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SERVING NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY COMMUNITIES
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Thursday, December 12, 2013
25 cents
Disposable bag fee being shopped, again
Let it snow!
Bill mirrors 5-cent fee charged in Washington, D.C., Montgomery County n
BY JAMIE
ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Paper or Plastic? Either way, Prince George’s County shoppers may join their neighbors in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C., in paying for their disposable bags if a bill under consideration passes. The bill has failed to pass the past three years in a row, but supporters think the fourth time may be the charm. “We’ve built on support every year,” said County Councilwoman
Council nixed plan over concerns about project size, city official says n
BY CHASE COOK STAFF WRITER
It took three years to put together, but only four votes to dismantle. Seat Pleasant’s $100 million City Center Project has been in the works for three years, but was terminated Nov. 25 after the City Council voted 4 to 1 to eliminate the project. The center was to be built on 15 acres of land and would have featured a 24-hour urgent care clinic, senior housing, a new city hall and energy-efficient architecture that would create at least as much energy as the complex consumes, said Seat Pleasant Mayor Eugene Grant.
PHOTOS BY GREG DOHLER/ THE GAZETTE
Parents hope to provide information, support ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
When Beth McCracken-Harness’ son developed a chronic illness, she struggled to keep his education going for the year-and-a-half he missed school while undergoing a barrage of tests and treatments. McCracken-Harness’ son suffers from Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS, a disorder that reduces blood flow to parts of the body when the individual is sitting or standing. “It was really long, really hard and really very lonely,” said McCrackenHarness, who lives in Cheverly.
See STUDENTS, Page A-8
See GAMING, Page A-8
Wise junior is poised for big indoor track and field season.
A-11
Competition awarded gift cards to top designs by youths
It is a dark night, and you’ve crashed your motorcycle in a forest filled with killer robots. You need to find a way out, but you are also a little hungry, so you go about collecting apples while avoiding the robots. Good luck. The scenario, fit for a horror film, was brewed up by a team of youths who competed in the Patriot Technology Center’s fifth annual Video Game Jam, a competition where youths work to make a video game in two hours. The games are judged based on completeness, entertainment and creativity.
ON THE FAST TRACK
BY CHASE COOK STAFF WRITER
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The votes have been counted. Now meet the winners of The Gazette and Gazette-Star’s annual My Favorite Teacher contest today in section B.
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Jahmari Samuel, 15, of Laurel puts finishing touches on the game he created with his team. His entry with teammates Nichelle French, 14, of Upper Marlboro and Amber Harris, 13, of Woodbridge, Va., won first place in the game design competition.
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Now, she and Lisa Brooks-Wilkins of Capitol Heights, parent of a child with urea cycle disorder, a condition disrupting the body’s ability to process protein, want to help make the process smoother for other parents and guardians facing similar challenges. They have formed an advocacy group called Prince George’s Parents of Ill or Pregnant Students. “It’s an underdeveloped and underserved group. They’re generally not taking part in their local PTAs, because they’re usually caring for a sick child,” McCracken-Harness said. “I think it can be very helpful to have a community to support you.” McCracken-Harness said the group’s website, www.pgpips.org, has information and links for parents, and
SPORTS
“It is gone,” Grant said of the planned center. “This was our project. This was our vision.” The project termination cost Seat Pleasant taxpayers an estimated $200,000 in legal expenses during project planning and about $110,000 for the city’s groundbreaking ceremony, Grant said. He said the termination could put the city at risk for a lawsuit since the city did not operate in good faith with Vienna, Va.-based Kratos Infrastructure. Kratos was the company Seat Pleasant partnered with to develop the property, which would have been located at the John E. Feggans Center at 311 68th Place. The Feggans center was closed in 2009 for needed repairs and was scheduled to be demolished. The council members who voted
Event takes video gaming to another level
Mothers of chronically ill students form support group BY JAMIE
See FEE, Page A-9
Seat Pleasant mayor decries canceled center
Above, Zachary Saunders, 12, of Laurel joined other children sledding down the hill near Laurel Regional Hospital on Tuesday afternoon. Snowfall Monday delayed school openings, while additional snow Tuesday shuttered schools and many government offices in the region. At right, Ryan Nguyen, (left) 8, and Colby Brawner, 4, both of Laurel, sled down the hill.
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Mary Lehman (Dist. 1) of Laurel, who has been an outspoken supporter of the bill. “There’s an awareness that didn’t exist four or five years ago. So I’m hopeful, and we’re going to keep at it.” The bill, PG402-14, would allow the Prince George’s County Council to impose a fee of up to five cents on retail disposable bags, paper or plastic, as part of retail sales. Similar fees are already in place in Montgomery County and Washington, D.C., which both charge a five cent per bag fee. “When it comes to addressing litter, we’re really being left behind, with Montgomery County and D.C. tak-
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DEC. 12
Believe again
Peter Pan Club, 10:30 a.m., College Park Aviation Museum, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park. Ideal for little learners up to five years old, the club includes story-time and hands-on craft activities. To schedule a group larger than 10, please make a private group reservation. Contact 301-864-6029; TTY 301-699-2544. Nature Tots: Winter Bird Buddies, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., National Wildlife Visitor Center, Powder Mill Road between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Md. 197, Laurel. Introduce your preschooler to the world of birds through stories, crafts and outdoor exploration in this fun-filled program. Registration required. Ages 3 to 4. Contact 301-497-5887. STEM Family Night, 5 to 7:30 p.m., Laurel High School, 8000 Cherry Lane, Laurel. The event will include dinner with a scientist, brief remarks from professionals in STEM related fields, demonstrations of sample STEM projects and a family STEM challenge/ contest. Contact 301-497-2050. Mission of Love, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., FedEx Field, 1600 Fedex Way, Landover. Accepting donations of new mittens, gloves, hats and other winter accessories to keep children warm, along with nonperishable food and unwrapped toys. Contact 301-858-3127.
A&E
Queen Nur shares stories of Kwanzaa at the Publick Playhouse.
DEC. 13 Holiday Tea, 1 p.m., Montpelier Mansion, 9650 Muirkirk Road, Laurel. Enjoy a prix fixe menu of fine finger sandwiches, scrumptious cakes and pastries, buttery scones, and your choice of two quality loose leaf teas, all served on imported English china and silver tiered stands. Reservations and advance payment required. Price includes gratuity and selfguided tour of the mansion, which will be decorated for the holidays. Cost: $29 per person; $25 per Friends of Montpelier member. Contact 301-377-7817; TTY 301-699-2544. “Terrible Teddy” Planetarium Program, 7 p.m., Howard B. Owens Science Center, 9601 Greenbelt Road, Lanham. Join in Teddy’s adventures as he uses Santa’s sky friends to help him return to the North Pole. Bring your special teddy and take a picture with your teddy in Santa’s chair. Cost: $5 per adult, $3 for students/seniors/teachers/military. Contact 301918-8750 or russell.waugh@pgcps.org. Candlelight Holiday House Tour, 7 to 10 p.m., University Park. Six beautiful homes and a Holiday Boutique will be featured. Woman’s Club initiated the house tour in 1993. Tickets cost $15 per person in advance and $18 the night of the tour. Contact 301277-0414 or amkobbe@aol.com. “It’s a Wonderful Life —The Radio Play,” 8 p.m., Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St., Laurel. Tickets cost $15 for general admission. Admission for students (18 and younger), active duty military and seniors (65 and older) is $12. Contact 301-617-9906. Nolan Williams Jr.’s “Christmas Gift!” 8 p.m., Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, College Park. Nolan Williams Jr. has created a family-friendly holiday production that celebrates African-American culture, spirituality and music of the season. Cost: $35 regular or $10 for students. Call 301-405-2787 or tickets.claricesmith@umd.edu. Prince George’s Choral Society Concert, 8 p.m., The Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly. The Prince George’s Choral Society will perform the Christmas Portion of Handel’s Messiah and the Hallelujah Chorus, together with seasonal favorites. Cost: adults, $12; seniors and students, $10. Contact 301-352-7856 or ihrich@comcast.net. Kaleidoscope of Bands, 8 p.m., Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, College Park. Spirit and spectacle combine in a two-hour extravaganza that features the finest wind repertoire plus the ever-popular Mighty Sound of Maryland Marching Band. Cost: $30 regular or $10 for students. Contact 301-405-2787 or tickets.claricesmith@umd.edu.
DEC. 14 Breakfast With Santa, 10 a.m. to noon, College Park Community Center and Youth Soccer Complex, 5051 Pierce Ave., College Park. Enjoy a light breakfast with Saint Nick, be entertained by magicians and face painters, and receive small prizes. Contact 301441-2647; TTY 301-445-4512. Winter Wonderland Fundraiser, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Greenview Drive Cabana, 14403 Greenview Drive, Laurel. Come finish your holiday shopping with vendors. There will be refreshments for sale while you
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BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Mark Hoft as Macy, Bailey R. Center as Santa, Patrick Becker and Lydia Kivrak perform in the Tantallon Community Players’ presentation of “Miracle on 34th Street,” running through Dec. 15 at the Harmony Hall Regional Center in Fort Washington. For more information, visit www.tantallonstage.com.
