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UCLA choreographer shines with ‘Stardust’ at Clarice Smith Center. B-1

SERVING NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY COMMUNITIES

DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Summer

25 cents

BY THE NUMBERS

camps

BY JEFFREY B

Every summer, millions of youths are enrolled in camps. The American Camp Association, the largest camp organization in the United States, breaks down the nation’s numbers for the 2,400 ACA-accredited camps as follows:

LYLES

S STAFF WRITER

TAKE AIM AT

Average cost of a day camp per week

See CAMPS, Page A-8

9,500 Estimated number of camps run by nonproﬁts

2,500 Estimated number of private camps

Number of children and adults who attend camps annually

INSIDE n Questions to ask when selecting a summer camp. n School may be out, but social lessons don’t have to be.

Number of camp staff from outside the U.S. hired to expose youth to different cultures

The prevention of summer brain drain, also known as summer learning loss, is a priority for many parents when choosing camps, but there are also options youths can do at home to keep up to date on academics. “During the summer time or any long break from school and academic learning, it’s hard to get them back into gear,” Ebonie Spreight of Springdale said of her sons, Kalen, 9, and David, 8. “So if there were some

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PERCENT

BY JEFFREY LYLES STAFF WRITER

SOPHIA WEST

PERCENT

Some camps and at-home activities can reinforce classroom teaching

Overall female enrollment at camps

See LOSS, Page A-8

SPORTS

A LOOK AT THE LEADERS The best coaches know how to relate to their players and adapt. A look at the qualities of a great coach.

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Automotive Calendar

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Classiﬁed

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Community News

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Entertainment

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Opinion

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Sports

A-10 Please

RECYCLE

PERCENT Camps in which youths with disabilities can participate CONTINUED ON PAGE A-8 FILE PHOTO

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While acknowledging the limitations in preventing such a scenario, some Prince George’s County mall and police ofﬁcials say they are conﬁdent in their current evacuation and active shooter plans in the wake of a shooting at a Columbia mall that left three dead, including the shooter. “You can do the best you can based on your plan,” said Sgt. Amir Reeves, Beltway Plaza Mall security shift superInside: College visor. “No plan is going to Park ties to mall be perfect.” shooting. Page A-7 Those plans are called active shooter drills, and they are common evacuation or response plans to scenarios in which a person is loose in a large building or area while wielding a live weapon, said Lt. William Alexander, a county police spokesman. These plans are common at large stores, developments or malls like the Beltway Plaza Mall in Greenbelt and the National Harbor development in Oxon Hill. These plans usually incorporate cooperation between police and security forces working together to subdue an ac-

See PLAN, Page A-7

MILLION

Options available to battle summer learning loss

Police say major adjustments not necessary in wake of Columbia mall shooting BY CHASE COOK STAFF WRITER

$304

Trends reveal top TV shows, movies are having an impact on county youths’ choices

Below: Campers at Good Knight Child Empowerment Network’s World of Wonder summer day camp in Beltsville practice archery.

POPULAR HITS

op culture is coming i to Prince George’s County summer m camps. Parents are now able to let their children hone archery skills used by characters in “The Hunger Games” movies, whip up desserts like contestants in the “Top Chef” television series or build robots based on the “Transformers” movies. “Parents love to get their children involved in camps that specialize in a speciﬁc activity whether it is cooking, a speciﬁc sport, art, theater, etc.,” said Kathy Garrity, a program supervisor with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, which offered 540 summer camps last year. “They like the variety we offer.” Garrity said specialty programs like robotics, art, self-defense, nature and music production camps are becoming more popular with children and parents. According to the American Camp

‘No plan is perfect’

Baker: ‘Tough choices’ coming in next budget County executive says $2.79B proposal will require department cuts n

BY JAMIE

ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

Prince George’s County’s budget is rising in fiscal 2015, but “tough choices” will have to be made due to sluggish revenues, County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D) told residents Tuesday night. County government is forecasting a $2.79 billion budget for fiscal 2015, an increase of 2.7 percent over the current fiscal year. Baker said modest increases in revenues, due in part to an anticipated Inside: Teacher 2.2 percent increase in pay, pre-K exproperty taxes, are not pected to benefit keeping pace with infrom state fundcreasing expenditures, ing. Page A-3 and some cuts will need to be made. “Unfortunately, like we did last year, we’re going to ask departments to make tough choices in what they can cut from their departments,” Baker said during the first of three budget forums at Oxon Hill High School. “... But the beautiful thing about Prince George’s County is ... we can see the growth

See BUDGET, Page A-7

SPECIAL SECTION

PRIVATE SCHOOLS MUNICIPAL SCENE

Advertising Supplement

Religious schools welcome students of other faiths; how top technology beneﬁts students; plus, a detailed directory of private schools in Prince George’s.

INSIDE TODAY

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T H E G AZ ET T E

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PEOPLE& PLACES More online at www.gazette.net

Adelphi nonproﬁt offering utility assistance The nonproﬁt Mary’s Center of

Adelphi is offering up to $500 in en-

ergy assistance for qualifying families experiencing ﬁnancial hardship, through a grant from the Pepco Holding Inc. Community Foundation, said Emily Dreckshage, development coordinator. Mary’s Center is a federally qualified health center offering comprehensive health care and social services, Dreckshage said. “They must be a Prince George’s County resident, with income at or below the poverty level, whose gas or electric services is in danger of being disconnected,” Dreckshage said. “If their service is already terminated, that’s acceptable as well.” To apply, contact Mary’s Center at 202-545-2024 or email energyassistance@maryscenter.org to schedule an interview.

Beltsville poet publishes inspirational collection Beltsville poet J.L. Price has released a new collection of his work, “Poetry to Glorify the Father.” Price said his poetry, written on spiritual and devotional themes, is designed to help others. “I write inspirational poetry that would inspire people to do better and to move past some of the issues we all face in our daily lives,”

Price said. “I write pieces that help us laugh a little at some of the things we take seriously in life, such as weight gain.” The book is published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises and is available from its website, www. tatepublishing.com/bookstore.

Laurel resident receives academic scholarships Miranda Roseland of Laurel was one of 11 Maryland recipients of academic scholarships from Kansas State University for the 2013-2014 school year. Roseland received both a Leo Dwerlkotte Memorial Scholarship and a Heritage Award for her academic achievements, totaling more than $8,000 per year. Kansas State is a public, fouryear university located in Manhattan, Kansas, and has a student population of around 24,300, according to the school.

Brentwood to host independent ﬁlm festival The Brentwood Arts Exchange will showcase the talent of local video producers Saturday in its new event, the All-Screened Video Fest. The festival will feature 29 short ﬁlms created by residents of the Washington, D.C., metro region, said Phil Davis, Arts Exchange acting director. Two local artists will

EVENTS How to Invest in Real Estate, 6 to

8:30 p.m., MOVE Training Center, 1450 Mercantile Lane, Suite 157, Largo. Have you been thinking about starting your own business or nonproﬁt? Have you recently retired or are you unemployed? Then you should attend one of our free workshops! Contact 301-772-1552.

JAN. 31 Xtreme Teens: “Souper” Bowl Celebration, 7 to 10 p.m., Kentland Com-

munity Center, 2411 Pinebrook Ave., Landover. Have a bowl of soup, play a game of Madden, make a banner and design a football T-shirt to get ready for Super Bowl Sunday. Contact 301386-2278; TTY 301-445-4512.

Xtreme Teens/Pre-Teens: Hula Hooping, 7 to 10 p.m., Deerﬁeld Run

Community Center, 13000 LaurelBowie Road, Laurel. It’s a hula-hooping showdown. Find out who will take the crown. Contact 301-953-7882; TTY 301-445-4512.

G.E.A.R: Movies and Munchies: Sci-Fi Night, 7:30 to 10 p.m., Columbia

Park Elementary School Community Center, 1901 Kent Village Drive, Landover. Invite friends to enjoy a movie. Ask staff for the movie title. Contact 301-341-3749; TTY 301-445-4512.

FEB. 1 Sports Breakfast for High School Students and Coaches, 10 a.m. to

noon, University of Maryland, College

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Laurel resident named to military college dean’s list Laurel resident Timothy Higgins was one of 703 cadets named to the Virginia Military Institute’s dean’s list for the Fall 2013 semester. Higgins is a senior majoring in applied mathematics. The Virginia Military Institute is a state-supported military college in Lexington, Va., and has a student population of around 1,600 cadets. To be eligible for the dean’s list, cadets must have a term GPA of a 3.0 and no grade below C.

Reminder: Don’t use plastic bags for yard waste The Prince George’s County Department of Environmental Resources is reminding residents they can no longer use plastic bags for yard waste.

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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 301-670-2070.

JAN. 30

judge the films and will award a $300 cash prize to the “Best in Festival” winner, he said. The event is free and open to the public and will be a way for community members to watch, discuss and become inspired by independent film, Davis said. “I want to see people come together to really enjoy watching independently-produced film and video,” he said. “The region is full of really great film and video editors. There are so many opportunities to participate in that kind of art.” The All-Screened Video Fest will begin at 2 p.m. at the Gateway Arts Center, located at 3901 Rhode Island Road in Brentwood.

Park — College of Journalism, 1100 Knight Hall, College Park. High school coaches, players and parents can join experts in a discussion on encouraging student athletes to achieve academically. Contact 301-801-2616, 301-8012618, scholasticO@wordconsultingllc. com or thenry@jmail.umd.edu.

SAT

Xtreme Teens: Black History Month Step Show, 6 to

10:30 p.m., Columbia Park Elementary School Community Center, 1901 Kent Village Drive, Landover. Enjoy the art of stepping at the high school step challenge. Cheer for your school or favorite routine. Contact 301341-3749; TTY 301-445-4512.

Friends of the Hyattsville Library Meeting, 10 a.m., Hyattsville Library,

MORE INTERACTIVE CALENDAR ITEMS AT WWW.GAZETTE.NET

Alzheimer’s Association Support Group, 12:15 to 1:45 p.m., St. Andrews

fest, featuring short ﬁlm and video work by regional producers and artists. All entries received will be shown, and a panel of judges will select one work to receive the honor of “Best in Festival”and a cash prize. Contact 301277-2863; TTY 301-446-6802.

6530 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville. Contact 301-985-4690.

Episcopal Church, 4512 College Ave., College Park. Groups provide a place for people with Alzheimer’s, their caregivers, family members and friends to share information. Groups are free. Please call 800-272-3900 before attending a group to verify meeting information. Contact 301-613-6087. Crocheting Basics, 1 p.m., Mount Rainier Library, 3409 Rhode Island Ave., Mount Rainier. Join us for an afternoon of crocheting. No experience required. If possible, please bring your own materials. Contact 301-864-8937. Black Business Network Exchange, 1 to 5 p.m., Bowie Library Auditorium, 15210 Annapolis Road, Bowie. In honor of Black History Month, the Black Business Network Exchange is kicking off with an entrepreneurial event designed to showcase numerous black-owned businesses and organizations. Contact 301-806-3546 or bbnetworkexchange@gmail.com.

Brentwood Arts Exchange AllScreened Video Fest, 2 to 5 p.m.,

Gateway Arts Center, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood. One-day video

Cheeky Monkey Sideshow Performance, 8 p.m., Joe’s Movement Empo-

rium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier. An award-winning troupe of performers specializing in astounding feats and amazing oddities. Cost: $15. Contact 301-699-1819 or malori@joesmovement.org.

FEB. 2 Artful Afternoon, 1 to 4 p.m., Green-

belt Community Center, 15 Crescent Road, Greenbelt. From 1 to 3 p.m., Artist in Residence Mary Gawlik will be leading a free sculpture workshop for all ages At 1:30 p.m., you are invited to the artist’s reception for the exhibition of watercolor paintings by local artist Valerie Watson. Meet other artists in residence of the center, as they will have open studio and sale hours from 1 to 4 p.m. Contact 240-542-2057.

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr A county law passed in 2012 prohibits the use of plastic bags for yard waste as of this year. Only yard waste is affected by the law. Residents are advised to use paper bags or reusable containers with sturdy hands and tight-ﬁtting lids clearly marked “yard waste,” said DER Director Adam Ortiz. “Plastic bags clog the machinery, make a huge mess and contaminate our compost product. Then we have additional costs disposing of them,” Ortiz said. “By using alternatives to plastic bags, residents will reduce needless pollution and costs.”

College Park seeks to hire farmers market master College Park will restructure the management of its farmers market for the 2014 season and will shortly be accepting applications for an onsite market manager. The previous “market master,” Virginia-based KSM Marketing & Events, announced last year that it would not return for the upcoming season. Under the new management structure, city staff will oversee marketing and vendor recruitment, while Michael Stiefvater, the market’s economic development coordinator, said he will handle other preparations. The city plans to hire an on-site manager for the downtown College Park farmers market as well as the Hollywood Farmers Market location on Rhode Island Ave, which had previously been managed by volunteers, Stiefvater said.

A&E

Seeing green: 2nd Star Productions brings Ray Cooney farce “Funny Money” to Bowie. SPORTS Check online for coverage of the best high school sports games as teams gear up for the final weeks of the winter season.

For more on your community, visit www.gazette.net

ConsumerWatch

FEB. 4

When a relative dies, is the family responsible for debt left behind?

Science on the Plantation: African American Scientists in Colonial Maryland, 2:45 p.m., Deerﬁeld Run Com-

munity Center, 13000 Laurel-Bowie Road, Laurel. Join us for “Weathering Racism: The Benjamin Banneker Almanacs.” Study copies of Banneker’s 1792 and 1795 almanacs to learn how this remarkable man fought slavery with intelligence and grace. Make your own weather instrument. Contact 301953-7882; TTY 301-445-4512. African American History & Culture Lecture Series, 7 p.m., Greenbelt

Library, 11 Crescent Road, Greenbelt. Twelve Years a Slave: Solomon Northrup’s Washington (C. R. Gibbs). Contact 301-345-5800. Great Decisions 2014, 7:30 p.m., Laurel Library, 507 7th St., Laurel. Israel and the United States. Contact 301-776-6790.

FEB. 5

LIZ CRENSHAW

Liz takes charge on this important money matter.

WeekendWeather FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Get complete, current weather information at

NBCWashington.com

Based on Books: Monthly Nature Series — Groundhogs, 10 to 10:45

a.m., Patuxent Research Refuge National Wildlife Visitor Center, Powder Mill Road between the BaltimoreWashington Parkway and Md. 197, Laurel. Discover more about nature with puppets, props and activities. Registration required. Contact 301497-5887. New Carrollton Library Storytime, 11 a.m., New Carrollton Library, 7414 Riverdale Road, New Carrollton. Newborn to 12 months. For all storytimes, maximum group size is eight. Contact 301-459-6900. How to Start a Nonproﬁt, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Laurel Boys and Girls Club, 701 Montgomery St., Laurel. Have you been thinking about starting your own business or nonproﬁt? Contact 301772-1552.

Mobile Download the Gazette.Net mobile app using the QR Code reader, or go to www.gazette.net/mobile for custom options.

GAZETTE CONTACTS The Gazette – 13501 Virginia Manor Road Laurel, MD 20707 Main phone: 240-473-7500 Fax: 240-473-7501

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

LOCAL Around the world in a day

Page A-3

Teacher pay, pre-K aided by $46.8M proposed from state n

More teachers also slated for county school budget

BY JAMIE

ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Laurel High School student Alexis Davis (left), 15, of Laurel serves Jamaican jerk chicken to Robert Giuliani, a Laurel resident and English teacher at the school, during International Night on Friday in the school’s auditorium in Laurel. The event, which featured cuisine from Asia and Mexico, and performances of dance and music by students, is held annually to celebrate the school’s ethnic diversity.

New Laurel mall opening in March Second phase with movie theaters, restaurants on schedule for fall debut

retailers newly contracted to open at Towne Centre at Laurel this year, said Greenberg president Tom Fitzpatrick during a presentation at the Laurel City Council meeting Monday. The $130 million redevelopment of the former Laurel Mall site has been under construction for two years, Fitzpatrick said. He said the company has completed around 95 percent of the ﬁrst phase and has leased about 85 percent of available retail space. “We’re excited to be 60 days out from opening our Phase 1 with the reopening of Burlington Coat and subsequent openings starting in the fall of this year,” he said. “The weather is hurting us a little right now, but we’re going to be catching up, and right now we’re on schedule.” The first Harris Teeter grocery store in Prince George’s County will open at the new town center Sept. 14 and lead the second phase of the project, followed by new tenants Re-

EMILIE EASTMAN STAFF WRITER

Construction of the Towne Center at Laurel is moving on schedule, and patrons will be able to start making use of the city’s newest retail option by the end of March — starting with the reopening of a familiar business. Burlington Coat Factory, which was the last store to close when the former Laurel Mall was demolished, will kick off the ﬁrst phase of the center’s opening March 28, said center organizers. The site, developed by Owings Mill-based Greenberg Gibbons will house Maryland’s ﬁrst B.J.’s Restaurant and Brewhouse and 13 other

gal Cinema, Outback Steakhouse, Old Navy, Panera Bread, Kay Jewelers, Massage Envy and others. Fitzpatrick said the construction phase of the project employed around 1,000 workers, and that the center will create 1,500 new permanent jobs once completed. He also said the company also hopes to incorporate a residential block of about 300 apartments. Anthony Thomas of Laurel, assistant pastor at Laurel Lakes Christian Center, said he was pleased to hear about the new jobs. “I think it’s great, especially if its going to provide some jobs for the community,” he said. “Even the housing aspect, I didn’t know about that previously so I think that’s a good idea as well.” A full list of the new Towne Centre at Laurel stores can be found through the Greenberg Gibbons website. eeastman@gazette.net

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Thanks to a possible additional $46.8 million from the state, Prince George’s County Public Schools is expecting to have more money to expand full-time pre-kindergarten, improve wages and hire more teachers. “We’re putting additional money into salary and wages to make our salaries more competitive with surrounding jurisdictions, and we have increased the number of teachers to address questions of class size and balance,” said schools CEO Kevin Maxwell during a budget work session and public hearing Monday night at the Sasscer Administration Building in Upper Marlboro. The estimated increase comes from Gov. Martin O’Malley’s (D) proposed $39.3 billion budget, unveiled last week that includes increased spending for pre-kindergarten and K-12 education. “This is all new information,” said Thomas Sheeran, acting chief financial officer, adding that details of the additional state funding are still to be determined. Included in that amount, the school system is expecting approximately $885,000 in additional revenues dedicated to the expansion of full-time pre-k, which will allow the school system to expand from eight to 32 schools with full-day pre-k, said Monica Goldson, acting chief operations officer. With the additional state funds expected, Maxwell’s proposed fiscal 2015 budget has increased to $1.8 billion from the $1.75 billion he requested in December. Among the budget items are program expansions and additions. Those include the creation of three Spanish immersion specialty schools; increased funding for art, music and

environmental studies; expanded enrollment in the county’s existing French immersion, Montessori and Talented and Gifted magnet schools and expansion of the Judith P. Hoyer Montessori School to include seventh and eighth grades. Hoyer is one of three Montessori magnet schools in the county. The northern and southern Montessori schools are both K-8. James Wallace IV of Bowie, a fourth-grader at Hoyer, asked the board to support the expansion. “This will allow the upper grade Montessori students to continue their Montessori education without interruption,” Wallace said. A portion of the additional state revenues will be used to decrease the amount the school system is relying on from its reserve fund balance to pay for Maxwell’s list of program expansions, from $46.3 million to $42.8 million. School board member Peggy Higgins (Dist. 2) asked Maxwell to explain the rationale behind dipping into the school system’s $144 million reserve funds. “As excited as I am to be able to provide our students and our teachers all the things that this budget offers, the fund balance is obviously one-time funds,” Higgins said. Maxwell said the school system generates a fund balance each year through positions that go unfilled, and that the school system expects to accrue approximately half the fund balance it’s spending by the end of the ﬁscal year. “We’ve got a pretty robust fund balance of $144 million and we think that using some of that for some of the programmatic changes we’re trying to make is in our best interests and not hurtful to our bottom line at all,” Maxwell said. The school system will hold two further budget hearings at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 and 25 at the Sasscer Administration Building. janfenson-comeau@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Page A-4

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

‘Dangerous’ wording delays school policy

Mad fun

Board chairman says intent is to promote cultural proﬁciency

BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE

Abdullah Farooq, 5, of College Park ﬂoats on a leaf blower-powered hovercraft during the Mad Science of Washington demonstration of the principles of air to families at the College Park Aviation Museum on Saturday in College Park.

