collect and analyze the best practices from teachers, parents, program models, and other experts from across the state and country to help Maryland continue as the leader in education standards.

In a Jan. 29 presentaEvery injury claim tion to the House Ways and deserves aggressive Means Committee, Bernard representation. Call now J. Sadusky, secretary and for a free consultation executive director for the with our Attorneys.

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The governor is under pressure to make up for anticipated shortfalls of hundreds of millions of dollars, and in his 2016 budget all state agencies are expected to make cuts.

The proposed cuts to community colleges come at a time when exactly the opposite is needed, said Barbara Viniar, president of Chesapeake College.

“We serve the hardestto-serve students, expanding the idea of college for underserved populations,” Viniar said. “As public support goes down, the cost to students goes up.”

Community colleges are funded largely through state and local governments and tuition.

Community college trains students for careers in fields, like healthcare, that provide a strong return on investment for communities, she said.

Viniar said community colleges need more money to develop programs to stay competitive and attractive to students.

“We built our budget assuming it would be flat,” she said. “But it seems we are squeezed on both sides.”

Chesapeake College plans to cut some maintenance and repair projects, large technology projects and a new posi-

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BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Jacqlyn Riposo (left) is sworn in Tuesday as a Mount Rainier Ward 1 council member by Mayor Malinda Miles.

Bringing business to city is key for new Mount Rainier official Council addition seeks to focus on garden projects, sustainable development

n

BY

ALICE POPOVICI STAFF WRITER

Jacqlyn Riposo said she plans to bring more small businesses to Mount Rainier now that she is a member of the City Council.

Riposo, 30, was appointed to represent Ward 1 on Jan. 20 after councilman Jimmy Tarlau was elected as one of the two state delegates for District 47.

She was sworn in to the council on Tuesday.

Riposo said she will serve the remainder of Tarlau’s term before running for office again in the city’s local elections in May. “My goal is to help attract small businesses and help small businesses really make it through the redevelopment that Mount Rainier is going through,” said Riposo, who describes herself as an advocate for sustainable community proj-

ects. “It’s a really exciting time to serve.”

Riposo said her goals include working on developing the 3200 block of Rhode Island Avenue into a walkable, sustainable, mixed-use area that will complement Mount Rainier’s vibrant art community. She said other projects include bringing an educational garden to a park near Thomas Stone Elementary School and bringing a farmer’s market to the city this summer.

Riposo said she also wants to work on attracting small businesses to Queen’s Chapel Road.

Mimi McKindley-Ward of Mount Rainier said she could see Riposo’s leadership potential as soon as they started working together on the community garden. When the group of about 20 community members were looking for someone to coordinate their work, McKindleyWard said Riposo volunteered for the job.

“She knows how to synthesize various ideas that people put out so that everyone feels that they’re heard,” she said.

“She’s just on top of the laun-

dry list of things that need to be done.”

As coordinator of the community garden, McKindleyWard said Riposo is a skilled leader who solves problems and delegates tasks to keep the operation running smoothly.

In addition her involvement in community projects, Riposo works full-time as a public policy specialist at the American Association of Blood Banks and is studying for her MBA at George Washington University.

Mount Rainier Mayor Malinda Miles said she is looking forward to working with Riposo.

Miles said Riposo has a strong presence in the community and takes her time researching issues.

“She has some of the same values I have with regard to keeping our footprint on Mother Earth very small,” Miles said.

“I’m going to be very interested in watching her grow and help move our city forward.” apopovici@gazette.net

Bowie student hopes Spain trip will help boost help for homeless Eighth-grader wants to pass on experience from expedition abroad n

BY

EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY STAFF WRITER

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Bowie eighth-grader Kennedy Nash doesn’t just want to bring home a souvenir from her upcoming spring break trip to Spain, she hopes to gain cultural insights she can incorporate into Spanish language lessons for homeless women and children.

The Samuel Ogle Middle School student has been studying Spanish since she was a toddler and hopes to pass on her knowledge at a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., this summer, she said.

That’s where a study-abroad trip organized by one of her favorite teachers comes in.

“I just like learning about Spanish culture because it’s really different from our culture — it’s so many different places and different types of food,” said Kennedy, 13. “I just want to learn new things and explore a little more and bring it all back and show and teach the kids [at the shelter] when I come back.”

Around 20 students and chaperones have committed to the Spain trip in April, which will be the seventh voyage Pedro Gonzalez of Annapolis has led to Spanish-speaking countries.

“Señor Gonzalez,” as his students call him, is a Spanish teacher at Ogle who likes to make lessons interactive and fun — such as ordering lunch

from Chipotle in Spanish, he said.

Gonzalez’s spring break strips started with just a handful of participants who wanted to gain a first-hand experience of Spanish culture.

“I think kids these days don’t have a real view of what goes on in other countries. The main idea was for kids to have a more global view of what goes on in other countries instead of reading it in a book,” Gonzalez said.

“Every country we go to the students learn to exchange money, they order all their food in Spanish and they can ask some questions in Spanish.”

Gonzalez organizes the trips through a private educational travel company, so participants like Kennedy are responsible for providing the approximate $2,900 in travel costs.

Kennedy said she launched on online fundraiser to raise money for the April trip and has reached nearly half her goal with donations from individuals as well as a Spanish blog that agreed to help fund her trip.

Kennedy’s mother, Dawn Ridley, said her daughter has been vigilant in updating her fundraising page and writing thank-you letters to supporters.

“She’s been able to handle a lot of the outreach and communication independently,” Ridley said. “It’s a big step to let your kid go to Europe without you, but I think it will be a big step for her. She’s probably as excited about coming back and working with the [homeless] kids as she is about going, and I like that.”

Kennedy said she became

passionate about assisting homeless and disadvantaged individuals in her community after participating in a humanitarian aid trip to Puerto Rico last year.

“We went there to give to people who are less fortunate than us, so I took back that I should be grateful for what I have,” she said.

Ajay Bhatt, 17, of Bowie said he traveled to Spain with Gonzalez while a student at Samuel Ogle and will be accompanying the group during the spring break trip this year.

The Bowie High School student said he still remembers how the trip impacted him as a middle school student.

“I think my favorite part was just how different it was compared to the United States,” he said. “The architecture was definitely something I took note of.

There’s a lot more art that goes into how people live their lives there, it seems like.”

Kennedy, who hopes to become a kindergarten teacher, said she doesn’t plan on taking her future students on any study-abroad trips, but hopes to incorporate some of the creative teaching techniques modeled by Gonzalez.

“He uses cool methods to teach and it’s more interactive and fun for us,” she said. “I would try to make it fun.”

View Kennedy’s webpage at www.gofundme.com/fundsgofun. eshaughnessy@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

Page A-7

Hyattsville resident skates off to Mongolia to coach hockey Former professional player shooting international documentary n

BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

Mongolia is known for its plains and steppes and horse riding tradition, but Hyattsville resident Boe Leslie is traveling to Mongolia in the hopes it will one day be known for ice hockey.

“Our goal is to give both kids and coaches of Mongolia an experience they’ve never had before. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first professional coaches who have come to work locally with kids,” Leslie said.

Leslie, his brother, Nate Leslie, and a small team will travel to Mongolia late February to teach ice hockey, and they plan to make a documentary out of the experience, tentatively entitled “Ice at the End of the Earth.”

The goal, Leslie said, is to help establish ice hockey in a country where the sport has struggled, due to lack of facilities and equipment, despite some dedicated volunteers.

In 2014, Mongolia was ranked 49th — dead last — in the rankings for the International Ice Hockey Federation, the worldwide body governing ice hockey.

“We wanted to do all we could for them and started offering all of our coaching mentorship manuals pro bono to them to help grow the great game of hockey in Mongolia,” Leslie said.

Jeff Halpern of Bethesda, who played for the Washington Capitals from 1999-2006 and again from 2011-2012, said he found out about the proposal last fall.

Halpern said ice hockey is a growing sport, but that many

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BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Angelita Pollard (right), 17, of Upper Marlboro practices Saturday at her District Heights dance studio with Nyah Drummond, 18, of Bowie.

FROM BOE LESLIE

Boe Leslie of Hyattsville with his son, Kailen, at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Ice Rink in Washington, D.C., will be teaching hockey in Mongolia later this month. countries don’t have the coaching or facilities to support a program.

“I think that when you’re able to reach another part of the world with a new sport, it’s a very special opportunity,” Halpern said.

Leslie said he and his brother, both former professional hockey players, were contacted by the president of Mongolia’s ice hockey federation, Purevdavaa “Pujee” Choijiljav, regarding online training materials.

Leslie and his brother began a $20,000 Kickstarter campaign online to raise funds and equipment for a trip to Mongolia, to hold an ice hockey camp for children and coaches, as well as to pay for a cameraman and film editor. The group has raised $23,000.

“We thought the documentary would be an ideal way of making people aware of what is going on in a remote part of the world,” Leslie said.

Hudson Akarlilar, 8, of New York and his mother, who know Leslie through his hockey camps, have begun their own campaign to raise hockey sup-

County girl set to graduate in style

plies and funds for the project.

“We thought, given that we have so much exposure to hockey here, why don’t we ask if people have equipment to donate?” said Tracei Akarlilar, adding they have received supplies and funding from hockey groups in their area. “We have been so pleasantly surprised by the response we’ve received. It’s been absolutely amazing.”

Leslie said his group will leave in late February, where they will run a one-week camp after school and on the weekend for children ages eight to 17 and mentorship for coaches.

He said he hopes the experience will help Mongolia further develop the sport.

“We hope we can share our love and compassion for the game and pass on that love as well,” Leslie said. “We also want to work with their local coaches and help them develop their program as well.”

To learn more about the project, or to donate, visit online www.lgsportsamerica.com.

Student founded, leads her own dance company

n

BY

KIRSTEN PETERSEN STAFF WRITER

Earning a diploma may be the ultimate achievement after four years in high school, but when Angelita Pollard, 17, of Upper Marlboro graduates this May, she’ll be celebrating one more — founding a thriving dance company.

Angelita, a senior at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, decided to start Xtra Productions Dance Company in May 2012 as a way to reunite her peers from a former dance studio.

“The most important thing is the love of dance I had and wanting to share my love of dance with others who also had that same passion,” Angelita said. “That allowed me to have the drive to keep going and not accept defeat as the answer.”

Angelita reached out to family members and acquaintances and by June 2012 she recruited 11 girls.

janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

1935659

“By doing that it helped me strengthen friendships I didn’t even know existed,” Angelita said.

The District Heights studio took off from there and has since grown in size and evolved in technique, Angelita said. The company, which boasts close to 30 members, specializes in hip-hop dance.

“I think it’s a great experience because even though I have this authoritative role within the company, the girls look to me as a dance teacher, but also as a friend,” Angelita said. “They respect me on both levels which is amazing.”

Dancers pay fees, which go toward studio and costume rentals.

LaTwanda Cato, 50, of Springdale, whose 15-year-old daughter is a company member, said Angelita’s leadership style and the familial atmosphere she creates has helped the company succeed.

“She’s assertive, but not demeaning in any kind of way,” Cato said. “It’s all about the girls putting forth their best and they have fun.”

DaKiya Lambert, 33, of

Clinton, one of Angelita’s former dance teachers, said her pupil has matured since she formed Xtra Productions.

“She’s still very humble, focused on her grades and still maintaining a good quality of life with her family,” Lambert said. “She’s a mini mogul.”