MORE INTERACTIVE CALENDAR ITEMS AT WWW.GAZETTE.NET shop and Santa will be there for the children to tell him their Christmas wish lists. Contact 301-725-5306, Ext. 2444, or fourthofjuly@laurel.md.us. Breakfast with Santa, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Prince George’s Plaza Community Center, 6600 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville. Spend time with Santa as he makes your holiday dreams come true. This event includes a breakfast and supplies for making crafts. Contact 301-864-1611; TTY 301-445-4512. Santa’s Little Helper’s Workshop, noon to 3 p.m., Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover. Celebrate the joy of Christmas with Santa Claus. Enjoy a catered lunch, a live performance, making holiday crafts, and listening to stories and holiday music. Children can shop from the Kiddies Corner Store and have their items wrapped. Take home your special memories with a picture taken with Santa. Cost: $7 per child; $10 per adult. Contact 301-583-2582; TTY 301-583-2483. Holiday Tea, 1 p.m., Montpelier Mansion, 9650 Muirkirk Road, Laurel. Enjoy a seasonal, prix fixe menu of fine finger sandwiches, scrumptious cakes and pastries, buttery scones, and your of two loose leaf teas, all served on imported English china. Reservations and advance payment required. Price includes gratuity and self-guided tour of the mansion, which will be decorated for the holidays. Cost: $29 per person; $25 per Friends of Montpelier member. Contact 301-377-7817; TTY 301-699-2544. Hope Toys and Laughter, 5 to 8 p.m., Signature Blue Event Ballroom, 377 Brightseat Road, Landover. A charitable driven “Comedy Showcase” organized by Relief for America toward collecting new and unwrapped toys and books for battered, abused, orphaned, homeless and hospitalized children during the Christmas holiday. Contact mikemorgan@hopetoysnlaughter.org. A Holiday Celebration, 7 to 11 p.m., American Legion Post 60, 2 Main St., Laurel. Featuring: 4 Speed Shifter, a high octane classic rock band. Contact 301725-2302.
DEC. 15 Holiday Tea, 1 p.m. at Montpelier Mansion, 9650
Muirkirk Road, Laurel. Enjoy a prix fixe menu of fine finger sandwiches, scrumptious cakes and pastries, buttery scone, and your choice of two quality loose leaf teas, all served on imported English china and silver tiered stands. Reservations and advance payment required. Price includes gratuity and selfguided tour of the mansion, which will be decorated for the holidays. Cost: $29 per person; $25 per Friends of Montpelier member. Contact 301-377-7817; TTY 301-699-2544.
SPORTS Winter sports are underway. Check online throughout the week for coverage of high school basketball.
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Children’s Christmas Party, 1 to 3 p.m., American Legion Post 60, 2 Main St., Laurel. Arts, crafts, reindeer games and Santa too. Fun for the entire family. Refreshments will be available. Admission is free. Contact 301-725-2302.
ConsumerWatch
UMD Chamber Singers: Images of the Christmas Feast, 3 p.m., Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center,
College Park. The Christmas story has a rich history of images and associations that have evolved through the ages. Celebrating this heritage with a selection of works by composers from the Middle Ages to the present, this Music in Mind concert for choir and orchestra explores the commonalities of “light” in Jewish and Christian celebrations of the season. Cost: $25 regular, $10 for students. Contact 301-405-2787 or tickets.claricesmith@umd.edu. The Snow Show, 7 to 8 p.m., Deerfield Run Community Center, 13000 Laurel-Bowie Road, Laurel. “The Snow Show” presented by Bob Brown Puppets. Followed by a visit from Santa and his friends. Contact 301-776-2805.
DEC. 16 Supplier Diversity Appreciation Night, 6 to 8:30 p.m., Radisson Hotel Largo, 9100 Basil Court, Largo. Hosted by the Prince George’s County Supplier Development & Diversity Division. Annual awards reception celebrating supplier diversity in Prince George’s. Contact 301-883-6480.
DEC. 17 Based on Books: Raccoons, 10 to 10:45 a.m.,
National Wildlife Visitor Center, Powder Mill Road between the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Md. 197, Laurel. Each program in this series begins with a beautifully illustrated children’s story about wildlife. Discover more about nature with puppets, props and activities. Registration required. Contact 301-497-5887.
The Historic Preservation Commission monthly meeting, 6:30 p.m., Fourth Floor Board Room,
County Administration Building, 14741 Governor Oden Bowie Drive, Upper Marlboro. Contact 301952-3520.
DEC. 18 Public Speaking & Leadership Development, 7:15 to 8:30 p.m., Capitol College Campus, Room 137, 11301 Springfield Road, Laurel. Most jobs require good communication and leadership skills. Sharpen yours at Columbians Toastmasters Club. Contact columbianstoastmastersclub@gmail.com.
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THE GAZETTE
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
Page A-3
Santa Claus preps to pose with pets for animal fundraiser
Berwyn Heights Elementary announces Honor Roll Berwyn Heights Elementary School has released its Honor Roll and Principal’s Honor Roll lists for the first quarter. To make Honor Roll, a student must have at least a 3.0 GPA and no grade lower than a “70”. To make Principal’s Honor Roll, a student must have at least a 4.0 GPA and no grade lower than a “90”. Second- and third-graders making Honor Roll and Principal’s Honor Roll are as follows. Fourth- through sixth-grade students will run in the Dec. 19 edition. Second grade: Mario Aguilon Meija, Andy Pineda, Leo Gao, Ky-Mani Murphy, Alhassan Drammeh, Jocelyn Bravo-Lima, Tseboh Mbigah, Sophie Gump, Jimmy Zhang, Liz Bonilla, Denise Alfaro, Jacari Cruz, Vanessa Roberts, Yulia Martinez-Lima, Stephanie Navarrete, Tatianna Edwards, Daniel Amaya, Emma Most, Brian Gonzalez Guevarra, Muddaser Ahmed, Petra Ostovitz, Yessenia Pineda, Faith Aiyenugba, Wyatt Stephens, Sebastian Zuniga, Daniel Montero, Adriane Hernandez, Sara Liberato Chavez, Xavier Del Cid Avila, Kaylee Stuckey, Mohammad Ashkar, Nathan Kang and Alvin Lin. Principal’s Honor Roll: Oluwaseyitan Fashina and Elizabeth Sutherland Harris. Third grade: Anacaren Lazaro Guzman, Jilla Mbigah, Ximena Del Cid Avila, Jobani Herrera, Keturah Wright, Makhi Chambers, Austin Aleida, Nina Shepherd, Ester Rodriguez, Sameer Hamid, Oluwaseun Fashina, Terrell McMillan, Delambert Nong,
at the White House, according to a news release. The Chelsea School is a nonpublic school serving students in grades five through twelve with language-based learning disabilities, according to its website. The White House-sponsored event included discussions about career choices and the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace while mentors shared their experiences living and succeeding with disabilities, as well as discussing federal and state resources available to people with disabilities, according to the release. The visit also included a tour of the White House and a meeting with Tina Tchen, chief of staff to First Lady Michelle Obama. “The students and I truly enjoyed the celebration and joy of the entire experience,” said Kate Fedalen, Chelsea School head. “We were so impressed with the wisdom and passion of the mentors and gained a greater appreciation of the diversity within our disability community.”
Laurel High hosts STEM Family Night The Laurel High School science department will be hosting its first annual STEM Family Night from 5 to 7:30 p.m. today at the school, 8000 Cherry Lane. The event will feature dinner with a scientist, brief remarks from professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields, demonstration of STEM projects and a family STEM challenge/contest, said Laurel High sceince teacher Rima Garg. Participants will include professionals from the NSA, NASA, EDUSERC, Washington Hospital Center and John Hopkins University, Garg said. “Laurel High School was recently recognized as one of three STEM Innovative Schools in Prince George’s County by the Maryland Business Roundtable,” said Garg, adding that the STEM Family Night is part of the school’s efforts to promote STEM education and student interest in STEM fields.
Counting down to Christmas
At top, David Chukwu, 4, and his sister, Sarah Chukwu, 6, of Laurel talk to Santa Claus on Dec. 7 during the holiday lights illumination at the Laurel Armory Anderson and Murphy Community Center. At right, Bailey Bincarowsky, 3, and her sister, Brooke Bincarowsky, 5, of Fort Meade wait for candy along the holiday parade route before the holiday lights illumination.
Duval High School senior named scholar of the week
PHOTOS BY BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Alex Castellanos-Orellana, Kelvin Joya, Sophia McConnell, Connor Lilly, Jeneen Ashkar, Kenia Huezo Vega, Anastasia Gobot, Selma Becirovic, Mareina Mitchell, Yaritza Nunez, Amaya Powell, Kamilla Yokley, Julia Delehant, Michael-Michele Chichester, Tamaiya McCreary, Leila Mastalic and Gannon Forbres. Principal’s Honor Roll: Henry Orozco-Contreas, Emma Schurr and Auden Baldwin-Bott.
Bladensburg celebrates Yule Log and Tree Lighting Bladensburg is holding its annual
Yule Log and Tree Lighting celebration beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Bladensburg Municipal Building, 4229 Edmonston Ave. “This is our sixth year of inviting
the community out for the lighting of our trees, as well as joining their neighbors for songs and festivities around our burning Yule log,” said Town Administrator John Moss. “There will be refreshments and fun for everyone.” Moss said there will also be a visit from Santa Claus. For more information, contact the Bladensburg Town Hall at 301-9277048.
cessful completion of Honors course work, including Honors seminars, special Honors versions of introductory courses and a first year colloquium, according to the release. Varner is a 2010 graduate of Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt. She is the daughter of Eileen Jewison and Mark Varner of New Carrollton.