Service through savings

Residents support Marines in Japan by clipping coupons BY

STAFF WRITER

Proponents say proposed exemption from county law will protect jobs for youths

BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER

EMILIE EASTMAN/THE GAZETTE

Trisha Lay of Greenbelt at her home on Jan. 20 with unused coupons she and her neighbors donate to U.S. troops in Japan each month.

coupons to Lay’s initiative since May. “It’s a wonderful way of passing things on,” she said. “Each of us can contribute and it adds up. My little coupons — I feel so good to be able to share them.” Boverman, a social worker, said she has witnessed many people suffering and in need. Throwing away coupons seemed wasteful. She connected with Lay through Freecycle, a website on which users give away unwanted items. She said the coupon initiative, like Freecycle, is a way of bringing the community together and “paying it forward.” “It goes against the concept that we are a throwaway society,” she said. “Everything can have value, [even though] it might not have value to us.” Her core group of contributors is still fairly small, but Lay said she would like to see the initiative grow and eventually match Greenbelt community members with families overseas. “I like to save money and promote other people saving money,” she said. “It’s kinda like a little game. I know there are other people out there who are excited by this.” eeastman@gazette.net

Seat Pleasant councilman named to national committee Seat Pleasant Councilman Johnnie L. Higgs Sr. (At-Large) has been appointed to the National League of Cities’ 2014 Community and Economic Development Steering Committee, according to a NLC news release. “As an older as well as historic community, being on

this committee is important to revitalization efforts as the city strives to develop new housing stock and attract new businesses to the community,” Higgs said. As a member of the committee, Higgs said he will play a key role in shaping NLC pol-

janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

Businesses question fairness of Six Flags minimum wage plan

EMILIE EASTMAN

For Greenbelt resident Trisha Lay, clipping coupons isn’t just a household effort, but an overseas initiative to support U.S. troops stationed in Japan. Every month, Lay collects about 15 pounds of expired and unused grocery coupons from community members and sends them to Marines stationed in Japan, where expired coupons typically are valid for an additional six months. It is her own version of “Coupons to Troops” and other online initiatives that seek to find a new use for old coupons that normally would be destined for the trash can. Lay said her effort started when she reconnected with a friend from high school, Sarah Buckner, whose husband was stationed in Japan. “For a while, I just sent her what I had. Then I was like, ‘I’m sure there are some more people out there who would like to help,’” Lay said. Over the past year, Lay — who works for the University of Maryland, College Park — has recruited coupon clippers from Greenbelt, College Park and Silver Spring to help her cause. Lay said she sends coupon packages to Buckner and her family once or twice a month. Each box contains 2,000 to 3,000 coupons. Buckner said she distributes the coupons to about 40 military families in Okinawa each month, many of whom use coupons religiously. Several Okinawa-based social media groups help members exchange coupons, or offer up the ones they have. “It’s not uncommon to stop Marines who are walking in the commissary and say, ‘Oh, you’re buying peanuts. I have a coupon for that,’” she said. As a mother of a 2-year-old and another child on the way, Buckner said she typically uses coupons for diapers, toiletries and cleaning supplies. Discounts can make imported produce much more affordable, she said. Buckner said it’s difficult for military spouses to find employment in Okinawa, so coupon clipping is a way to save money and socialize. “It’s a fun way to get people to know each other,” she said. “It gives them a way to have a little community outside [their] spouses’ work.” Buckner estimated that Lay’s group has assisted several hundred families on six different military bases over the past year. Katrina Boverman of Greenbelt said she has been donating

Prince George’s County school officials are reworking their wording. A policy draft aimed at improving cultural and minority diversity included statements that were deemed “dangerous” and could open the school system up to lawsuits. David Cahn, a lawyer and co-chair of the education advocacy group Citizens for an Elected Board, applauded the intent of the policy but said language promising “culturally relevant instruction to ALL students” could lead to lawsuits if the board cannot accommodate every cultural group. Cahn also noted the policy establishes several “outcomes,” including welcoming environments and empowering all families. “The board can’t establish an outcome,” Cahn said. “It can work towards it, it can desire the outcome, but it can’t establish the outcome, because the outcome will be established by the work done under this [policy].”

Diversity in the system came to the forefront recently when concerns were raised about the lack of Latino administrators when compared to the county’s Latino population. According to data from the Maryland Department of Education, 24.4 percent of county students are Latino, yet school system data indicates only 2 percent of teachers and 1 percent of administrators are Latino. There are no Latino members on the school board. School board chairman Segun Eubanks said the intent of the policy is to make the school system more welcoming to minority groups by supporting cultural awareness, involving more minority families, and hiring staff that reﬂect the county’s cultural diversity. “I’ve done a lot of work on the idea that when you respect and embrace the culture of a student in a positive way, it helps them learn,” Eubanks said. The board voted to table the measure and rework the language. Board member Beverly Anderson said the policy needed more work. “I love the ideas,” Anderson said. “... [But] I think some of the language is a bit loose, and I would like to see some stated objectives.”

icy positions and advocate on behalf of American cities and towns before Congress and at home. Higgs said he was appointed to the committee in December. The committee is responsible for developing NLC federal policy positions on housing

community, economic development, land use, recreation and parks, historic preservation and international competitiveness issues, according to the news release. — JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU

For John Staton, assistant manager of Big Planet Comics in College Park, a proposal to exempt Six Flags America amusement park in Largo from higher minimum wage laws is far from comical. “Maybe it’s because I spend all day around comic books about truth and justice, but it strikes me as venal and draconian to subvert a law of the land that is designed to raise people’s standard of living,” Staton said. Other business owners questioned why their businesses wouldn’t be eligible for the proposed amendment by Prince George’s County Councilman Derrick L. Davis (Dist. 6) of Mitchellville that would allow seasonal employees at amusement parks to be exempt from the county’s Minimum Wage Increase Law passed in November. The law is set to increase the minimum wage — which is currently $7.25 per hour — to $8.40 per hour in October, and incrementally to $11.50 per hour by Oct. 1, 2017. Davis said the goal of the bill is to ensure summer jobs for youth, stating that Six Flags generally hires young people looking for summer work, not individuals supporting families. Davis said raising the minimum wage could put a ﬁnancial hardship on the county’s largest summer youth employer and

noted there is already an exemption to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for seasonal amusement park workers. “This is just ensuring that we are taking care of our unique situation here in Prince George’s County and reﬂecting the national exemption,” said Davis, whose district includes Six Flags. The county’s minimum wage increase does not include tipped employees and has an exemption for employees younger than 19 working 20 hours or less. Havilah Ross, a spokesperson for Six Flags America, said in an email to The Gazette that the park hires more than 2,000 seasonal employees each year. Ross stated that Six Flags had no comment on the pending legislation. Jonathan Morgan, general manager of #1 Liquors in College Park, said that other than management, all of his store’s employees are seasonal college students. “Where’s the point where you’re not big enough to get an exemption? Why couldn’t we get an exemption?” asked Morgan, who said the store hires three or four college students each semester. “It’s because they’ve got lawyers who can put pressure on county government.” David Harrington, president and CEO of the county Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber supports an exemption for Six Flags — and only Six Flags. “They hire literally thousands of youth from Prince George’s County, and we don’t want that hindered in any way,” Harrington said. janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

Page A-5

Laurel library gets Berwyn Heights ES heads to ﬁnals temporary location Team wins close competition in Science Bowl n

Branch to begin transition in February n

EMILIE EASTMAN STAFF WRITER

Laurel library staff and patrons no longer have to worry about where they will go once demolition and reconstruction of the branch begins this spring. In a long-awaited decision, the Prince George’s County library system has finalized a temporary location for the branch that will open about three weeks after the current building closes its doors on Feb. 18, according to library officials. The temporary facility will be on the first floor of an office building located at 8101 Sandy Spring Road, behind the Laurel Municipal Center. Michael Gannon, the library system’s associate director for support services, said the county’s first choice for a temporary location fell through because it was purchased by another party. The Sandy Spring Road location was the second one the city considered. “I think it is a better site,”

Gannon said. “It’s closer to the existing site. It’s in a newer building. It was worth the wait.” Gannon said the temporary location will be about 5,000 square feet and will still accommodate story times and book clubs, although meeting room space will not be available. The temporary location will include about 20 computers, a DVD dispenser machine and a book drop, Gannon said. Kathleen Teaze, county library system director, said between 27,000 and 28,000 people visit the Laurel library each month. To notify these patrons of the change, the library system distributed bookmarks and hung posters at the current branch, Gannon said. “I think they’ll probably be some confusion at ﬁrst,” he said. “I hope people are patient with us.” During the three-week transition to the temporary location, Laurel branch patrons can visit www.pgcmls.info for homework help, reservations and renewal services. For phone renewals, call 301-3333111. eeastman@gazette.net

EMILIE EASTMAN STAFF WRITER

After three grueling rounds of science trivia that even judges described as “intense,” Berwyn Heights Elementary School is the first of four teams to obtain a coveted spot at this year’s Science Bowl finals. On Tuesday, the team beat Northview Elementary School of Bowie 235 to 170 in the final round after beating Mattaponi Elementary School of Upper Marlboro 215 to 185 in the first round. “I’m just sorta like ‘What in the world happened?’” said winning team member Alexander Swisdak, 10, of College Park. “I thought we were going to lose because we were 30 points behind them and then we became a lot more behind them, but we won.” The Science Bowl is an annual tournament where Prince George’s County elementary and middle schools compete in teams of three and answer Jeopardy-style questions related to science. The Berwyn Heights team will have a chance at the county

title during the April 1 elementary school ﬁnals. Esther Woodworth of Cheverly has been judging the Science Bowl competition for several years and said the very close rounds are her favorite. “This type of game is just wonderful,” she said. “I can’t get enough of these where you don’t know until literally the last question who is going to win.” Woodworth said that the competition on Tuesday was an enjoyable one to watch and judge. “We’ll have a lot of games where its close, but very few where it’s this close,” she said. All four teams were neckand-neck during the two preliminary rounds, with Northview and Berwyn Heights each edging out their opponents by around 30 points. Northview Principal Jason Simmons attended the competition and said he was very pleased with the performance of the Northview team members, who wore white lab coats during the competition. “I’m very proud of all the hard work they’ve done,” he said. “These guys do a really great job because lot of times they’re going against kids who are older than them and they do a really, really good job.” Owen McCloskey, 11, of Col-

EMILIE EASTMAN/THE GAZETTE

Alexander Swisdak, 10, of College Park; Elias Herrera, 12, of College Park; and Owen McCloskey, 11, of College Park advanced their Berwyn Heights Elementary School team to the Science Bowl ﬁnals on Tuesday. lege Park said his team practiced diligently for the Jan. 28 competition. “We kept doing practice rounds of Science Bowl with questions from previous [Science Bowls],” he said. But even with all the preparations, Owen

Brown, Gansler, Mizeur hammering out schedule BY

KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER

Maryland’s Democratic gubernatorial candidates will debate one another ahead of the June 24 primary. Exactly how many debates will be hosted has yet to be determined. Gubernatorial hopeful Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown requested on Friday that his opponents Del. Heather R. Mizeur

and Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and their campaigns work with him and his team in scheduling the debates. Brown proposed holding ﬁve debates — three between the candidates for governor and two between their running mates — at locations across the state. “It is up to us to ensure that voters have an opportunity to make an informed decision on June 24th,” Brown wrote to his opponents. Gansler and running mate Del. Jolene Ivey (D-Dist 47) of Cheverly will participate, campaign spokesman Bob Wheelock said. Wheelock said they will participate in as

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many debates as are held. Mizeur and running mate the Rev. Delman Coates will also participate, campaign manager Joanna Belanger said in an email. However, Mizeur (D-Dist. 20) of Takoma Park hopes the candidates develop a “more robust schedule” than Brown has proposed, Belanger said. “Real problems deserve real debates to show Maryland voters which candidate has real solutions,” Belanger said. “Three gubernatorial debates are not sufﬁcient to address all the important issues.” kalexander@gazette.net

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Page A-6

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

POLICE BLOTTER GREENBELT

Center City

ONLINE

JAN. 10 8000 block Lakecrest Drive, strong arm robbery, 2:05 p.m. The victim advised that she was waiting at the bus stop when the suspect approached her and asked for the time. When the victim pulled out her phone, the suspect punched the victim in the face, grabbed her cell phone and ﬂed the scene on foot with the phone. 400 block Ridge Road, possession of paraphernalia arrest, 11:34 p.m. Jan Michael Dixon, 27, of Greenbelt was arrested and charged with possession of paraphernalia during a trafﬁc stop after a device commonly used to store marijuana was located in the vehicle. Another occupant, Darius Alexander Jenifer, 56, of Greenbelt was found to have an open warrant with Riverdale Park Police Department for strong arm robbery. Dixon was released on citation pending trial, and Jenifer was transported to Riverdale Park for the warrant.

JAN. 12 7800 block of Kenilworth Avenue, DWI/DUI arrest, 2 a.m. Wilber Chinchilla, 28, of Laurel was arrested and charged with driving while impaired by alcohol and other traffic-related charges as a result of a traffic violation. The suspect was released on citations pending trial. 8600 block Kenilworth Avenue, DWI/DUI arrest, 3:41 a.m. Jose David Morales, 47, of Hyattsville was arrested and charged with driving while impaired by alcohol and other traffic-related charges as a result of a traffic violation. The suspect was released on citations pending trial.

For additional police blotters, visit www. gazette.net

Franklin Park/Beltway Plaza/ Greenbelt Metro/Capitol Ofﬁce Park JAN. 9

JAN. 13 6000 Greenbelt Road, theft, 4:45 p.m. Unknown person(s) removed money from an unattended purse at Jersey Mike’s Deli.

Greenbelt East/Greenway Shopping Center JAN. 15 7500 block Greenbelt Road, trespass arrest, 6:49 p.m. Samuel Taire Kayira, 26, of Greenbelt was arrested and charged with trespass after he was found on the grounds of Greenway Shopping Center after having been banned by agents of the property. The suspect was released on citation pending trial.

Automotive crime citywide

Area of Greenbelt Road and Lakecrest Drive, pos-

session of paraphernalia arrest, 10:53 p.m. Micah Jemez Cosby, 32, of Greenbelt was arrested and charged with possession of paraphernalia after he was found to be in possession of paraphernalia commonly used to ingest controlled dangerous substances during investigation of a suspicious vehicle. The suspect was released on citation pending trial.

JAN. 11 5800 block Cherrywood Terrace, burglary, 6:58

a.m. The victim advised that she got up, opened her bedroom window and went back to bed. A short time later, she heard a noise then observed a hand reach-

JAN. 12

6000 block Springhill Drive, prowler, 3:37 a.m. The victim advised that he observed a subject attempting to look into his bedroom window. The victim ran outside and observed the suspect get on a bicycle and flee the scene. 5900 block Cherrywood Lane, prowler, 3:53 a.m. The victim advised that she observed a subject looking in her bedroom window. The victim picked up her phone to call police, at which time the suspect ran to a nearby white and silver bicycle and fled the area. 6100 block Breezewood Drive, DWI/DUI arrest, 4:57 a.m. Lloyd Jenkins Johnston, 26, of Greenbelt was arrested and charged with driving while impaired by alcohol and other traffic-related charges as a result of a traffic violation. The suspect was released on citations pending trial. 6000 block Greenbelt Road, trespass arrest, 10:42 a.m. Robert John Purnell, 24, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with trespass after he was located inside of Beltway Plaza after having been banned from the mall by agents of the property. The suspect was released on citation pending trial.

JAN. 14 100 block Northway, theft, 10 a.m. A chimney part was taken from chimney under construction on the roof of a home.

ing inside the bedroom window. The victim yelled at the suspect, who backed away and ﬂed the area on foot.

JAN. 9 9300 block Edmonston Road, recovered stolen vehicle. A 1990 Chevrolet van, reported stolen to the Metropolitan Police Department. No arrests.

JAN. 11 7900 block Mandan Road, theft from auto. Unknown person(s) broke out the front passenger window and took a parking permit. 8000 block Brett Place, stolen auto. A black Inﬁniti QX4 SUV, Maryland tags MML0065.

POLICE BLOTTER HYATTSVILLE

JAN. 12 Theft, 6500 block of Belcrest Road. Sometime between Jan. 10 and Jan. 12, someone stole property from the victim’s room in the student towers. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 12:45 p.m., an employee of a store in this area was apprehended for stealing from same between October 2013 and Jan. 12. Burglary, 6900 block of Calverton Drive. Sometime between 12:45 and 2:15 p.m., someone broke into a residence and removed property. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 2 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall. Theft from auto, 3300 block of Toledo Terrace. At approximately 2:30 p.m., someone broke into a vehicle parked in a parking garage and removed property. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 4 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 6 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall.

JAN. 13 Thefts from autos, 5300 block of Baltimore Avenue. Sometime between 5:30 and 7 p.m., someone stole property from six parked vehicles. Theft from auto, 5100 block of Baltimore Avenue. Sometime between 6:45 and 7 p.m., someone stole property from a parked vehicle. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 8 p.m., a suspect was apprehended for shoplifting at a store in the mall.

JAN. 14 Vandalism to auto, 3800 block of Oglethorpe

Street. Sometime between midnight and 6 a.m., someone ﬂattened a tire on a parked vehicle. Vandalism to auto, 3300 block of East West Highway. Sometime during the night, someone cut two tires on a vehicle parked in a parking garage.

Vandalism, 4500 block of Hamilton Street. At approximately 10 a.m., it was found that someone had spray painted grafﬁti on two vacant buildings. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 11:30 a.m., an unknown suspect stole merchandise from a store in the mall. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 5 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall.

JAN. 15 Vehicle theft, 4300 block of Jefferson Street. Sometime during the night, a 1997 Jeep Cherokee was stolen. It was recovered in Washington, D.C., later in the day, and the occupants were arrested. Vandalism to auto, 5700 block of 33rd Avenue. Sometime during the night, someone broke out the rear passenger side window of a parked vehicle. Theft from auto, 3300 block of Lancer Place. Sometime during the night, someone stole property from a parked vehicle. Vandalism, Magruder Park. Sometime between 8 p.m. Jan. 14 and 11 a.m. Jan. 15, someone tore off a bathroom sink in the restroom at the community center.

JAN. 16 Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 2 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 5:15 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall.

JAN. 17 Theft from auto, 3300 block of East West Highway. Sometime between 5:30 and 11:00 p.m., someone stole property from a parked vehicle. Theft from auto, 4000 block of Gallatin Street. At approximately 10:30 p.m., a suspect was arrested after he had broken into a parked vehicle and removed property.