Xtra Productions has performed at high schools, community centers, the Prince George’s County Fair and Six Flags America in Largo, Angelita said, but Saturday will be the first time the company is putting on two performances of its annual showcase.

The show, titled “High School 101: Senior Edition,” will celebrate Angelita and the company’s graduating seniors with a variety of dance and vocal performances.

“High School 101: Senior Edition” performances will take place at 2 and 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at the Bishop McNamara Fine Arts Theater, located at 6800 Marlboro Pike in Forestville. Admission is $12 and ticket sales will support Angelita’s college fund. kpetersen@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Page A-8

APARTMENTS

Continued from Page A-1 Webb said, adding that the proximity of the MARC train stop in downtown Laurel is a big draw for prospective tenants. “People are really loving the walkability — the City of Laurel has done a really great job bringing life back to Main Street.”

Alicia Fields with the City of Laurel’s Office of Economic Development said the increased foot traffic from the building will help support existing Main Street businesses and provide an incentive for future businesses to move in. She said the city, which has been trying to stimulate economic development by offering financial incentives to small businesses, saw 20 new businesses move in during 2014.

Continued from Page A-1 Capacity, or SRC, and Kenmoor at 55 percent of its SRC, said Johndel Jones-Brown, director of pupil accounting and boundaries.

Claggett is also one of the school system’s worst-performing schools, with less than half its students scoring proficient or higher on the Maryland State Assessments, or MSA, and the Maryland State Department of Education has directed the school system to address its deficiencies, Jones-Brown said.

“The option the school system has chosen is to discontinue its use,” Jones-Brown said.

Students currently attending the schools will instead be

GRADUATION

Continued from Page A-1 Eleanor Roosevelt High in Greenbelt (88.3), Gwynn Park High in Brandywine (87.2) and Charles H. Flowers High in Upper Marlboro (86.4).

The graduation rate increase in Prince George’s County was also seen across major race categories: Black graduation rates increased from 76.1 percent in 2013 to 78.6 percent in 2014,

RESCUE

Continued from Page A-1 knelt in the doorway, he said he could hear a woman’s voice saying, “Help me.” He said he heard Williams instructing the woman to crawl on the floor, and when she collapsed after a few steps, he said Williams crawled inside and pulled her out.

PLUNGE

Continued from Page A-1 donations to Special Olympics.

“There’s so much wind. I’m looking at the water and I’m like, oh God, please please no,” said Isabel Montero, a freshman at

apopovici@gazette.net

assigned to District Heights Elementary or John Bayne Elementary in Capitol Heights. Both schools are approximately one mile away from Claggett.

In contrast, Kenmoor’s latest MSA scores, 76.5 percent in reading and 67.9 percent in math, are higher than the school Kenmoor’s students would be transferred to, William Paca Elementary of Landover, where 68.1 percent were at least proficient in reading and 57.1 percent were at least proficient in math.

“William Paca will be overcrowded. My kid could never get the education there he could get from Kenmoor Elementary,” said parent Wayne Knox.

William Paca would be at 95 percent capacity with the addition of the Kenmoor students and the relocation of its

Hispanic graduation rates increased from 60.8 percent in 2013 to 65.6 percent in 2014 and white graduation rates increased from 81.0 percent in 2013 to 82.0 percent in 2014.

Graduation rates for Prince George’s students receiving free or reduced meals, or FARMS, increased from 71.5 percent in 2013 to 73.3 percent in 2014.

Statewide graduation rates for FARMS students were similar, from 75.8 percent in 2013 to 77.8 percent in 2014.

Largo nonprofit opens its art contest to all county students

BY EMILIE SHAUGHNESSY STAFF WRITER

Largo-based domestic violence nonprofit Community Advocates for Family and Youth is sponsoring a student art contest that showcases the plight of persons affected by domestic violence and crime.

“Show us how you define a survivor,” reads a contest flyer from the organization.

The contest offers a $100 first place prize and is open to all Prince George’s County middle school

and high school students.

There were more than 7,000 domestic violence incidents in Prince George’s County last year, according to data from the county police department.

Community Advocates works to raise awareness about local crimes and provide support to survivors, said Arleen Joell, CAFY’s executive director.

For more information and contest guidelines, email NCVRW@cafyonline.org or visit www. pgcncvrw.weebly.com. eshaughnessy@gazette.net

Wayne Knox, a former student at Kenmoor Elementary with two children currently attending the school, spoke out against the school system’s plan to turn the elementary school into an early childhood center during a Jan. 28 boundaries public meeting.

sixth grade to Kenmoor Middle School, Jones-Brown said.

Kenmoor’s population has taken a decline after the dissolution in 2012 of its Talented and Gifted center program and the closure of the nearby Glenarden Apartment complex, JonesBrown said.

At the same time, the county has a great need for another Early Childhood Center, or ECC, in the north part of the county.

ECCs provide preschool education for children ages two to four with developmental delays.

Two of the county’s ECCs, Frances Fuchs in Beltsville and H. Winship Wheatley in Capitol Heights are both overcapacity, and use more than 30 temporary buildings to compensate, JonesBrown said.

“The position of Kenmoor is

very attractive in terms of relieving the overcrowding that currently occurs at Frances Fuchs and Wheatley,” Jones-Brown said. “Also, the [Kenmoor] design mirrors that of Fuchs, so it would be especially suitable as an Early Childhood Center.”

Knox said the addition of early childhood students from across the county would create more traffic in his neighborhood due to the increased numbers of students coming from outside the neighborhood.

“When these people [come into] your neighborhood, you’ve got to fight back,” Knox said.

The school board is expected to vote on the CEO’s recommended changes Feb. 12.

Joan Ogburn-Hyson, president of the Prince George’s County PTA Council, said she believes the increase comes from long-standing collaboration between parents, teachers and the community.

“Parents are stressing the importance of being prepared for the future and discussing graduation with their children at a younger age, and preparation for college,” Ogburn-Hyson said. “We should continue to work together to increase this

number, and here in Prince George’s county, work to continue to prepare our students for college and/or careers.”

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) congratulated Maxwell and the school board for the achievement.

“Two years ago, we made some bold and deliberate moves that were intended to improve our schools by improving academic achievement so that key data points such as graduation

and drop-out rates would increase,” Baker said in an e-mail, referencing a 2013 law which allowed the county executive to appoint the school board chair and CEO. “Today, we are seeing the tangible results of those changes and our school system, board leadership, principals, teachers and support staff throughout the county, and most importantly, our students and their parents should be proud of their hard work to move us forward.”

The county’s dropout rate also decreased, from 18.5 percent in 2013 to 16.7 percent in 2014, although it is almost double the state dropout rate of 8.4 percent, which dropped from 9.4 percent in 2013.

“It was a good drop, but there’s obviously still a lot of work to do, so we’re going to keep working on it,” Maxwell said.

Holloway said he reached inside to help Williams, as Juan Thorpe, chief foreman with the Berwyn Heights Department of Public Works, stepped in and helped them bring Norma Hathcock down the front steps of the home.

“I was just coming down the street. I looked over and saw the fire coming out the window,” said Thorpe, 46, of Bowie. “I just

ran up to help them.”

Brady said the fire was started by a cigarette that had not been properly discarded, and caused $75,000 worth of damage to the home. He said the house did not have working smoke alarms.

Brady said cigarettes must be extinguished in a container that has sand or water.

“I cannot think of a more

important fixture to have in your house other than a smoke alarm,” Brady said.

Arthur Hathcock, who lives in the neighborhood, said he’s grateful the men were able to step in to help his father and his sister. He said he, Norma Hathcock and their brother, Charles Hathcock, grew up in the house.

“I’m pretty thankful that

they were nearby and knew what to do,” said Hathcock, 68.

Each of the men said they did not want publicity, and insisted that credit be given to the others.

“Somebody needed help,” Thorpe said. “Somebody had to help them.”

Chief Kenneth Antolik with the Berwyn Heights Police Department said he commends

all of the residents for their actions, adding that it speaks to Berwyn Heights being a tightly knit community where people help each other.

“When I heard about neighbors coming together, including our employee, it doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “It was very brave of them.”

Bowie High School, before the plunge. “But it’s for a good cause, so I’ll do it.”

Between Bowie High and Northwestern High School of Hyattsville, around 40 students raised approximately $6,000 for Special Olympics.

“It gets easier each year to

raise money,” said Shayla Stringfield, a senior at Northwestern who participated in Cool Schools for the fourth time this year. “Every year it gets better. I love it. I would say five seconds after you get out of the water your body goes completely numb.”

The entire event raised

around $230,000, which surpassed the Cool School goal of $200,000, said Jason Schriml, a Special Olympics Maryland spokesman. Schriml said the event grew in popularity over the past six years “It’s amazing you can activate so many young people into

this kind of action. It speaks well for them, but it also speaks well for Special Olympics as well,” he said. “I’m just grateful we have young people willing to stand up and support their student who have intellectual disabilities.”

Schriml said the funds raised through the Cool School event

and other “polar plunges” represent about a third of Special Olympics Maryland’s budget and will go toward providing sports programs free of charge for Maryland students with disabilities.

Roger Brow of Bowie, a sponsor for the Bowie High team, said his family has been participating in Special Olympics polar plunges since 2010 and said his son, Gregory, plunged for the fifth time Friday. Brow’s 19-year-old daughter, Heather, is a Special Olympics athlete who has competed in the organizations swimming and bowling programs.

Brow said he wishes more schools from Prince George’s County would participate in the Cool Schools challenge.

“Maybe the cold water is just not their thing,” he said of the schools that did not participate.

“I don’t encourage jumping into the cold water for anything other than the Special Olympics, but it’s amazing what it triggers. It triggers a wave of unbelievable togetherness and the feeling of doing it for a greater cause. I think it’s great.”

The approximate 2,000 participating students gathered on the Sandy Point beach just before noon on Friday, posed for a group photo and sang the national anthem before the stroke of noon launched a mad dash into the water.

Friends and team sponsors were ready with warm sweatshirts and towels.

“I’m so freezing. I can’t feel anything below my waist,” said first-time plunger Hong Nhan,16, of Bowie. “It was such a great experience. I definitely want to do it again next year.”

JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU/THE GAZETTE

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KENMOOR

“We’re really looking forward to the local residents and the increased foot traffic on Main Street,” Fields said. “That gives us even more incentive to boost our eateries and restaurants and coffee shops.”

Chelsea Sarkady of Laurel, who works at Basket Treats on Main Street, said she has been following the progress of the building as she comes to work at the shop each day, and is excited about the potential for more business on Main Street.

“It’ll help the community,” she said.

But others aren’t as enthusiastic.

“We’ve got too much around here,” said Sharon Loan of Laurel, who works at Outback Saddlery on Main Street and has lived in the city all her life. “It’s kind of hard to see new things come into an old town.”

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

apopovici@gazette.net

eshaughnessy@gazette.net

The Gazette OUROPINION

Forum

Thursday, February 5, 2015

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Page A-9

LETTERS TOT HE EDITOR

Gorgeous Prince George’s? Not along the parkway Taking charge of the It is well past time to clean up the embarrassing and shameful credit cloud condition of the parkway.

Elected officials’ use of credit cards has been like bad plumbing: every time Prince Georgians thought the problem was fixed, another leak seemed to pop up.

Many remember the audit of the Prince George’s County school board in 2000, when lax accounting and widespread abuse of expense accounts were revealed.