New Carrollton resident receives UM Honors Citation
Chelsea House, Roosevelt students visit White House
New Carrollton resident Emma Varner received the Honors College
Citation in a ceremony held Nov. 8 in the Memorial Chapel at the University of Maryland, College Park, according to a news release. The citation signifies the suc-
High school juniors and seniors with disabilities who attend Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt and the Chelsea School in Hyattsville were among 20 students from the region invited to take part in the 2013 Disability Mentoring Day on Nov. 13
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The Lanham-based Duval High School is home to the most recent Prince George’s County Public Schools scholar of the week award. Niney Nguyen of Lanham was selected as the scholar of the week, an award given out to Prince George’s County Public Schools high school seniors who are nominated by school officials for their academic achievements, according to a PGCPS news release. Nguyen has been on the honor roll since middle school and currently has a 4.08 grade point average, according to the news release. Nguyen has played the violin for seven years, is a member of her school’s anime club and plans to apply to University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Maryland College Park, University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University, according to the news release.
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Pet lovers will have the opportunity to have their pets pose for photos with Santa Claus from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Spay Now Animal Surgery Clinic, 7401 Van Dusen Road in Laurel. The event is a fundraiser for area feral cat spay and neuter groups Laurel TNR and Outlaw Kitties, said Helen Woods, Laurel TNR chairperson and event organizer. TNR refers to “trap, neuter, release,” the practice of trapping feral cats, sterilizing them and returning them to the wild, improving their health while reducing the number of homeless kittens, Woods said. Woods said that all pets, including dogs, cats, lizards, snakes, goldfish and others, are welcome to pose with Santa Claus for photos. In addition to selling photos, the two groups will also be running a “Pet Bake Sale” and will have pet stocking stuffers for sale as well, Woods said. “This will be a fun event for the whole family, especially the fourfooted family,” said Woods. “We plan to have free refreshments for humans, and plenty of treats, catnip mice, and other stocking stuffers for companion animals available for sale to finish your Christmas shopping for that furry friend in your life.” To learn more about this event, TNR, or either of these groups, please visit their web sites at www.laureltnr. org or www.outlawkitties.org. Laurel TNR can also be reached at 301-886-8926. Donations of cat food are also welcome at this event, Woods said.
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Mount Rainier crime rates the lowest in decade
Deck the halls
Chief says department is taking proactive approach to target holiday problems
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BY
RAISA CARMARGO
SPECIAL TO THE GAZETTE
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
Gabrielle Flowers, 3, of Washington, D.C., and Katherine Bishop, 3, of Hyattsville make Christmas decorations during a Breakfast with Santa event in Hyattsville on Saturday.
Gala recognizes Laurel hospital lifesavers Emergency room team, care givers honored for reviving woman n
BY JAMIE
ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Astrud Messiah of Laurel was clinically dead for nearly 40 minutes, but 11 months later she was able to thank the emergency room staff at Laurel Regional Hospital and other care providers who brought her back from the brink of death. “The team that worked on me that night did not give up on me. I stand here before you because of that,” Messiah said in a speech during the Dimensions Healthcare System’s first annual Crystal Hearts Gala, a black-tie event held at the Marriott Inn and Conference Center in Hyattsville. The event centered around recognizing the 20 men and women who saved Messiah’s life and restored her to health. The event also served as a fundraiser for the development of a new women’s health and wellness program at Laurel Regional Hospital, which is operated by the nonprofit Dimensions Healthcare. Approximately 400 people attended the event, according to organizer Elena Moss.
JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU/THE GAZETTE
Astrud Messiah (center) stands with her husband, Carl Webb, behind her at the Crystal Hearts Gala.
The road back to health was a rocky one for Messiah, who works in the communications department at Laurel Regional Hospital. Messiah suffers from sickle cell anemia, a genetic disorder causing red blood cells to appear sickle-shaped, which can lead to a number of life-threatening conditions. John Spearman, president and chief operating officer of Laurel Regional Hos-
pital, said Messiah called 911 because she was in great pain. When she arrived at the hospital emergency room at 6:39 a.m. Jan. 26, she went into cardiac arrest. “I started to cry, because she was my life. We’ve been together for 20-something years,” said her husband, Carl Webb. She was clinically dead, doctors said. Clinical death occurs when the hearts stops beating and circulating blood, and breathing stops. The ER team, led by Dr. Sukhjit Siddhu, began performing CPR to get Messiah’s heart started, cracking her ribs in the process, Spearman said. “It takes an impressive 38 minutes of aggressive CPR and the efforts of the ER team to bring her back to life,” he said. Even though her heart was beating once again, Messiah was not out of danger. Kidney failure, respiratory infections and a host of other complications followed. “I thought her chances were very poor. I did not think she was going to recover,” said Dr. Jason Lee-Llacer, one of her doctors. One month after Messiah entered the hospital, she was able to return home. And on April 1, she returned to work in the communications department. janfenson-comeau@gazette.net
Suitland loses bid for third state championship Uncharacteristic mistakes doom school in 33-16 loss against Northwest
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BY
NICK CAMMAROTA STAFF WRITER
At the conclusion of the play that essentially brought Suitland High School’s hopes of an undefeated season to an end, Rams defenders Josh Burke and Brandon Brown stood facing a massive block of empty seats in the far end zone at M&T Bank Stadium. There they watched their season wither away, one win shy of a state championship. On the other sideline, Northwest’s players and fans celebrated a shocking 77-yard passing touchdown — the longest play of the game — from Matt Pierce to Matt Watson that put the Jaguars ahead by 10 points with 4 minutes, 27 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. While the blown coverage on that play was costly, it was the accumulation of uncharacteristic mistakes throughout Friday’s contest that doomed Suitland.
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On a rainy, windy night in Baltimore, Northwest’s 33-16 victory ended Suitland’s bid for its third state championship. Instead, Ed Shields’ team ended up being runners up for the third time in school history. “We had some opportunities, but we were not about to take advantage of those opportunities for some reason,” Shields said. “We had some miscues and I thought that maybe we could still get by them. But in a state championship game, you’ve got to catch every ball, you’ve got to throw every ball, you’ve got to make every run and do every coverage. Shivering and sneezing during his postgame interview, senior quarterback Wesley Wolfolk shouldered the blame for his team’s poor performance. In reality, while Wolfolk certainly could have played better than his stats indicate, the result was far from his fault alone. Suitland (13-1) committed 17 penalties, allowed a seasonhigh 33 points, suffered costly injuries and missed the mark on a number of would-be big plays. “You saw our fight and our character in trying to come back, and even with the
17 penalties it looked like we might come back, but we just couldn’t get it done,” Shields said. On four occasions in the first half, Wolfolk had a receiver open deep downfield, but failed to connect. On the first, he overthrew Nick Nelson along the far sideline. On the second, Tevin Singleton dropped an underthrown ball. The third was intercepted by Northwest’s Rodney Snider (intended for Singleton) and Snider batted the fourth away from Singleton as well. Injuries were an issue, too, as Nelson left the game with a high ankle sprain in the first half and didn’t return. In the third quarter, Singleton cramped badly, which affected his play for the remainder of the game. That left Steven Rivers as Wolfolk’s go-to target as he caught 10 passes for 132 yards. Despite the loss, the Rams’ 2013 superlatives are impressive. Nine times this season Suitland allowed seven points or fewer. Only three times did the Rams allow more than 20. They finished with 474 points scored. ncammarota@gazette.net
Crime rates continue to plummet in Mount Rainier — continuing a decade-long trend — and police officials attribute public outreach and retaining police staff as key factors in the drop, an effort they anticipate continuing with the addition of four new officers. Police Chief Michael Scott said the city experienced a decrease in crimes and calls for service from January to November compared to the same time period in 2012. “I think it’s a combination of things,” Scott said at the Dec. 3 City Council meeting. “Our increased patrols ... analysis of where crime is occurring and strategically placing of our officers in those areas in those times and those places.” Part I crimes, which involves anything from theft, robbery or assault to homicide, decreased from 298 to 278 since last year, according to the police department statistics. While there were no homicides reported this year, burglaries - 57 - and thefts from motor vehicles - 38 - continue to be on the rise, according to the statistics. As the holiday season approaches, Scott said the department will be using crime
analysis to focus on where crimes are occurring. In 2003, the crime rate was 648, according to the statistics. “The crime rate has decreased over 500 percent in 10 years,” said City Councilman Jimmy Tarlau (Ward 1). “We’re proud of our public safety personnel. Not just for reducing crime, but also for reaching out to the community and building a good relationship, which I’m equally as proud of the police for doing.” Scott said there is also more public outreach, asking residents to be aware of things like keeping porch lights on during the darker hours, being alert for stolen mail and staying at their car when pumping gas, as gas stations can be notorious for purse snatching. Scott said it’s also important to have a stable work force. Four new police officers were also sworn in during the meeting, to bring the total to 17 officers. Scott said the additions would lower the chances of officers having to work overtime, particularly in this time of year. Mayor Malinda Miles said she was ecstatic to learn of the success in reducing crime. “To see a drop like this continue for the last few years shows that our police department is doing exactly what they’re paid to do,” Miles said. “Keep us safe and keep crime out.” Staff Writer Jeffrey Lyles contributed to this report.