POLICE BLOTTER LAUREL

JAN. 9 200 block of Fort Meade Road, theft — shoplifting 7800 block of Killbarron Drive, theft

JAN. 12 14200 block of Baltimore Avenue, theft from mo-

tor vehicle ing

1000 block of Fairlawn Avenue, theft — shoplift-

JAN. 13 Unit block of Second Street, theft from motor

15100 block of Baltimore Avenue, motor vehicle

theft — truck

JAN. 14 800 block of Fifth Street, theft

JAN. 15 600 block of Ninth Street, motor vehicle theft 7700 block of Cherry Lane, theft

vehicle

JAN. 16

tor vehicle

500 block of Main Street, theft

14700 block of Baltimore Avenue, theft from mo-

1884405

8200 block of Harvest Ben Lane, theft from motor

vehicle

T H E G AZ ET T E

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

Police: College Park man responsible for shooting 19-year-old reported missing more than two hours after mall shooting n

BY CHASE COOK AND EMILIE EASTMAN STAFF WRITERS

Police say a missing College Park man was the gunman in Saturday’s shooting at The Mall in Columbia. Darion Marcus Aguilar, 19, of the 4700 block of Hollywood Road in College Park, was initially reported missing to Prince George’s County police at about 1:40 p.m. on Saturday, said Lt. William Alexander, a Prince George’s County police spokesman. Howard County Police reported that Aguilar opened ﬁre at about 11:15 a.m. in the mall’s Zumiez store, killing Brianna Benlolo, 21, of College Park and Tyler Johnson, 25, of Mount Airy, said Sherry Llewellyn, Howard County Police spokeswoman. County police believe Aguilar killed himself after the shooting, Llewellyn said. Aguilar’s mother believed her son had gone missing sometime after he was scheduled to work at 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Alexander said. Aguilar worked at the College Park Dunkin’

PLAN

Continued from Page A-1 tive threat as quickly as possible while removing civilians from threat area, Alexander said. The need for such plans was reinforced Saturday when Darion Aguilar, 19, of College Park, allegedly walked into Zumiez, a store at The Mall in Columbia, armed with a 12-gauge shotgun, Howard County police said. Aguilar allegedly killed Brianna Benlolo, 21, of College Park and Tyler Johnson of Mount Airy before he turned the weapon on himself, Howard County police said. Reeves said Beltway Plaza did increase its security over the weekend in response to the attack, but he said he is conﬁdent in the mall’s current evacuation and active shooter plans. There aren’t really any adjustments to be made at this time, but security trains each year and modiﬁes training if standard practices change, he said. “Our evacuation plan covers different scenarios [such as] a person acting suspicious,” Reeves said. “We have a proce-

BUDGET

Continued from Page A-1 on the horizon,” Baker said. “Tanger [outlet mall] is here, we can see MGM coming to National Harbor, Westphalia, the hospital in Largo. We have great projects that are going to increase our revenues.” Baker said his administration’s priorities are public safety, education and health, but added, “We want to hear from residents what they feel the county’s priorities should be, and what ideas they have for helping us.” Chloe Jackson of Fort Washington asked ofﬁcials to expand homeless services. “I see so many homeless individuals in our neighborhood,” Jackson said. “When I see them, I worry about them, and I just wish we had more outreach, especially on these cold, cold winter nights.” Jackson also urged the county to consider sidewalks for Oxon Hill Road, toward Old Fort Road. “I see so many people walking up that hill, and it’s really, really dangerous,” Jackson said. Poet “Sistah” Joy Alford of Camp Springs urged more spending for the arts, as well as the county’s public access channel and youth activities. “The arts have proven to provide a ﬁnancial base in communities where the arts have been embraced,” Alford said. “Opportunities for artists can and need to be funded by our county government, as well as and in collaboration with state and federal entities.” Tommi Makila of Accokeek suggested the county cut spending by reducing trash pickups from twice a week to once a week. “It is ... my observation that the vast majority of my neighbors make use of only one of the weekly trash collection days,”

Donuts, 10260 Baltimore Ave., according to a statement from Dunkin’ Donuts. A Prince George’s police investigator read Aguilar’s journal, which police said contained information that made the investigator “concerned for the missing person’s safety.” Aguilar graduated from James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring in 2013, said Dana Toﬁg, a Montgomery County Public Schools spokesman. Alexander said Prince George’s police didn’t discover Aguilar was the alleged shooter until after 6 p.m. when the investigator followed Aguilar’s phone signal to the mall. The missing person information was turned over to the Howard County Police Department, which is investigating the shooting since the incident occurred inside Howard County, Alexander said. Prince George’s police did not make the missing person investigator available for interview. “We found out after the shooting,” Alexander said. “It was not like we could have intercepted him before it happened.” Police said Aguilar was living with his mother in College

Park. No one responded at Aguilar’s mother property and was not home or available for comment. Neighbors said they did not know Aguilar personally and that Saturday’s incident did not cause them to feel unsafe. Jessica Canotti said she bought her home off Hollywood Road about eight months ago and chose the neighborhood partly because it seemed safe and stable. “This neighborhood was quiet,” she said. “I did my research because I have kids. I want to know my neighbors.” Her husband, Daniel Canotti, said the neighborhood was not so quiet on Saturday afternoon when the roads were blocked and full of police cars. He said he still feels safe in his home. “But I’m a little scared to go to the mall now,” he said. Heidi Mayhew of College Park was picking up a piece of furniture a few houses down from Aguilar’s residence two days after the shooting. “It could be anywhere,” she said. “The only things that worry me are the things that happen in schools because my kids go to public schools. God, it’s happening everywhere.” Residents Sharri Gertler

dure in place to get people out.” Kent Digby, senior vice president at National Harbor, said he was confident in the active shooter training offered at the 350-acre development. There are police and emergency responders present on the property, which gives National Harbor an advantage when planning for active shooters because police actively train there, he said. Digby said there weren’t any current plans to change or adjust the development’s security in the wake of the Columbia shooting, but he did say those plans do experience change over time as police create new tactics or make changes to training standards. The harbor’s upcoming active shooter training will take place in April as planned, he said. “Things do change based on what is happening in the world,” Digby said. “We continue that training over the years and the police department makes sure the latest scenarios and techniques are known to everybody.” Alexander said active shooter training really hasn’t

changed too much since the Columbine incident 1999 where two high school students went on a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Colorado that left 15 dead, including the two shooters. Before that incident, active shooters were approached by creating a perimeter and waiting for special operations units, but now ofﬁcers are told to enter the building and put a stop to the shooter as soon as possible, Alexander said. This change occurred because police departments began seeing situations where shooters were out to kill, not take hostages, he said. Alexander said the police department doesn’t have any current plans for active shooter training reminders, but he did say that the police department always makes efforts to remind large businesses, stores, residents and municipalities about the training. “We continue to train and prepare for the eventuality that it might or could occur,” Alexander said. “It is our responsibility to get in there as quick as possible and take care of bad guys.”

Makila said. “Some of the cost savings from reduced collection frequency could be directed to other efforts to combat littering. For example, illegal dumping is a particular concern here in the southern part of the county.” Baker said once-a-week trash collection is an “excellent example” of the sort of responses he hopes to get from the public and one that will be given serious consideration this

budget cycle. There will be two additional public forums, Tuesday at Dr. Henry A. Wise High School in Upper Marlboro and on Feb. 12 at Laurel High School. Both forums begin at 7 p.m. Baker is expected to present his budget to the County Council in March.

1884438

and Walter Comisiak took one of their regular walks Monday around the neighborhood, a route that took them past Aguilar’s house. “I think it can happen anywhere and it has happened in many places you wouldn’t expect,” Gertler said. “I’m not moving because of it.” Gertler said residents are still processing what happened and what it means to them. “It’s a good solid community,” she said. “I think we’re all feeling the effects, but it could happen anywhere, and like I said, it does.” ccook@gazette.net eeastman@gazette.net

ccook@gazette.net

janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net

1911708

Page A-7

Police investigate College Park hit-and-run The pedestrian struck in a College Park hit-and-run accident Friday may have been under the inﬂuence of alcohol, Prince George’s County police said. Police responded to the scene of the hit-and-run around 2 a.m. on Friday and found a man with critical injuries, said Bill Alexander, a county police spokesman. The man, who investigators believe is a University of Maryland, College Park, student, was taken to a hospital and has since stabilized, Alexander said. “He is expected to make a full recovery,” Alexander said. Police believe the pedestrian was walking on or crossing Md. 1 at the time of the accident, that he was not using a cross-

walk and that he may have been drinking, Alexander said. The accident was the second hit-and-run to take place on Route 1 within a week. On Jan. 17, a vehicle struck and killed UM student Corey Hubbard on Route 1 near Cherry Hill Road. Although the two incidents occurred during the same week, Alexander said they do not indicate that pedestrian-related accidents are on the rise. Police are offering a cash reward for information related to Friday’s accident or the driver, who may have been operating a green Subaru, Alexander said. Anyone with information is asked to call 866-411-TIPS. — EMILIE EASTMAN

THE GAZETTE

Page A-8

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

SUMMER CA MPS IN PR INCE GEORGE’S

School’s out, but social lessons don’t have to be Some camps focus on providing self-esteem boost, conﬂict resolution tips n

BY JEFFREY LYLES STAFF WRITER

Social lessons learned during the school year don’t have to take a break during the summer. Many camps offer programs that reinforce peaceful ways of handling problems and emphasize good self-esteem — options lauded by school ofﬁcials. “Having summer camps with peer mediation/conflict resolution is absolutely an asset,” said Richard Moody, supervisor for the Prince George’s County school system’s student affairs/safe and drug-free schools division of student services. “Prince George’s County has had a long history of supporting peer mediation programs, and people are seeing the need for students to learn those skills and be better able to resolve

conflicts.” Beth McCracken-Harness of Cheverly said such camps provide good lessons for children, and she makes sure her 16-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter attend one each year: Little Friends for Peace in Mount Rainier. The nonprofit’s weeklong sessions encourage nonviolent, peacekeeping efforts to resolve conflicts. “It’s a wonderful camp,” McCracken-Harness said. “... It’s useful for them to learn nonviolent communication. It’s a good healthy way of being in the world.” Beyond peer mediation and conflict resolution, some camps provide programs to enhance youth’s confidence. In 2009, Rachelle Chase of Fort Washington founded Butterflyz Inc., a female enrichment program and annual summer camp for girls ages 11 to 17 in Oxon Hill. “It was birthed through God and through my own experience as a young girl without a mom as my mom died when I was 8,”

Chase said. “... I saw the need that I had and I wanted to give back to the community I grew up in.” Through wellness workshops, campers learn about subjects such as alcohol and drug prevention, and how to embrace their body image, and fitness and health workshops teach girls about childhood obesity. “They learn it in a way they can apply in their daily lives,” Chase said. Hoping to provide a summerlong camp that would help 6- to 12-year-olds become leaders in their community, Adrian Vaughn of southern Prince George’s County debuted Motivation Optimism Victorious Empowerment, or M.O.V.E., Kids Summer Camp in Largo last year. “Bullying is a really big thing these days, especially at this age, so I wanted kids to learn how to resolve conﬂicts, what to ignore and how to respond,” Vaughn said. jlyles@gazette.net

1. What is the counselor-to-child ratio?

2. How are medical situations, such as an injury, handled?

3. How long has the camp been operating?

4. What are the costs, and does it include before- and after-care (and what activities are available during before- and after-care programs)? Is ﬁnancial aid available?

RACHELLE CHASE

8. Is lunch provided by the camp and, if so, what kind of food is served? How are food allergies handled?

9. Does the camp provide transportation, and do vehicles have seatbelts?

10. Does the camp have an emergency plan?

PERCENT Camps that offer female-only programs

Camps that offer male-only programs

PERCENT Camps that offer swimming

PERCENT Camps that include camping skills

PERCENT Camps that feature climbing/rappelling skills

PERCENT Camps that offer horseback riding

PERCENT Camps that do not allow the use of personal electronic devices

PERCENT Camps that provide some measure of ﬁnancial assistance

SOURCE: AMERICAN CAMP ASSOCIATION

6. What training does staff receive?

7. What is the age range of campers that will be in your child’s group?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE A-1

PERCENT

5. Are background checks (with criminal record searches) conducted before hiring camp staff?

Members of Butterﬂyz Inc., a female enrichment program and summer camp, participate in a rock-climbing exercise in Potomac.

CAMPS BY THE NUMBERS

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN SELECTING A CAMP

PHOTOS FROM KENYA RUSSELL

Samples of dishes made by children attending a Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission camp are displayed on a table.

CAMPS

Continued from Page A-1 Association, a national organization that serves the organized camp industry and includes 2,400 accredited camps, Prince George’s camps echo national trends. In its 2013 Emerging Issues survey, ACA stated that more camps have added adventure camps, nature/environment, gardening, college preparatory and service learning programs. Nancy Canter, executive director for the ACA Chesapeake ﬁeld ofﬁce, which covers Maryland and Washington, D.C., said pop culture plays a strong role in what youth and parents seek for summer camp options. “All the kids love archery, and with ‘The Hunger Games,’ archery took a real jump in popularity,” Canter said. “It always helps with what’s going on in the media.” Sophia West, chief of staff for the Good Knight Child Empowerment Network’s World of Wonder summer day camp in Beltsville, said young adult movies like “The Hunger Games” have increased the popularity of adventure camps. The Beltsville camp offers youth ages 5 to 13 an opportunity to take part in sword and feather duels, swim and hone archery skills. “Our camp is an adventure empowerment camp,” West said. “The parents really love the way we structure learning. ... We let the children take the responsibility and charge them to become knights.” Another rising summer camp trend is culinary programs where youth learn the importance of nutrition and how to make meals. “Because of all the cooking shows on TV, the cooking camps have become popular,” Canter said. “They all get that hands-on time and they get to

“As a parent, you want to provide your kid with some sort of enriching experience they’ll enjoy. ... It was a good opportunity to be in a team and to have a speciﬁc job on the team.” SUSIE FOUSHEE, PARENT OF CAMPER enjoy what they prepare and get to say, ‘Hey mom and dad, let me make what I learned at camp,’ and they take a little skill back to the whole family.” Due to the popularity, parents shouldn’t delay in making reservations for their children in the M-NCPPC’s Culinary Camp at the Glenn Dale Community Center, said instructor Kenya Russell of Bowie. Russell said the four two-week sessions last summer were maxed out at 40 participants with a waiting list. “It lets us know the children like what we’re doing,” Russell said. Participants, ages 6 to 12 years old, took part in themed lessons such as dessert week; smoothie week; and cold week, which included dishes like tuna ﬁsh, deviled eggs, potato salad and macaroni tuna salad. “We took field trips to the Wegmans grocery store, where they learned about different types of cheeses and did a cheese tasting,” Russell said. “They

Mckenzie Grifﬁth of Glenn Dale works on a dish during Culinary Camp. learned about cooking temperatures of different types of meat. It wasn’t just them cooking, but learning the art of cooking and the presentation of your plate.” Susie Foushee of Bowie said her 11-year-old son has taken part in different summer camps, with his favorite being Robotics Camp at the Wayne K. Curry Sports & Learning Center in Landover. “As a parent, you want to provide your kid with some sort of enriching experience they’ll enjoy,” Foushee said. “He really loved that one. He liked the fact that he was building a robot. It was a good opportunity to be in a team and to have a speciﬁc job on the team.” jlyles@gazette.net

Campers at the World of Wonder summer day camp participate in a sword and feather fencing duel.

LOSS

Continued from Page A-1 academics during the summer, it would be easier to engage them when it’s time to go back to school.” According to the National Summer Learning Association, a network hub for summer learning providers, youths who fail to take part in educational activities over the summer experience learning loss and most lose about two months of gradelevel equivalency in mathematical computation. Pamela Demory of Hyattsville said she’s still buzzing after enrolling her son, Nazavier, 7, and daughter, Nia, 10, in The Brilliant, Educated and Empowered, or B.E.E. Academy, educational enrichment program last summer in Landover. “I wanted them to be in something more focused on academics and character-building,” Demory said. “As a parent in this economy, everything is about the price, but it’s so well worth the price.” Demory said her children visited colleges, took part in wilderness activities and started mock businesses together, complete with coming up with a business plan and deciding what items to sell. In addition to ﬁnding summer programs that have an education or enrichment focus, the National Summer Learning Association advises parents to take children to libraries, which often offer summer reading programs; encourage children to write about books they read or keep a journal; take educational trips to museums and parks; and incorporate math in daily activities, such as learning fractions while cooking. The Prince George’s County school system offers a summer activity packet to help students practice school lessons. “It’s two-fold,” said Simone McQuaige, the school system’s elementary reading supervisor. “Many parents want to continue the learning. Traditionally, teachers close up for the school year and have packets of activities students can use as a review, but we wanted to keep that momentum moving forward not just as review, but preview of the upcoming school year.” McQuaige said summer camps that emphasize academic skills are helpful. “There are many camps through the county that have academic skills in either reading or math and any of that kind of work in being proactive is quite helpful to any of the participating students,” McQuaige said. Staff Writer Vanessa Harrington contributed to this report. jlyles@gazette.net

The Gazette

Tragedy close to home

The shooting Saturday at the Mall of Columbia that left three dead, including the shooter, hit home for Prince Georgians in many ways. Not only was one of the victims, 21-year-old Brianna Benlolo, a resident of College Park, but so too was the shooter, 19-year-old Darion Aguilar. The third victim, Tyler Johnson, 25, was from Mount Airy. And, as is inevitable anytime there is a shooting — especially one so close by with community ties — it makes residents question their own safety. Fortunately, Prince George’s officials have been preparing for such emergencies for quite some time. County and municipal police have been conducting acMALL SHOOTING tive shooter drills in schools, IS STARK malls and other public places REMINDER OF for years. The training often includes workers at the sites IMPORTANCE OF EMERGENCY so they, too, can be prepared crisis. TRAINING AND for aSchools have become POLICY REVIEWS significantly more secure in recent years, with electronic entry controls and panic buttons being installed in all buildings along with visitor identification systems that allow screening of visitors before they can enter school facilities. Malls and other businesses are also taking precautions. National Harbor has police and emergency responders on the property, and has active shooter training coming up in April, according to Kent Digby, senior vice president at National Harbor. Such training has become commonplace since the 1999 mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, county and municipal officials said. While public places are becoming more secure, however, there is a much more difficult challenge to address: how to prevent mass shootings from occurring at all. As the Columbia mall investigation proceeds and details are released, there are sure to be questions regarding the shooter’s mental health and whether adequate services were available to him. Arguments about firearm regulations are also sure to resurface given that many are still debating the effectiveness of the state’s Firearms Safety Act of 2013. The law, which went into effect in October, added requirements for firearm purchases, banned 40 semi-automatic rifles and restricted gun ownership for some people with a history of mental illness. It’s important in the coming weeks — especially with election season gearing up — that the mall shooting not become a political football and instead be a chance to learn lessons that may prevent another senseless tragedy. Clearly, officials have come together to improve facility security, but there’s still much more work to be done.

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

A snowplow works on Watkins Park Drive in Upper Marlboro as heavy snowfall and swirling winds decreased visibility for drivers Jan. 21.

The good news about bad weather As snow piled up as much as 5 inches high Jan. 21 in Prince George’s, it would have been easy for residents to plow their walkways and turn a blind eye to the mounds of snow in neighbors’ driveways — but many didn’t. Instead, in communities around the county, neighbors pitched in to clear senior citizens’ sidewalks or that of the entire block to make the day a bit easier for everyone. Children who reveled in the closing of schools pitched in as well, learning lessons about community service and, in some cases, how to earn a few dollars. It’s a stark contrast to measures taken before snowfall. Residents stock up on food and supplies as though they won’t see the light of day for weeks, and parents look for options to prevent cabin fever as children bemoan being stuck in the house. Much of the pre-snow preparations are done in anticipation of being secluded, and yet the activities after the snowfall are just the opposite. Neighbors who generally just give a friendly wave as they come and go home each day actually take time to catch up on each others’ lives as they help dig out a safe path or remove piles of plowed snow from behind cars. The saying goes that every cloud — even a snow cloud — has a silver lining. Clearly, the sense of community that has been evident proves the saying true.