Questions surfaced SCHOOL BOARD about some DECISION TO NIX board memCARD USE WAS bers charging that LONG OVERDUE items did not appear to be related to their board duties, overspending and using funds for items that could be considered campaign related.

Then, in 2006, The Washington Post identified credit card violations by thencounty executive Jack Johnson and a few council members. In some cases, officials were late reimbursing — or failed to reimburse all together — the county for personal expenses they charged.

In 2013, Carletta Fellows resigned from the school board shortly after having her county-issued credit card revoked for reportedly using it on utility bills.

And just a few months ago, in October, the school board came under fire when the Post revealed board members’ use of board-issued cards for meals. Vice Chairwoman Carolyn M. Boston (Dist.

6), for example, charged a total of $190 in one day for a lunch and dinner. While the charges were allowed — credit card use is permitted for expenses related to board duties, to include working meals — the purchases understandably raised questions about spending responsibly. A state legislator has since made a proposal to ban giving credit cards to school board members.

Fortunately, the school board didn’t wait for this issue to drag out on a state stage. The board voted at its Jan. 22 meeting to change an amendment to ban the credit card use and plans to make a final vote on the decision Feb. 12.

“I think that doing this is the absolute right thing to do and I always have, regardless of media coverage. We don’t need [the cards], and the public has high expectations,” board Chairman Segun Eubanks said before the vote.

He’s right. It’s the right thing to do and it should have been done long ago.

The County Council eliminated credit cards for elected officials shortly after the embarrassing revelations in 2011. It’s a shame the school board didn’t follow suit at the time, but it’s better late than never.

And it’s commendable that the board went a step further to limit the number of weekly meals for which board members could be reimbursed and placed price caps on the meals.

We applaud the school board for addressing this issue that has lingered for at least 15 years. Hopefully, officials will likewise keep a critical eye on reimbursements and other financial requests by officials to ensure the public’s high standards continue to be met.

Send us your letters Share your thoughts on Prince George’s topics.

All letters are subject to editing. Letters must include the writer’s first and last name, address and telephone number. The phone number will not be published; it is for verification purposes only. We do not run anonymous letters. Letters selected may be shortened for space reasons.

Send letters to: Editor, The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707. E-mail them to princegeorges@gazette.net.

The Gazette Vanessa Harrington, Senior Editor Jeffrey Lyles, Managing Editor Glen C. Cullen, Senior Editor Copy/Design Will C. Franklin, A&E Editor

The condition of the National Park Service’s (NPS) Baltimore-Washington Parkway has become increasingly appalling, resembling a Third World roadway (I say this as a native of a Third World country), particularly through P.G. County.

Those of us who live near it and use it frequently are well aware of the numerous potholes, however, that is a subject for a future letter.

In this case, the subject concerns the disgusting amount of garbage strewn continuously along the shoulders and ramps, particularly the segment between D.C. and the beltway. The NPS’ website calls the parkway the “Scenic Entry to the Nation’s Capitol.”

Scenic? More like revolting and shameful! If you haven’t noticed then just make it a point to pay attention when you drive the parkway, or even any local roadway for that matter!

Last year about this time, I wrote our local county and state representatives concerning this issue; of course, a reply was never received and obviously no action has been taken. Some of us recall the “Keep America Beautiful” campaign of the ’60s and ’70s as well as the “$500 Fine for Littering” signs along our roadways. It is well past time to clean up the embarrassing and shameful condition of the parkway and return to penalizing those who show complete disregard for, and continue to litter, our roadways. A hefty fine and a week picking up garbage would be a nice start!

John Pedersoli, Greenbelt

The Hyattsville City Council voted unanimously Jan. 20 to lower the voting age in city elections from 18 to 16 years old, which has spurred debate in the county.

Let youths have input in their future If Carl C.K. Bronner’s letter to this newspaper [“Lowered voting age: ‘The most ridiculous, hairbrained idea,” Jan. 22] decrying the notion of extending the voting franchise to people as young as 16 years of age is an example of how older voters think and express their opinions, then I would support 16-year-old suffrage any day of the week. Mr. Bronner’s letter was laden with insults, not only against potential young voters (“ignoramuses and other imbeciles,” an “ignorant, whimsical majority”), but even against current American voters (“among the least read and the least informed of all the voters in this era of technology and computers”). It makes one wonder why he votes at all (if he does).

As one who teaches graduate-level courses to

2012 FILE PHOTO

Adult decisions without adult penalties?

young people, I think extending the voting franchise to teenagers is a healthy idea. Young people have their whole lives ahead of them and are motivated to create a better world for themselves to inhabit. My experience as an educator informs me that, as a consequence, young people generally think very seriously about world events and have very good ideas to consider. Also, they are not so tarnished by the slings and arrows of experience and the disappointments of old age that lead some adult voters to think and vote narrowly and pessimistically.

Maybe it’s time to let young people drive the train that they, too, are riding into the future.

With regard to the move to open voting to 16- and 17-year-olds: Will these newly empowered minors so eager to embrace adult responsibilities also face adult charges if and when they run afoul of the law?

Or will they then be children once again, and subject to lighter penalties due to their immaturity?

Steven A. Glazer, Bowie

Paul Cooper, University Park

Don’t push back the start of the school year Why is this nation stuck with the 9.5-month school calendar that has been proven to have a deleterious effect on academic outcomes as a result of the 2.5-month summer hiatus? Why do teachers spend weeks each year reCOMMENTARY establishing KENNETH HAINES basic classroom routines and reviewing concepts that have been forgotten over the summer?

Two reasons stand out.

First, during the Agrarian Age — pre-dating the Industrial Age — farmers really did need children to help tend the crops on the family farm during the summer.

Second, human beings have proven curiously resistant to changing long-practiced, traditional behaviors.

Our current school calendar was never predicated on the assumption of optimal learning conditions for students.

At the dawn of the Age of Information, one can only hope that decisions about our school calendar will be grounded firmly on the concept of learning outcomes rather than economic considerations of

private enterprise.

Here in Prince George’s County, the education community has been coping with the rigors of the externally imposed testing regimen, in part, by opening schools prior to Labor Day. The extra days of instruction have yielded dividends in improved performance on the federally mandated statewide assessments.

It was a local strategy that has borne fruit. Some percentage of our increase in test scores can be directly attributed to the extra instructional time before March “Testing” Madness begins.

Most educators concluded long ago that standardized assess-

ments are (how can this be phrased kindly?) less-than-ideal measures of student growth. However, as long as so much rides on those results, the education community must be free, locally, to implement any calendar that prevents the loss of resources for the schools.

Compelling all schools systems to move opening until after Labor Day is terrible public policy for many reasons, not the least of which is once again reducing the role of children to chattel for the labor mills.

Kenneth B. Haines of Beltsville is the president of the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association.

Dive into the water and sewer utility’s budget WSSC’s FY 2016 budget (effective July 1, 2015) is now available for review. (WSSC is our bicounty water and sewer utility.)

It includes a 1 percent rate increase and an additional $11 in fixed fees. [A public hearing is] scheduled for Feb. 5 in Largo. For more info:

http://www.wsscwater.com.

According to WSSC projections, over the next six years operating expenses will increase 35 percent even though usage is not expected to increase. Part of this is debt payments, which are expected to increase by 42 percent; $1.3 billion in

13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707 | Phone: 240-473-7500 | Fax: 240-473-7501 | Email: princegeorges@gazette.net More letters appear online at www.gazette.net/opinion Ken Sain, Sports Editor Dan Gross, Photo Editor Jessica Loder, Web Editor

Dennis Wilston, Corporate Advertising Director Chauka Reid, Advertising Manager Mona Bass, Inside Classifieds Director Anna Joyce, Creative Director, Special Pubs/Internet Ellen Pankake, Director of Creative Services

Leah Arnold, Information Technology Manager David Varndell, Digital Media Manager Cathy Kim, Director of Marketing and Community Outreach

new debt is projected over the next three years.

It’s hard to imagine that these increases are sustainable — or even necessary. Maybe it’s time for someone to take a good hard look at WSSC’s finances.

Sue LaCourse, Laurel

POST COMMUNITY MEDIA Karen Acton, Chief Executive Officer Michael T. McIntyre, Controller Donna Johnson, Vice President of Human Resources Maxine Minar, President, Comprint Military

Page A-10

153455G

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

SPORTS

GAMES GAZETTE.NET IS STAFFING

Basketball rankings and county scoring leaders. B-2

Posted online by 8 a.m. the following day.

SWIMMING: County championships, 1 p.m. Saturday.

Eleanor Roosevelt girls have dominated this meet for more than a decade. Rest of the county tries to end the streak. Easier said than done.

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Douglass at Gwynn Park, 7 p.m.

Friday.

LAUREL | COLLEGE PARK | HYATTSVILLE | GREENBELT | LANDOVER | LANHAM www.gazette.net | Thursday, February 5, 2015 | Page B-1

Bowie, Roosevelt switch up roles Rivals meet in boys basketball on Saturday n

BY

ADAM GUTEKUNST STAFF WRITER

Nearly two months ago, county rivals Bowie and Eleanor Roosevelt high schools met in a Greenbelt gym to continue their premier rivalry.

At 3-1, the Bulldogs were the talk of the 4A heading into the Dec. 18 matchup, as they had knocked off Washington Catholic Athletic Conference power St. John’s College to open the season and followed the win with victories against Suitland and Flowers before falling at the buzzer to Wise.

Many thought Cedric Holbrook’s team had solidified themselves as the

team to beat early on.

Then there was Brendan O’Connell’s Raiders, left with just one starter from the previous season, a season-opening loss to DeMatha and a near-escape at Suitland just a week prior.

Bowie was the talk of the town.

But 70 free throws, two-plus hours and a closing defensive stand later, it was Roosevelt that was still standing, as the Raiders claimed a 61-54 victory that began to turn the tables in the 4A. When the county powers meet at 5 p.m. Saturday at Northwestern, the roles will be reversed from their first meeting. The game was moved to Hyattsville because last year hundreds of fans had to be turned away from

See RIVALRY, Page B-2

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Central High School sophomore Shenteia Fryer will compete in the county meet on Saturday at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex in Landover.

Sophomore shines light on Central swimming n

Falcons’ No. 1 had hand in team’s 54 points scored at 2014 county meet

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

T

he Central High School girls swim team scored a combined two points at Prince George’s County championship meets from 2010-13, and even in 2009 the Falcons only mustered 15. So, imagine coaches’ and athletes’ surprise last winter when all of a sudden a freshman from the Capitol Heights school was winning races against their teams.

Behind two fifth-place finishes from current sophomore Shenteia Fryer in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events and 11th- and 12th-place results by Fryer-led 200 and 400 freestyle relays, Central scored 54 points at the 2014 county meet to earns 12th place out of 20 teams. It was the Falcons’ best result since they finished seventh in 2006 with 106 points and the first time since then that they scored more than 33 points.

Fryer said she aims to build on her results from a year ago at this year’s county meet, scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at the Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex in Landover.

That, coupled with the improvement of some teammates over the past year, could help Central creep closer to a return to the top 10. “[Fryer] definitely turned heads [last year],” said fourthyear Falcons coach Salim King. “Even though we might lose

a meet she would [most of the time] win both her races and [other teams] would look and be like, ‘How’d that happen?’ It does help us establish a level of respectability.”

Fryer, who scored all 31 points that placed Central 11th at last year’s Class 3A/2A/1A South Region championship, is a sprint freestyler at heart, she said. Propelled by a rapid turnover rate and strong underwater mechanics, King, who himself swam at Howard University, said Fryer has tremendous upside as she continues to build strength on her approximately 5-foot-7 frame.

