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The Gazette SERVING NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY COMMUNITIES
DAILY UPDATES ONLINE www.gazette.net
Thursday, October 3, 2013
25 cents
Residents feel sting of shutdown About 72,000 in county are federal government employees n
BY SOPHIE PETIT STAFF WRITER
PRINCE GEORGE’S
Stephanie Lopez of Brentwood and friend William Villatoro of Lanham let Lopez’s dog, Harley, play at the Heurich Dog Park in Hyattsville.
GETS A
leg up
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
PET SAFETY:
It’s not always a walk in the park
PARKS
ON DOG
Owners often left to police dog disputes n
n
County seeing ‘tremendous growth’ in interest for play areas for pets
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BY SOPHIE PETIT STAFF WRITER
BY
SOPHIE PETIT
See PARKS, Page A-8
DOG PARK CHECKLIST
See SAFETY, Page A-8
n MAP: Wondering where to find dog parks in Prince George’s? A look at amenities for people and pooches. Page A-8 n QUIZ: Is your pup ready for the park? Page A-8
Police-involved shooting shocks Beltsville neighbors n
BY CHASE COOK STAFF WRITER
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Hoops, with paw print designs, are available in the Heurich Dog Park in Hyattsville along with tunnels and other activities for dogs.
Dog owners are recommended to bring the following items with them when they take their pets to dog parks:
n Dog license n Rabies vaccination paperwork n Bordetella, distemper and parvovirus immunization paperwork (optional)
INSIDE
See SHUTDOWN, Page A-7
Despite fatal incident, many residents say community is safe
STAFF WRITER
gor Kobyzeb, 27, of Lanham takes his 1-year-old dog, Rocko, to the Greenbelt Dog Park about three times per week — but he says the park is much more than just a place for pets in need of a walk. “It’s a way for strangers to hang out together, and dogs to socialize and become more well-behaved,” said Kobyzeb, one of a growing number of Prince George’s residents enjoying the six dog parks in the county, all built within the past decade. Officials said Prince George’s is seeing “tremendous growth” in community interest in dog parks, so much so that the county plans to build a 5,000-square-foot, countyrun dog park for every 120,000 residents over
Keeping the peace at dog parks often rests with pet owners, a fact that can be easily overlooked by visitors who see the trip as time off while dogs are fenced in. “People at the park are usually smart enough to keep their dogs away and gauge their temperaments,” said Krysta Lemm, 24, of Bowie, who visits Bowie’s dog park weekly with her 8-year-old golden retriever, Astro. Dog parks are safe places to let dogs off the leash, but if owners aren’t careful about keeping an eye on their pets and following park rules, they can become unpleasant places, park officials and dog experts said. The most common problems at dog parks is aggression between
Prince George’s County businesses and residents say they are feeling the brunt of the federal government shutdown, as about 16 percent of the county’s workforce — about 72,000 residents — are federal employees. “As long as this shutdown continues, it’s going to adversely affect our business community,” said Andre Rogers, chairman of the Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce. The shutdown began Tuesday after the Republican-majority U.S. House of Representatives and the Democrat-majority U.S. Senate failed to agree on any spending bills for fiscal 2014. Federal agencies have closed and sent most workers, besides military personnel, home indefinitely without pay. Fourteen federal agencies have offices in Prince George’s, according to a Maryland State Archives website. “This region is particularly vulnerable because it’s so close to the nation’s capital. We
n Collar or harness with appropriate tags attached (dog’s name, owner’s name, owner’s contact information, rabies vaccination, license) n Leash
n Water bowl and water n Ball n Waste bag and scooper n Local animal control phone number n Veterinarian’s phone number
SOURCES: COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT RESOURCES ANIMAL MANAGEMENT DIVISION WEBSITE; SHARON KONDASH, DOG TRAINER AND BEHAVIOR THERAPIST; CITY OF LAUREL ANIMAL CONTROL’S DOG PARK RULES AND ETIQUETTE BROCHURE.
A police-involved shooting in a Beltsville apartment complex Wednesday was surprising, said many residents, who described the community as a quiet and generally safe. “I feel safe coming out early in the morning when it is dark outside,” said Verna Graziano, a resident of the Lighthouse at Twin Lakes Apartments, where Prince George’s County police say an officer fatally shot a male suspect after a chase. County police spokesman Lt. William Alexander said police were called to the 3800 block of Twinlakes Drive at about 2 a.m. Wednesday and found an injured woman and a male suspect running from the scene. An officer chased the suspect, and at the 3900 block of Lighthouse Way, the officer fatally shot the suspect during an altercation, Alexander said. The name of the suspect and the officer, a seven-year veteran, involved in the shooting had not been released by press time Wednesday. Information regarding whether the suspect was armed and details of the altercation also were not available. The injured woman was treated at the scene, according to police. Alexander was unable to say by press time how many police-involved shootings
See SHOOTING, Page A-7
SPORTS
EYES ON THE PRIZE After attending Pallotti and Laurel, running back excels at Riverdale Baptist.
A-10
Automotive
B-13
SPECIAL SECTION
GAZETTE HEALTH
Calendar
A-2
Classified
B-11
Community News
A-4
Special Women’s Issue
Entertainment
B-1
What would you do if you found out you had the ‘breast cancer gene’? One woman tells her story. Plus: why women lose their hair, and the latest on the risks and benefits of aspirin
Opinion
A-10
Sports
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