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SEEKING VENDORS Laurel’s Main Street Festival draws 100,000 people. A-3
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NEWS: Northwestern High sophomore looks to duplicate undefeated tennis season. B-1
DA I LY U P DAT E S AT G A Z E T T E . N E T
Thursday, March 26, 2015
25 cents
Tax increase opposition rises n
Opponents say measure should be brought to referendum vote BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
PHOTOS BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU
Fort Washington resident Earl O’Neal said he is enraged by County Executive Rushern L. Baker’s proposed 15 percent tax increase to fund a $133 million county increase in the school system budget. “There is no doubt that there is great need in Prince George’s County. But money is not going to fix what is wrong with our schools,” O’Neal said during Monday’s County Council meeting. Thirteen people spoke out against the tax increase, and
no one spoke in favor. Approximately 45 people were in attendance. Baker is proposing raising residential and commercial property taxes approximately 15 percent to fund a large increase in education spending by the county. He is also proposing increasing the telecommunications tax from 8 percent to 12 percent. Approximately $127.9 million would be raised to go towards the county school system’s request of $117.5 million in addition to the $15.5 million maintenance of effort increase required under state law. Maryland state law requires school systems to maintain as a minimum, the per pupil funding
See TAX, Page A-9
(Above) Shelly Griffith of College Park hangs flowers next to the sign for the Julie Ferguson Shelter and Play Area on Saturday on the 20th anniversary vigil of Ferguson’s unsolved homicide. (Below) Attendees at the vigil hold a moment of silence and light candles in memory of Ferguson.
Vigil revisits slaying of Greenbelt teen Groundbreaking Organizers hope event will draw attention to 20-year cold case
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BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
In the two decades since Julie Ferguson’s homicide, her friends have gone on to graduate high school and college, pursue careers, marry and have children — all the things Ferguson never had the chance to do. Yet, throughout that time, the mystery of who killed her and why has continued to haunt them. “How does something go 20 years unsolved? How is that possible? Why are there no leads?” said Tracey Still, 35, a
friend of Ferguson’s who attended Eleanor Roosevelt High school in Greenbelt and now lives in Anne Arundel County. “Having children of our own,
we’re what our children would regard as overprotective, because we learned at a young age what most kids thankfully don’t, that life can change in the
Hyattsville-based business one of four confirmed for The Hotel BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Prince George’s County residents looking for a higherend fine-dining experience closer to home soon may not have to go any farther than College Park. “People have been saying for years that they want more fine dining options in Prince George’s County. There’s an opening in the market for this,” said Mike Franklin, owner of Franklin’s Restaurant, Brewery
INDEX Automotive Calendar Classified Entertainment Opinion Sports
See VIGIL, Page A-9
Yearlong delay in Laurel due to challenges hiring labor, PGCMLS official says n
BY
KIRSTEN PETERSEN STAFF WRITER
Whenever Sean Brady, 35, of Laurel drives by the old Laurel Branch Library on 7th Street, his son, Liam, 4, asks the same question. “He’ll ask, ‘Daddy, can we go to the library?’” Brady said, to which he responds “No, it’s closed. They’re working on it.” If construction of the new Laurel Library began last year, as originally scheduled, Brady would be able to say “yes” to Liam’s request in just a few
RTA proposes route changes
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and General Store. Franklin will open a second higher-end restaurant in the ground level of The Hotel, a $150 million luxury hotel and conference center under development in the heart of College Park. “We’re planning on offering an informal fine dining experience,” Franklin said. Franklin said the new restaurant will offer more farmto-table foods and Maryland cuisine, including seafood and grill, and also will offer drinks from the Hyattsville restaurant’s brewery. “We’re not predisposing ourselves as a steakhouse or a seafood restaurant,” Franklin said. “We’re going to open the
See FRANKLIN’S, Page A-9
BY
KIRSTEN PETERSEN STAFF WRITER
Davija Browne, 20, of Laurel, boarded her bus to the Towne Centre at Laurel at 9:43 a.m. March 16, 14 minutes later than it was scheduled to arrive. Browne said the bus, operated by the Regional Transportation Agency, or RTA, has pulled up later than that, forcing her to run back home and call a cab. “Sometimes it doesn’t reach [here] until 10 a.m. and I’m late,” Browne said. “Sometimes you really can’t depend on it.” In response to reliability and running time issues, RTA has proposed adjustments to routes serving Laurel that officials hope will improve the commute for
KIRSTEN PETERSEN/THE GAZETTE
A passenger boards the 301/A RTA bus headed to the Towne Centre at Laurel on March 16. The bus, which was scheduled to arrive at 9:29 a.m., picked up passengers at the Contee Road/MD Route 197 stop more than 10 minutes late. Officials proposed a change to ensure buses arrive as scheduled. riders like Browne. “Over the course of several months we’ve evaluated ways to make it work better,” said RTA
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nears for library
months. Instead, the ceremonial groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for the end of April, pushing its opening date to next fall. “I’m excited that they’re going to start construction on it, and hopefully that means they’ll be done soon.” Brady said. Michael Gannon, chief operating officer for support services for the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, said the year-long delay was due to challenges securing union labor to construct the library. The county first put out a bid for workers in November 2013, but it could not compete with MGM Resorts, which was
See LIBRARY, Page A-9
Fixes proposed for Laurel bus service
Franklin’s to open in College Park n
blink of an eye.” Still and other friends arranged a vigil Saturday to mark the 20th anniversary of Ferguson’s death, near the Glenn Dale site where her body was found. Ferguson was 17 in 1995 and a junior at Eleanor Roosevelt. She was last seen alive at the Greenway Shopping Center in Greenbelt, outside the store where she worked as a parttime cashier, within walking distance of her home, according to media reports. Shelly Griffith of College Park said she and some other friends went to pick Ferguson up from work that night. “We found her bags and her soda bottle,” Griffith said. “We were a little late, and we didn’t
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Prince George’s County fair winners take a personal approach.
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spokeswoman Sue Poole. “It’s all about efficiency. It’s all about having an effective service for the public.”
The RTA posted proposed changes to four of its Laurel-area routes earlier this month. For the 301/A and 302/G routes, which serve Prince George’s County exclusively, the bus would arrive every 60 minutes instead of every 45 minutes, Poole said. This would ensure that the buses have enough time to arrive at each destination when they’re scheduled to arrive, she said. “The frequency may get a little bit longer, but the end result is it will be on time and hit the designated time frame,” Poole said. Magdaline Agbor, 21, of Laurel said this change would be an improvement, as her 302/G bus from Towne Centre at Laurel to South Laurel is consistently late. “It would be good,” Agbor said. “It would help me to get
See BUS, Page A-8