“She’s about three seconds from having a school pay for her to attend college,” King said. “She’s [almost at the point] where she can actually have the luxury of swimming wherever she wants to swim. I was talking to [the coach at Howard] and her times right now would put her as one of the better swimmers on that team.”

That’s a side of swimming King said he hopes Fryer’s abilities can help bring awareness to within the Central community as he works to build a program — this year’s roster consists of four boys and eight girls.

“A lot of people get caught up in football and basketball but a lot of alternative sports provide opportunities if you just come out of your comfort zone,” King said. “Swimming isn’t the ‘cool’ sport in an urban community, but there’s money available for college and you can do a sport you enjoy. That’s one of the main things I preach to the student-athletes.”

See SWIMMER, Page B-2

Capital Area Football Conference disbands Riverdale Baptist, Avalon go independent after collapses

n

BY

ERIC GOLDWEIN

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

High Point High School’s Dami Oloyede dribbles during a girls basketball game against DuVal on Jan. 13 at the Beltsville school.

High Point junior expands skill set, position on court Eagles forward averaging 20.2 points for basketball team n

BY

ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER

Dami Oloyede had size and athleticism when she was a freshman on the High Point High School girls basketball team. Her skill set, however, was limited. She had trouble shooting and taking care of the ball, and because of that, she could only play center.

But year by year, Oloyede has been adding to her repertoire. And this season, the 5-foot-11 junior has developed into a multi-position star.

Playing center and at both forward

spots, Oloyede has been the primary scoring option for the Eagles (3-13).

She’s averaging 20.2 points — second best in Prince George’s County — and has hit double figures in all but one game this season.

“You could see the potential in her. You could see that with work she could get better,” said senior Maurica Manyan. “... She has drive. She knows where she wants to go.”

Oloyede, of Beltsville, said she started playing basketball in seventh grade and used to be part of an amateur athletic union team. She’s been on varsity since she was a freshman

See BASKETBALL, Page B-2

STAFF WRITER

The high school football teams at Riverdale Baptist School in Upper Marlboro and Avalon School in Gaithersburg are independent and searching for a new league following the collapse this winter of the Capital Area Football Conference.

The CAFC — established in 2003, according to its founder, Tal Bayer — included small private schools across the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Last season it had eight members, including Riverdale Baptist, Avalon and Perry Street Prep (D.C).

But the “handwriting was on the wall” once it became apparent that Perry Street was closing down its school, said Tad Shields, Avalon’s chief financial officer and former football coach.

“Us and Riverdale just decided it wasn’t worth trying to maintain the conference,” Shields said.

“It was a mutual thing,” added Caesar Nettles, coach of two-time defending CAFC champion Riverdale. “Perry Street was going away. Avalon was looking to get out … We had already made our decision.”

Nettles said Riverdale will be independent next season, with games scheduled against public and private school opponents, including Class 2A state champion Douglass (Upper

Tucker Road puts sports on ice Former Wells Ice Arena coach starts hockey program for southern Prince George’s n

2014 FILE PHOTO

Riverdale Baptist School’s Rashad Manning sacks Avalon quarterback Isaiah Robinson during November’s Capital Area Football Conference championship game. The conference disbanded this winter.

Marlboro), Avalon, Bullis (Potomac), Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda), McNamara (Forestville), Pallotti (Laurel) and Eleanor Roosevelt (Greenbelt).

Settles said he explored joining a conference this season, though didn’t apply aggressively. Next season he said Riverdale may apply for membership to an area conference, such as the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association.

Avalon also will play an independent schedule. Coach Tyree Spinner said its application for the MIAA was rejected because the approximately 100-student all-boys upper school wasn’t in close proximity to the conference’s other schools, located in or near the Baltimore metropolitan area. Spinner said Avalon may apply to join the MIAA again next season, and it also is

looking into joining other conferences, including the Interstate Athletic Conference and the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. But as a small school, it might not fit some of their requirements, Spinner said.

“At this point hopefully we can build a program and the school ... can be accepted in local conferences,” he said.

Shields said the CAFC was split in two divisions, with Cesar Chavez (D.C.) joining Perry Street, Avalon and Riverdale in the more competitive division.

Avalon and Riverdale didn’t play teams from the other division, which included KIPP (D.C.), Model (D.C.), Options (D.C.) and Maryland School for the Deaf (Frederick). egoldwein@gazette.net

BY

PRINCE J. GRIMES STAFF WRITER

When the 12-year-old son of Fort Washington resident Michelle Robinson told his mom that he wanted to play ice hockey, Robinson admittedly said she did not know the first place to look. The mom of four kids isn’t a stranger to getting her children involved with athletics; it’s just that hockey is not as popular a sport in Prince George’s County as other sports.

“I’m like, ‘I have no idea where you would go to play hockey,’” Robinson said. “I was a little surprised, but I’ve always been the kind of parent that wants to expose [my kids] to everything.”

A long-time supporter of the Prince George’s County Department of Parks and Recreation, Robinson came across an ad on its website promoting an open house at the Tucker

Road Ice Rink in Fort Washington.

She took her children to the event, which included a free skating session — and that became the first of many trips back.

On one of her visits to the rink, Robinson came across a flyer for a hockey class. This was her opportunity to get her son, Drew Robinson, involved, so she signed him up. Little did they know, the instructional class would morph into a full-fledged hockey team known as the Tucker Road Ducks.

The ‘try hockey for free’ program that Robinson took her son to began in February of 2014, instructed by Suitland resident Rahman-Rahim Ba’th. Ba’th had just transferred to Tucker Road from the Herbert Wells Ice Arena in College Park, where he coached hockey for about five years.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission asked him to begin and direct a hockey program at his new location, so he put together a team of young coaches and started recruiting kids — girls and boys, ages 4 to 18 — anywhere he could find

See HOCKEY, Page B-2

THE GAZETTE

Page B-2

Grace ‘not getting complacent’

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BY ERIC GOLDWEIN

The Central High School girls basketball team consisted almost entirely of underclassmen when

The Gazette sports staff ranks the top 10 high school basketball teams in Prince George’s County.

Girls

Rank School

GIRLS BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK

Central continues to see progress

BASKETBALL HOW THEY RANK Boys

The Grace Brethren Christian School girls basketball team has been winning games by 30-plus points, and that dominance has gotten the Eagles (13-2) near the top of the Potomac Valley Athletic Conference standings, while also helping their bench players get extra court time.

The downside, though, is that the Clinton school hasn’t had much experience in close and lategame situations.

On Thursday, Grace Brethren had one of its closer games — a win against Edmund Burke in what coach Grady Bryant described as a tough 15-point victory. Grace Brethren defeated the Washington, D.C. school by seven earlier in the season, and its two losses — to Covenant Life and Charles E. Smith Jewish Day — were both by single-digits. But the rest of its games have been decided by an average of 37.2 points.

“The biggest thing is not getting complacent,” Bryant said.

“That’s the biggest challenge.

When you get those tight games, it’s a matter of how you respond. It can be a challenge in that sense.”

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

Record Points

DeMatha National Christian Eleanor Roosevelt Largo Frederick Douglass Bishop McNamara Capitol Christian Northwestern Crossland Wise

20-1 15-3 13-2 14-2 13-3 15-7 27-6 12-3 13-3 10-6

60 54 48 42 36 26 23 21 13 5

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

it went 1-18 in coach Marcellus Clement’s first season in 2012-13.

While this year’s Falcons have many of those same players, the results aren’t resembling that of the one-win campaign.

On Monday, the Capitol Heights school defeated Potomac 62-50 to improve to 5-8, after going 3-16 last season.

“It was a complete team game.

We made crucial free throws late.

We made crucial layups late. They just played an overall great team

game.”

Seven players on the current roster were part of the 2012-13 team, Clement said. That includes junior captain Natori Nesbit, who is averaging a team-high 11.7 points per game. The Falcons have also been aided Wise transfer Nijah Hopkins.

“They’re just growing together, maturing together, learning how to finish games,” Clement said.

egoldwein@gazette.net

Record Points

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12-1 17-4 16-9 13-3 14-7 10-4 12-1 10-5 10-5 11-12

Eleanor Roosevelt Bishop McNamara Riverdale Baptist Largo National Christian Forestville Military Parkdale Gwynn Park Flowers Elizabeth Seton

BEST BET

BEST BET

n Roosevelt vs. Bowie, 5 p.m. Saturday at Northwestern: So many wanted to see this game last year they had to turn fans away. That’s why it has been moved to a bigger venue.

n Douglass at Gwynn Park, 7 p.m. Friday: The Eagles (12-4) have yet to beat one of the top teams in the County 3A/2A/1A League. A win here would make a statement.

LEADING SCORERS

LEADING SCORERS

Player, school Games Points Abdulai Bundu, Largo 18 550 Christian Matthews, Nat. Christian 16 366 Randall Broddie, Potomac 13 291 Kevin Dorsey, Clinton Christian 17 368 Michael Speight, Wise 18 378 Edward Polite, DuVal 18 377 David Belle, Northwestern 16 309 Kirk Hawkins, Laurel 17 323 Shawn Moss, Oxon Hill 14 263 Kavon Sclafford, Fairmont Heights 10 187

60 54 45 42 36 33 22 19 12 5

Also receiving votes: Douglass, 1; Grace Brethren, 1.

Also receiving votes: Pallotti, 2.

Academy of the Holy Cross’s Amber Onyekwere tries to stop Elizabeth Seton’s Raven Fox during Tuesday’s girls basketball game in Bladensburg.

The Roadrunners won to improve to 11-12 this season.

Rank School

Avg. 30.6 22.9 22.4 21.7 21.0 20.9 19.3 19.0 18.8 18.7

Player, school Briel Palmer, Northwestern Dami Oloyede, High Point Charnise Tyler, Suitland Kaila Charles, Eleanor Roosevelt Ariana Romney, G. Brethren Raven Fox, Seton Drew Calhoun, Parkdale Destinee McQueen, DuVal Imani Quinn, Fairmont Heights Damoni Wells, Potomac

Games Points Avg. 13 319 24.5 15 303 20.2 11 210 19.1 11 196 17.8 16 272 17.0 24 404 16.8 16 266 16.6 14 230 16.4 9 148 16.4 243 16.2

Coaches and team statisticians may email season team statistics to sports@gazette.net before noon on Mondays to be included.

Flowers’ pressure too much for Bladensburg in boys basketball Jaguars hold Mustangs to 28.5 percent shooting in boys basketball game n

BY

ADAM GUTEKUNST STAFF WRITER

A very vocal fan of the Flowers High School boys basketball team spread his arms out wide Tuesday night, as Jaguars’ guards Tyrik Campbell and Trent Watson waited, baiting yet another Bladensburg player into a halfcourt trap. “Arms,” the Flowers supporter yelled out repeatedly. “ARMS.” Flowers hardly needed the instruction the fan provided, as their suffocating pressure and flawless transition between defenses baffled the Mustangs in a 51-42 win in Upper Marlboro on Tuesday.

Like clockwork, the lead guard on the Jaguars’ press would provide fullcourt

SWIMMER

Continued from Page B-1 While Fryer said her preference — by a landslide — is sprinting because of the excitement of short, fast races, she can

RIVALRY

Continued from Page B-1 Bowie’s small gym.