Douglas S. Hayes, Associate Publisher

Page A-9

Teachers’ realities clash with career perception In social settings, the topic of discussion will frequently turn to public education, and acquaintances will discuss teacher compensation, class size, academic apathy, non-stop standardized assessments or inadequate resources. Almost invariably, some arm-chair educator will admonish even COMMENTARY the most commitKENNETH HAINES ted, career educator by observing, “Well, you knew what you were getting into when you became a teacher.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. A wide chasm yawns between the heartfelt desire to teach and actually learning what it means to be a teacher. Prior to entering the profession, few teachers ever anticipate the travails they will confront. That knowledge must arise from cumulative experience. In methodology class, teacher candi-

The glow of altruism fades a little with each report of suspected bruising, peer bullying, neglect, altered consciousness or sexual abuse. dates will learn that meaningful homework is critical for reinforcing recently introduced academic skills. In real life, after scolding a student for not having his assignment, they might discover that he has been living in a van with his family for months. A professor of pedagogy might warn that future students will face self-esteem issues and that “praise of desired behaviors” is a critical part of the instructional program. In no way does that prepare for

Brown aids domestic-violence victims I am in writing in response to an article [that] discussed a possible change in allowing hospitals to help abused women due to domestic violence. There has been a significant decrease during the time that [Lt. Gov. Anthony] Brown has been in office. He has helped decrease the rates in domestic violencerelated assaults, homicides, and killings of women and children. [He] should be able to stay in office due to his many successful output results; he is giving back to the community.

Many more lives are greatly impacted with Brown in ofﬁce. He will bring a wellneeded program across the state that can help women in need. Brown knows how it feels when someone you know has been affected by domestic violence. He is willing to make a change so when there is an attack on another individual, they will be able to receive the adequate services needed to recover.

Anna Higgins, Brentwood

the day you notice the multiple scars of self-inflicted mutilation on your first “cutter.” Most teachers are simply looking to “pay it forward” for a teacher that changed their lives, but the glow of altruism fades a little with each report of suspected bruising, peer bullying, neglect, altered consciousness or sexual abuse, especially when followed by the realization that sufficient resources to intervene effectively on behalf of every child will not be forthcoming. The blogger Alan Kazdin recently opined, “When someone is drowning, that is not the time to teach them to swim.” It may not be time, either, to expect them to pass a swimming test. One thing is clear: The pandemic of disenchantment with careers in public education is the direct outcome of the hopes of practitioners not meshing with the reality they encounter. Kenneth B. Haines is the president of the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association.

Send your letters Letters must include the writer’s name, address and telephone number. The phone number will not be published; it is for veriﬁcation purposes only. We reserve the right to edit all letters. Letters selected may be shortened for space reasons. Send letters to: Editor, Gazette Newspapers, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707. E-mail them to princegeorges@gazette.net.

Maryland’s Best/Worst 2013, Part II Pests of the year The IRS The NSA Federal government shut-downs The Redskins name debate Lyme disease Dennis Rodman Concussions Surveillance drones Gov. Rick Perry Cellphones during air ﬂights Traffic lane “cutters” Miley Cyrus Copper thieves MY MARYLAND Athletes on steBLAIR LEE roids Target credit card hackers Cruise ship norovirus Bullying Obamacare’s religious mandate Toilet-clogging “ﬂushable” baby wipes

Most bizarre moments • A Baltimore jury awards $1.42 million to a patient, Nadege Neim, whose doctor, Maureen Muoneke, mistakenly removed her right ovary instead of her left one. When Neim returned for a checkup a month after the surgery, Dr. Muoneke realized her mistake but did not tell Neim. • Howard County police bust an “inhome” licensed child day care center that had a hydroponic marijuana growing operation in the basement. • Public health officials warn of rabid raccoons attacking people and pets in Ocean City. • When a Bethesda couple, watching TV, see a black bear walk by their window they call police, who, after a chase through the neighborhood, tranquilize it. • Donald Pray, after getting drunk and arguing with his passenger, gets out of his car, lies down on Suitland Road and is struck and killed by a car. • A Maryland Lottery employee pleads guilty to stealing 7,500 scratch-off tickets worth $90,000 and redeeming them for $67,000. • When Baltimore scrap metal thieves steal numerous 54-pound backup traffic light batteries costing $428 a piece, the city padlocks and alarms traffic light facilities. • A woman dressed in pink with a pink cellphone robs two P.G. County banks in December.

• A man wearing a fake Santa beard holds up a Laurel bank in December. • Frederick police, investigating a possible break-in, are surprised when two burglars fall through the dry wall ceiling. • A portable speed camera stationed outside Glenelg High School is set on fire by unknown vandals. • After leading police on a 100 mph chase through Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, Dock Workman is arrested after ramming a state trooper’s car four times. He was seen lighting a cigarette between his strikes against the police cruiser. • Ocean City police witness a man hijacking a taxi and pursue him up Coastal Highway, where the hijacker abandons the taxi and runs into the surf, where he’s arrested. • Montgomery County pays Bethel World Church $1.25 million not to build a church on its environmentally sensitive 119-acre Germantown property. • On New Year’s Eve, a Silver Spring mother has twins born three minutes apart but in two different years, one in 2013 and the other in 2014. • Golfers attending Baltimore’s Scunny McCousker Memorial Elvis Invitation Golf Dinner are asked to “dress like Elvis or an actress from any Elvis movie.” • Ralph Jaffe (D) files for governor with Freda Jaffe, his sister, as his running mate. • Baseball star Cal Ripken Jr.’s mother Vi Ripken, who was kidnapped in 2012, is the victim of an attempted carjacking in October 2013. • Bethesda resident Lois Lerner, who resigned after becoming the central figure in the IRS-Tea Party scandal, volunteers for a Montgomery County panel that screens applications for tax-exempt status. • Police suspect a possible suicide when a College Park man locks himself in a portable toilet and sets it on fire. • An Anne Arundel jury awards $800,000 to a woman who suffered hundreds of bites when she moved into a bedbug-infested Annapolis apartment. Her attorney, Daniel Whitney, specializes in bed bug lawsuits. • A Virginia woman, represented by Daniel Whitney, sues for bed bug bites she suffered at a National Harbor hotel. • A lactose-intolerant federal employee suffering from frequent flatulence is reprimanded by Baltimore Social Security Administration officials for “creating a hostile work environment.” • A woman with a Cheshire cat tattoo on her neck slips a $1,200 Maltese puppy into her purse and flees a Rockville pet store.

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The Gazette

Forum

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Ken Sain, Sports Editor Dan Gross, Photo Editor Jessica Loder, Web Editor

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• When Baltimore police arrest a prostitute at a BWI hotel they discover that her pimp, waiting outside in his car, is a Baltimore city policeman. • After a 22-year-old woman driving across the Bay Bridge is rammed by a tractor-trailer, sending her car 40 feet into the water, she frees herself and swims ashore. • When three of Frederick’s five county commissioners participate in a local call-in radio show, a political opponent complains to a state board, which rules it an “open meeting law” violation because, as a quorum, they discussed county business at a “meeting” without prior public notice. • Montgomery County public employee unions boycott the county Democratic Party’s annual spring fundraiser because, they say, the county party has grown too conservative. • Instead of endorsing either gubernatorial candidate Heather Mizeur, a lesbian, or Doug Gansler, the first state official to advocate same-sex marriage, Equality Maryland (the gay lobby group) endorses Anthony Brown. • When a Silver Spring real estate agent turns her house into an extravagant Halloween display and invites hundreds of clients to view it, county officials take her to court for operating a business in a residential neighborhood. The judge, after three hours of testimony, permits the display for two nights. • After being sworn in as Glenarden’s new mayor, Dennis Smith discovers IRS fines for $150,000 accrued by the outgoing administration for failing to file tax records. • Diamonde Grant (aka Dimez) sues the Oasis club, where she’s an exotic dancer, for taking a portion of her tips and private dance money in violation of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. • The St. Mary’s County school board bans hugs between children and any adult who is not their parent. • Attorney General Doug Gansler says prison inmates should be issued free tablet computers to help further their education. • A National Guard A-10 Warthog fighter jet inadvertently ejects an inert 500-pound bomb, which lands in a Queen Anne’s County tavern parking lot, leaving a 3-foot-deep hole and some shaken patrons. Blair Lee is chairman of the board of Lee Development Group in Silver Spring and a regular commentator for WBAL radio. His past columns are available at www.gazette.net/blairlee. His email address is blairleeiv@gmail.com.

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

FLOWERS SENIOR LEARNS QUICKLY IN BECOMING ONE OF BASKETBALL TEAM’S TOP PLAYERS, A-11

SPORTS

HOW THEY RANK BOYS The 10 best boys’ basketball teams in Prince George’s County as ranked by The Gazette’s sports staff:

Rank 1.

School

Record Pts

DeMatha

17-2 58

Henry A. Wise

13-2 54

Riverdale Baptist 18-4 50

Potomac

Clinton Christian 13-4 36

Bowie

Eleanor Roosevelt 11-4 22

Charles H. Flowers 11-4 19

Largo

10.

National Christian 9-5 6

13-3 42

12-3 30

10-4 11

Others receiving votes:

Central, 1.

BEST BET

Largo at Potomac, 7 p.m. Friday: One of the hottest 2A

teams (Potomac) hosts one of the coldest (Largo). Wolverines have a chance to reverse their only league loss. Lions won Round 1, 68-64.

TOP SCORERS

Name, school M. Reed, Capitol Christian A. Bundu, Largo D. Taylor, Central J. Grimsley, Capitol Christian A. Fox, Eleanor Roosevelt D. Stockman, Pallotti E. Hill, Surrattsville R. Broddie, Potomac D. Wiley, Potomac J. Gray, Bowie B. Better, Crossland G. Gray, Suitland J. Davis, Clinton Christian B. Dawson, Forestville B. Hawkins, Clinton Christ. J. Moore, Friendly F. Williams, Laurel

PPG 30.7 26.2 24.9 21.4 20.4 20.4 20.2 18.4 18.3 18.0 17.8 17.8 17.6 17.1 17.1 16.9 16.9

The 10 best girls’ basketball teams in Prince George’s County as ranked by The Gazette’s sports staff:

Rank 1.

Record Pts

Eleanor Roosevelt 14-0 59

Riverdale Baptist 13-3 55

Elizabeth Seton 14-4 46

Charles H. Flowers 10-1 44

Bowie

12-4 34

Largo

11-5 29

Capitol Christian 12-6 25

Gwynn Park

12-3 20

Crossland

10-4 12

10.

St. Vincent Pallotti 8-6 6

Others receiving votes: None.

BEST BET

Crossland at Gwynn Park, 7 p.m. Friday: Two top Prince

TOP SCORERS

Name, school M. Fletcher, Potomac D. Boykin, Charles H. Flowers K. Conteh, Parkdale C. Ray, Riverdale Baptist C. Jackson, Riverdale Baptist C. Tyler, Suitland K. Charles, Eleanor Roosevelt Tak. Ellis, Gwynn Park S. Ragin, Northwestern J. Harris, Crossland C. Lee, Henry A. Wise C. Musgrave, Elizabeth Seton I. Quinn, Fairmont Heights I. Yates, Potomac M. Sisco, Friendly A. Long, Largo L. Jing, Laurel M. Brown, Laurel B. Hughey, Capitol Christian B. Ogunrinde, Pallotti

PPG 23.8 22.9 21.0 19.6 18.6 18.2 17.7 17.7 17.5 17.4 17.4 17.3 17.1 17.0 16.4 16.0 15.5 15.4 15.1 15.1

Charles H. Flowers High School boys

FILE PHOTO

MIKE GLICK

Gwynn Park High School boys

Great coaches share one attribute

Coaches say ﬁnding a way to relate to their players is key to success

his was supposed to the perennial Prince George’s County power Gwynn Park High School boys’ basketball team’s worst season. Or so eighth-year Yellow Jackets’ coach Mike Glick heard. How, many county high school basketball pundits seemed to wonder, would a team historically reliant on size and strength employ its traditional game with just one true “big [man]?” To answer simply: They don’t, because Glick knows how to coach to his talent. Rather than attempt to overpower their

opponents, the Yellow Jackets (115, 9-2 Prince George’s 3A/2A/1A League) have taken to a more guard-oriented approach this winter, and they are doing just ﬁne. Gwynn Park is 136-55 overall in Glick’s tenure. Similarly, Eleanor Roosevelt has been one of the biggest teams in the state in recent history. This year, the Raiders (11-4) don’t have anyone over 6-foot-3 in their starting lineup, but they still remain on pace to compete for another state championship, just with a different style of play. “Some coaches try and make a team ﬁt into their style, we change our style according to players,” Glick said. Added Charles H. Flowers coach Mark Edwards following the Jaguars’ loss to Roosevelt earlier this month: “[Roosevelt] might not

have as much talent offensively, but [coach] Brendan [O’Connell] has them so disciplined. He does a great job getting guys to understand their roles and what they want to do.” Prince George’s has been privy to some pretty spectacular basketball players, but not every team is fortunate enough to have future NCAA Division I- or NBA-caliber stars on it every year, or ever. Nevertheless, there are programs that are able to produce some of the county’s best play year in and year out, and much of that has to do with coaches’ ability connect with and bring out the best in their student-athletes. It takes a certain type of patient person to get through to and build prosperous coach-athlete relation

See COACHES, Page A-12

An old friend is the new guy on campus Wolverines add another high-level recruit to winning boys’ basketball team

Thriving with longtime coach, teammate n

Senior Musgrave leading Seton to top of WCAC ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER

TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER

It has been a roundabout high school basketball journey for Quadree Smith, one that started in the Washington, D.C. before moving to Fairfax, Va. Now, four years after enrolling at Archbishop Carroll and two-plus years under the tutelage of Glen Farello at Paul VI, Smith has come home. What a homecoming it has been. Wolverine students took to Twitter to express their delight in Smith’s enrolling at his hometown public school two weeks ago, including teammates Dion Wiley and Randall Broddie. Smith quickly immersed himself into the school, midway through the academic and basketball year, surprising even coach Renard Johnson. “It’s interesting,” he said after Smith made his Potomac debut,

BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE

Elizabeth Seton’s Camden Musgrave shoots during practice on Monday.

George’s County 3A/2A/1A League teams face off for the second time. The Yellow Jackets won in round one, 57-53.

MARK EDWARDS

FILE PHOTO

Flexibility: Frederick Douglass High School boys

BY JENNIFER BEEKMAN STAFF WRITER

GIRLS

School

TYRONE MASENBURG

FILE PHOTO

GEORGE P. SMITH/FOR THE GAZETTE

Potomac High School’s Quadree Smith (right) battles Lake Clifton’s Joshua Parks for a rebound during Saturday’s Basketball Academy Tournament held at Morgan State University in Baltimore. in which the 6-foot-7, 285-pound big man went for 13 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists in an 84-72 win over Crossland, “because the

minute he walked into school, he knew more people than I knew.

See CAMPUS, Page A-11

Elizabeth Seton High School’s Camden Musgrave doesn’t remember many specifics from when she played Amateur Athletic Union basketball under Roadrunners’ coach Jonathan Scruggs about eight years ago. But one thing she does recall from her Maryland Hurricane days is the ball-handling drills. “Crossover, behind the back, between the legs,” Musgrave said, “As many times as we could, just as our warm up.” Musgrave, now Seton’s leading scorer, has since reﬁned her dribbling, as well as her shooting, driving and defense. But off the court, the senior isn’t all that different from her 10-year old self, Scruggs said. “There’s a few things that haven’t changed and I don’t think are ever going to change. She’s always had a big smile and a big personality,” Scruggs said. “And that hasn’t changed.” Musgrave, a 5-foot-9 guard, is averaging a team-high 17.3 points for the Roadrunners (15-4, 8-2), who are competing for the top spot in the Washington Catholic Athletic

See THRIVING, Page A-12

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

New to the game,

THRIVING

Continued from Page A-10 Conference. The third-year varsity player is helping lead Seton’s offense and defense, averaging ﬁve rebounds, four assists and four steals per game. She’s a different — much improved — player from what she was with the Hurricanes, said Seton senior Casey Davis, who played AAU basketball with Musgrave. But she’s still the same, fun teammate, Davis said. “She’s just always been the same,” Davis said. “She’s always had a good personality, always really goofy.” Musgrave started high school at the Academy of the Holy Cross and transferred to Seton as a sophomore, reuniting with Scruggs and Davis after about four years apart. “I knew she was really good,” Davis said. “… I was excited for her to come to Seton and help us out.” Musgrave, who signed to play basketball with Central Connecticut State University, has developed into one of the WCAC’s top scorers. Using a well-rounded offensive game, she has hit a team-best 25 3-pointers while converting 83 percent of her nearly seven free throws per game. “It was really funny because she was like a post player at that age,” Davis said. “… It’s pretty hard for people to guard her because she can either drive or shoot.” The two-way star scored a game-high 19 points in a Jan. 16 win 58-57 over Paul VI Catholic, a top WCAC team. “She has another gear to be able to push herself in a way that other people can’t,” Scruggs said. “... That competitiveness, that high level of competitiveness is what really [makes her] one of the best players.” Musgrave is happy to be back playing under Scruggs on Seton’s basketball team even though “he can be really hard on you,” she said. “He’s an amazing coach,” Musgrave said. “That’s why I wanted to come back to him so badly. He knows the game really well.” Musgrave believes Seton, which had a seven-game win streak snapped by the WCAC’s St. John’s College High, has what it takes to win a title. “I want to help my team the best I can to get to the championship,” Musgrave said. egoldwein@gazette.net

COACHES

Continued from Page A-10 ships with high school basketball players, but the county has seen its fair share of coaches who seem to perennially draw the best out of whatever talent, or lack thereof, they are dealt. The ability to communicate and get players to buy into one’s coaching system should be at the top of every coach’s list of priorities, Glick said. But what does it take to earn that respect in the ﬁrst place? Coaches agreed ﬁnding a way to relate to their players plays a major role. “I kind of try to relate to the kids in a way where I try to teach them that sports and life are

CAMPUS

Continued from Page A-10 I’m not exaggerating — him and Dion have probably played 100 games together. He’s a neighborhood guy. This is where he’s from, this is his school, he’s just returning to his school. I don’t even see him as a transfer.” Johnson may not see Smith as a transfer, but the rest of the surrounding area certainly does. With the added presence of another Division I recruit — Smith maintains he is still leaning towards UNC Greensboro despite reneging on his verbal commitment — numerous websites, writers, athletes, and even a few area coaches took to social media to dub the Wolverines the Class 2A state champion favorites. With Wiley, a University of Maryland signee and the previous top-ranked recruit in the state, Broddie, another likely Division I-bound guard, Anthony Smith, a power forward garnering interest from upper-level schools, and now Quadree Smith, there are no visible weaknesses in this year’s Potomac team. “He’ll dominate the public schools,” said Keith Stevens, who coaches both Wiley and Quadree Smith for the well-known Amateur Athletic Union program, Team Takeover. “Especially with guards like Dion and Broddie around him because they can’t double him or he’ll just kick it to Dion, and they can’t double Dion because he’ll get it to ‘Q.’” As could have been expected, the movement of such a high-proﬁle athlete so late in the season did not come without grumblings or rumors. Several sites listed a recruiting argument between Quadree’s father, Rob, and Farello as the sole reason for Quadree’s leaving. Farello encouraged Quadree to sign with UNC Greensboro during the early signing period, according to Rob, but the Smiths preferred to wait and see if Spartan coach Wes Miller would be offered a contract extension. The Smiths wanted to ensure Qua-