College Park council swears in new members n
Bids farewell to two community leaders
BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
Alan Hew, 45, has served on a number of College Park committees, including co-chairing the Animal Welfare Committee and serving on the College Park Day Committee, but said taking his seat on the College Park Council on Tuesday night was a new experience. “I’ve been involved in the community, doing similar roles to what a council member does, but sitting up here for the first time was a real change for me all of a sudden. I felt the biggest sense of responsibility, an awareness. I’ve been working in the community, but now I am in a much larger role than I had,” Hew said. Hew (Dist. 4) and P.J. Brennan (Dist. 2), newcomers who were elected in the Nov. 5 elections, were sworn into office Tuesday. Both attained their seats in noncompetitive races, filling seats vacated by Marcus Afzali and Robert Catlin, respectively. Brennan, 32, moved to College Park with his husband in 2011. However, he was also a resident of College Park as an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park, from 2001 to 2003. “I’m really excited by the change I’ve seen since 2001 when I was here. The University
of Maryland was an island, and the city of College Park was the water. Today, it’s totally transformed,” Brennan said. Brennan has served as a member of the city’s Certified Maryland Sustainable Green Team, a board of city staff and community members responsible for developing plans and policies toward making College Park a more environmentally friendly community. Brennan said he has received a lot of guidance from Catlin. “I definitely know I have some big shoes to fill, and he’s given me a list of things to do, so I know just how big those shoes are,” Brennan said. Catlin, 59, a self-described “policy wonk,” said he first ran for office in 1997 on a whim and found himself on the council for 16 years, longer than anyone else currently on the council. “Over the span of a two-year term, or a four-year term, which is what most councilmen serve, you don’t really see a whole lot of progress. But when you’ve been here 16 years, you can say, ‘I’ve seen progress.’” Catlin said he plans to wrap up various projects and fix up his house before moving to his home state of Ohio. Afzali, 29, said he chose not to run after four years on the council so that he could move closer to his work at the T. Rowe Prince investment firm headquarters in Baltimore. janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net
THE GAZETTE
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
On Newtown anniversary, gun laws debated Firearms Safety Act went into effect in Maryland in October
n
BY
KATE S. ALEXANDER STAFF WRITER
One year after 20 students and six adults lost their lives in the mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Maryland operates under a new gun law aimed at stemming the tide of gun violence within its borders. “We experience a Newtown every day in the U.S.,” state Sen. Brian E. Frosh said. “There are 25 to 30 killings by firearms every single day, it’s just not all in one place.” Gun violence is a serious public health issue, said Frosh (D-Dist. 16) of Chevy Chase, a 2014 Democratic candidate for attorney general, and Senate leader on the gun law that passed in 2013. But he said it took the deadly shootings of school children last December to galvanize the public and lawmakers behind the Firearms Safety Act of 2013. The new law, supported by Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) and adopted by the General Assembly early this year, requires background checks, fingerprinting, training and a licensing fee for everyone purchasing regulated firearms — a category that includes handguns but not shotguns or hunting rifles. The law also bans about 40 semi-automatic rifles deemed to be “assault weapons” and magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. It also restricts gun ownership by certain people with a history of mental illness. The Firearms Safety Act of 2013 took effect Oct. 1. Time will tell if the changes actually save lives and prevent a massacre in Maryland. Opponents, however, say the law missed the mark. “I think Maryland did nothing whatsoever to curb gun violence,” said Del. Michael D. Smigiel Sr. “All we did was attempt to make criminals out of law-abiding citizens.” Smigiel (R-Dist. 36) of Chesapeake City called the law “tyranny” that fails to actually punish “bad guys with guns.” As just one example, Smigiel said the law allows residents to buy banned weapons out of state and bring those weapons into Maryland but it prevents visitors with permits to carry a concealed weapon in other
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“I think Maryland did nothing whatsoever to curb gun violence. All we did was attempt to make criminals out of law-abiding citizens.” Del. Michael D. Smigiel Sr. (R-Dist. 36) of Chesapeake City states from carrying in Maryland. “The law is just feel-good legislation that really just complicates the matter for lawabiding Marylanders,” Smigiel said. “I don’t think anybody can point to any aspect of that law and show where any portion of it made people safer.” Vincent DeMarco, president of Marylanders To Prevent Gun Violence, is confident lives will be saved, particularly by the fingerprint licensing. “It’s going to prevent people from lying about who they are and it’s going to deter people from buying guns who are criminals,” DeMarco said. “It’s a really good strategy for reducing gun violence.” A 2013 study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Gun Policy and Research found that once implemented, Maryland’s law would reduce gun trafficking, gun crime and gun homicides. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence ranked Maryland fourth in the nation for best gun laws and gave it a grade of A based on thirty policy areas, including background checks and access of dangerous persons to weapons. “We know from other states that these laws work,” DeMarco said. But in Maryland, Smigiel said the licensing requirement has an already backlogged Maryland State Police unable to meet the law’s mandate that it only take seven days to process background checks. At present, he said police are taking as long as 120 days to process background checks. If gun shop owners were allowed to do those
checks, it would take mere seconds, he said. Maryland State Police did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Maryland’s new law allows residents who owned assault weapons or magazines over 10 rounds prior to Oct. 1 to keep those weapons. As a result, thousands of Marylanders flocked to buy guns in the months between passage and Oct. 1. Maryland had more purchases of guns in the first nine months of 2013 than in the prior year and half, Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons said. Simmons, while a supporter of the bill, is critical of many of its provisions. “There was literally a tidal wave of gun purchases in Maryland,” Simmons (D-Dist. 17) of Rockville said. “I believe Maryland is armed to the teeth and I do not believe the Governor’s bill went far enough.” “What this law did was [create] a buying frenzy,” Del. John W.E. Cluster Jr. said. “Maryland put 100,000 more guns on the street by this law.” Cluster (R-Dist. 8) of Parkville, a retired police sergeant, said he knows residents who bought assault weapons for no other reason than the coming ban. “I do not know the solution to gun violence, we will always have gun violence, it is always going to happen,” he said. One solution might be to make it easier for residents who want to carry a weapon to do so, he said. Cluster is one of a few lawmakers who do not feel the 2013 law ends the gun debate. He has filed a bill for 2014 that would place an armed safety resource officer in every school in the state in an effort to protect Maryland students should a shooting like Sandy Hook from happen here. A December 2103 report from the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association found it took responding Newtown officers 8 minutes and 39 seconds from the first call to 911 until they entered Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, 2012. Just minutes before they entered, shooter Adam Lanza had ended his rampage by taking his own life. Newtown officers were on the scene only 1 minute and 10 seconds before Lanza’s suicide, the report found. Cluster said an armed officer in the building could have responded more quickly and potentially saved lives.
“[The Firearms Safety Act is] going to prevent people from lying about who they are and ... deter people from buying guns who are criminals.” Vincent DeMarco, president of Marylanders To Prevent Gun Violence Smigiel and Simmons are also proposing amendments to fix what they see as a flaws in the law. Both said mental illness was under-addressed. Lanza, the man responsible for the Newtown massacre, had a history of mental illness. Yet long before Lanza entered Sandy Hook Elementary School, Simmons said a Maryland task force was studying the access of those with mental illness to firearms. An amendment to require mental health professionals report to police when a patient discloses an intent to harm or kill is among those Simmons said he plans to bring to the floor in 2014. Smigiel said he plans to again propose three amendments addressing mental illness that failed last session, including a bill to provide access to local mental health care for those who are released from longterm facilities. Smigiel is also proposing a change to eliminate a regulatory requirement that applicants for a handgun license shoot a firearm first. kalexander@gazette.net
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Page A-5
Hike proposed for Metro and bus fares in 2015 n
3 percent average increases sought
BY
SARAH SCULLY STAFF WRITER
Metro is proposing slight increases for all rail and bus fares, and some parking in its proposed 2015 budget, presented at a public hearing on Dec. 5. Rail fares are proposed to rise by 3 percent, and Metro will eliminate paper fare card fees. For an average daily commuter, this will amount to a $6 per month increase, according to proposed budget estimates. Bus riders will be charged a flat fee of $1.75 on regular buses, and $4 on express buses, as outlined by the budget. SmarTrip card users now pay $1.60 for a bus ride, and cash customers pay $1.80. Since the majority of bus riders use SmarTrip cards — rechargeable cards used to pay Metro and bus fares — this change will increase revenue for Metro, charging the averge SmarTrip card-using bus commuter nine more dollars per month, according to preliminary budget estimates. The budget also recommends better lighting in underground stations and improvements to 11 stations. These changes will follow a cut in commuting subsidies for federal employees and employees of other organizations that offer the benefit, in January 2014. Some workers have been able to spend up to $245 per month on commuting pre-tax. Next year the limit will lower to $130 per month, according to an Internal Revenue Service bulletin. The limit
had been raised under the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, but expires at the end of this year. Larry Hershman of Takoma Park, also a program officer for the U.S. Department of Transportation, said his department covers commuting costs up to a certain amount. Subsidies vary by department. For him, the fare increase isn’t a major concern, although it may bump his costs just above his reduced subsidy limit once both changes take effect. What does concern Hershman, like many, is the Metro’s regular breakdowns and delays. “As a commuter, I’m very frustrated. ... The delays are frequent,” he said. “It’s often enough that whenever I have an opportunity to telework, I do, primarily to avoid the mess with commuting.” He estimates that he spends $131 per month on commuting, all of which is covered by the transportation department. Metro Public Information Officer Morgan Dye wrote in an email to The Gazette, that the 2015 budget “includes funding to provide safer, better and more service and begins making the down payment for capacity improvements as part of Metro’s 2025 plan.” Among those improvements called for in the plan are more eight-car trains during rush hour and improvements to bus service. The proposed increases are lower than inflation over the last two years, when the last rate adjustments were made, Dye wrote. sscully@gazette.net
THE GAZETTE
Page A-6
POLICE BLOTTER This activity report is provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department and is not a complete listing of all events and crime reported.
District 1 Headquarters, Hyattsville, 301-699-2630, covering Adelphi, Beltsville, Berwyn Heights, Bladensburg, Brentwood, Calverton, Cheverly, Chillum, College Park, Colmar Manor, Cottage City, Edmonston, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Landover, Landover Hills, Langley Park, Mount Rainier, New Carrollton, North Brentwood, Riverdale, Riverdale Park, University Park and West Lanham Hills.