Now it is Roosevelt, winners of 9 of 10 games since, that has staked its claim as the undisputed best of the league with an 11-0 record in a tumultuous 4A. The key, as opposing coaches will tell you, is in the Raiders’ discipline.

“That’s kind of just the hallmark of their system,” said Bowie coach Cedric Holbrook.

“Their system is a disciplinebased system ... they play their

BASKETBALL

Continued from Page B-1 and last season she averaged about 12 points. Having an increased role has allowed her to become a 20-point scorer, said Lynette O’Reggio, coach at the Beltsville school.

HOCKEY

Continued from Page B-1 them. It began with kids in the class, and branched out from there.

“We started going everywhere,” Ba’th said. “We’ll ask anybody that walks into the building.”

By September, a team began to take shape and the kids

pressure, ultimately pushing a Bladensburg guard to the left or right, where a trap was waiting in the wings. When a Mustang player managed to break the trap and get off a pass, a well-placed Jaguars defender was usually waiting for it, having rotated over when the trap commenced.

When Bladensburg went bigger with their lineup, the Jaguars’ turned to an aggressive 2-3 zone, forcing the Mustangs into a number of quick, long-range shots. And when the height disparity was less glaring, coach Mark Edwards’ group turned to their hallmark man-to-man defense that the Jaguars’ claim as the cornerstone of their program.

“We focus on that,” Edwards said of the Jaguars’ defensive effort. “It’s like the old adage that defense wins championships. Last year we were second in fewest point allowed in the league, next to Wise. Ironically, they were state champi-

ons. It all correlates. I think it all matters.

We want to defend the ball and we want to rebound the ball at both ends of the floor, because the more possessions we have, the more opportunities we have to score.”

That strategy worked for Flowers for most of Tuesday night’s game.

Bladensburg was able to hold on in the first half, cutting a once 10-point deficit to two points at halftime after a ninepoint second quarter from junior Prince Obike, who led all scorers with 15 points.

But as the game wore on, so too did the effectiveness of Flowers’ pressure, as Bladensburg managed just six points in a third quarter where the Jaguars stifled the visitors with a steady diet of defense turning into offense. By the end of the quarter, Flowers had turned a two-point lead into a 15-point cushion in a matter of just eight minutes. “[Pressure to transition] is really the

main focus of our team,” Campbell said.

“We want to get out and pressure the ball and get up the floor in three to five seconds. It’s just the basis of our team.

That’s how we want to play.”

And that’s how Flowers played Tuesday night. An onslaught of easy transition buckets from a deep rotation full of athletic, gritty guards propelled the Jaguars to their 14th win of the season, despite a fourth quarter offensive draught that saw the Jaguars attempt just three field goals.

When the Mustangs pulled within nine in the closing minutes, Flowers turned back to their pressure defense, which held Bladensburg to 18-of-63 shooting (28.5 percent). The Jaguars, on the other hand, shot 19-of-38 from the field (50 percent).

“It’s relentless,” Bladensburg coach Antonio Williams said of Flowers’ defense. “... It’s relentless to the [point] where all of them, except for maybe two

players, are interchangeable. So when they do run and jump, they’re actually trapping the basketball and then rotating and playing great defense once you break it ... it’s a great defense.”

Barring a second quarter where Obike’s 4-of-6 shooting from the field carried the load, Bladensburg failed to shoot at 25 percent in the other three quarters, going a combined 11-of-47 (23.4 percent) against Flowers’ pressure that Edwards said is perfected during the Jaguars’ high-intensity practices.

“Our practices are war,” Edwards said. “I mean guys are really getting after each other and it’s a good thing because they’re preparing our core guys — our first 6, 7, 8 guys — they’re prepared because they have guys behind them that are pushing them to want to play. That’s one of the things we talk about.” agutekunst@gazette.net

and has swum just about every event. Her versatility is invaluable, King said, as he attempts to pick up as many points as possible — the 50 and 100 freestyle typically are the easiest events to fill. Fryer said it’s important to be flexible for the good of the

team.

“I might need her in the 100 fly and that’s one of the most difficult to swim if you’re not a butterflier,” King said. “There might be a level of reluctance but once she’s locked in and it’s time to go, her competitive

spirit always kicks in; she’s not going to lose.”

As Fryer and Central head into the postseason this weekend, she said she has top 3 aspirations for the county championship and hopes to move up the ladder at states.

She picked up top-4 performances in both the 50 and 100 freestyle at last year’s regional meet, but finished 24th at the ultra-competitive state championship.

“Central hasn’t always had the recognition,” Fryer said. “Coming

out and swimming against other teams and coming in first, it surprised a lot of people. It’s been nice to be able to get Central some recognition and try and get more people to come out for the team.”

system throughout — win, lose or draw. They’re going to play their style of play throughout.

They’re going to be consistent.”

The Raiders’ poise and trust in their system has pulled them through in a number of tight games down the stretch this season. Four of Roosevelt’s wins have been as close as five points, but the Raiders have triumphed by sticking with what they know.

“It’s something we coach, but also the kids have got to buy into it,” O’Connell said. “That’s something you’ve got to work hard at in practice — it just doesn’t happen on game night.”

The teams’ first meeting, just two weeks into the season, had 70 free throw attempts. A string of missed free throws by Roosevelt in the closing minutes allowed Bowie to pull within a point. But a late Roosevelt defensive stand sealed the marathon game.

Whereas the Bulldogs offense seemed to click in the midst of their late-game charge, their failure to produce consistently throughout the course of the game kept them at bay down the stretch, as Holbrook recalled.

That consistency, he said, will be the key come Saturday.

“I remember us having a lot of mental breakdowns,” the Bulldogs coach said. “We weren’t hitting shots so we put ourselves in a bad situation that way ... We’re going to have to match their consistency with consistency. That’s the only way you’re going to stay in the game.”

Bowie’s run since the Dec. 18 meeting hasn’t been quite as pristine as their rivals’. The Bulldogs have strung together an 8-3 record since the loss, but have tripped up as of late, losing two of their past four, including a shocking upset at the hands of

High Point on Jan. 20.

Still, as O’Connell pointed out, Bowie’s stable of guards is a formidable group. The Bulldogs’ three leading scorers, Quinton Drayton (13.7), Mike Gray (10.6) and Christian Bryant (10.4), all thrive in the up-tempo offense.

“They’ve got a lot of good guards and depth with their backcourt,” O’Connell said.

“That’s something we’ve always got to be ready for.”

The Raiders, as efficient as they are in their half-court sets, have the pieces to match Bowie in transition, as they are led by the senior backcourt combina-

tion of Doyin Fadojutimi (14.5) and Ishmail Jabbie (10.2).

But with all the preparing the Raiders will do for Saturday’s game, O’Connell said that energy just comes naturally for his players when it comes to this rivalry.

“Games like this, I don’t need to get the kids fired up,” O’Connell said. “It’s a big game and it’s not like they need me to tell them the history of this.

We’ve gone at it the last couple of years. We’re getting late in the season — it’s February and there’s titles on the line.”

Some of that is getting more touches; the Eagles graduated top scorer Cynara Inabinet. But O’Reggio said Oloyede also has learned how to deal with defensive pressure, both by using her teammates and creating her own shots.

Oloyede said it can be frustrating being the primary scor-

ing option on an inexperienced team. She’s routinely facing double teams and being guarded by the opponent’s top defenders.

When she went up against the stingy defense of reigning Class 4A state champion Roosevelt, she was held to a season-low six points. Those situations, though, have helped her learn to deal with

defensive pressure, she said.

“My mindset has changed completely,” Oloyede said. “...

You have to keep pushing if the offense isn’t working.”

Oloyede, who averages about 10 rebounds, still gets most of her points in the paint. The next step in her progression could be improving her passing, and extend-

ing her range — maybe even to the 3-point line, said junior teammate Mojisola Ogunbode.

“It’s something that she can add,” Ogunbode said. “She set a goal for next year.”

Though there are only a few weeks remaining until the playoffs, Oloyede said she joined the Maryland Lady Shooting Stars

AAU team and plans to continue adding to her skill set in the offseason.

“I do believe that she’s going to get better,” Manyan said.

“Hopefully next year her ballhandling skills will be much better.”

voted on uniform colors — pink and black. A parent organization was created — Robinson is the prospective vice president — to raise funds, bring awareness to the program and ensure its longevity, among other things. The Ducks played their first game in November.

Robinson said Drew picked the sport up very well and she was surprised by how much he liked it.

“[The kids] love it,” Ba’th said. “They started out, probably, not skating at all. Now we have them up here probably four or five days a week. All the time.”

Ba’th said that because the Ducks don’t participate in a league, they aren’t restricted by a set amount of games and will continue to schedule games this season as long as they can find teams willing to play. The

team travels for the majority of its games — to rinks such as Wells and the The Gardens Ice House in Laurel.

Compared to other youth hockey organizations in Maryland and Washington, D.C., the Ducks are the cheapest to join, Ba’th said. It’s $200 per season right now, but the prorated midseason cost is $50.

This makes it relatively easy for him to build a team. He said

parents also like the fact that the coaches actually spend so much time with the players.

“What we’re trying to do is basically get everybody in.

We’re trying to grab everyone, from any background,” Ba’th said. “Park and planning, they’ve given us a lot of good time on ice — so we do have a lot of time to get the kids out there, teach them to skate. We have private skating instructors

that come and work with the kids on Saturdays and Mondays.

“I want them to learn something different. When I was growing up, I played basketball.

I played football. I played soccer. All of that. The one sport that I played that was kind of different ... was hockey.”

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Arts & Entertainment www.gazette.net | Thursday, February 5, 2015 | Page B-3

The flow of the jasmine Mother and daughter make up Ragamala Dance Company n

BY

KIRSTY GROFF STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY AMMANALLU

Ranee Ramaswamy is founder and owner of Ragamala Dance Company, coming to The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center Saturday.

Ragamala Dance Company, led by a mother-daughter duo from Minnesota, will bring their latest work “Song of the Jasmine” to The Clarice in College Park on Saturday.

Founder Ranee Ramaswamy and her daughter, Aparna, serve as artistic directors, choreographers, and principle dancers for the nearly 23-year-old company, with the South Indian classical dance form Bharatanatyam serving as the foundation for the group’s performance style.

Through their traveling performances, both Ramaswamys hope to bring Bharatanatyam into the mainstream, creating different access points for audiences through the inclusion of music and visual art.

“Our aesthetic has grown and developed over time, but we never compromised the integrity of this form,” Aparna said. “We are not trained in other forms and we don’t perform other forms, but we are interested in showing how art

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can communicate and touch people regardless of where or what background they’re from.”

Aparna and her mother had performed alongside each other since she was a young child, but it took Minnesotan poet Robert Bly and his translated works of Indian poet Mirabai to jumpstart what would become Ragamala Dance Company’s mission. Ranee had an idea that by dancing to Bly’s poetry in English, American audiences would better grasp the scene of the performance and poems.

Ranee had been a dance teacher in the Indian community, and Aparna began dancing herself when she was 5. When she was 8, the legendary Indian dancer and choreographer Alarmél Valli came to the University of Minnesota for a two-week residency, which Aparna and her mother signed up for.

The visit was crucial for the Ramaswamys, as Valli offered to teach Aparna if she came to India; Ranee asked if she would also be able to study, and the two began traveling to India for four months a year to study 10 hours a day with Valli.

“The lineage is very important, what your teacher’s aesthetic and their teacher’s aesthetic was,” said Aparna.