Page A-11

but it doesn’t show n

Top player started playing three years ago BY

TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER

It’s astonishing that the two best players on the Charles H. Flowers High School basketball team have less than seven years of experience between them, about half the amount of nearly every other lightlyto-heavily recruited senior in the Prince George’s County 4A League. Yet, Clint Robinson and Patrick Johnson — the lesser known of the pair — are taking the Jaguars out to an 11-4 record in a hyper-competitive league boasting Division I recruits who have played since they were old enough to hold a ball. Johnson, a football player his whole life, was drawn in by a kid who lived down the street named James Robinson, then a star at DeMatha Catholic. An eighth grader at the time, Johnson marveled at the way Robinson, an undersized guard now starting for the University of Pittsburgh, could carve up his challengers at the local park, dominating neighborhood pickup games. “He was the one that really pushed me into it,” Johnson said of Robinson. It wouldn’t be long before curiosity completely got the better of him, and if it were Robinson who gave Johnson the initial nudge towards basketball, it was a 6-foot-9 wiry shooting guard named Kevin Durant who indirectly tipped him

challenges and we use a lot of examples of real-life situations and apply them to [basketball],” said sixth-year Frederick Douglass boys’ coach Tyrone Massenburg, who has been coaching in the county since 1987. “The kids have to understand the meaning of why they should try to achieve certain goals. I’ve been fortunate enough to be in three areas of the county, I’ve seen all types of kids in this area and I know what buttons to push to be consistent.” Part of relating to players, Glick added, is keeping up with the times — ﬁve years ago he said he would never have texted his athletes but does it quite often these days. Adolescents are pulled in all different directions these days and don’t receive criti-

over the edge. When Johnson was a sophomore, again teetering on the edge of trying out for the junior varsity basketball team after opting out his freshman year, he ﬂipped on the TV and saw Durant scoring truckloads ononeunfortunateteamoranother, andrecalledthinking,“’Icouldprobably do some of this stuff.’” In just his third year playing on an organized basketball team, with rules and referees and coaches and the like, Johnson is doing a lot of that “stuff”hespokeof,thoughquiteabit more rugged than the National Basketball Association’s scoring leader. “What helps Patrick is he’s a tremendous athlete,” Flowers coach Mark Edwards said. “He’s a power guard, a power forward who just ﬁnds a way to get to the rim.” He has been a complement to Robinson, who picked up the game as a freshman, teaming up with the 6-foot-7 big man for a bit more than

cism the same way they did 20 years ago, so it’s important for coaches to convey constructive criticism in a positive manner. “If coaches don’t criticize in a positive way, if they berate the kids, they’re just going to tune them out,” Glick said. It’s also imperative, coaches agreed, for them to show their players they truly care about their well-being. Whether it’s attending a game during another sports

dree was going someplace where he would be coached by the same man who recruited him. “It made sense to see what kind of system they were running, who was going to change jobs,” Rob Smith said. “Because a lot of the times they’ll sell you on it and then they’ll leave the school and your son is still signed to go there.” So Quadree reopened his recruitment, which caused a rift between the family and Farello. This, however, is “probably the fourth or fifth reason,” according to Rob, that Quadree ultimately decided to transfer to Potomac. Because Paul VI is about 2 to 2½ hours away from his Oxon Hill home, Quadree’s alarm was set at 4 a.m. weekday mornings. He would regularly return home around 11 p.m., crank out homework until past midnight, take a glorified nap, and then repeat the process. The mental and physical toll wore on him. At Potomac, he is able to wake up nearly three hours later and arrive home sometimes up to five hours earlier. His allotted time for studying has nearly tripled, the financial cost of a two-hour commute each way reduced to nearly nothing, and any politics removed entirely. Smith is just playing basketball again. “Everything’s been great,” he said a few days prior to scoring 21 points and grabbing 21 rebounds in a 113-41 win over Friendly. “I know basically the whole school. It felt like I was just going from one home to another.” The senior spoke kindly of his time at Paul VI, which came with a WCAC championship his sophomore year and a top 10 national ranking this season. But he appeared generally content, relaxed with longtime teammate, Wiley, and Broddie, whom he attended middle school with, in the backcourt. “Dion knows how I like to play and I know how he likes to play,” Smith said. “The IQ that I have with Dion on the court, it’s like a tag team out there.” tmewhirter@gazette.net

GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE

Eleanor Roosevelt High School’s Bryant Best (right) drives the ball against Charles H. Flowers’ Patrick Johnson during a game earlier this year.

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28 points per game, and already has a dunk contest title to his name. “I feel like I came a long way after starting my sophomore year,” he said. “I could barely touch the rim back then and now I’m winning dunk contests.” Dunk contests mean very little in the grand scheme of things, but what high school student doesn’t want to win a dunk contest? Edwards took the Jaguars to Salisbury over the winter holidays for the Governor’s Challenge, which so happened to include a dunk contest. The 6-2 Johnson was thrown in the mix despite standing a good ﬁve inches shorter than the majority of his soon-to-be-losing competitors. “There was literally one dude who was smaller than me,” he said. Regardless, his post-practice dunk sessions with Robinson proved invaluable, as Johnson rammed home a pair of windmills in Salisbury to earn the title of dunk

season or listening when a player is in need, the kids need to know their coach genuinely cares. Coaches also agreed there is a correlation between consistency within a coaching staff and a program’s success. Most of the county’s perennially successful teams have longer standing coaches. Within that, Glick said, is the development of a good junior varsity program to ensure that players are familiar with the

Gwynn Park system and ready for varsity ball. Glick said hiring 2002 Gwynn Park graduate Spencer Way six years ago to head up the Yellow Jackets’ junior varsity team was the best decision he’s made for his program. O’Connell said he is a players’ coach. Many of the county’s most effective leaders probably are. They remember what they enjoyed most as a player and speak

champion. “I always wanted to do it,” he said of his winning, windmill dunk, “and I knew I had enough bounce to get it.” That’s all fun and good, but any football player with “bounce” can put on an aesthetically pleasing aerial show without necessarily knowing the first rule of basketball. As Johnson said, however, he has “come a long way” since those tryouts his sophomore year. Basketball is “where my heart is now,” he said. “I think the only guy I’ve seen pick it up as fast as Patrick is Clint,” Edwards said. His ball-handling, though still a hair on the raw side, came around over the summer Amateur Athletic Union circuit and he would often spend anywhere from three to four hours in the gym alone, honing his game much like he once did with football. Those hours have paid off, both for him and Flowers. Though he still plays more like a tight end than a shooting guard — he has yet to make a 3-pointer — preferring power to finesse, Johnson has been giving teams plenty of fits. “We didn’t play good defense and we didn’t rebound,” DuVal coach Lafayette Dublin said after a 62-53 defeat at the hands of Flowers. It’s tough to do both when a 6-2, 190-pound guard named Patrick Johnson scores 20 points and grabs 18 rebounds. That’s something not even James Robinson did. tmewhirter@gazette.net to their charges in those terms. “I think the fun part about coaching public school basketball is that we coach who’s there,” O’Connell said. “We don’t get to go get players like colleges or some of the private schools do. One year you can have a ton of big guys, the next year all guards. That’s kind of the fun part.” jbeekman@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

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C I T Y

O F

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

C O L L E G E

PA R K

M U N I C I PA L S C E N E

4500 KNOX ROAD, COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND 20740 • 240-487-3500

www.collegeparkmd.gov

City Hall Bulletin Board MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETINGS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 7:30 PM MAYOR AND COUNCIL WORKSESSION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014 7:00 PM PUBLIC HEARING – CHARTER AMENDMENT 13-CR-03: PROPOSAL TO LOWER THE MINIMUM AGE AT THE TIME OF TAKING OFFICE FOR MAYOR OR COUNCILMEMBER TO AGE 18 7:30 PM MAYOR AND COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2014 7:30 PM MAYOR AND COUNCIL WORKSESSION TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 7:30 PM MAYOR AND COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING All meetings take place in the 2nd floor Council Chambers of City Hall, 4500 Knox Road, College Park, MD unless noted. All meetings are open to the public except Executive Sessions. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 240-487-3501 and describe the assistance that is necessary. All Mayor and Council meetings can be viewed live on Comcast cable channel 71 or Verizon channel 25. Regular Council Meetings and Worksessions are rebroadcast in their entirety at the following times: Wednesdays at 8pm, Thursdays and Fridays at 6pm, and Saturdays at 10am Worksessions and Council meetings may also be viewed live over the internet. Those interested in watching the live meetings from their computer should visit the City’s website at www.collegeparkmd.gov, and click on the menu item “Council Meetings Video”. You will be redirected to the Granicus, Inc. web site which will host the web streaming and archiving of Council meetings. Meetings that are streamed will also be archived for future viewing through the City’s website. Meeting Agendas are posted on the City’s website on the Friday afternoon prior to the meetings www.collegeparkmd.gov – and are available at the City Clerk’s office. Meeting back-up materials will be posted to the website on the Monday prior to the meeting. Meeting schedule is subject to change. For current information, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 240-487-3501.

COUNCIL ACTION

During a Special Session on January 7, 2014, the College Park City Council took the following action: • Approved the hiring of Bill Gardiner as the City’s new Assistant City Manager, and approved the terms and conditions of his employment agreement. During the Regular Meeting on January 14, 2014, the College Park City Council took the following action: • Approved A Resolution Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park, Maryland Adopting The Recommendation Of The Advisory Planning Commission Regarding Variance Application Number CPV-2013-06, 4605 Drexel Road, College Park, Maryland, Recommending Approval Of A Variance Of 6.6% Or 495 Square Feet From The Maximum Allowable Lot Coverage Of 30% Or 2,250 Square Feet Be Granted To Permit The Applicant To Pave The Existing Driveway • Awarded FY ’14 Fire Department Grants in the amount of $15,000 each as follows: 1) To College Park Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. to apply to debt service on 2012 Pierce Pumper, which was delivered in May 2012. Total cost for this new pumper was $502,814; 2) To Branchville Volunteer Fire Company & Rescue Squad, Inc., to apply to debt service on 2012 Ford F-450 ambulance chassis with Horton box, which was delivered in November 2012. Total acquisition cost was $240,000; 3) To Berwyn Heights Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad, Inc., to apply to debt service on 2010 Seagrave aerial ladder truck which responds to high-rise buildings in the City and on the UM campus. Semi-annual debt service is $42,354. The total cost of these awards is $45,000, funded in C.I.P. project 012006, account 25-40. • Adopted Revised Rules and Procedures for the Mayor and City Council of College Park. • Approved the purchase of (3) Pan-Tilt-Zoom (PTZ) cameras and 2 License Plate Readers (LPR) from Avrio RMS Group, for a cost not to exceed $65,000, for expansion of surveillance cameras into the Lakeland area. $50,000 of these funds is from a grant to the City from the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. • Reappointed Chris Dullnig to the Airport Authority, Clay Gump to the Cable Television Commission, Steve Brayman to the College Park CityUniversity Partnership, Andrew Fellows to the College Park CityUniversity Partnership, Gail Kushner to the College Park Ethics Commissions, and appointed Kennis Termini to the Committee for a Better Environment.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

CHARTER RESOLUTION 13-CR-03 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014 –7:00 PM 2ND FLOOR COUNCIL CHAMBERS CITY HALL, 4500 KNOX ROAD Charter Resolution Of The Mayor And Council Of The City Of College Park, Maryland, Amending Article III “Mayor And Council”, §C3-1, “Elected Officers Of The City” To Change The Minimum Age At The Time Of Taking Office After Election Or Appointment As The Mayor, Or As A Council Member, To Eighteen Years. Copies of this ordinance may be obtained from the City Clerk’s Office, 4500 Knox Road, College Park, Maryland 20740, call 240-487-3501, or visit www.collegeparkmd.gov.

STATE TAX REMINDER

Please remember to specify “College Park” as your “Incorporated City” on your Maryland Tax Return.

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Pay City parking tickets online with no additional fees at www.collegeparkmd.gov

Around Town! 2014 ENVIRONMENTAL FILM SERIES

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO MONSANTO (2008) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2014 – 1:00 PM 2ND FLOOR COUNCIL CHAMBERS, CITY HALL, 4500 KNOX ROAD “There’s nothing they are leaving untouched: the mustard, the okra, the bringe oil, the rice, the cauliflower. Once they have established the norm: that seed can be owned as their property, royalties can be collected. We will depend on them for every seed we grow of every crop we grow. If they control seed, they control food, they know it – it’s strategic. It’s more powerful than bombs. It’s more powerful than guns.” (From Top Documentary Films website) This film presents information important to all of us, including the “intimate links between Monsanto and government agencies, the US adopted GE foods and crops without proper testing, without consumer labeling and in spite of serious questions hanging over their safety. Not coincidentally, Monsanto supplies 90 percent of the GE seeds used by the US market.” There is no charge for this event. Run time is: 108 minutes. RSVP requested but not required—email janiso@erols.com or call 301-474-5358. Sponsored by

FAMILY FUN BOWLING BASH

January 30, 2014

From The Public Works Dept... 9217 51st Avenue

240-487-3590

publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov

WATER MAIN BREAKS

Water main breaks should be reported to Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) at 301-206-4002 or to Public Works at 240-487-3590. Please have the physical address of the water main break available when you call.

TRAFFIC ALERT – UMD SPECIAL EVENTS

Please be aware of pedestrians along city roads and expect heavier traffic throughout the day and evening for the following UMD event: Thursday, 2/6: UM Women’s basketball vs. Pittsburgh (7:00 p.m.) Saturday, 2/8: UM Men’s wrestling vs. Duke (1:00 p.m.) Saturday, 2/8: UM Men’s basketball vs. Florida State (3:00 p.m.) Sunday, 2/9: UM Women’s basketball vs. Clemson (2:00 p.m.)

WEEKLY YARD WASTE COLLECTION REMINDERS

Yard waste (grass, flowers, leaves, soft plants, and weeds) will be picked up on your regularly scheduled collection day. Brush and logs should not be mixed in with soft (vegetative) yard waste as these two types of materials are processed independently of each other. Collected yard waste is processed into compost; trash should be separated out of the yard trim material and disposed of in the refuse cart. Use paper yard waste bags or reusable containers ONLY, and place at the curb by 7:00 am on your regular collection day. Yard waste in plastic bags will not be collected. If you have more than 10 bags or containers of yard waste, please call or email Public Works for a special pickup appointment (240-487-3590; publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov). Keep in mind that a small investment in a few reusable containers can quickly outweigh the cost of continuously purchasing biodegradable paper yard waste bags; multiple containers can be stacked to reduce storage space. Drill holes in the bottom of the containers to allow water to drain out. Containers must display a City yard waste sticker; free stickers are available to residents at all City buildings.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2014 1:00–4:00 PM AMF COLLEGE PARK LANES 9021 BALTIMORE AVENUE COLLEGE PARK, MD There is now Duckpin and 10-Pin Bowling! (A limited number of lanes also have gutter guards.) Cost is $5.00 for the first 100 residents from College Park, after that, the price will be $10.00 per person. Includes unlimited bowling from 1:00– 4:00 p.m., shoe rental, soda & pizza. For more information and to reserve your spot, call The Department of Public Services at 240-487-3570.

Brush (branches, shrubs, trees, and bamboo) and logs are collected on Thursday and Friday by appointment. Please call 240-487-3590 or email publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov to schedule an appointment. Please bundle and tie items with string (do not use wire or put in plastic bags). Bundles should be less than 5 feet long and weigh less than 75 pounds.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

SLOW DOWN TO GET AROUND

BASIC ACADEMY TRAINING DATES CITY HALL, LOWER LEVEL CONFERENCE ROOM 4500 KNOX ROAD, COLLEGE PARK Neighborhood Watch is a safety program for citizens by citizens to watch for and report suspicious and criminal activities. Neighborhood Watch training dates and times: • Saturday, February 1, 2014, 9:00 am – 11:30 am • Thursday, March 6, 2014, 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm Attendance of one date only required (multiple offerings to accommodate.) For more information please contact, Dino Pignataro at 240-487-3570 or jdpignataro@collegeparkmd.gov.

MONDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

FEBRUARY 17, 2014 – 7:00-8:30 PM COLLEGE PARK COMMUNITY LIBRARY 9704 RHODE ISLAND AVENUE, COLLEGE PARK Food, Inc. The most effective environmental documentary since “AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH” - Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail. You’ll never look at dinner the same way again. “It might change your life” – O. Magazine The College Park Committee for a Better Environment donated eight movies to the library along with a number of environmental books all of which can be checked out by our members. The movies will be held at the College Park Community Library, 9704 Rhode Island Ave. The library is located on the lower level of the Church of the Nazarene, however, the movies will be shown in the Church’s Sanctuary on the upper level.

CITY OF COLLEGE PARK SNOW ALERTS

Property owners, occupants and merchants are reminded of the City requirement to remove accumulated snow and ice from all walkways, driveways, parking lots and other areas used by pedestrians or automobiles. The owner or occupant of any property that abuts the sidewalk must clean public sidewalks of ice, sleet and snow for their full width. It is required that snow and ice be removed within the first eight (8) hours of daylight after snowfall stops. These requirements are listed under City Code Sections 1576(B)(10) and 141-5(A). Though City code enforcement officers may not cite all such violations immediately after a storm, failure to comply with this regulation in a timely manner could be used as evidence by anyone injured in a fall on or adjacent to your property if you are sued for such injuries. Be prepared! Keep snow shovels and salt ready for the next storm, and plan to have help available if necessary to make your walkway safe as soon as the snow stops falling. Public Works crews plow and salt City streets and City-managed parking lots to clear snow and ice. Things you can do to help include: • Move parked cars off the street so the snow plows can clear snow to the curb. • If off-street parking is not available during predicted snowstorms, park on the EVEN side of the road (EXCEPTION: if your address is odd-numbered and the area across from your house is undeveloped, park on the odd side of the street) • Clear snow and ice from the sidewalks in front of your residence. THIS INCLUDES STORMDRAINS! The City is responsible for clearing the streets; residents should work together to help keep driveways and storm drains clear. • Crews work around the clock during snow emergencies to clear the streets. Your patience is appreciated during these times. Always plan to set your refuse and recycling carts out for your regularly scheduled day during snow events. Refuse and recycling collections may occur later in the day than normal, but you should not expect collections to be delayed until the following day.

For information about shopping, dining, attractions, services, and accommodations in College Park, visit shopcollegepark.org

BRUSH & LOG COLLECTION

It can be frustrating to encounter unexpected delays during your day, whether it is because you are behind a refuse truck or a school or Metro bus. However, it is important to remember that there are people in and around these vehicles who expect to arrive home safely at the end of the day. City employees have been injured as a result of distracted drivers. Remember to slow down to get around these vehicles, and that aggressive driving could kill or injure another person.

REQUESTS FOR STREET TREES

The City of College Park has a program that provides for street tree planting in the City of College Park right-of-way area, which includes the grass strip between the curb and sidewalk. College Park residents interested in requesting a tree can contact the City Horticulturist at 240-487-3590 or publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov. The location will be inspected to determine if it is suitable. Planning for fall tree planting is now underway.