DEC. 2 Vehicle stolen, 5500 block
57th Ave, 7:37 a.m.
Theft from vehicle, 5100 block Edmonston Road, 8:43 a.m. Theft, 2100 block Guilford Road, 10:13 a.m. Theft, Eb East West High-
ONLINE For additional police blotters, visit www.gazette.net way/Nb New Hampshire Ave, 10:30 a.m. Residential break-in, 6000 block Norman Ave, 11:21 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 5600 block Landover Road, 11:41 a.m. Residential break-in, 1800 block Metzerott Road, 12:51 p.m. Residential break-in, 1800 block Metzerott Road, 3:27 p.m. Vehicle stolen, 7500 block Buchanan St., 3:52 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 7100 block Chesapeake Road, 3:54 p.m. Residential break-in, 1800 block Metzerott Road, 5:04 p.m. Residential break-in, 7600 block Topton St., 5:13 p.m. Robbery on commercial property, 6200 block Annapolis Road,
5:13 p.m.
Assault, 6500 block Landover
Road, 6:19 p.m.
Theft from vehicle, 8700 block
Robbery on commercial property, 5800 block Eastern Ave,
Baltimore Ave, 7:34 p.m.
2:01 p.m.
block Knollbrook Drive, 9:15 p.m. Residential break-in, 8600 block Laverne Drive, 11:28 p.m.
3:10 p.m.
Residential break-in, 6700
DEC. 3 Theft from vehicle, 9300 block Cherry Hill Road, 3:22 a.m. Vehicle stolen, 5600 block Carters Lane, 6:10 a.m. Residential break-in, 5700 block Seminole St., 9:36 a.m. Theft, 7300 block Baltimore Ave, 10:11 a.m. Theft, 7000 block Adelphi Road, 10:12 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 6300 block Landover Road, 10:25 a.m. Theft, 5500 block Lafayette Place, 11:04 a.m. Theft from vehicle, 3600 block Bladensburg Road, 12:05 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 5900 block Euclid St., 1:34 p.m.
Theft, 4500 block 37th St.,
Theft, 6000 block Mentana St., 3:35 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 5400 block 16th Ave, 3:41 p.m. Residential break-in, 800 block Somerset Place, 4:48 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 8600 block Annapolis Road, 5:27 p.m. Assault, 6800 block Riggs Road, 5:51 p.m. Vehicle stolen, 800 block Fairview Ave, 6:34 p.m. Theft, 5600 block Emerson St., 7:34 p.m. Residential break-in, 1200 block Chillum Manor Road, 7:42 p.m. Theft from vehicle, 1700 block Dayton Road, 7:46 p.m.
DEC. 4 Assault, 900 block East West Highway, 1:25 a.m.
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
Hyattsville woman in stable condition after police shooting Police say officer threatened with knife n
BY JAMIE ANFENSON-COMEAU STAFF WRITER
A Hyattsville woman is listed in stable condition following an altercation with Hyattsville police officers involving a knife. Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 5500 block of 43rd Avenue at approximately 10:30 a.m. Dec. 4 for a mental health welfare check regarding a female resident, said Hyattsville police spokesman Chris Purvis. Police responded to a similar call to the same address less than 24 hours previously, Purvis said. The woman allegedly displayed a knife in a threatening manner towards the officers and an attempt to subdue
the woman with a Taser was unsuccessful, due to multiple layers of clothing, Purvis said. Purvis said that when the woman continued to threaten police, an officer fired one round, striking the woman in the chest. The woman was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital, where she underwent surgery, and is currently listed in stable condition, Purvis said. The officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending completion of the investigation, a standard procedure when a firearm is discharge, said Hyattsville spokeswoman Abby Sandel. The investigation is ongoing and the names of the officer and the victim are not being released at this time, Sandel said. janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net
POLICE BLOTTER HYATTSVILLE
NOV. 24 Vehicle theft, 6900 block of Calverton Drive. Sometime during the night, someone stole a parked 2000 Lexus. It was recovered by P.G. County police later that day. Burglary, 5600 block of Ager Road. At approximately 5:45 a.m., officers responded to a call for a burglary alarm at a gas station. It was found that someone had broken into the business and removed property. Theft, 3300 block of East West Highway. At approximately 1 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting from a home improvement store. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 2:15 p.m., a suspect was apprehended for shoplifting at a store. Theft, 3000 block of Hamilton Street. At approximately 2:30 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting from a grocery store. Robbery, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 11 p.m., two unknown suspects assaulted the victim and stole his cell phone while at a gas station.
NOV. 25 Burglary, 5000 block of 37th Place. Sometime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., someone broke into a residence and removed property. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 11:15 a.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall.
NOV. 26
1911923
Vehicle theft, 5700 block of 29th Avenue. Sometime during the night, someone stole a parked 2005 Ford Econoline van. It was
recovered in Capitol Heights on Nov. 29. Vandalism to auto, 2900 block of Belcrest Center Drive. Sometime during the night, someone broke out the front door window of a parked school bus. Vandalism to auto, 5300 block of Queens Chapel Road. At approximately 11 a.m., someone broke out the passenger side window of a vehicle parked at a gas station. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 4 p.m., a suspect was apprehended for shoplifting at a store in the mall. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 9 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall. Nov. 27 Theft from auto, 6100 block of
41st Avenue. At approximately 11 a.m., it was found that someone had stolen the validation sticker from the victim’s license plate. Theft from auto, 6500 block of Belcrest Road. Sometime between 2:45 p.m. and 3 p.m., someone broke into a parked vehicle and removed property. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 7:30 p.m., a suspect was apprehended for shoplifting at a store in the mall.
NOV. 28 Burglary, 3800 block of Hamilton Street. At approximately 9:30 a.m., an unknown suspect broke into an apartment, but fled when they realized the resident was home.
NOV. 29 Theft from auto, 4700 block of Baltimore Avenue. Sometime between Nov. 25 and Nov. 29, someone stole the driver side airbag from a vehicle at a repair shop. Theft, 3300 block of East West Highway. At approximately 11 a.m., a suspect was apprehended for shoplifting from a home improvement store. Theft from auto, 6500 block of America Boulevard. Sometime between 11:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., someone removed property from a parked vehicle. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 2:45 p.m., a suspect was apprehended for shoplifting at a store in the mall. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 7 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 8:30 p.m., a suspect was apprehended for shoplifting at a store in the mall.
NOV. 30 Vandalism to auto, 3500 block of East West Highway. Sometime between noon and 3:30 p.m., someone flattened two tires on a vehicle parked at the mall. Theft, 3500 block of East West Highway. At approximately 4:30 p.m., a suspect was arrested for shoplifting at a store in the mall. 133553G
Attempted robbery, Ager Road and Nicholson Street. At approximately 5:30 p.m., the victim was approached by two unknown suspects who displayed a knife and demanded cash. The victim refused and fled home to call police.
THE GAZETTE
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
This activity report is intended to give an overview of the criminal activity within Greenbelt and is not a complete listing of all events and crime reported to the Greenbelt Police Department.
Center City NOV. 28 3 court Parkway, burglary, 9:47
a.m. Unknown person(s) forced open a storage unit and removed a yellow mountain bike.
NOV. 30 Area of Kenilworth Avenue and Greenbelt Road, DWI/DUI arrest,
1:30 a.m. Ricardo Diaz, 37, of Silver Spring 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.
DEC. 1 Area of Kenilworth Avenue and Greenbelt Road, DWI/DUI arrest,
10:14 p.m. Francis Motuwe Mosoke, 48, 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.
Franklin Park/Beltway Plaza/Greenbelt Metro/ Capitol Office Park NOV. 28 6000 block Greenbelt Road,
theft, 10:26 a.m. Unknown person(s) took an unattended purse from the Dollar Store.
NOV. 29
POLICE BLOTTER
POLICE BLOTTER
GREENBELT
LAUREL
suspect was released on citation pending trial.
NOV. 30 5800 block Cherrywood Terrace, vandalism, 2:41 p.m. Un-
known person(s) broke out the bedroom window of a residence.
6100 block Breezewood Court,
theft, 6 p.m. Unknown person(s) took an unattended children’s Power Wheels battery-operated police vehicle.
DEC. 2 5800 block Cherrywood Terrace, burglary, 1:54 p.m. Unknown
person(s) entered the residence, possibly by forcing open the sliding glass door. Two tablets and two laptop computers were taken.
DEC. 4 6100 block Breezewood Court, burglary, 11:15 a.m. The victim was at home when he heard a knock at his door. He looked through the ‘peep-hole’ viewer and observed a subject looking toward his neighbor’s apartment. Thinking the knock was for a neighbor, the victim walked away from his door. A short time later, he heard a loud bang and then observed his door opened, and the suspect running out of his apartment. The door was damaged during the forced entry. 6100 Greenbelt Road, robbery, 8:40 p.m. The victim advised that she was working as a cashier at the Game Stop when the suspect entered the store, produced a handgun and announced a robbery. After taking an undetermined amount of money, the suspect fled the store and entered a white vehicle and left the area westbound on Greenbelt Road.
Automotive crime citywide NOV. 27 6000 block Springhill Drive, stolen auto. A 2000 Dodge Intrepid four-door. The vehicle was recovered Nov. 30 by the Metropolitan Police Department in the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, N.E., Washington, D.C. Two adult arrests were made. 9300 block Edmonston Road,
theft from auto. Tools and a digital camera were among the items taken.
