• Who’s afraid of the ‘DARK’? &
Bowie Community Theatre stages whodunit. B-4
The Gazette SERVING NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY COMMUNITIES
DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net
Thursday, March 6, 2014
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Brentwood revives plan for firehouse Plans underway to transform historic station for use as community center
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BY
EMILIE EASTMAN STAFF WRITER
DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Kenmoor Middle School eighth-grader Wesley Carter practices creating a character in a class led by the Shakespeare Theatre Co.
Bard’s the star n
Landover eighth-graders take cues from Shakespeare Theatre Co.
BY JAMIE
ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Eighth-graders at Kenmoor Middle School in Landover are not only learning about William Shakespeare, they are bringing to life the playwright’s characters. Alexis Bedingfield, teacher of a Talented and Gifted class at Kenmoor, applied — and won — a chance for members of the Washington, D.C.-based Shakespeare Theatre Co. to work with her class on a Shakespeare play and eventually perform a scene on stage. Vanessa Hope, director of the theater’s Text Alive! program, said the goal is to give stu-
dents a better understanding of Shakespeare’s plays. “Our whole approach to teaching Shakespeare is that it is a play, which is meant to be performed. We complement the reading of the play with kinesthetic activities where students act out the story,” Hope said. “We also introduce them to pretty complex text analysis, so they learn about how Shakespeare wrote and how that informs the actors.” Hope said they normally work with high school students, but made an exception for the TAG students at Kenmoor this year. The company felt the TAG students were advanced enough to handle the material.
County on quest for medical center input Largo hospital preliminary plans include central tower, helipads, green space
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BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Prince George’s County officials are seeking input regarding the design, features and services of a new $745 million regional medical center in Largo. “It’s extremely important that we have all stakeholders, all community members involved, especially as we develop plans for this state-of-the-art hospital facility,” Del. Darren Swain (Dist. 24) of
NEWS
STARTING AT THE STEM
Bowie said during the first of five community meetings planned on the new hospital. Approximately 300 people attended the meeting Saturday in Largo. The hospital is being developed by nonprofit Dimensions Healthcare, which operates four hospitals in Prince George’s, in partnership with the county and the University of Maryland Medical System. The county is currently waiting on approval from the state for a Certificate of Need, which was submitted in October and outlines the need for a new hospital in the community, before it can proceed.
See CENTER, Page A-8
IN THEATER LESSON On Feb. 20, students — who are working on the play “Henry IV, Part 1” — each were assigned the role of a character from Shakespearean times, real or fictional. They had to act out their parts in front of their peers, portraying the characters as they chose through movement, body language and voice. “It helps me understand the characters better, because with some of [Shakespeare’s] plays, you don’t get the understanding of how the character feels. And the language is different, so if you’re acting it out, you get a better understanding of the feelings of the characters
See BARD, Page A-7
Plans to demolish, build new library on hold since August BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Hyattsville officials and community members celebrated the 50th anniversary of the city’s library even as the future look of the site remains uncertain. A revamp of the building has been in the works since 1988, but the long-awaited effort has been delayed yet again after Prince George’s County officials opted to restart the pro-
SPORTS
ON THE RISE
University program helps plant STEM teachers in Prince George’s.
Capital Beltway proves there’s room for two elite basketball leagues in this region.
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See FIREHOUSE, Page A-8
Laurel paves way for new bike path n
Design to be completed this spring, officials say BY
EMILIE EASTMAN STAFF WRITER
posal process. Requests for proposals are expected to be sent out to the 10 architects on contract by the end of the week, said Jack Sloan, associate director of Prince George’s County’s Office of Central Services. Sloan said the search for a new architect could be narrowed down by early April. At a community meeting in August 2013, architectural firm Beltsville-based Grimm + Parker announced plans to demolish the old library and replace it with a new, state-of-the-art facility. “Right after that, the county ... went back and decided to
Pedestrians and cyclists who travel down Van Dusen Road in Laurel may soon have twice the amount of space to pedal and stroll. The city installed a .4-mile-long bike path along the road in 2006 and now plans to build a second path using a $40,000 grant from the Maryland Department of Transportation, said Paul McCullagh, Laurel’s public works director. “[Van Dusen Road] is a major throughway,” McCullagh said. “Some of that doesn’t even have a sidewalk.” The state grant, supplemented by an additional $10,000 from the city, will fund the design process to add about a half mile of bike path to Van Dusen Road from Killbarron Drive to Contee Road, he said. McCullagh said the design is set to include a new or improved curb and gutter system, new paving and an environmentally-friendly way to manage stormwater runoff from the street. The Van Dusen Road projects are part of Laurel’s grand scheme for a bike-friendly city, called the Bikeway Master Plan. The Laurel City Council approved this plan in 2009 and it has led to projects such as signs and painted road lines meant to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists, McCullagh said. Kate Sylvester, community planner for the Maryland Department of Transportation, said Laurel’s grant was
See LIBRARY, Page A-8
See PATH, Page A-7
Hyattsville library plans linger at 50th anniversary n
Brentwood residents may have a new community center by 2015 thanks to a renewed push from the council to revive a decade-old project. The historic firehouse on Utah Avenue in Brentwood has been vacant since 2006, and the town has discussed converting it into a community center for years. Now, the council is working on a plan that may enable construction this summer, with completion around late 2015, said Brian Holland, town administrator. “The town center in the firehouse would be a combination of providing town functions and [providing] after-school space and space for people to hold activities,” Holland said. “This is a key part of our revitalization of the town.” The new community center would also house the police department, town offices and educational programs, Holland said. The police department and offices are currently located at a small town hall building, where community meetings also take place. The town does not currently have a community center.
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