CLIP AND SAVE

COLLEGE PARK DIRECTORY

City of College Park Main Number...........................240-487-3500 CITY HALL, 4500 Knox Road, College Park, MD 20740 Hours: M-F 8am-7pm; Sat. 1-5pm; Sun - Closed City Hall Departments City Manager/City Clerk...........................................240-487-3501 City FAX Number.....................................................301-699-8029 Finance.....................................................................240-487-3509 Human Resources.....................................................240-487-3533 Parking Enforcement Div. (M-F 8am-10pm/Sat. 1-7pm)......240-487-3520 Planning/Economic Development.............................240-487-3538 Housing Authority (Attick Towers) 9014 R.I. Ave....301-345-3600 Public Services Department, 4601A Calvert Rd.........240-487-3570 Animal Control, Code Enforcement, Public Safety and Recreation. Parking Enforcement is at City Hall.

24 Hour Hotline........................................................240-487-3588 For Urgent Code Enforcement, Noise Control, Animal Control Issues.

Public Works Department, 9217 51st Ave.................240-487-3590 Trash Collection, Recycling and Special Pick-ups.

Senior Program (Attick Towers) 9014 R.I. Ave.........301-345-8100 Youth and Family Services, 4912 Nantucket Rd.........240-487-3550 Drop-In Recreation Center........................................301-345-4425

MAYOR AND COUNCIL

Mayor Andrew M. Fellows 5807 Bryn Mawr Road..............................................301-441-8141 Councilmember Fazlul Kabir (District 1) 9817 53rd Avenue....................................................301-659-6295 Councilmember Patrick L. Wojahn (District 1) 5015 Lackawanna Street...........................................240-988-7763 Councilmember P.J. Brennan (District 2) 4500 Knox Road.......................................................301-220-1640 Councilmember Monroe S. Dennis (District 2) 8117 51st Avenue....................................................301-474-6270 Councilmember Robert W. Day (District 3) 7410 Baylor Avenue.................................................301-741-1962 Councilmember Stephanie Stullich (District 3) 7400 Dartmouth Avenue..........................................301-742-4442 Councilmember Alan Y. Hew (District 4) 9118 Autoville Drive.................................................240-391-8678 Councilmember Denise C. Mitchell (District 4) 3501 Marlbrough Way.............................................240-460-7620

OTHER FREQUENTLY CALLED NUMBERS

EMERGENCY: FIRE-AMBULANCE-POLICE................................911 NON-EMERGENCY POLICE SERVICES Prince George’s Co. Police (Hyattsville Station).........301-699-2630 Prince George’s Co. Police Non-Emergency Svcs......301-352-1200 Prince George’s Co. Park Police................................301-459-9088 State Police (College Park Barrack)............................301-345-3101 University of Maryland Police....................................301-405-3555 College Park Community Center.....................................301-441-2647 5051 Pierce Avenue, College Park Branchville Vol. Fire & Rescue Squad...............................301-474-1550 4905 Branchville Road, College Park www.bvfco11.com College Park Vol. Fire Department...................................301-901-9112 8115 Baltimore Avenue, College Park www.cpvfd.org PEPCO - Power Outages, Lines Down...........................1-877-737-2662 WSSC: Water Mains........................................................301-206-4002 Prince George’s County Storm Drains..............................301-499-8520

CLIP AND SAVE

The Gazette’s Guide to

Arts & Entertainment

MOVIE REVIEW

A MIXED BAG

Animated caper ‘The Nut Job’ is an offense to squirrels. Page B-3 www.gazette.net

CARA HEDGEPETH

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Page B-1

STAFF WRITER

In choreographer David Roussève’s “Stardust,” making its world premiere at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center this weekend, the protagonist doesn’t utter a word. In fact, he never even appears on stage.

STARDUST n When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday n Where: Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Stadium Drive and Md. 193, College Park n Tickets: $10-35 n For information: 301-405-2787, claricesmithcenter.umd.edu

Dancers perform “Stardust.” The show makes its world premiere this weekend at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

“Stardust” is the latest production from Roussève, the artistic director for REALITY, his multi-disciplinary, multicultural ensemble. He is also a professor of choreography at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Stardust” explores the ever-changing nature of human relationships in our technology-obsessed world. “In the age of technology, it’s really a question of what constitutes a human being,” Roussève said. “What makes a person who they are?” “Stardust” centers on an AfricanAmerican, gay urban teenager who the audience never sees but instead gets to know though a series of text messages and social media posts. The messages are projected onto large screens on the stage. Roussève said originally he wanted to have the messages sent directly to audience members on their smartphones, but that became too complicated. “Stardust’s” conception began four years ago as “a collection of ideas [Roussève] was trying on [his] students …” “When it originally began, I was very

See STARS, Page B-4

VALERIE OLIVEIRO

SIDESHOWS and STUNTS n

Cheeky Monkey performs at Joe’s Movement Emporium with guest contortionist BY

Money, money, money

VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER

Anyone in the Washington area who likes death-defying stunts, oddities and laughs doesn’t have to travel north to n When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Coney Island to be entertained Feb. 1 by them. They can instead go a lon Where: Joe’s Movement cal performance by the Cheeky Emporium, 3309 Bunker Monkey Sideshow, which is Hill Road, Mt. Rainier returning to Joe’s Movement n Tickets: $15 Emporium in Mount Rainier on Saturday. n For information: With the troupe will 301-699-1819, be special guest Jonathan joesmovement.org, Burns, a contortionist who’s cheekymonkey been known to pass his body sideshow.com through the head of a tennis racket. The last time Cheeky Monkey visited Joe’s in 2011, it presented a show with a story line, said Stephon Walker of Silver Spring, who founded the troupe in 2005.

CHEEKY MONKEY SIDESHOW

See SIDESHOW, Page B-4

FRED NELSON

Eugene Valendo stars as Henry Perkins, a mild-mannered CPA who suddenly discovers he is an extremely rich man, in 2nd Star’s upcoming production of “Funny Money.”

Show features shenanigans of the highest order BY

WILL C. FRANKLIN STAFF WRITER

JOE’S MOVEMENT EMPORIUM

Stephon Walker of Silver Spring, performing here as Swami YoMahmi, founded The Washington, D.C.-based Cheeky Monkey Sideshow in 2005. The group will return to Joe’s Movement Emporium in Mt. Rainier on Saturday with a show featuring magicians, ﬁre eaters, glass walkers and escape artists.

Henry Perkins is a typical, middle-aged certiﬁed public accountant who is headed home for the evening where his friends and wife are preparing his birthday party. Henry, who rides the subway home, puts down his briefcase, but the one he picks up isn’t his. The one he picks up has money in it. A lot of money. The drop whatever it is you’re doing, grab your wife and head off to some remote location and start over kind

See MONEY, Page B-4

THE GAZETTE

Page B-2

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

Complete calendar online at www.gazette.net

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY’S ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR For a free listing, please submit complete information to noravec@gazette.net at least 10 days in advance of desired publication date. High-resolution color images (500KB minimum) in jpeg format should be submitted when available. THEATER & STAGE Bowie Community Theatre, “Dark Passages,” coming in February, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, 301-8050219, www.bctheatre.com. Bowie State University, Adventure Theatre MTC presents “Three Little Birds,” 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Jan. 30-31, Fine and Performing Arts Center, Bowie State University, 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie, 301-860-3717, www.bowiestate.edu.

Busboys & Poets, Hyattsville, TBA, 5331 Baltimore Avenue, Hyattsville, 301-779-2787 (ARTS), www.busboysandpoets.com.

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, David Roussève/Reality:

“Stardust,” 8 p.m. Jan. 31, Feb. 1; “for colored folks...” 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1, 3 p.m. Feb. 2; Grand Masters of Persian Music, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 2, University of Maryland, College Park, claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.

Harmony Hall Regional Center,

Kids’ Day Out Smithsonian As-

sociate Discovery Theatre, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 5; Movie, “Glory,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 7, call for prices, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301-203-6070, arts.pgparks.com. Greenbelt Arts Center, “The Vagina Monologues,” to Feb. 8, call for prices, Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway, Greenbelt, 301-441-8770, www.greenbeltartscenter.org. Hard Bargain Players, TBA, 2001 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, www.hbplayers.org. Joe’s Movement Emporium, Cheeky Monkey Sideshow, 8 p.m. Feb. 1; Inner Loop & Coup Sauvage and the Snips, 7 p.m. Feb. 6; BOOMscat & Proverbs Reggae Band in Concert, 8 p.m. Feb. 7; Joe’s Movement Emporium Valentine’s Day Swing Dance, 7 p.m. Feb. 14, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier, 301-699-1819, www.joesmovement.org. Laurel Mill Playhouse, Neil Simon’s “45 Seconds from Broadway,” To Feb. 8, call for ticket prices, times, Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St., Laurel, 301-452-2557, www.laurelmillplayhouse.org. Montpelier Arts Center, Dinner and a movie: “Bird,” 6 p.m. Feb. 15, 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, 301-377-7800, arts.pgparks.com. Prince George’s Little Theatre, “You Never Know,” coming in May, call for tickets and show

times, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, 301-957-7458, www.pglt.org. Publick Playhouse, “Dream Carver,” 10:15 a.m. and noon January 31, 11 a.m. Feb. 1; “Raisin’ Cane: A Harlem Renaissance Odyssey” starring Jasmine Guy and the Avery Sharpe Trio, 10:15 a.m. Feb. 7, 8 p.m. Feb. 8; Masterclass with Jasmine Guy, 11 a.m. Feb. 8; Songs of Freedom, 10:15 a.m. and noon, Feb. 11, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly, 301-277-1710, arts.pgparks.com. 2nd Star Productions, “Funny Money,” Jan. 31 to Feb. 15, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, call for prices, times, 410-757-5700, 301-832-4819, www.2ndstarproductions.com. Tantallon Community Players, August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars,” coming in February, Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301-262-5201, www.tantallonstage.com.

VISUAL ARTS Brentwood Arts Exchange, Bill Harris, to March 8, opening reception on Jan. 18, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood, 301-277-2863, arts.pgparks.com. Harmony Hall Regional Center, TBA, gallery hours from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Fri-

A CLOSER LOOK

MICHAEL HORAN

EARLY ‘BIRDS’ Adventure Theatre MTC’s “Three Little Birds,” based on the book by Cedella Marley and the song by her father, Bob Marley, will head to Broadway following workshops at Bowie State University this weekend. Visit bowiestate.edu. day, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301-203-6070. arts. pgparks.com. David C. Driskell Center, “Charles White - Heroes: Gone But Not Forgotten,” opens Jan. 30, University of Maryland, College Park. www.driskellcenter.umd.edu.

Montpelier Arts Center, “Direct Current: A Multimedia Exploration of Black Life Within Prince George’s County,” to Feb. 24, gallery open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, 301377-7800, arts.pgparks.com. New Deal Cafe, Marjorie Gray. collage, opening reception from 7-9 p.m. Feb. 2, through March, 113 Centerway Road, Greenbelt. 301-474-5642, www.newdewalcafe.com.

University of Maryland University College, Joseph Sheppard

- “The Art of Portraiture,” opens April 1, 3501 University Blvd., Adelphi, 301-985-7937, www. umuc.edu/art.

NIGHTLIFE Hand Dancing with D.C. Hand Dance Club, free lesson from 4 to

March 14, 2014 - 7pm

FREE

Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on the Campus at the University of MD

5 p.m., dancing from 5 to 9 p.m. Sundays at the Coco Cabana, 2031-A University Blvd. E., Hyattsville, $10 cover, www.dchanddanceclub.com. New Deal Café, Mid-day Melodies with Amy C. Kraft, noon, Jan. 30; Open Mic with Tom Gleason, 7 p.m. Jan. 30; John Guernsey, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 31, Feb. 1; Marv Ashby and High Octane, 8 p.m. Jan. 31; The TV John Show, 11 a.m. Feb. 1; Bruce Kritt, 4 p.m. Feb. 1; Karen Collins and the Backroads Band, 8 p.m. Feb. 1; Ruthie & the Wranglers, 7 p.m. Feb. 4; Kathy & Vince, 7 p.m. Feb. 5, 113 Centerway Road, 301474-5642, www.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, www.oldbowietowngrille.com.

OUTDOORS Dinosaur Park, Dinosaur Park programs, noon-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, 10:30 a.m.-noon Thursdays, 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 Satur-

days, 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.

S P E L L I N G

REC CENTERS

C H A L L E N G E

Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex, Senior Days at

Can You Spell...

the Sportsplex, 8 a.m.-noon Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, seniors allowed free use of the ﬁtness center and pool, age 60 and up, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, 301-583-2400.

mozzarella • mät s ‘re l

Seat Pleasant Activity Center, Line Dancing, 6:30-8 p.m.

Noun

Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, $40 series, $6 drop-ins, age 18 and up, 5720 Addison Road, Seat Pleasant, 301-773-6685.

This word is from a Latin.

Example

Mario dips each stick of mozzarella in spaghetti sauce before eating it.

ET CETERA 1910983

1911170

College Park Aviation Museum, Peter Pan Club, 10:30-11:30 a.m. second and fourth Thursdays of every month, activities for preschoolers, $4, $3 seniors, $2 ages 2-18; Afternoon Aviators, 2-4:30 p.m. Fridays, hands-on aviationthemed activities for age 5 and up, $4, $3 seniors, $2 ages 2-18, events free with admission, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park, 301-864-6029, www.collegeparkaviationmuseum.com.

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

Page B-3

AT THE MOVIES

‘Ride Along’: An all too familiar dead end BY

MICHAEL PHILLIPS CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Early, bloggy reviews of “Ride Along” have rolled in this week with phrases such as “perfectly acceptable” and “beenthere-done-that,” suggesting the likely range of opinion. It’ll probably be a hit: Audiences are getting precisely what they’re promised.

RIDE ALONG n 2 stars n PG-13; 100 minutes n Cast: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart n Directed by Tim Story

This is the ol’ odd-couple cops routine, rigged up to support the pairing of Ice Cube, in the role of a snarling Atlanta police detective on the trail of a mysterious arms dealer, and Kevin Hart, as the detective’s prospective brother-in-law, a high school security guard with aspirations to join the force. Hart’s best bits in “Ride Along,” such as they are and such as it is, hark back to the panicking-ninny routines of many other comedians, from Eddie Cantor to “Rush Hour’s” Chris Tucker. The 2001 drama “Training Day” is name-checked in “Ride

PHOTO QUANTRELL COLBERT

(From left) Kevin Hart and Ice Cube lead the lineup in “Ride Along.” Along,” and some of the stuff in this diversion isn’t much less vile than anything Denzel Washington got up to in “Training Day.” The story has a bizarre undertone. Cube’s character is so creepily protective of his sister, played by Tika Sumpter in various states of decorative undress,

he comes off like someone who should be tailed, not someone doing the tailing. Hart’s Ben Barber must prove his worthiness to his future in-law and show he has what it takes to be this movie’s idea of a good cop, measured in how many innocent bystanders

come in for friendly fire. The rest of the movie is sexual molestation jokes, misjudged brutality and a general glorification of assault weapons. (The film’s rated PG-13, and it’d be pretty stupid to take anyone under 12.) The supporting cast features John Leguizamo and Bryan Cal-

len as Cube’s colleagues and Bruce McGill as the tetchy lieutenant. Director Tim Story can’t do much with the screenplay, which smells of the eternally rewritten paste-up job. After Story’s loose, ingratiating work on “Barbershop” and “Think Like

a Man,” I hoped for something more fun here. “Ride Along,” trading in too much action and not enough comedy, is best considered as the latest restaurant to open in an Olive Gardentype chain. No surprises. Pretty much like the last one you went to. Plus lots of breadsticks.

Gazette Health 2014 Special Issue featuring

Senior Health Children’s/Family Health Women’s/Men’s Health

OPEN ROAD FILMS

Will Arnett voices Surly, a squirrel on a mission, in the animated heist caper “The Nut Job.”

Root for an animated jerk? Nuts to that, moviegoers! BY

MICHAEL PHILLIPS CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow, and all that, but “The Nut Job” didn’t work out that way. This 3-D animation job, a co-production of South Korea’s Redrover Co. and the Canadian outfit ToonBox Entertainment, generates such little interest in the fates of its urban park critters, you may find yourself pondering mixed-use development schemes to rid the film of its key setting altogether. Director and co-writer Peter Lepeniotis’ movie comes from “Surly Squirrel,” an animated short the filmmaker made nearly a decade ago. It wasn’t much to look at and wasn’t funny either, and in that film the titular rodent was an unrepentant punk. A revised, ultimately redeemed version of the same squirrel returns to take the lead in “The Nut Job,” this time voiced by Will Arnett. The generic computer animation locates the story in a vague 1940s/early ’50s universe of big, boxy automobiles, underworld gangland figures and phone calls that cost a nickel. There are two narrative lines that crisscross. One follows Surly as he’s banished from the park’s threatened animal kingdom (Liam Neeson voices the raccoon leader) and, to get back in the park’s good graces, his scheme to steal a winter’s worth of food from a nut shop located suspiciously closely to a bank. Storyline No. 2 hews to the human world, and a plan to rob that bank. How the two tales intertwine becomes the main point of theoretical interest in “The Nut Job.”

THE NUT JOB

in partnership with local hospitals

n 1 star n PG; 86 minutes

GAZETTE HEALTH WILL PROMOTE THE FOLLOWING: • Front page of The Gazette the week of publication • Quarter page display ads in The Gazette • Gazette.Net homepage and local pages • Social Networking Sites (Facebook, Twitter) • Web version on Gazette.Net homepages

n Cast: Will Arnett, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl, Brendan Fraser n Directed by Peter Lepeniotis

Other rodents come with the voices of Katherine Heigl (as Andie, the conflicted love interest for Surly) and, as a preening rival of Surly’s, Brendan Fraser. Stephen Lang growls his way through the role of the chief human thug. Big problem straight off: tone. The violence isn’t slapsticky; it’s just violent. Another problem: Since Surly, even the new, redeemable model, spends so much of the story being a flaming jerk, “The Nut Job” fights its protagonist’s own charmlessness from the first scene. Turning a dislikable leading character a little less dislikable by the end credits sets an awfully low bar for this sort of thing. Because a lot of the financing came from South Korea, over the end credits the unlikely pop star Psy pops up in computeranimated form to reprise “Gangnam Style” one more time. The script by Lorne Cameron and Lepeniotis pays lip service to the notion of community and family. But Surly is only that — surly — and “The Nut Job” feels not like an adventure, not like a job, but simply like a cynical expansion of an idea that barely worked at 11 minutes. Kids deserve better. Even squirrels deserve better.