DEC. 1 9100 block of Springhill Court,
theft from auto. Three tires and rims were taken.
This activity report is intended to give an overview of the criminal activity within Laurel and is not a complete listing of all events and crime.
NOV. 25
5900 block of Cherrywood Terrace, theft from auto. A Mary-
land temporary tag, T939026.
6200 block of Springhill Drive,
vandalism to auto. A tire was slashed.
7700 block of Hanover Parkway, theft from auto. A cell phone
was removed from an unlocked vehicle.
NOV. 26
7600 block of Erica Lane,
800 block of Eighth Street,
NOV. 27 1200 block of Sandy Spring Road, theft from motor vehicle. 900 block of Fairlawn Avenue,
theft — shoplifting.
torcycle.
7200 block of Morrison Drive,
stolen auto. A black 1998 Lexus GS400 four-door, Maryland tags 1EED48. 4 court Southway, theft from auto. A rear window was broken out and a laptop computer was taken.
14400 block of Laurel Place,
theft.
13600 block of Baltimore Avenue, theft — shoplifting. 15300 block of Laurelton Drive, burglary — unforced entry.
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DEC. 3 theft.
15500 block of Plaid Drive,
burglary — unforced entry.
500 block of Washington Boulevard, attempted burglary/
vandalism.
DEC. 4 300 block of Carroll Avenue,
NOV. 29
A short drive from Montgomery & Jhonny Herrera Prince George’s Counties Jim Coleman Honda 12441 Auto Dr. Clarksville, MD 21029 jherrera@jimcolemanauto.com 443-535-1035 office 240-476-5590 cell
motor vehicle theft — motorcycle.
900 block of Fairlawn Avenue,
9300 block of Spring House Lane, motor vehicle theft - mo-
DEC. 4
DEC. 1
DEC. 2
burglary — forced entry.
DEC. 3
300 block of Montrose Avenue, burglary — forced entry.
900 block of Park Avenue,
14800 block of Ashford Court, theft.
DEC. 2
NOV. 30
motor vehicle theft.
1906208
6100 Greenbelt Road, theft arrest, 4:52 p.m. Lorenzo Medley, 19, of Lanham was arrested and charged with theft after he allegedly marked down items for others to purchase while working as a cashier at the Target store. The
Page A-7
theft from motor vehicle.
14600 block of Laurel Bowie Road, robbery with firearm. 13900 block of Baltimore Avenue, theft.
DEC. 5 9100 block of Huntington Court, theft. 800 block of Main Street, mo-
tor vehicle theft.
DEC. 6 9300 block of Spring House Lane, theft — motor vehicle
parts/accessories.
7900 block of Chapel Cove Drive, burglary — forced entry.
DEC. 7 7800 block of Braygreen Road, burglary — forced entry. 14100 block of Lauren Lane theft.
THE GAZETTE
Page A-8
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
CENTER
Continued from Page A-1 against the project were Elenora Simms (Ward 1), who made the motion for cancellation; Aretha Stephenson (Ward 2), who seconded the motion; Johnie Higgs Sr. (At large) and Eugene Kennedy (Ward 5). Councilman Gerald Raynor (Ward 4) abstained, and Councilman Kelly Porter (At large) was absent from the meeting. Council president Reveral Yeargin voted against canceling the project. “I want to see some economic development in my city,” Yeargin said. “We have the power to make change.” Simms and Stephenson declined to comment on the vote, instead requesting that the city’s administrator, LaTasha Gatling, respond to queries regarding the vote. Higgs also declined comment, and Kennedy and Porter did not return phone calls for comment by press time. Gatling said in an email to The Gazette that the project’s term sheets, documents that outline a business agreement and are the framework for a final agreement, were a concern to council members. “[The] majority of the council felt that the city is not in a position to take on a project of a $100 million plus, when the City’s annual budget is $3.7 million,” Gatling said in the email. Gatling declined to comment further. Resident Bettye Magee-Price said she was upset about the project’s termination, but was unable to tell the council because its Dec. 9 meeting was canceled due to lack of quorum. Kennedy, Porter, Simms and Stephenson were unable to make the meeting because of a mix of traveling and illness, Yeargin said. Higgs left right after the meeting was canceled. “Unacceptable is putting it mildly,” Magee-Price said of the project’s cancellation. “This is crazy.” Grant said the termination of the project was a surprise even though negotiations with Kratos have been on hold since August. Grant said he didn’t know why the negotiations were on hold. Gatling would not comment on why negotiations were tabled. Kratos Infrastructure also declined comment. Before the project was canceled, the city was preparing to do a study to see what could have been built at the center and how that would factor into the city’s budget, Grant said. The arrangement with Kratos was such that the city didn’t have to pay anything up front and all costs, besides final lease payments, would be reimbursed, he said. “Everything looked like it was good to go,” he said. ccook@gazette.net
SPENSER LI/FOR THE GAZETTE
Judges at the game design competition, (seated, from left) the Rev. Marlon Owens, Kenny Diggs, Paul Burks and Ricky McClallum, evaluate the top four game designs. All of the judges are volunteers with the Patriot Technology Center.
GAMING
Continued from Page A-1 Their game, titled Whisper, won first place, putting a big smile on the faces of teammates Nichelle French, 14, of Upper Marlboro; Jahmari Samuel, 15, of Laurel; and Amber Harris, 13, of Woodbridge, Va. The team got the idea from the Slenderman games, a popular horror video game where the protagonist must collect a set number of items before escaping from a suit-wearing, faceless creature with slender arms and legs. “[We] had a great idea to make it a darker setting,” Harris said. “It was fun.” The Whisper team received $100 gift cards
for placing in first. Second- and third-place teams received $50 and $25 respectively. About 125 youth participated in the event, creating games using the Kodu Software, a programming game that helps teach the basics of creating video games. They learn how to create and place environments like trees and enemies via computer coding wrapped into formulas that dictate how everything interacts. Capitol Heights-based Patriot Technology Center held the event at Prince George’s Community College in Largo to teach interested youth about science, technology engineering and math, said Gloria Shivers, center program director. Having the education made part of a video game design competition helps keep
participants excited and interested, she said. “It is inspiring them to not just play,” Shivers said. “Video game design has every aspect of STEM.” French said making games has made her more interested in math and science courses, and she has thought about becoming a video game designer or a meteorologist. French’s mother, DeLisa French of Upper Marlboro, said she supports her daughter’s interest in making games because she isn’t just playing them. “It is also about being creative and critical thinking,” DeLisa French said. ccook@gazette.net
STUDENTS
Continued from Page A-1 is a clearinghouse for ideas and advice. She said group members can accompany other parents when they meet with school officials. “It can be really hard sometimes for a parent, especially one going alone. You’re surrounded by all these professionals in suits, and then there’s little old you,” McCracken-Harness said. “We can provide support.” McCracken-Harness said there are more than 500 students in Home and Hospital Teaching, the public county schools division that provides instructional services to homebound and hospitalized students. For county students who have a documented illness that keeps them out of school for an extended period of time, a teacher is sent to the hospital or home, usually to provide six hours of weekly instruction, said Barbara Nelson-Lewter, a Home and Hospital Teaching coordinator. “It may not sound like a lot, but when you’re one-onone, it’s rather intense,” she said. Alternately, students may receive online instruction if they have a computer at home, Nelson-Lewter said. McCracken-Harness said the group also can provide respite care to struggling parents, as well as advocate for more funding, and logistical and tech support for the Home and Hospital Teaching program. “It’s important to have a group advocate for these types of issues and needs,” McCracken-Harness said. Julie Coleman of Riverdale Park was one of a dozen people who attended PGPIPS’ inaugural meeting Dec. 4 at Kenmoor Middle School in Landover. Her 8-year-old son has cystic fibrosis and has been in the hospital 43 times. “When I first found out about this, I was really excited, because I hadn’t found any other local groups for parents,” Coleman said. “His school is just not familiar with his condition, so we’ve had a lot of problems with that.” McCracken-Harness said she hopes that PGPIPS can provide a community for parents who may feel like they are struggling alone. “We want to help the school system better understand the needs of students with rare disorders,” BrooksWilkins said. 133546G
janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net
THE GAZETTE
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
FEE
Continued from Page A-1 ing such strong action to clean up their communities,” said Lehman, who testified Monday in support of the bill during a public hearing. “I don’t believe it reflects well on our county.” The bill was one of 32 introduced Monday during a public hearing by the county delegation at the Prince George’s County Sports and Learning Complex in Landover. The bills will be taken up by the General Assembly in its next session, which begins Jan. 8. County residents were invited to give testimony on the bills and the four that spoke on the disposable bag fee bill supported the measure. Martha Ainsworth of Bowie, chairwoman of the Prince George’s County chapter of the Sierra Club, a grassroots environmental group, cited a Prince George’s County Office of Community Relations publication that said the average shopper pays $15 to $37 per year in higher retail costs to cover the business’ bag purchases while the county annually spends approximately $2.5 million on cleaning up plastic bag trash. “Under this bill, disposable bags are paid by the people who choose to use them, not by the rest of us in our shopping bills,” Ainsworth said. “The purpose is to offer an incentive that will reduce litter and protect the environment, not to raise revenue.” Julie Lawson of Accokeek, director of the Trash Free Maryland Alliance, said a Department of the Environment study has shown bag fees have reduced bag consumption in the District. “Eighty percent of D.C. residents are carrying reusable bags with them, to avoid paying the fee,” said Lawson. Lawson said plastic bags make up approximately 20 percent of the trash cleaned from the Anacostia River and 50 percent of the trash cleaned from its tributaries. Last year, the bill had enough votes to pass, said Del. Barbara Frush (D-21) of Beltsville, the House sponsor of the bill, but other delegates looking for a way to fund a bill requiring county schools install turf fields, attached amendments to her bill directing the revenue towards the fields. “The primary purpose of the bill was to protect the environment, and turf fields do not protect the environment,” Frush said. “So I withdrew the bill.” Frush said the bag fee is not a tax on county residents who already pay for the bags. “It’s not a tax, you pay for the bags every time you make a purchase,” Frush said. “It’s a hidden fee.” Lehman said the “clean” bill drew support from over 30 environmental, business, labor, local government and civic groups. “It really enjoys broad support across many different types of stakeholder organizations,” Lehman said. Lehman said that if the bill is approved, the County Council will then vote whether to approve the fee and where the revenue from the fee will go. “I don’t mind spelling out that it needs to be spent for environmental purposes and for free [reusable] bags for low-income people, for education and for outreach,” Lehman said. janfenson-comeau@ gazette.net