See JASMINE, Page B-4

Warm up this winter with a bottle of wine Several options pair nicely with this frigid time of year n

With winter’s grip still upon us, it is comforting to know that there are wines ideal for chilly weather. Fuller in body with more complexity and structure, winter wines are better to serve with the cold-weather meals.

Among the recent releases of reds suitable for these icer times is the award-winning Terlato & Chapoutier Shiraz + Viognier 2013, an intriguingly spicy and citrusy blend from Australia modeled after the wines of France’s Northern Rhone region. It shows blueberry, dark cherry and red berry flavors within a silky smooth, floral scented frame with a persistently bright finish.

South America remains a source of reasonably priced, high quality reds including the Carmen Carmenere Gran Reserva 2011 from Chile. It is savory and expressive with red fruit aromas and flavors accented with blackberries, tobacco, mild spice and pepper leading into a very pleasing finish.

The Achaval-Ferrer Mal-

GRAPELINES

BY LOUIS MARMON bec 2013 is one of the better examples of the now very popular varietal. It is remarkably balanced with good acidity that matches well with the rich dark plum, black cherry and blueberry flavors that mingle nicely with oak and hints of chocolate. Their Achaval-Ferrer Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 is also enjoyable and shows a bit of mint and herbal qualities among the raspberry, plum and blackberry flavors.

Consider as well the entrylevel Quinta do Vallado Tinto 2011 created with both young and old vine grapes from one of Portugal’s finest estates. Beginning with expansive red berry and floral scents, it proceeds with raspberry, plums and mocha along with notable minerality and balanced finish.

From one of the largest estates in Rioja is the Bilbainas Zaco Rioja 2012, a pleasurable Tempranillo that starts with anise and cherry which merge into dark berry and raspberry flavors showing some mint and

See WINE, Page B-5

THE GAZETTE

Page B-4

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

IN THE ARTS For a free listing, please submit complete information to wfranklin@ gazette.net at least 10 days in advance of desired publication date.

High-resolution color images (500KB minimum) in jpg format should be submitted when available.

THEATER & STAGE Bowie Community Theatre, “Flyin’ West,” April 10 through April 25, call for prices, times, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, 301-8050219, bctheatre.com.

The Clarice, Rudresh Mahanthappa Jazz Clinic, Feb. 6; Meccore Quartet, Feb. 6; Ragamala Dance Company, Feb. 7; Juiced, Feb. 7; New Works Reading with The Spektral Quartet, Feb. 11; University of Maryland, College Park, theclarice.umd. edu.

Hard Bargain Players, Theater in the Woods, 2001 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, 240-766-8830, hbplayers.org.

Harmony Hall Regional Center, Festi-

val: Expressions of a People, Feb. 8; Shirley Jones of the Jones Girls, Feb. 14; 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301203-6070, arts.pgparks.com.

Greenbelt Arts Center, “Clybourne Park,” through Feb. 21; call for prices, times, Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway, Greenbelt, 301-441-8770, greenbeltartscenter.org.

Joe’s Movement Emporium, Boundaries, Feb. 6; Boundaries, Feb. 7; 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier, 301699-1819, joesmovement.org.

Laurel Mill Playhouse, “Harvey,” Feb. 13 through March 8, call for ticket prices, times, Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St., Laurel, 301-452-2557, laurelmillplayhouse. org.

Prince George’s Little Theatre, “Suite Surrender,” May 1 through May 16, call for tickets and show times, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, 301-937-7458, pglt.org.

NASA’S Music And Drama club (MAD), “The Musical of Musicals (The Musical)” Feb. 13 through Feb. 28. Barney & Bea Recreation Center, 10000 Good Luck Road, Bowie. $20. For ticket sales and additional information, call 240-475-8800 or visit madtheater.org.

Publick Playhouse, Jazz Meets Blues, Feb. 7; One Noble Journey: A Box Marked Freedom, Feb. 10 & Feb. 11; Coretta Scott King and the Fight for Freedom, Feb. 17; Youth 4 PRAISE, Feb. 21; PRAISE Dance Festival, Feb. 22; Four Score and Seven Years Ago, Feb. 26; 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly, 301-277-1710, arts.pgparks.com.

2nd Star Productions, “I Hate Hamlet,” Feb. 6 through Feb. 22, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Dr., Bowie, call for prices, times, 410-757-5700, 301-8324819, 2ndstarproductions.com.

Tantallon Community Players, “Harvey,” Feb. 28 through March 8; Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301-262-5201, tantallonstage.com.

Venus Theatre, “God Don’t Like Ugly,” March 19 through April 12, 21 C Street, Laurel. venustheatre.org.

NIGHTLIFE New Deal Café; Funk Master General, Feb. 6; The Mojo Priests, Feb. 7; The Nighthawks, Feb. 8; Dixieland Express, Feb. 10; Ultrafaux, Feb. 11; The GoodFellas, Feb. 13; Djesben, Feb. 14; 113 Centerway Road, 301-474-5642, newdealcafe.

com.

Old Bowie Town Grill, Wednesday

Night Classic Jam, 8 p.m. every Wednesday, sign-ups start at 7:30 p.m., 8604 Chestnut Ave., Bowie, 301-464-8800, oldbowietowngrille.com.

DANCING Ballroom dance and lesson, with instructor Dave Malek at 7 p.m. every Thursday. A beginner’s lesson precedes the dance, which starts at 8 p.m. Cost is $10. The dance is located at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 6111 Columbian Way, Bowie. For more information, email dave@dancin-dave.com or call 410-3708438.

OUTDOORS Dinosaur Park, Dinosaur Park programs, noon to 4 p.m. first and third Saturdays, join paleontologists and volunteers in interpreting fossil deposits, 13200 block Mid-Atlantic Blvd., Laurel, 301-627-7755.

Mount Rainier Nature Center, Toddler Time: hands-on treasures, crafts, stories and soft play, 11 a.m. to noon Thursdays,

JASMINE

Continued from Page B-3

PHOTO BY DARIAL SNEED

1935551

Aparna Ramaswamy performs as part of Ragamala Dance Company, coming to The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center Saturday.

“You internalize not just the art form but their vision of the world, and then you have your own point-of-view that has developed. That’s how we studied, and we’re so proud to carry on this tradition.”

While some may think the dynamic of parent working with child could be hard to work with, Ranee and Aparna are on equal footing with Ragamala Dance Company, having received the same training for many years and understanding each other deeply.

“It didn’t matter that we were mother and daughter of different generations — we were a duo, and our reach expanded outside of the Indian community,” Aparna said. “Even at a young age I would give my input. We’re best friends and artistic partners, and we don’t really see the age difference because our common passion is this dance form and our commitment to our teacher’s aesthetic.”

age 5 and younger free, 4701 31st Place, Mount Rainier, 301-927-2163.

Prince George’s Audubon Society, Bird Walks, 7:30 a.m. first Saturdays, Fran Uhler Natural Area, meets at end of Lemon Bridge Road, north of Bowie State University, option to bird nearby WB&A Trail afterward; 7:30 a.m. third Saturdays, Governor Bridge Natural Area, Governor Bridge Road, Bowie, meet in parking lot; for migrating and resident woodland and field birds, and waterfowl. For beginners and experts. Waterproof footwear and binoculars suggested. Free. 410-765-6482.

ET CETERA College Park Aviation Museum, Peter Pan Club, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. second and fourth Thursdays of every month, activities for pre-schoolers, $4, $3 seniors, $2 ages 2 to 18, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park, 301-864-6029, collegeparkaviationmuseum.com.

Women’s Chamber Choir Auditions, by appointment for the concert season of women’s chamber choir Voix de Femmes, 7:45 to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays, 402 Compton Ave., Laurel, 301-520-8921, annickkanter@ gmail.com.

RAGAMALA DANCE COMPANY: SONG OF THE JASMINE n When: 8 p.m. Saturday n Where: The Clarice, Kay Theatre, University of Maryland, College Park n Tickets: $10-$25 n More information: ragamaladance.org; 301-405-2787

Ragamala Dance Company puts together specific programs based on current inspirations and influences. For “Song of the Jasmine,” they teamed up with jazz alto saxophonist and composer Rudresh Mahanthappa after meeting at Walker Art Center in Minnesota.

“His training was in jazz, but we are both Indian-Americans making statements through our artistic forms,” Aparna said, “and we were coming from very different approaches and referencing our background very differently.

I was interested in what we had to say together on the stage.”

The Clarice co-commissioned “Song of the Jasmine” along with the Lincoln Center for Lincoln Center Out of Doors

as well as lead commissioners Walker Arts Center and Krannert Center for the Arts at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Through these art centers’ support, Ragamala Dance Company is able to expand their reach throughout the country and reach more audiences in keeping with their mission as a whole.

“The commissioners we have on this project, these are all major presenters in the field who understand where the world is going in terms of universal statements and what American dance and music is,” said Aparna. “It’s shifting and changing, it’s an exciting and dynamic time.” kgroff@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

Page B-5

Jazz, meet blues; Blues, meet jazz Legendary blues artist Opening the program is Phil Wiggins will share the jazz vocalist Lovejoy, perstage with jazz great Karen forming with The Lovejoy Lovejoy for “Jazz Meets Group. A native of the MidBlues” at 7 p.m. on Saturday west, Lovejoy began singing at the Publick Playhouse in jazz after moving to D.C. Cheverly. and formed A WashThe Lovejoy ington, Group as a D.C. native, collaboraWiggins pertion of acformed with complished most, if not musicians, all, of DC’s who indibest blues vidually and artists, and collectively got his first have played opportunity and shared with slide the stage with guitarist and PUBLICK PLAYHOUSE such notables singer Flora Karen Lovejoy and the Lovejoy Group as Dionne Molten when will be performing with blues and Warwick, he was just jazz greats on Saturday when “Jazz Brian McK14. Wiggins is Meets Blues” at the Publick Playnight, Bobby best known Hutcherson, house in Cheverly. for the 30 Joe Williams, years he perAl Green, formed with John Cephas, a and Phineas Newborn. They partnership that ended when have performed at numerCephas died in 2009. Cephas ous popular clubs as well as and Wiggins were recognized at the Smithsonian and the

by Smithsonian Folkways, Kennedy Center. Lovejoy has and as ambassadors of the produced a number of origiPiedmont blues, Cephas and nal tunes including the title Wiggins took their music cut for the group’s latest CD, all over the world, includSpellbound. ing venues of note such as Tickets for the show are Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera $20-$25. For more informaHouse, Royal Albert Hall, and tion, call 301-277-1710, or the White House. visit the box office.

WINE

Continued from Page B-3 earthiness at the end. Their Bilbainas Vina Pomal Reserva Rioja 2010 is more full-bodied and intense with deep red cherry, berry and plum along with leather, coffee and vanilla notes. Or try the plum and floral scented Cune Rioja Reserva 2009 with dark cherry, vanilla

and raspberry flavors along with some smoke and spice.

The Sangiovese based wines from Montepulciano have long been a winter favorite, especially when served along some tagliatelle topped with ragu. The Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2010 opens with floral and herbal accented berry aromas that deftly expand in the glass and

ARKADIUSZ

The Meccore Quartet will be performing at The Clarice on Friday.

Four for strings

Praised for its breathtaking performances and visionary interpretations, the Meccore Quartet has received top prizes at the Paolo Borciani Competition, the International Chamber Music Competition and the Max Reger International Chamber Music Competition.

