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The Gazette SERVING NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY COMMUNITIES
DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net
Thursday, April 3, 2014
25 cents
Prosecution rate comes under fire in Mount Rainier
Neighborly thing to do
City Council to meet with county state’s attorney’s office about dropped cases n
BY
EMILIE EASTMAN STAFF WRITER
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Kai Archer, 7, of Laurel and his mother, Becky Archer, were among the University of Maryland volunteers who put out food on Saturday that has been collected for College Park Good Neighbor Day at College Park United Methodist Church.
Raising voices, raising funds n BY JAMIE
Grammy award-winning artist joins Roosevelt choir
Demand for services increases while revenues stay same
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BY JAMIE
ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
GREG DOHLER/THE GAZETTE
Lael Ngangmeni (front right), 15; Sheyenne Bonnick (front, left), 15; and other members of the Eleanor Roosevelt High School chorus rehearse for a concert April 6 to benefit Roosevelt’s sister school in Kenya. Roosevelt’s assistant principal, Avery Taylor, to provide lavatory facilities, tables, chairs, boarding and other needs for Marmanet, Taylor said. “The idea is that even if you do a
See PROSECUTION, Page A-9
Keeping taxes flat poses challenge for Greenbelt
ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Delia Parrish, a senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, went on a cultural exchange trip to a school in Kenya last year. Memories of the school’s lack of amenities have stayed with her, she said. “They had very small rooms, very crowded. Not everyone had a desk, and they shared supplies with each other,” Parrish, 17, of Laurel said of the rural, coed Marmanet Secondary School. “Their toilets were basically a hole in the ground. They had computers that didn’t always turn on, with no Internet.” Now, to help their “sister school,” the Roosevelt Gospel Choir is holding fundraising concerts, headlined by Grammy award-winning gospel singer Yolanda Adams. Adams will perform with the Roosevelt Gospel Choir at 3 and 7 p.m. April 6 at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. The event is a fundraiser for A Very Taylored Foundation, a Glenn Dale-based nonprofit operated by
When burglary suspects allegedly created an incriminating home video on the stolen laptop of Glenn Russell, the Mount Rainier resident said he thought the trial would be straightforward. But when the man accused of stealing the laptop walked free without a trial in November, Russell said he began to question the fairness of the justice system. “It’s frustrating that people can come into your house and take your things and interrupt your feelings of security then get caught and ... then walk away with no reprimand,” he said. “It’s like it never happened.” Mount Rainier officials have similar concerns, stating there have been other seemingly clear-cut cases with
arrests made, but the cases were not prosecuted. As a result, the City Council and representatives from the Prince George’s County state’s attorney’s office have scheduled a meeting Tuesday to discuss cases of concern as well as evidence and court procedures. “There have been several crimes in Mount Rainier that were not prosecuted, and we’re just not really sure why,” said Mount Rainier Councilman Jesse Christopherson (Ward 1). “I think [residents] are frustrated, exasperated. It affects our reputation. It affects what businesses we can attract, so we’re very concerned about it.” About 53 percent of Mount Rainier’s cases were not prosecuted last year, according to data from the county state’s attorney. John Erzen, spokesman for the Prince George’s County state’s attorney’s office, said the city’s percentage is average. The number is comparable to other municipalities in the county, most of which have at least
little, it has a huge impact,” Taylor said. “Our ultimate goal is to give them hope that they can do well.”
See VOICES, Page A-9
Greenbelt officials aren’t planning to raise taxes next fiscal year, but they said figuring out how to meet increasing demands for city services with lagging revenue is proving to be a struggle. “For all intents and purposes, we’re still dealing with the impacts of the 2008 recession. Decisions made this year should reflect the fact that we’re probably going to be in the same fiscal situation next year,” Greenbelt City Manager Michael McLaughlin said. “It’s not until FY17 that I see any relief or a lot of flexibility in the budget coming our way.” The proposed budget — which totals $25.2 million, a 1.4 percent increase from the current fiscal year — includes
no increases in the city’s real property or personal property tax rates, which are 80.5 cents per $100 of assessed value and $1.715 per $100 of assessed value, respectively. The council is expected to approve a final budget during its June 4 meeting, according to Greenbelt spokeswoman Beverly Palau. Beginning in 2009, the city eliminated seven positions and cut back on major capital projects due to the recession, McLaughlin said. “With revenues appearing to be flat, we’ve got to find ways to make operations more efficient somehow, more transparent and focusing in on economic development,” said Greenbelt Mayor Emmett Jordan. McLaughlin said demand for services has increased, and a recent organizational assessment has rec-
See GREENBELT, Page A-9
Prince George’s adds incentives to get developers on track Effort focuses on five Metro stations in Hyattsville, Largo, New Carrollton and Suitland
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BY JAMIE
ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Developers just received more reasons — a package of reasons, to be exact
NEWS
A PROUD MOMENT
Laurel school raises funds to help ill children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee.
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— to bring business plans to five Metro stations in Hyattsville, Largo, New Carrollton and Suitland. Prince George’s County officials announced the new incentives Monday at the University Town Center, a mixeduse project located near the Prince George’s Plaza Metro, and in front of the site where a $23 million Safeway supermarket project is expected to break ground in May.
“It’s really about telling developers, ‘Come take a second look at Prince George’s County,’” said David Iannucci, senior economic policy adviser for County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D). “We want the private sector to understand Prince George’s County will be your partner. We’ll make it faster, cheaper, more efficient and more profitable to do TOD [transit-oriented development] in Prince George’s County.”
SPORTS
GIVING THEM A PUNCHER’S CHANCE Three county fighters advance to Golden Gloves regional championships.
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The TOD initiative focuses on the Branch Avenue Metro Station in Suitland, Largo Metro Station, New Carrollton Metro Station, Prince George’s Plaza Metro Station in Hyattsville and Suitland Metro Station. Iannucci said the county is prepared to encourage development at all 15 of its Metro stops, but these five were selected based on their development potential. “These are our highest-priority sta-
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tions, where we are willing to go above and beyond the normal incentives,” Iannucci said. The package includes infrastructure improvements; a fast-track regulatory approval process; county land for lease; financial incentives including tax credits, loans and financing; assistance from the county in working with
See INCENTIVES, Page A-9
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