“Under this bill, disposable bags are paid by the people who choose to use them, not by the rest of us in our shopping bills. The purpose is to offer an incentive that will reduce litter and protect the environment, not to raise revenue.” Martha Ainsworth, chairwoman, Prince George’s County chapter of Sierra Club
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Page A-9
The Gazette
The longer road home in Oxon Hill
The new Tanger Outlets mall in Oxon Hill has been a rousing success — officials estimated that about 30,000 vehicles passed through on opening day — but the handling of the accompanying traffic has been a big disappointment for nearby residents. Traffic on a portion of the main road leading to the mall, Oxon Hill Road, has had to be diverted occasionally when the mall’s main parking lot is full and Prince George’s County police direct vehicles to secondary lots. Unfortunately, residents living along the roadway are getting caught up in the melee and are sometimes required to follow the detour rather than take the shorter, more direct TIME TO LOOK AT route to their homes. Police have been inINFRASTRUCTURE structed to allow residents to CHANGES TO avoid the detour, but many PREVENT CLASH say they are being denied the WITH BUSINESS option. Donna Apperson, who lives on Oxon Hill Road, said she was told by an officer to take the detour and that she would “get used to” the traffic changes. She took a route that she said added about 30 minutes to her drive. William Cavitt, president of the Indian Head Highway Area Action Council, a group that advocates on behalf of Oxon Hill and Fort Washington residents, said he has received dozens of similar complaints. Some complaints, he said, are from officers of civic associations representing about 3,000 people. Unfortunately, almost everyone loses in this scenario. Residents end up playing a game of chance regarding how long it will take them to get home; police, whose time would be better spent chasing criminals, end up negotiating detour disputes; the mall ends up with an unhappy community; and shoppers join in on the traffic debacle. Granted, the congestion is likely to lessen significantly after the holidays, but it’s a challenge that is likely to recur, at the community’s expense. Post-holiday sales, community events and other big shopping dates are likely to bring a repeat of problems. Perhaps, for residents’ sake, those living along the blocked portion of roadway could get permits, allowing officers to see at a glance who should be allowed to avoid the detours on Oxon Hill Road. And county and mall officials need to take another look at the area’s infrastructure to see whether improvements can be made to prevent such traffic challenges. While those living along Oxon Hill Road have concerns, there have also been complaints regarding traffic backing up along other nearby roadways due to mall traffic. It’s wonderful to see business booming in Oxon Hill, but it will be even better when the kinks — even the temporary ones — are worked out.
Parents helping parents There are many Prince George’s County students who not only deal with chronic illnesses, but must also face the challenge of keeping up with schoolwork even when they are forced to miss significant amounts of class time. Unfortunately, it’s a group that goes unnoticed all too often, as parents may not be able to be involved in PTAs or other school organizations that would make their challenges known because they are busy at home or in hospitals caring for their ailing children. Fortunately, two Prince George’s County women are making an effort to get more support for those families and formed an advocacy group called Prince George’s Parents of Ill or Pregnant Students. Beth McCracken-Harness of Cheverly and Lisa BrooksWilkins of Capitol Heights, who each have a child coping with a chronic illness, hope the group will help parents navigate the difficulties involved in ensuring their children receive a solid education despite their circumstances. In addition to sharing resources and advocating for more program funding, group members can accompany other parents to meetings with school officials. Such help is sure to make the education system, which can feel like a bureaucratic giant at times, a bit less intimidating. McCracken-Harness said there are more than 500 students in the county school system’s Home and Hospital Teaching division, which oversees instructional services to homebound and hospitalized students. About a dozen parents attended the group’s first meeting this month. For the majority of Prince Georgians who may never have to deal with such challenges, formation of such a group may not seem like a big deal — but it is. Writer George Eliot once wrote, “What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other?” Clearly, McCracken-Harness and Brooks-Wilkins are working to do just that: make life a little bit easier for parents and their children dealing with illnesses. They should be commended for their effort to help a population that is rarely in the spotlight.
Douglas S. Hayes, Associate Publisher
Page A-10
Let taxpayers decide whether to expand City Hall Does College Park really need to spend $6,000,000 to almost double the size of City Hall? A Gazette article quoted someone that [said] the city needed more room for meetings. I don’t remember any mention of the Parish House or Davis Hall for meetings. Also, I have attended meetings at the community center and numerous auditoriums and rooms on the University of Maryland. It would make a lot more sense to use existing facilities instead of spending a ton of money on fancy new digs for the city. For an expenditure of this amount, I would like to see a referendum of city taxpayers to see how many support this idea. I realize referendums are not popular with politicians, but the taxpayers have to foot the bill for all the wild spending schemes the politicians think up, so it is only fitting for the taxpayers to have a say in the matter. Also, putting all city
employees in one building sounds nice, but with the telephone and Internet, how many times do city employees really need to face-to-face? And where are all these employees supposed to park? The new parking garage was supposed to ease parking problems for local businesses if I remember correctly, so filling it up with city employees was not in the cards, or was that the plan all along? I think the taxpayers really deserve to get their voice heard in this matter, since this will probably be the largest procurement in the history of the city. I remember when the city could not raise taxes without a vote, but we lost that with some political trick. Six million dollars is a lot of money and should not be spent without a genuine need that would benefit the residents of College Park, not just desire to spruce up the place.
Sam Bronstein, College Park
Education lessons from merry olde England ’Tis the season we explore the redemptive powers of charity, generosity and empathy. In the coming weeks, millions of households will stuff their bellies full and head for warm family rooms to watch their favorite version of that most frequently adapted classic by Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol.” Granted, this nation has progressed far since that little tome was printed, at Dickens’ own expense, and distributed across England at a meager five shillings per copy. Today, only one in five children suffer the ravages of homelessness, food insecurity and wretched poverty. That is down from the seven-in-10 figure that inspired the creation of everyone’s favorite miserly curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge. COMMENTARY Collectively, we treat children less like KENNETH HAINES chattel, now. Children are less frequently considered a cheap and expendable labor force in modern times. We have passed child labor laws and, for the most part, no longer treat children as part of “the surplus population” that Dickensian England was, by all accounts, attempting to reduce through attrition. This society has become more adept, at least provisionally, at ensuring the common necessaries are available to most of our citizens. Most children do not experience abject need for food and shelter. Compulsory attendance at school is an invention of the 20th century. Still, it is alarming that any children at all are forced to endure societal indifference to their situation. Outperforming 19th century England is hardly worthy of praise. Dickens used his personal wealth to fund schools and improve access to education for underprivileged children. He saw education as an exit strategy from the servitude of the workhouses. When it comes to our budget priorities this year, we would all be well-served to heed the warning of the second Spirit, “This boy is Ignorance and this girl is Want. Beware them both ... but, most of all, beware this boy for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased.” Kenneth B. Haines is the president of the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association.
DAN GROSS/THE GAZETTE
Police on Oxon Hill Road direct traffic to overflow lots outside of the Tanger Outlets on Black Friday. Some residents worry a casino plan in Oxon Hill would add to congestion in the area.
Infrastructure can’t support MGM plan MGM and its political supporters all but declared themselves the winner of the final gaming license to be awarded in Maryland. They believe they are the frontrunner in this race, and the momentum they’ve gained is attributable to their superior public presentation. MGM’s presentation, at times, took on the tone of a political campaign with all the trappings. They brought their own cheering section, repeatedly reminded the audience of their record and also vacillated through the more substantive questions regarding their financial projections. If MGM had a political platform, it would be summed up as “No New Roads.” During the public hearings, MGM promised to use the current infrastructure (I495 ramps at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge and roads from Oxon Hill and Md. 210). They claim no additional roads are needed for their location at the National Harbor. MGM’s executives maintain current road configurations make their location ideal and more viable than other sites. MGM’s proposal is dangerously flawed and naively optimistic. Traffic during opening day of the Tanger Outlets was a sobering reality check against MGM’s claims that our infrastructure is sound enough to support a casino, hotel, spa and showplace arena. On Nov. 22, the Oxon Hill area at the National Harbor experienced unprecedented traffic backup in all directions. The Tanger
Ken Sain, Sports Editor Dan Gross, Photo Editor Jessica Loder, Web Editor
Outlets, much like the National Harbor, has multiple access points from route I-495, 210 as well as Oxon Hill Road. As a temporary solution, Prince George’s is using police presence to help move the backlog eastbound into the community at large. Traffic congestion has already reached critical mass in Oxon Hill, some three years before the advent of a MGM proposed casino, hotel and showplace arena. It is unclear how their plans to further stress our frail and nearly obsolete infrastructure is of benefit to the state, county or neighborhood. One of the other applicants pledged 50 percent or up to $100 million to Md. 210’s expansion project. That amount should buy a lot of goodwill with Prince George’s County and the state of Maryland. Prince George’s County would then receive benefits from applicants instead of providing the incentive to the likes of MGM. We should evaluate each applicant on the basis of financial windfalls and overall benefits to the state, Prince George’s County and the hosting community. We invited several applicants to tell us how they intend to profit us. We scrutinized each of the applicants and somehow allowed MGM to sell us a bridge. We don’t need any more subsidies to large projects that minimally benefit us and maximally stress our already inadequate infrastructure.