The group will bring its world-class music to the Gildenhorn Recital Hall at The Clarice in College Park at 8 p.m. on

join with strawberry, black cherry and currant flavors. Also present are notes of chocolate, grilled game and spice that linger during the lengthy, perfectly balanced finish.

The Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello 2009 is another terrific Italian wine showing deep red cherry and dark currant aromas and flavors in a lovely, supple and lush frame

Friday.

The Polish quartet consists of Wojciech Koprowski and Jaroslaw Nadrzycki on violins, Michal Bryla on viola, and Karol Marianowski on the cello.

Formed in 2007 by some of Europe’s most celebrated string players, the quartet flouts convention by incorporating elements of jazz and literature into its programs and performing in

with medium tannins and bits of licorice and vanilla at the end.

A perpetually favorite producer from California is Grgich Hills Estate which has released its black cherry and earthy scented Grgich Zinfandel 2011, a medium bodied version with zippy dark fruit, including currants, black cherries and plum along with chocolate, black

places with limited access to culture.

With fantastic technical abilities and a beautiful sound, the Meccore Quartet will join the ranks of other young, outstanding chamber ensembles that debut at The Clarice.

Tickets for the show are $25, $10 for students. For more information, visit theclarice.umd.edu, or call 301-4052787.

licorice, sour cherry and pepper. The Grgich Merlot 2011 expresses aromas of blueberry and strawberries which flow smoothly into red plum, black fruit, cedar, cinnamon and a slight smokiness during the longish finish. Also recommended is the organicallygrown Bonterra Zinfandel 2012 with juicy black plum, vanilla, pepper and oak.

There is a surprisingly interesting citrus undercurrent to the Markham Cellar 1879 Red Blend 2012 that works well with the complex black cherry, red berry, blueberry and mocha notes. Another cold-weather delight is the Frisson Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 which has charming baking spice accents to its big dark fruit, red cherry licorice and cocoa flavors.

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No experience?

Job Training & Placement Assistance Available 1-888-818-7802 CTO SCHEV

Full Time Help Wanted

Full Time Help Wanted

AUTO Service Advisor

GM multi-line Dealer has rare opportunity for an exper Service Advisor. Above avg CSI, GM exper & ability to handle high volume req’d. ADP exper desired. Must pass drug test. We offer an excellent compensation & benefit pkg for the right individual. Please fax resume to 301-4412092 or e-mail gking@ecapitol.com.

CONSTRUCTION OPERATOR

Local Company looking for Equipment Operator to dig basements & b/f etc. Call: 443-677-8324 or Fax: 301-579-6210

WSSC is Seeking Public Comment on Proposed Changes to the Plumbing and Fuel Gas Code

Room avail now! $395 shared kitchen, bath& utils nr public transp.

Call 301-404-2681

ern Shore Was $325K renovated SFH. Avail Now from $65,000 - immed. $1,400/month + utils. 610-679-9184 OCEAN CITY, C o m m u n i t y MARYLAND. Best Center/Pool. 1 acre+ selection of affordable lots, Bay & Ocean Acrentals. cess, Great Fishing, Unfurnished Apartments Crabbing, Kayaking. Prince George’s County Full/ partial weeks.

Call for FREE broCustom Homes chure. Open daily. www.oldemillpointe.co N CARROLLTON: Holiday Resort Servm 757-824-0808 1Br CONDO, free ices. 1-800-638-2102. reservations: parking, close to Metro Online R E C R E A T I O N A L $1200 per month/utils www.holidayoc.com 6.5 AC, Call: 202-276-0562 CABIN POND SITE $84,900 Miscellaneous Park like open and For Sale wooded Parcel with 2 Condominiums state views/1,000+ sq.

For Rent GET THE BIG DEAL ft. shell ready for You FROM DIRECTV! to finish and enjoy.

Elec.,tele available ADELPHI: 2Br, 1Ba, Act Now- $19.99/mo. perc CALL OWNER parking, w2w carpet Free 3-Months of $1400 + elec HOC HBO, starz, 304-901-4931 welcome, nr UofMD & SHOWTIME & CINEMAX FREE bus 202-714-8539 GENIE HD/DVR Upgrade! 2014 NFL Houses for Rent GAITHERSBURG: Sunday Ticket Montgomery County 3Br, 2Ba, updated eat- Included with Select in kit, fplc, nr bus Packages.

GERMANTOWN - 2b- HOC welcome $1950 New Customers Only d/2ba TH Fin walkout inc utils 301-802-6391 IV Support Holdings bsmt fresh paint carLLC- An authorized p e t DirecTV Dealer W/D rsvd parking. LARGO: 3BR 2.5BA Some exclusions H O C condo. W/D, pkg. Walk apply - Call for details w e l c o m e to PGCC/bus/shops, 1-800-897-4169 $1,450/month Near metro, $1500.

Tom (267)987-6217.

Call 301-333-0061. ACORN STAIRLIFTS N E W Available 3/1.

CURVED OR STRAIGHT MENTION SILVER SPRING: AD SAVE 5Br 2.5Ba SFH. Eat-in M O N T G O M E R Y THIS kit, deck, fenced yrd, VILLAGE: 2br/2ba $200.00 FREE ESTIDEALER driveway, new carpet, fully renovated condo MATE; nr metro/rail, NP/NS avail now $1550 utils SINCE 1929; FAST & incl. 917-544-6744 or R E L I A B L E $2300 301-672-8448; SERVICE;CALL ANpatloc176@gmail.com 240-449-9754 GEL OR KATHY TODAY 888-353-8878

Call 301-670-7100 or email class@gazette.net

In addition, the proposed changes are being coordinated with interested stakeholders; including the Maryland National Capital Building Industry Association, the Washington Suburban Master Plumbers Association, the Mechanical Contractors of America - Metro Washington chapter, the Air Conditioning Contractors Association, the American Society of Professional Engineers, the Apartment and Office Building Association, Washington Gas and governmental agencies; including Prince George’s County Departments of Permitting, Inspections and Enforcement (DPIE) and Fire/EMS and Montgomery County Departments of Permitting Services, Department of Environmental Protection and Fire and Rescue Service.

To review proposed code language, you may visit the WSSC Website at: https://www.wsscwater.com/codebooks. A limited number of hard copies of the WSSC proposed code changes will be available at the WSSC Headquarters Permit’s counter.

WSSC intends to adopt these new regulations following a public comment period. Written comments will be accepted until March 9, 2015 at WSSC Regulatory Services Group 11th floor, 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, MD 20707.

For more information, please contact: Thomas (Tom) Buckley, Code Planning and Cross-Connection Coordinator: Tom.Buckley@wsscwater.com, 301-206-8606 Edward Iames, Plumbing Inspections Coordinator: Edward.Iames@wsscwater.com, 301-206-8616 (2-4, 2-5-15) Miscellaneous Services

Miscellaneous Services

Career Education

Professional Services

DONATE AUTOS, GOT KNEE PAIN? MEDICAL BILLING GET CASH NOW PRO- FOR YOUR ANNUTRUCKS, RV’S. BACK PAIN? TRAINING LUTHERAN MIS- SHOULDER PAIN? G R A M ! Train to ITY OR STRUCSION SOCIETY. Get a pain-relieving process insurance TURED SETTLEand Medical Billing MENT. Top Dollars Your donation helps brace -little or local families with NO cost to you. Medi- from home! NO EX- Paid. Fast. No Hassle food, clothing, shelter, care Patients Call PERIENCE NEED- Service! 877-693-0934 counseling. Tax de- Health Hotline Now! 1- ED! Online training (M-F 9:35 am - 7 pm at CTI gets you job ET) ductible. MVA License 800-900-5406 ready!

HS #W1044.

GET CABLE TV, Diploma/Ged & 410-636-0123 or INTERNET & Computer/Internet www.LutheranMissionwith FREE PHONE needed. 1-877-649- PROBLEMS WITH Society.org THE IRS OR HD Equipment and in- 2671 STATE TAXES? stall for under $3 a Settle for a fraction of day! Call Now! 855ALL THINGS what your owe! Free 752-8550 BASEMENTY!

face to face consultaBasement Systems WHEELCHAIR AND tions with offices in Inc. Call us for all of REyour area. Call 855your basement needs! SCOOTER Financial 970-2032 Services Waterproofing? Finish- PAIR. Medicare Accepted. Fast Friendly ing? Structural ReService. BBB Rated. pairs? Humidity and Loaners Available. GUARANTEED Mold Control FREE CALL 1-800-450-7709 INCOME FOR ESTIMATES! Call 1Employment YOUR RETIRE800-998-5574 Opportunities MENT. Avoid market risk & get guaranteed income in retirement! EARN $500 A DAY: DISH TV RETAILCALL for FREE copy Insurance Agents ER . Starting at to advertise of our SAFE MONEY Needed; Leads, No $19.99/month (for 12 call GUIDE. Plus Annuity.

Cold Calls; Commismos.) & High Speed 301.670.7100 Quotes from A-Rated sions Paid Daily; LifeInternet starting at or email compaines! 800-669time Renewals; Com$14.95/month (where 5471 plete Training; Health available) SAVE! Ask class@gazette.net & Dental Insurance; About SAME DAY InLife License Required stallation! CALL Now! Call 1-888-713-6020 800-278-1401

TOWN TREASURER

For the Town of Brentwood, MD, FT, to manage finances, payroll, personnel records, fiscal reports and assigned admin. duties. BA/BS, municipal govt. exper., MD residency and exper. with Peachtree required. Job descript. avail. by calling 301/927-3344. Pls state min. salary requirements. Fax resume to 301-927-0681 Attention Mayor or Council or e-mail town.administrator@brentwoodmd.gov.

Resumes due 2/20/2015. EOE

Program Manager Plan, direct & coordinate medical services.

Responsible for overall administration, clinical planning, development & operations of therapeutic rehab program.

Req MS in any health related field or BS w/5yr exp. 40hr/wk. Resume to AZ Pain Management & Physical Therapy Center 6188 Oxon Hill Rd, Ste 300, Oxon Hill 20745

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS Full Time Help Wanted

Full Time Help Wanted

Full Time Help Wanted

Full Time Help Wanted

Web Editor

The Gazette, a chain of weekly community newspapers in Maryland, is seeking an Web Editor to build our digital audience and oversee our digital content and presentation.

Responsibilities include editing stories and related items for optimal web display, determining how information is displayed, formulating strategies for niche publications and special online features, promoting a web-first mentality in the newsroom, and troubleshooting problems on the website and with our content management system.

Candidates must have solid print and digital media skills, and strong knowledge of SEO, social media and other digital tools. Duties include supervising a small staff, working with multiple departments on digital projects, tracking analytics, and some editing for the printed publications. Experience dealing with vendors and working with our content management system, Saxotech, is a plus. This position requires working at both our Laurel and Gaithersburg locations.

We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, tuition reimbursement and 401(k).

Send resume, cover letter and salary requirements to Vanessa Harrington: editjobs@gazette.net. No phone calls. EOE

Part Time Help Wanted

Page B-7

Call 301-670-7100 or email class@gazette.net

Part Time Help Wanted

Communications Assistant Needed for a small company in Silver Spring, 15-20 hrs/week.

Write/design charts, flyers, etc. for small co. Must be prof on Mac, Excel, Publisher.

Please send resumes to: marilynm0808@yahoo.com.

Career Training Need to re-start your career?