DEADLINES

Publication Date PRINCE GEORGE’S March 27 COUNTY June 26 Oct 2

1910991

PLEASE CALL YOUR MARKETING REP Signature OR CALL (240)473-7532 TO RESERVE AD SPACE

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Feb 25 May 27 Sept 2

March 18 June 17 Sept 23

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THE GAZETTE

Continued from Page B-1 of money. The kind of money that usually belongs to nefarious people. The kind of nefarious people who come looking for guys who stole their money, accidentally or not. 2nd Star Productions will bring those hilarious hijinks to life in Ray Cooney’s farce “Funny Money.” The show, ﬁlled with mistaken identities and crazy misadventures, opens Friday at the Bowie Playhouse. “Ray Cooney is sort of Great Britain’s answer to Woody Allen,” director Fred Nelson said. “… [Henry] has to rush to convince ﬁrst his wife then his friends … that he has got to get out of the country with this money. … It’s a very over-thetop British bawdy comedy.” During the course of the evening, Henry has to employ various tricks in order to get people to believe him while characters

in the show pretend to be other people in an attempt to keep the money secret, Nelson said. “The plot gets more and more convoluted until, in the end, all these people are rushing around playing all these different people trying to safely escape Great Britain with this money and their lives,” Nelson said. Nelson has been a fan of “Funny Money,” for a long time. He was in a production of the show 20 years ago in Guam, where he did other Cooney shows. “They were the time of my life,” Nelson said. “Last year … at 2nd Star, I was in a Ray Cooney comedy with Eugene Valendo and I knew that if I ever got the opportunity to direct the other Ray Cooney comedy, which is ‘Funny Money,’ that [Valendo] would be perfect to play the nebbish character, which in this play is Henry Perkins.” Things are also looking up for 2nd Star Productions. Nelson said the company recently found

STARS

Continued from Page B-1 interested in the relationship between intimacy and technology, in particular with younger people,” Roussève said. “We always battle with technology in the classroom … Rather than being so hardnosed about it, I thought, ‘I’m going to kind of explore why all of us are mediating our human contact through technology.’ That was really the jumping off point.” After cultivating ideas with his students, Roussève used his summer, winter and spring breaks from school to work with his company to “deepen and expand” those concepts. He also brought in dramaturg Lucy Burns to develop the storyline. “The text is so little so I have to pay attention to the economy of the words and pay attention to the character coming through and a story being told,” said Burns, who is also an associate professor in Asian American Studies at UCLA. “That’s primarily what I was asked to pay attention to …”

SIDESHOW

Continued from Page B-1 This year’s show will be more like a series of acts performed by characters, he said. “It’s more of a carnival-style sideshow,” said Walker. Walker performs as a char-

FUNNY MONEY n When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. Sundays, Jan. 31 to Feb. 16 n Where: Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Dr., Bowie n Tickets: $22 n For information: 410-7575700, 301-832-4819, 2ndstarproductions.com

out they had been nominated for several Washington Area Theatre Community Honors awards for last year’s production of “It Runs in the Family,” which is also a Cooney play. “[Valdeno] and I have been nominated for WATCH best acting awards,” Nelson said. “2013 was 2nd Star’s ﬁrst year as a WATCH-eligible theater … and they came out of the gate as the underdog and garnered just a whole bunch of nominations

Burns said she has seen Roussève’s work over the years and has even given him feedback on some of his pieces, but this marks the first official partnership between the two. Through its main character, “Stardust’s” narrative deals with “issues of homosexuality and acceptance, bullying, the power of art and technology’s influence in our society.” “[I thought], who would be the most marginalized person possible?” Roussève said. “Someone who really needed technology as his only … form of communication … He’s ostracized from the broader world but his own AfricanAmerican urban community is [also] ostracizing him for being gay.” Dancer Kevin Williamson said part of the thrill of being in “Stardust” is the opportunity to bring his own experiences and background to the stage. “I think I bring a really, really intense interest in the work,” Williamson said. “I get to weave my own experiences with gender and [what that means, and] my own experience as a gay man.” Williamson is a graduate student at

acter he created called Swami YoMahmi who plays host to various performers who eat ﬁre, walk on glass, wiggle out of straightjackets and hammer spikes into their noses. Walker also takes on the role of the “outside talker” (often referred to as a barker) who draws people into the side show. He also

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MONEY

and won several of them. I, myself, won best actor in a musical for playing Tevye in ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ “2nd Star in Bowie is really making a big splash in the tristate area. I think it’s a justiﬁcation of the hard work we’ve been doing.” Nelson said he hopes people in the area realize now they don’t have to drive all the way to the big city and pay a lot of money to see quality productions. “There is quality, awardwinning theater happening right here,” Nelson said. “I’ve done nearly 200 plays all over the world, from small theaters to big ones. I’ve done it all. The work that 2nd Star Productions has been putting out over the past couple of years is really world-class stuff. I’m hoping people will wake up to the fact that [this] kind of entertainment is easily available to them.” wfranklin@gazette.net

FRED NELSON

Eugene Valendo and Michael Dunlop rehearse a scene from 2nd Star’s upcoming production of “Funny Money.”

VALERIE OLIVEIRO

Text will be projected onto large screens during “Stardust,” opening Friday at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. UCLA and called Roussève a mentor. The two met while Williamson was an undergraduate student at the university. “His show inspired me so much

performs in some of the acts. Sideshow performers tend to be people who are a little out of the mainstream, Walker said. He described himself as a nerd and a little bit of an outsider growing up. “I wasn’t an athlete, and I loved to read,” he said. “[I was into] science fiction, comic

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Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

and gave me freedom to move with my own choreographed show,” Williamson said. The pair reconnected at an awards show in 2008 and Roussève invited Wil-

books and computers.” Later Walker earned a bachelor of arts in theater from Penn State University and has since performed with Comedy Sportz and Last Ham Standing improv groups. Walker co-founded the Picked Punks with like-minded performer Steve Wannall of

liamson onto the “Stardust” project in 2010. In commissioning the piece, the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center has not only signed on to present the show, but the venue has also worked closely with Roussève to engage the local community in a dialogue about some of the issues “Stardust” deals with. “[The Clarice Smith Center] has done some amazing innovative thinking about connection with the community,” Roussève said. “ … You get very much used to the same set of ideas; we’ll do a master class or a Q&A session ... I mentioned to [the center] about the strong spiritual message in the piece. What if we could contact a conversation with the African-American spiritual community?” In November, Roussève came to Washington, D.C., and visited several African-American churches to talk about marriage equality. “ … We had a great conversation around the African-American church and ‘Stardust’ and marriage equality,” Roussève said. “I thought that was so thrilling.”

Baltimore. He and Wannall also perform with Shakespeare’s Skum, a troupe that presents comedic versions of Shakespeare tragedies, at the annual Maryland Renaissance Fair in Crownsville. Always interested in expanding his range, Walker had heard about the Jim Rose Circus popular during the 1980s, but the style of the show didn’t appeal to him. “It was more like an arena rock concert with loud, fastpaced acts with music,” Walker said. In the late 1990s, he happened to see Todd Robbins on “Penn & Teller’s Sin City Spectacular,” a weekly variety show on the FX network featuring sideshow acts. A magician, carnival performer and author, Robbins had once worked on Coney Is-

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land and was known for swallowing thousands of light bulbs throughout his career. “I thought he was gentlemanly and erudite,” Walker said about Robbins’ performing style, which he thought he could eventually pursue himself. “He’s one of the people who inspired me,” Walker said. Married with children, Walker knew he didn’t want to join a traveling sideshow. With none existing in the Washington area, he decided to start his own. “It was an opportunity to use my acting background to do a different style of performance,” said Walker, who ran ads and recruited local performers. “Our intent is less to be shocking and more to be entertaining, and to work in a lot of comedy,” he said in comparing his troupe to the Rose show. Walker also settled on the name Cheeky Monkey, a British expression for someone who’s ﬂip or irreverent but in a funny way. “I thought it spoke to what we were doing,” he said. Historically some sideshow acts have been “freaks,” like P.T. Barnum’s Bearded Lady, the Siamese twins and General Tom Thumb in the 1800s. “Freaks were the royalty of the show — they’re what sold tickets, they were what people wanted to see,” Walker said. But sideshows were one of the few places where people with deformities could ﬁnd work and earn a decent living, Walker said. “These were people who never asked for help,” he said. “A lot of them did very well, making money and working in a world where couldn’t get other jobs.” Over time the general public began to feel uneasy about freak shows. “It also began to cost too much for a circus or carnival to also travel with a troupe of sideshow performers,” Walker said. But the sideshow stunts are still going strong in Coney Island, with one act succeeding another. “It’s called a ‘grind,’” Walker said. “It goes all day long.” And there are still people coming up with new acts to entertain the crowds. “It’s definitely changed,” said Walker about the sideshow tradition. “We’re not on a mud lot or under a tent – we’re in theaters and clubs.” “It’s evolved. … We’re happy to keep it going,” he said. vterhune@gazette.net

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

Page B-5

Designing ‘Miss Nelson’ Graduate students earn credits with Adventure Theatre MTC production

CARA HEDGEPETH STAFF WRITER

For the third year in a row, Adventure Theatre MTC has partnered with the University of Maryland’s design department to give students the opportunity to earn credits working on a professional production. The theater’s 2011 production of “A Year with Frog and Toad” marked the ﬁrst year of the collaboration. After that show earned nine Helen Hayes Award nominations, including one nod for design, Adventure Theatre MTC producing Artistic Director Michael Bobbitt chose to renew the partnership. The theater’s production of “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” in 2012 featured University of Maryland design students as did last year’s “A Little House Christmas.” This year, three students — one in lighting design, one in costume design and one in set design — were selected for the crew on “Miss Nelson is Missing,” running now through March 9. “When the university launched their master’s program in design, I was excited about the kind of work the students were going to head,” Bobbitt said. “These designers have great fresh approaches. They really do bring a fresh design.” Bobbitt typically attends the university’s student design showcase in May to scope out talent for the following season at Adventure Theatre MTC. “ … They stand by their stuff and I usually go there and walk around the room, ask them questions,” Bobbitt said. “Once I decide on the three [students] I would like to use, I run those names by the department … they like us to look at their second-year students who will be in their third year.” Set designer Ruthmarie Tenorio, costume designer Aryna Petrashenko and lighting designer Brittany Shemuga were the three students selected to work

on “Miss Nelson is Missing.” Based on the books “Miss Nelson is Missing” and “Miss Nelson is Back!” by Harry Allard, the musical tells the story of Miss Nelson’s unruly class in Room 207. Spitballs and paper airplanes send the quiet, longsuffering teacher over the edge, and one day, Miss Nelson goes missing. In her place is terrifying substitute teacher Viola Swamp. “I had read the book many years ago and was aware that there was a musical based on the book, but I had never seen it,” said director Jennifer Nelson. “I think for everyone involved it’s a priority to stay true to the spirit of the source material but understand in translating from one medium to another, you have to make some changes. This isn’t like a great introspective book but it’s harder to transfer things like what people are thinking from the page to the stage.” The opportunity to bring the Miss Nelson text from the page to the stage is something Bobbitt said is an especially wonderful experience for the design students. “The benefit is to go from script to production,” Bobbitt said. “[As a student] a lot of the work you do is never realized, but now you get a chance to realize how the work changes and is tweaked … [there’s] budget, execution, making sure that your designs can be executed well.” Perhaps most significant is that the partnership allows students to earn professional credits, something that can be difficult when attending school full time. “Opportunities are limited because school takes so much time,” Petrashenko said. “On the resume, it matters because it’s something outside of school.” Petrashenko is a third-year design student at the University of Maryland. Born in the Ukraine, she moved to the states when she was 16. A professor at the community college she attended in St. Louis was the first to introduce her to costume design. “I didn’t know it existed and it just opened a whole new world,” said Petrashenko, who always had an affinity for art. “It was a revelation for me.”

BRUCE DOUGLAS

Calvin McCullough, Sherry Berg, Jessica Lauren Ball, Sean McComas and Rachel Viele in the Adventure Theatre production of “Miss Nelson is Missing.” Though Petrashenko has spent the last two years working in design at the university,

RELIGION CALENDAR To submit a calendar item online, go to calendar.gazette. net and click on the submit button in the lower left-hand corner. To ﬁnd an item, go to The Gazette’s home page at www. gazette.net. You can mail them to The Gazette, 13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707; fax, 240-473-7501. Items must be received by Wednesday to appear the following week.

FEB. 1 Alzheimer’s Association Support Group, 12:15 to 1:45 p.m., St.

Andrews Episcopal Church, 4512 College Ave., College Park. Groups provide a place for people with Alzheimer’s, their caregivers, family members and friends to share valuable information. Groups are free. Please call 800-272-3900 before attending a group to verify meeting information. Contact 301-613-6087. H.E.A.L. Workshop: Take Charge of Your Health, 4:30 to 6

p.m., Capitol Free Mission, 8201 Cryden Way, Forestville. An eightsession lifestyle workshop for those who want to improve their health. The workshop will be led by a specially trained intervention coach, and there will be cooking and wellness demos. To register, call 301-494-5550 or visit www. capitolcitymission.org. Limited seating. Contact helpdesk@mygospelworkers.org.

UPCOMING EVENT Sweetheart Charity Ball, 7 p.m. Feb. 7, St. Ambrose Church, Fannon Hall in Cheverly. A potluck dinner and dance fundraiser to support the anti-human trafﬁcking work of Fair Girls and Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services and Refuge Center. Contact sweetheartcharityball@gmail.com.

ONGOING Women’s Bible Study, 9 to

11 a.m. every Thursday, Berwyn Baptist Church, 4720 Cherokee St., College Park. Study the book of Romans. Women of all ages are invited. Cost of $6.50 for textbook. Contact 301-474-7117 or secretary@berwynbaptist.org.

Mount Rainier Christian Church will conduct Praisercise, a Chris-

tian exercise group meeting at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays at the church,

4001 33rd St., Mount Rainier. The exercise group will have exercise education about nutrition and more. Professional instruction from University of Maryland, College Park, kinesiology students and the program. Open to people of all ages and ﬁtness levels. Free. Call 301864-3869 or visit www.facebook. com/groups/praisercise/ or email brianpadamusus @yahoo.com.

Largo Community Church is revising its ﬁtness program, Mon-

days and Wednesdays, to include Latin-infused dance. Classes start at 7 p.m. and the fee is $5. The church is at 1701 Enterprise Road in Mitchellville. E-mail justﬁt4life @yahoo.com.

Body and Soul Fitness presents “I’m All In,” Bethany Community

Church, 15720 Riding Stable Road in Laurel. Sessions start with cardio/strength classes from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, with a co-ed session from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday. For more information, call Abby Dixson at 301-5491877, email abbyﬁtness@aol.com or visit www.bodyandsoul.org. Touch of Love Bible Church, conducts weekly support group meetings for people who are separated or divorced, 11 a.m. every Saturday at the church, 13503 Baltimore Ave. in Laurel. Call 301210-3170. Ladies Bible Study Class on the book of Esther, Maryland City

Baptist Church, 1:45 p.m. Tuesday afternoons at the church, 326 Brock Bridge Road in Laurel. Free nursery. Call Tammie Marshall at 301-498-3224 or visit mdcitybaptist @yahoo.com.

Free First Place 4 Health series, 7 p.m. Tuesdays at Berwyn

Baptist Church, 4720 Cherokee St. in College Park. Call 240-601-1640.

Anti-domestic violence and stalking support group meetings,

11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Saturday. Abigail Ministries offers the meetings in Hyattsville. Call 301277-3775 for exact location.

Maryland Family Christian Center’s Praise Dance Ministry, 7

p.m. Tuesdays at North Forestville Elementary School, 2311 Ritchie Road in Forestville. Ministry teaches people to dance. Call 240392-2633.

New Creation Church Bible study meetings, 7 p.m. Wednes-

days at the Bladensburg High School auditorium, 4200 57th Ave. in Bladensburg. Sunday services are at 10 and 11 a.m.

135657G

she said there are more challenges working on a professional production. In the case of

“Miss Nelson is Missing,” those challenges include effectively using a small stage space and

dressing adult actors to look like children. But beyond the technical difficulties, Petrashenko had to fly home to St. Louis partway through production to tend to her sick mother, making the design process even more complicated. “One of the challenges is just doing something long distance,” Petrashenko said. “I had to do [ordering] exclusively online since I was in St. Louis. And not being here for fittings. Luckily, when I came back, I still had enough time to buy things and be here for tech week.” Despite the roadblocks, Petrashenko said her experience with the partnership has been positive. “When you spend three years in grad school and four years in undergrad before that, it’s always a little scary for your first production outside of school,” she said. “But it was actually a lot of fun … I hope everyone’s first work out of school is this stress-free.”

Page B-6

THE GAZETTE

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

1905873

1905871

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

Classifieds

Page B-7

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

DISCOVER DELAWARE’S RESORT LIVING WITHOUT RESORT PRICING!

Low Taxes! Gated Community,amazing amenities, equestrian facility, Olympic Pool. New Homes mid $40’s. Brochures available 1-866-629-0770 or www.coolbranch.com

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GERMAN: HOC Welcome 3 lvl TH, 3br, 2.5ba nr 270/shops $1699/mo avail now Call: 301-906-0870 MV/GAITH: Huge 4lvl

BELTSVILLE: TH,

3Br, 3Ba, deck, nice kit, W/D, $1300 + util SD 202-270-1500 or 410-834-0122

BOWIE: 1Br, priv Ba,

UPPER BORO:

MARL-

Unfurnished or furnished In-Law Apt Private entrance, off street parking, 1BD 1BA w/kitchen $850 incl all utilities. 410703-3366

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GREENBLT: M shr

n/s/p Sfh,$465+$475+ APPLIANCE $495+quiet,conv, Maid REPAIR - We fix It no Serv, Sec Dep, walk to matter who you bought it from! 800NASA 301-983-3210 934-5107 HYATTSVILLE: Rm in Apt, shrd Ba/Kit, DIRECTV - Over 140 Free Wifi, Cls to shops channels only $29.99 /metro, $600 inclds a month. Call Now! Triple savings! utils. 301-728-7816 $636.00 in Savings, Free upgrade to Genie LANDOVER: $485 & 2014 NFL Sunday room w fridge. sec ticket free!! Start Savdep $100. Near bus ing today! 1-800-279and shops. 240-7013018 0474

SPRING:

Large Room for Rent/ Quarto para Alquilar private b/r;$650 month/mes 240-388-6553

GA I T H : 2BR, 1BA

condo quince orchard blvd. All utils incld. $1400. 301 326 9884

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KILL ROACHES!

Buy Harris Roach Tablets. Eliminate Roaches-Guaranteed. No Mess. Odorless. Long Lasting. Available at ACE Hardware, and The Home Depot.

Saturday, February 1 at 9:00 a.m. Presentation begins at 9:20 a.m.

PETS: French Bulldog

Adorable pups. They are 10wks,1m & amp; 1f. They come with papers.Healthy.Home raised. Shots email lorihall12@aim. com Call: (301) 2531233 $850 GC3179

to advertise call 301.670.7100 or email class@gazette.net

ANTI-AGING BUSINESS GOLDMINE!

Prime turn-key routes available. Baby Boomers #1 Demand=$$$ $20k invest = $80k+ yearly, P/T Call today: 888900-8276 24/7

MAKE UP TO

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GC3195

Financial

A/R-A/P

Truck repair shop in Hyattsville seeking part-time AR/AP help. Multi tasking a necessity. Email resume with references to: gail1trailerntractor@verizon.net

LAUREL: 1Br furn,

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM M M M M M A Nurturing Family For Your Baby. M 2 BRs LAUREL: Stay-at-home Mom, Education, M M w/priv Ba in TH w/util Travel and Much More. M incl: (1) Mbr Suite, M $825 (1) Lrg rm $575 M M M Expenses Paid M nr Mall 240-533-8053 M 1-800-775-4013 M SILVER SPRING: M M M Nathalie & Jerald M Room avail now $465 M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M M in apt, shrd Ba, W/D, nr 295, shops $600 inc util, + free CTV, pls call : 301-793-8882

MADOPTION:M

shared kitchen, bathroom & util cable TV W/D 301-404-2681

SS: NEW 1BR Apt 1st

floor private ENT, KIT, BA, PARKING. $1100 quiet and Sunny! call 301-879-2868

PARK:

2 Rooms starting at $750 shared bath util incl. All furn! Near metro. 240-421-6689

WASHINGTON DC: Brentwood NE,

Lrg furn Br, priv Ba, shrd kit & W/D, 1 blk frm bus & 5 blks from Red/Metro $850/util inc 202-361-8087

DISH TV RETAILER . Starting at

DROWNING IN DEBT? Stop collec-

tion calls. New or con$19.99/month (for 12 solidated credit availamos.) & High Speed ble. Bad credit ok. Internet starting at Call Century Financial $14.95/month (where 1-800-931-1942 available) SAVE! Ask About SAME DAY In- GET FREE OF CREDIT CARD stallation! CALL Now! DEBT NOW! Cut 1-877-992-1237 payments by up to half. Stop creditors from calling 877-858ONE CALL, DOES 1386

IT ALL! FAST AND RELIABLE ELEC- GUARANTEED TRICAL REPAIRS INCOME FOR & INSTALLAYOUR RETIRETIONS. Call 1-800MENT. Avoid market

O n 908-8502 WHEATON: Georgia Ave. 1 MBR w/prvt ba. $650 util incl Nr Metro & Shops. ONE CALL, DOES Npets 240-441-1638 IT ALL! FAST AND

RELIABLE PLUMBING REPAIRS. Call 1-800-

*OLD GUITARS WANTED!** Gibson,

SILVER

Guitar’s, Banjo’s, Violin’s & Ukulele’s. Any condition considered. Please call with description 1-800-4519728

shrd kit, W/D, parking, nr PG College NS/NP WANTED TO PUR$750 inc utils, Please CHASE Antiques & REDUCE YOUR call: 301-390-7747 Fine Art, 1 item Or EnCABLE BILL! * Get tire Estate Or CollecBOWIE: Rm nr Me- tion, Gold, Silver, a 4-Room All-Digital tro, pvt prkng,Np Coins, Jewelry, Toys, Satellite system $450 utils incl. CBL Oriental Glass, China, installed for FREE and hook up. Call 202-367- Lamps, Books, Tex- programming starting at $19.99/mo. FREE 7951 leave a msg tiles, Paintings, Prints HD/DVR upgrade almost anything old CLINTON- Furn bdrm Evergreen Auctions for new callers, SO w/ priv ba in SFH for 973-818-1100. Email CALL NOW. 1-877female only $650/m evergreenauction@hot 388-8575. util incl.mins to AAFB mail.com 3018560849 after 6pm

TAKOMA

SILVER SPRING : Dwntwn Flower Ave. Unfurn 2br 1ba Apt. HOC Welcome $1250 202-246-1977

WANTED! Old

GP2365

3Br 2.5Ba TH w/FP. Newly renov. 2100 sf, NS, NP. $1750 + utils. 301-990-9294

BELTSVILLE: Room in SFH, share Ba & kit,CATV/int/utl all incl $450/mo, nr I95, bus & shops 202-340-2559

796-9218

risk & get guaranteed income in retirement! CALL for FREE copy of our SAFE MONEY GUIDE. Plus Annuity. Quotes from A-Rated compaines! 800-6695471

Martin, Fender, Gretsch, Epiphone, CASH FOR Guild, Mosrite, UNEXPIRED DIARickenbacker, Prairie BETIC TEST AIRLINE CAREERS STRIPS! Free ShipState, D’Angelico, begin here - Get FAA Stromberg, and Gibping, Friendly Service, son Mandolins/Banjos. approved Aviation BEST prices and 24hr Maintenance training. 1920’s thru 1980’s. payment! Call today Housing and Financial 877-588-8500 or visit TOP CASH PAID! 1Aid for qualified stu800-401-0440 www.TestStripSearch. dents. Job placement com Espanol 888-440assistance. CALL Avi- 4001 TOP CA$H PAID FOR OLD ROLEX, ation Institute of Maintenance 800-481PATEK PHILIPPE MEDICAL ALERT 8974. & CARTIER FOR SENIORS WATCHES! Dayto24/7 monitoring. na, Submariner, GmtFREE Equipment. Master, Explorer, AIRLINES ARE HIR- FREE Shippng. NaMilgauss, Day Date, ING - Train for hands tionwide Service. etc. 1-800-401-0440 $29.95/Month CALL on Aviation Career. Medical Guardian ToFAA approved proday 866-992-7236 gram. Finanical aid if qualified - Job placeWHY YOUR FAT ment assistance. CALL Aviation Institute FRIENDS WILL HATE YOU WHEN of Maintenance 877YOU LOSE 818-0783. WEIGHT! www.FatLoss FAQ.com As Seen On TV, RiskFree 60 Day. Toll-Free 1-800-804-1381

VETERANS! Take

full advantage of your Educational training benefits! GI Bill covers COMPUTER & MEDICAL TRAINING! Call CTI for Free Benefit Analysis today! 1-888-407-7173

CAREGIVER LIVEIN Gburg assist living

Experience or will train. Cooking is a req. Call 301-330-0030

TELLER/CLERK

Cash experience, typing skills, PC knowledge, HS Diploma or GED all required Call: 301-474-5900 Or apply at: 112 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD Or email resume to: greenbeltfcu@verizon.net

Newspaper & Web Ad Sales

SKILLED TRADE

PLUMBER IMMEDIATE Position Avialable for Plumber. MUST have 2 yrs exp. Great hourly pay, commission, weekly bonus & insurance. Drug free, customer oriented, and motivated. Only qualified applicants apply. 301-670-1944 - Gaithersburg

Groomer Horse care & barn maint. 35-40 hrs, $525/wkly. Temp/seasonal. LAUREL PARK RACE TRACK, Laurel, MD: 3/1/14-12/31/14 w/travel to NJ Racetracks. Equip & trans provided. Lodging avail. 4 post. Call Carlos 410-963-8387.

Comprint Military Publications publishes 8 newspapers, 2 websites and 14 special sections and is looking for an energetic, organized sales representative to sell advertising into our media. Must be able to work well under weekly deadlines and pressures of meeting sales goals. Prefer someone with print and/or web advertising sales experience. Position is in Gaithersburg office and hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. M-F. Territory is Northern VA. We offer a competitive compensation & comprehensive benefits package including pension, 401(k) & tuition reimbursement. If interested, please send resume and cover letter with salary requirements to: John Rives at jrives@dcmilitary.com. EOE Dental/ Medical Assistant Trainees Needed Now Dental/Medical Offices now hiring. No experience? Job Training & Placement Assistance Available 1-877-234-7706 CTO SCHEV

Pharmacy/ Phlebotomy Tech Trainees Needed Now Pharmacies/ hospitals now hiring. No experience? Job Training & Placement Assistance Available 1-877-240-4524 CTO SCHEV

VETERANS NEEDED Use your GI Benefits NOW for training in Healthcare. JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE Offered.

Call Now 1-888-3958261

MECHANIC

The Recycling Center, located in Laurel (PG Co.), is accepting applications for the following positions: ∂ Heavy Equipment Mechanic ∂ Road Mechanic Must have experience & clean driving record Please email resume to info@mtlaney.com fax 410-795-9546 Top wages and a great working environment. EOE

Let Gazette Careers help you find that next position in your LOCAL area.

Web Developer A division of The Washington Post that publishes one of the largest community newspaper groups in the country is looking for an experienced web developer. The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years’ experience and be proficient in CSS, HTML, JQuery and JavaScript. Experience with content management systems and responsive design preferred. Outstanding attention to detail and strong organizational skills are required. We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package including pension 401(k) and tuition reimbursement. If interested, please email your resume along with cover letter and salary requirements to: HRJobs@gazette.net Attn: Web Developer. EOE

SKILLED TRADE

HVAC SERVICE TECH

IMMEDIATE Position Avialable for NATE and/or Journeyman HVAC service technicians. MUST have 2 yrs exp. Great hourly pay, commission, weekly bonus & insurance. Drug free, customer oriented, and motivated. Only qualified applicants apply. 301-670-1944 - Gaithersburg

CDL-A DRIVERS:

Looking for higher pay? New Century is hiring exp. company drivers and owner operators. Solos and teams. Competitive pay package. Sign-on incentives. Call 888705-3217 or apply online at www.drivenctrans.com

Part-Time

Work From Home

National Children’s Center Making calls. For more info please call Weekdays between 9a-4p No selling! Sal + bonus + benes. Call 301-333-1900

Let Gazette Careers help you find that next position in your LOCAL area.

Page B-8

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

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

HILTON, GAITHERSBURG, MD

Thursday, April 3, 2014, 9:00-2:00pm

Career Expo 2014 will provide employers with an opportunity to take a first look at local qualified applicants. Our mini seminars will command an audience of highly skilled professionals. Reserve your space today, log on to www.gazettecareerexpo.com or call 301-670-7100. PREMIUM PACKAGE $495 EARLY BIRD PRICING*

• Booth at Event • 30 Day Banner on Gazette. net/Careers & DCMilitary.com/Career • Featured Advertiser, Hiring and Company profile • 2-Job postings (one print, one online)

EARLY BIRD

Registration Deadline January 31, 2014

GC3194

*$695 after January 31, 2014

TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE CALL 301-670-7100

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

THE GAZETTE

Page B-9

Page B-10

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

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

CA H

DONATE AUTOS, TRUCKS, RV’S. LUTHERAN MISSION SOCIETY.

FOR CAR !

Your donation helps local families with food, clothing, shelter. Tax deductible. MVA licensed. LutheranMissionSociet y.org 410-636-0123 or toll-free 1-877-7378567.

ANY CAR ANY CONDITION

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

INSTANT CASH OFFER

(301) 288-6009

CASH FOR CARS!

$$$$$ PAID! Running or Not, All Makes! Free Towing! We’re Local! 7 Days/Week. Call 1-800-959-8518

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

ALL APPLICATIONS REVIEWED WE HELP EVERYONE! G558490

EMAIL US AT BUILDMYCREDIT@JIMCOLEMANAUTO.COM OR CALL

#364536A, 4 Speed Auto, 28k Miles, Red Metallic

2013 BEETLE

#1679497, Power Windows/Locks, Sunroof, Auto, Loaded

MSRP 24,490 - $5,000 OFF $

BUY FOR

19,490

OR 0% for 60 MONTHS

2013 JETTA GLI

#7301806, Power Windows, Power Locks

MSRP $26,110 BUY FOR

BUY FOR

16,999

OR 0% for 60 MONTHS

2013 Beetles & Beet Convertibles le 19 Availabl Stock Units eOnIn ly

#13525611, Automatic, Power Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry

MSRP 25,235 $

21,999

OR 0.9% for 60 MONTHS

BUY FOR

23,399

18,700

12 Toyota Corolla LE $$

#N0289, 1-Owner, 4 Speed Auto, Low Miles

13,800

11 Toyota Camry LE $$

#P8895, 1-Owner, 6 Speed Auto, 25k Miles

15,500

08 Mercedes-Benz C-Class 3.0L #457003B, 7 Speed Auto, Mars Red

19,700

11 Toyota Tacoma $$

#467046A, 2WD, 5 Speed Manual, 32k Miles

19,800

2013 Toyota Corolla LE......... $15,800 $15,800 #472176A, 1-Owner, 4 SpeedAuto, Magnetic Gray

2008 Mercury Grand Marquis LS .. $9,700 $9,700 #472145A, 4 SpeedAuto, Silver Birch Metallic

$16,800 2010 Toyota Prius II............ $16,800 #P8874, CVT Trans, 1 Owner, 25k Miles, Barcelona Red

2011 Honda Accord LX-P...... $14,700 $14,700 #472112A, 1 Owner, 5 SpeedAuto, 39k Miles, Metal Metallic

2011 Toyota Avalon............ $19,800 $19,800 #478001A, 6 SpeedAuto, 1 Owner, 4 Door

2012 Nissan Sentra 2.......... $14,800 $14,800

2009 Nissan Murano SL....... $20,800 $20,800 #P8851A, CVT Trans, 4WD, Sport Utility

G558487

DARCARS

2012 Toyota Sienna Minivan. . $19,700 $19,700 #460044A, 6 SpeedAuto, 25k Miles, Silver Metallic 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander SE. $20,700 $20,700 #467058A, 1-Owner, Sport Utility, CVTTransmission, 4.5k Miles

See what it’s like to love car buying

1-888-831-9671 1-888-831-9671 15625 Frederick Rd (Rte 355) • Rockville, MD | OPEN SUNDAY

V VISIT ISIT U US S O ON N T THE HE W WEB EB A AT T w www.355.com ww.355.com

MSRP $26,095 BUY FOR

21,938

OR 0% for 60 MONTHS

2014 PASSAT TDI SE

#9060756, Automatic, Power Windows, Power Locks, Sunroof

MSRP $27,385 BUY FOR

Looking for a new ride?

23,399

OR 0.9% for 60 MONTHS

Log on to Gazette.Net/Autos to search for your next vehicle!

OURISMAN VW WORLD AUTO CERTIFIED PRE OWNED 24 Available...Rates Starting at 2.64% up to 72 months

1999 SAAB 9-5.......#V674887A, Green, 83,144 miles...............$5,492 2011 Jetta Sedan......#V0019A, Gold, 47,603 miles................$12,491 2009 GTI..................#V551811A, White, 99,448 miles.............$12,991 2009 Passat Wgn...#V059316A, Silver, 75,496 miles..............$13,491 2011 Toyota Corolla #VP0020, Black, 30,992 miles................$14,991 2010 Routan S..........#VP0021, White, 53,686 miles................$14,991 2012 Jetta Sedan...#V028517A, Black, 25,429 miles..............$14,995 2012 Mazda 6..........#VPR0023, Black, 44,340 miles...............$15,491 2012 Nissan Altima.#VPR0024, Gray, 42,366 miles...............$15,991 2013 Passat S….....#VPR0031, Silver, 34,132 miles...............$15,999 2012 Jetta SE...........#VPR6113, Silver, 34,537 miles...............$16,495 2011 Jetta SEL.......#V060018A, Black, 27,526 miles..............$16,991

12,700

PRE-OWNED 3355 5 5 TTOYOTA OYOTA P R E - OW N E D

18,999

BUY FOR

#4125692, Automatic, Power Windows/ Power Locks, Keyless Entry

19,995 2014 TIGUAN S

14,800

#472173A, CVT Transmission, 1-Owner, 11.6k miles, Brilliant Silver

#7234651, Automatic Power Windows, Power Locks, Bluetooth

12 Nissan Altima S #470192A, CVT $ $ Trans, 2.5. Low Miles

2012 Scion XB.................. $14,800 $14,800 #457000A, 1-Owner, 4 SpeedAuto, Blue Magnetic, Station Wagon

MSRP $22,765

2013 GTI 2 DOOR

BUY FOR

13,700

$10,777 2011 Ford Focus SE............ $10,777 #364474A, 1-Owner,Auto, 23.9k Miles, Silver Metallic

#9009449, Automatic, Power Windows/Power Locks, Keyless Entry, Cruise Control

2013 JETTA TDI

MSRP $25,155

#377689B, Automatic, Coupe

2006 Toyota Camry LE........... $8,800 $8,800 #462007A, 5 SpeedAuto, Indigo Ink Pearl

$5,000 OFF

2014 PASSAT S 2.5L

MSRP $20,860

14,999

BUY FOR

#3096306, Automatic, Power Windows/Power Locks, Keyless Entry, Heated Seats, Bluetooth, Cruise Control

14,800

11ToyotaRAV4 $$

#364568A, 4 Speed Auto, 1-Owner, 18K miles

2013 MODELS SALE 2013 GOLF 2 DOOR

12,800

9,800

Blue, Sport Utility

10 Scion TC #P8855, 4 Speed $ $ Automatic,1-Owner

Log on to Gazette.Net/Autos to search for your next vehicle!

OURISMAN VW

09 Mini Cooper Clubman S

13 Toyota Corolla S $$

Looking for a new ride?

YOU ALWAYS GET YOUR WAY AT OURISMAN EVERYDAY

MSRP $17,810

11 Toyota Camry LE #472182A, $$ 6 Speed Auto, 4 Door

1-866-464-1618

# 7373771, Power Windows, Power Locks, Keyless Entry

04 Toyota Highlander LTD #462007B, $ 4 Speed Auto, Vontage $

5,500

breast cancer families. Tax Deductible. Free Next-Day Towing. $1000 Grocery/Restaurant Coupons. Call 7 days/week United Breast Cancer Foundation 800-728-0801

4 NEED AUTO FINANCING ASSISTANCE? 4 TIRED OF HASSLES? 4 WANT A FRESH START?

2014 JETTA S

04 Honda Element EX #362045B, 4 Speed $ $ Auto, 1-Owner, 4WD

DONATE YOUR CAR - Give hope to

G558459

CARS/TRUCKS WANTED! Top

W INTER CCLEARANCE LEARANCE SSALE ALE WINTER BBEST EST PPRICES RICES OOFF TTHE HE M MONTH! ONTH!

2013 Jetta SE............#V693295A, Red, 3,179 miles................$18,492 2011 Honda CRV.....#V003776A, Gray, 37,086 miles..............$18,992 2013 Jetta SE............#VPR0012, Silver, 3,693 miles................$18,999 2013 Jetta SE............#VPR0011, Silver, 4,491 miles................$18,999 2011 CC.....................#VP0022, Black, 30,272 miles................$19,991 2013 Jetta SE............#VPR0030, Silver, 4,340 miles................$19,995 2011 Tiguan S..........#VPR0017, White, 32,529 miles..............$19,995 2013 Jetta SE...........#VPR0027, White, 6,101 miles...............$19,995 2013 Passat S...........#VPR0026, Black, 6,891 miles................$20,995 2013 Beetle Conv...#V827537A, Black, 20,496 miles..............$23,995 2013 Passat SE........#VPR0029, White, 5,964 miles...............$23,999 2013 Passat SE........#VPR0028, White, 5,010 miles...............$23,999

All prices exclude tax, tags, title, freight and $200 processing fee. Cannot be combined with any previous advertised or internet special. Pictures are for illustrative purposes only. See dealer for details. 0% APR Up To 60 Months on all models. See dealer for details. Ourisman VW World Auto Certified Pre Owned financing for 60 months based on credit approval thru VW. Excludes Title, Tax, Options & Dealer Fees. Special APR financing cannot be combined with sale prices. Ends 01/31/14.

Ourisman VW of Laurel

1.855.881.9197 • www.ourismanvw.com Online Chat Available...24 Hour Website • Hours Mon-Fri 9 am-9 pm • Sat 9 am-8 pm

G558488

3371 Fort Meade Road, Laurel

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

Page B-11

2014 NEW COROLLA LE

36 $

NEW 2014 COROLLA LE 3 AVAILABLE: #470255, 470321, 470347

2 AVAILABLE: #470392, 470393

WINTER

129/mo.**

CLEARANCE SALE!

4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO

NEW 2014 VENZA 4X2 2 AVAILABLE: #474501, 474502

24,590

15,690

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

NEW 2014 SCION XD 2 AVAILABLE: #453016, 453015

4 CYL., AUTO

AFTER $1,000 REBATE

169/mo.**

4 CYL., 4 DR., AUTO

NEW 2013 RAV4 LE 4X4 BASE 2 AVAILABLE: #364497, 364372

NEW 2014 CAMRY LE 2 AVAILABLE: #472144, 472090

36 Month Lease $

169/mo.**

4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO

NEW 2014 CAMRY LE

2 AVAILABLE: #477414, 477415

21,690

AFTER $500 REBATE

3 AVAILABLE: #472091, 472122, 472311

0% FOR

HATCHBACK 4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL.,

4 CYL., AUTOMATIC

AFTER $500 REBATE

NEW 2014 PRIUS II

21,590

DARCARS

MONTHS+

On 10 Toyota Models

See what it’s like to love car buying

18,690

AUTO, 4 CYL., 4 DR

AFTER TOYOTA $1,750 REBATE

1-888-831-9671

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

G558486

PRICES AND PAYMENTS INCLUDE ANY APPLICABLE MANUFACTURE’S REBATES AND EXCLUDE MILITARY ($500) AND COLLEGE GRAD ($500) REBATES, TAX, TAGS, DEALER PROCESSING CHARGE ($200) AND FREIGHT: CARS $795 OR $810, TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY AND SIENNAS $810, $845 AND $995. *0.9% 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 60 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 OR 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. SEE DEALER FOR COMPLETE DETAILS. OFFERS EXPIRES 01/31/2014.

Page B-12

Thursday, January 30, 2014 lr

Advertorial

G558484