Page B-8

A AUTOMOTIVE UTOMOTIVE YOU ALWAYS GET YOUR WAY AT OURISMAN EVERYDAY

Cars Wanted

SAVE UP TO $8,000

2014 PASSAT S

Call 301-670-7100 or email class@gazette.net Cars Wanted

Cars Wanted

CA H

OURISMAN VW 2015 JETTA S

Cars Wanted

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

FOR CAR !

2015 BEETLE 1.8L

ANY CAR ANY CONDITION

#7274571, Power Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry, Auto

MSRP 19,245 $

BUY FOR

16,995

$

OR $249/MO for 72 MONTHS

2015 GOLF 4D HB LAUNCH EDITION

#9087784, Automatic, Power Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry

MSRP 21,015 $

MSRP $23,185 BUY FOR

17,999

$

OR $264/MO for 72 MONTHS

WE PAY TOP DOLLAR-FAST FREE PICKUP! SELL YOUR CAR TODAY! CALL NOW FOR AN

#1601477, Power Windows/Power Locks, Keyless Entry, Auto

BUY FOR

18,999

$

OR $279/MO for 72 MONTHS

INSTANT CASH OFFER

(301)288-6009

2014 JETTA SEDAN TDI 2014 JETTA 4D SPORTWAGEN TDI G557453

#3039263, Power Windows, Power Locks, Auto, Keyless Entry, Sunroof

MSRP 23,235 $

BUY FOR

20,999

$

OR $318/MO for 72 MONTHS

#7283821, Automatic Power Windows, Power Locks, Bluetooth

MSRP 23,495

#5608496, Automactic. Power Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry

MSRP $28,835

$

BUY FOR

18,699

$

OR $289/MO for 72 MONTHS

BUY FOR

24,399

$

RAIN OR SHINE!

OR $358/MO for 72 MONTHS Since 1989

2015 GOLF GTI 2D HB S

2015 TIGUAN S 2WD

www.CapitalAutoAuction.com

2014 TOUAREG TDI R-LINE V6

WE HAVE VEHICLES FOR EVERY BUDGET AND NEED!

AUCTIONS EVERY SATURDAY

Temple Hills, MD

#4039448, Manual, Power Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry

MSRP $25,215

BUY FOR

22,999

$

OR $329/MO for 72 MONTHS

#13510753, Automatic, Power Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry

MSRP $27,180

BUY FOR

24,999

$

OR $372/MO for 72 MONTHS

5001 Beech Road Live/Drive Auction Time Saturdays 9:00a.m.

#14012689, Navigation, Sunroof Power Windows/Locks, Loaded

MSRP $55,835

BUY FOR

or email dc@capitalautoauction.com

OR $659/MO for 72 MONTHS

OPEN TO PUBLIC • ALL DEALERS WELCOME

29 Available...Rates Starting at 1.64% up to 72 months

G557454

2014 Jetta Sedan...............VPR0114,Platinum,6,705 Miles..................$16,994 2014 Jetta Sedan...............VPR0113,Silver,5,825 Miles.......................$16,994 2012 Tiguan SE...................V511462A,Black,37,637 Miles....................$16,995 2014 Jeep Patriot................VP0102A,Black,9359 Miles..............................$17,293 2012 Golf TDI.......................V406892A, Red, 51,111 Miles.......................$17,611 2012 Kia Sportage LX........VP0121,Silver,12,277 Miles.........................$18,491 2014 Passat.........................VPR0110,Silver,7,578 Miles.......................$18,994 2014 Passat.........................VPR0109,White,5,375 Miles......................$18,994 2014 Passat.........................VPR0108,Silver,9,040 Miles.......................$18,994 2013 Jetta TDI.....................V275938A, Gray, Nav, 30,575 Miles................$19,991 2014 Passat.........................V044301A,Gray,15,182 Miles....................$22,493 2013 Honda Accord............V035061A, Silver, V6 EX, 21,234 Miles......$23,872 2010 Lexus LS 460..............V014713A,Gray,100,,372 Miles.......................$25,991 2013 Camaro RS.................V040109B,Black,30,660 Miles....................$28,991

All prices exclude tax, tags, title, freight and $300 processing fee. Cannot be combined with any previous advertised or internet special. Pictures are for illustrative purposes only.

Special APR financing cannot be combined with sale prices. Ends 02/10/15.

Ourisman VW of Laurel

1.855.881.9197 • www.ourismanvw.com

G557900

3371 Fort Meade Road, Laurel

Online Chat Available...24 Hour Website • Hours Mon-Fri 9 am-9 pm • Sat 9 am-8 pm

Selling Your Car just got easier!

Log on to

Gazette.Net/Autos to place your auto ad!

As low as 29.95! $

1905 Brentwood Road Live/Drive Auction Time Saturdays 10:00a.m.

Call 301-640-5987

46,994

$

OURISMAN VW WORLD AUTO CERTIFIED PRE OWNED 2005 Toyota Scion..............V608066A, Gray, 90,560 Miles......................$6,991 2006 Jetta Sedan...............V021107A, Black, GLI, 106,666 Miles........$8,991 2011 Jetta Sedan...............VLP0105, Black, 47,803 Miles...................$9,795 2012 Jetta Sedan.................V352249A,White,49,776 Miles........................$10,291 2010 Mercury Milan Premier....V010567A,Black,83,807 Miles.........................$10,991 2011 Jetta Sedan SE...........VP0120,Red,60,893 Miles...............................$11,521 2012 Mazda3......................VP0117,Black,31,363 Miles.......................$12,493 2012 Jetta Sedan...............LP0118,Silver,33,694 Miles.......................$12,493 2009 Mini Cooper...............V008158A, White, 72,319 Miles, Clubman.......$12,573 2012 Jetta Sedan...............VP0106, White, Conv, 32,563 Miles............$12,499 2012 Jetta TDI.....................V615887A, Silver, 26,804 Miles.....................$15,499 2013 Kia Optima LX............VP0119, Red, 39,215 Miles...........................$16,491 2014 Jetta Sedan...............VPR0112,Black,6,921 Miles.......................$16,844 2011 Tiguan.........................V520327A,Pearl, 69,623 Miles..................$16,895 2010 Jeep Wrangler..........V051155A, Silver, 94,301 Miles.................$16,991

Washington, DC

BUY BELOW KBB VALUE

Auto Insurance

AUTO INSURANCE

STARTING AT $25/ MONTH! Call 877-929-9397

Domestic Vans

1993 FORD ECONOLINE: 81K Mil. Handicap van.

Good cond. $4,500.

301-525-1885 Cars Wanted

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED! Top

$$$$$ PAID! Running or Not, All Makes!

Free Towing! We’re Local! 7 Days/Week.

Call 1-800-959-8518

CASH FOR CARS!

Any Make, Model or Year. We Pay MORE! Running or Not. Sell Your Car or Truck TODAY. Free Towing!

Instant Offer: 1-888-545-8647

Page B-9

DARCARS NISSAN 2007 Nissan Versa 1.8 S #440115A, Low Miles for ‘07, Clean!

7,977

$

2002 Mercedes Benz C-Class Wagon #546059A, Hard To Find, In Great Shape, Automatic

8,977

$

2010 Scion tC

#541095A, Panoramnic Roof, Well Kept, Looks Like New!

11,977

$

2007 Nissan Altima 3.5 SL #546154A, LOADED!!!

Leather, Nav, Sunroof

11,977

$

2011 Honda Pilot Ex-L

16,977

$

# 444014A, 4WD, V6, Leather

2011 Nissan Xterra PRO-4X #538090B, Beautiful in Black Showroom Shine! 28k Miles

21,977

$

2010 Chevy Cobalt #444522A, Great On Gas, 1-Owner

8,977

$

2014 Hyundai Accent GLS

11,777

$

#E0503, Automatic, 1-Owner, 26K Miles, Sedan

2009 Honda Civic EX

12,977

$

#541025B, Sunroof, Automatic, 33K Miles

2011 Ford Transit Connect Wagon XLT Premium #E0510A, Rare Find, Flawless!

14,977

$

2010 Prius V #541044A, Loaded! Nav, 51K Miles

17,977

$

2013 Kia Sportage EX #541074A, Navigation, Panoramic Roof, Leather, Loaded, 19K Miles

21,977

$

www.DARCARSnissan.com

G558205

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

DARCARS NISSAN of ROCKVILLE 15911 Indianola Drive • Rockville, MD (at Rt. 355 across from King Farm)

888.805.8235 • www.DARCARSNISSAN.com

BAD CREDIT - NO CREDIT - CALL TODAY!

Page B-10

Thursday, February 5, 2015 lr

NEW 2015 COROLLA L 2 AVAILABLE: #570508, 570474

$0 DOWN

14,590

$

4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL., INCL.

AFTER $750 REBATE

COLD DAYS, 36 HOT DEALS 139/

2015 COROLLA LE 2 AVAILABLE: #570275, 570274

$

ASK A FRIEND

NEW 2015 SIENNA L 2 AVAILABLE: #560070, 560084

MO**

$0 DOWN

4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL

NEW 2014 SCION XD 2 AVAILABLE: #453051, 453052

WHO DRIVES A TOYOTA

$

4 DR., AUTO, 6 CYL.

AFTER TOYOTA $1,000 REBATE

189/MO**

$

20,890

$

2 AVAILABLE: #567123, 567085

$0 DOWN

AUTO, 4 CYL., 4 DR

NEW22015 RAV4 4X2 LE AVAILABLE: #564214, 564182

4 CYL., AUTOMATIC

AFTER $750 REBATE

4 CYL., 4 DR., AUTO

NEW 2015 TACOMA 4X2 XTRACAB

NEW 2015 CAMRY LE 2 AVAILABLE: #572081, 572073

14,990

$

18,590

AUTO, 4 CYL

NEW 2015 CAMRY LE

MONTHS+ % 0 FOR 60 On 10 Toyota Models

DARCARS

See what it’s like to love car buying

3 AVAILABLE: #572074, 572045, 572068

$

19,590

$0 DOWN

4 CYL., AUTO

AFTER TOYOTA $750 REBATE

1-888-831-9671

15625 Frederick Rd (Rte 355) • Rockville, MD n OPEN SUNDAY n VISIT US ON THE WEB AT www.355Toyota.com

G557899

24,790

$

PRICES AND PAYMENTS INCLUDE ANY APPLICABLE MANUFACTURE’S REBATES AND EXCLUDE MILITARY ($500) AND COLLEGE GRAD ($500) REBATES, TAX, TAGS, DEALER PROCESSING CHARGE ($300) AND FREIGHT: CARS $795 OR $810, TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY AND SIENNAS $810, $845 AND $995. *0.0% APR & 0% APR FINANCING UP TO 60 MONTHS TO QUALIFIED BUYERS THRU TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. TOTAL FINANCED CANNOT EXCEED MSRP PLUS OPTIONS, TAX, AND LICENSE FEES. 0% APR MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $16.67 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED. 0.9% APR 60 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $17.05 FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED. APR OFFERS ARE NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER CASH BACK LEASE OFFER. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY.**LEASE PAYMENTS BASED ON 36 MONTHS, 12,000 MILES PER YEAR WITH $995 DOWN PLUS $650 ACQUISITION FEE, NO SECURITY DEPOSIT REQUIRED. LEASES FOR COROLLA AND CAMRY ARE 24 MONTHS WITH $0 DOWN PLUS TAX, TAGS, FREIGHT, PROCESSING AND $650 ACQUISITION FEE. SEE DEALER FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. EXPIRES 2/10/2015.