Erwin Bonhomme, Fort Washington
Send us 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. Email them to princegeorges@ gazette.net.
Postal worker’s death shows need for better policy decisions Nov. 23 marked two notable events. It was the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and also the day a postal employee was shot to death in Prince George’s County while doing his job: delivering mail. What would motivate a human being to shoot and kill another human being without provocation and without even knowing the victim? Indeed, this is a mystery to humankind in this modern era of gun violence we are experiencing in America. America is unique among developed nations for its rate of gun deaths. America ranks number 1 in gun deaths among the 34 most wealthy nations in the world and number one in gun possession per capita among all nations, but 23rd in ranking for educational performance in math, 34th in science and 17th in reading. While America’s educational system has weakened over that past 50 years, the gang culture is alive and well. America’s prison population is larger than all in-
dustrialized nations with more than two million people incarcerated. African Americans are 39 percent of the incarcerated, but make up less than 14 percent of the total U.S. population. Part of the problem may lie in the breakdown of the American family. In 1963, 93 percent of American families were comprised of two-parent families and for African-Americans, it was 77 percent. Now, in 2013, only 59 percent of families are comprised of two-parent families; for African-American families, it’s just 30 percent. The poverty rate in the United States for single-parent, female headed households with children under 18 years of age is 41.5 percent and 47.5 percent for female headed African-American households. The above statistics, when combined with the proliferation of guns in America, provides a lethal elixir for that postal worker delivering mail at 7 p.m. on a Saturday night in an American suburb.
13501 Virginia Manor Road, Laurel, MD 20707 | Phone: 240-473-7500 | Fax: 240-473-7501 | Email: princegeorges@gazette.net More letters appear online at www.gazette.net/opinion
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The Gazette
Forum
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Dennis Wilston, Corporate Advertising Director Doug Baum, Corporate Classifieds Director Mona Bass, Inside Classifieds Director
Jean Casey, Director of Marketing and Circulation Anna Joyce, Creative Director, Special Pubs/Internet Ellen Pankake, Director of Creative Services
We have a problem when a relatively small group of people can declare that their right to interpret the Constitution trumps everyone else’s right to life, liberty and the freedom to live without fear when going about their daily business. The U.S. postal worker was just doing his job, going about his daily business. He lost his life because he lived in a country that places the right to bear arms above the right to live free without being shot. The problem with America’s love affair with gun freedom when taken to the extreme is that it trounces on almost every other freedom. There must be a balance. Americans must demand sanity in public policy making. Politicians must be held accountable for policies that permit gun violence to go unchecked, but cuts funding for education, job creation and social programs such as food stamps that help poor families survive.
Michael A. Doaks, Bowie
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
ST. VINCENT PALLOTTI PLAYER LEADS THE ALL-GAZETTE GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL TEAM, A-12
SPORTS COMING UP SHORT: LAUREL | COLLEGE PARK | GREENBET | LANDOVER | LANHAM | HYATTSVILLE www.gazette.net | Thursday, December 12, 2013 | Page A-11
Suitland loses in state final
n BY
Slow start, miscues and penalties contribute to first loss of season
ERIC GOLDWEIN
NORTHWEST 33 SUITLAND 16
STAFF WRITER
After a long season and an exhausting championship run, senior Rasheed Gillis still isn’t sure about his primary position on Northwest High School’s football team. Not that he, nor any of his Northwest teammates, care what position they play — as long as they’re on the field. “I just play wherever they put me,” Gillis said. The triple-threat — nicknamed “Flash” by a team supporter — made plays on offense, defense and special teams, helping lead Northwest (12-2) to a 33-16 victory against Suitland (13-1) in the Class 4A state championship game Friday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The victory gave the Jaguars their first state championship since 2004. “I’m just proud of the kids for stepping up and being physical, and doing everything we asked them to do,” Northwest coach Mike Neubeiser said. Playing in cold, rainy conditions, Gillis and the Northwest defense kept the Rams in check, shutting down their run game and putting constant pressure on senior quarterback Wesley Wolfolk. Suitland’s offense was silenced in the first half, but the Rams came charging back in third quarter and trimmed Northwest’s lead to 12-8 after a touchdown on their opening drive. Gillis, though, responded
Northwest (12-2) 6 6 8 13 33 Suitland (13-1) 0 2 6 8 16 N — E.J. Lee 9 run (kick blocked) S — Safety N — Joshua Gills 30 pass from Mark Pierce (pass failed) S — Tevon Singleton 40 pass from Wesley Wolfolk (run failed) N — Rasheed Gillis 2 run (E.J. Lee run) S — Darryl Jasper 4 pass from Wesley Wolfolk (Wesley Wolfolk run) N — Matt Watson 77 pass from Mark Pierce (pass intercepted) N — E.J. Lee 10 run (Diego Melendez kick)
Rushing Northwest — Mark Pierce 7-27; E.J. Lee 17-24; Rasheed Gillis 3-2; Matt Watson 1-(-1); Trint Coulter 1-(-6). Suitland — Wesley Wolfolk 1849; Robert Wigfall 9-31; Brandon Brown 4-27; Joshua Burke 7-21. Passing Northwest — Mark Pierce 12-22261-0; Trint Coulter 1-1-7-0. Suitland — Wesley Wolfolk 1842-218-1. Dakarai Ellis 0-1-0-0.
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Suitland High School quarterback Wesley Wolfolk throws against Northwest during the Class 4A state championship football game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. with a 56-yard kickoff return that gave the Jaguars possession deep in Suitland territory. The senior capped off the short drive with a 2-yard rushing touch-
down which gave Northwest a two-possession lead and proved to be the game-winner. Sophomore quarterback Mark Pierce finished his stellar
playoff run by completing 12 of 22 passes for 261 yards and two passing touchdowns. His 77yard touchdown to senior Matt Watson late in the fourth quar-
ter extended Northwest’s lead to 26-16 and put the game away. “This group’s a special
See SUITLAND, Page A-12
FILE PHOTO
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
DuVal High School graduate Thierno Diallo’s (top) success has left an impression on wrestlers still left in the program.
Eleanor Roosevelt High School guard Andre Fox looks to shoot against DeMatha Catholic on Dec. 5.
Fox waits, steps into primary role
TOM FEDOR/THE GAZETTE
Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School’s Maceo Barbosa (left) and Brenen Garrett run during practice at the school on Monday.
Wise junior on the fast track to success
As the seventh man off the bench last year for Eleanor Roosevelt, shooting guard is set for a breakout season n
BY
TRAVIS MEWHIRTER STAFF WRITER
“Cooking,” explained Raheem Shobowale. “He’s cooking.” It was 14 minutes before tip-off of Eleanor Roosevelt High School’s season opener with DeMatha Catholic, a program in repair after suffering just its second losing season in history last winter. Roosevelt, meanwhile, is currently in a parallel position to the Stags of 2012-2013 this year — complete rebuilding mode. As the Raiders gathered in the bowels of Morgan and Kathy Wootten Gymnasium, Shobowale sang the praises of Andre Fox, the Raiders’ shooting guard billed with the task of keeping Roosevelt among the Prince George’s County elites despite the graduation of its six top scorers — four are now playing in college and another could have, but opted to focus on school.
See FOX, Page A-13
Receiving Northwest — Matt Watson 3-111; Joshua Gills 5-84; Rasheed Gillis 1-38; E.J. Lee 3-28; Brandon Williams 1-7. Suitland — Steven Rivers 10132; Tevin Singleton 1-40; Robert Wigfall 2-29; Darryl Jasper 3-18; Anthony Ruffin 1-0; Dakarai Ellis 1-(-1).
2013-14 indoor track and field: Pumas eyeing state championship n
BY
ERIC GOLDWEIN STAFF WRITER
Last year, Henry A. Wise High School junior Brenen Garrett was an unknown commodity to the Pumas’ track and field team. But that all changed partway through the season when teammates saw the thensophomore sprinting the 500 meters. “He just takes off and leads everybody,” senior teammate Delanta Yancey said. Added senior Paris Vaughan: “We didn’t know who he was. He just happened to be out in front.” Though spectators thought he was
DuVal wrestling turns the page n
Tigers still feeling impact left by former four-time county champion Diallo BY
NICK CAMMAROTA STAFF WRITER
going to tire out, Garrett finished the race strong. And soon after, he became a regular contributor on a competitive team that won the outdoor Prince George’s County title as well as the 4A South Region championship. Garrett, a transfer from Old Mill, had hoped to play football before a shoulder injury forced him off the field and led him onto the track. At first, Garrett joined Wise’s track and field team to stay in shape, he said, but his mindset changed once he got a taste of success. His accolades from last year’s breakout season include first-place finishes in the 100 and 200 outdoor races at the 4A South Region championships and mul-
From the time he first stepped onto the mat as a freshman to his convincing senior season that ended with an undefeated state championship at Cole Field House, Thierno Diallo was synonymous with DuVal High School’s wrestling program. Diallo, who was a four-year starter, four-year county champion and, arguably, one of the best public school wrestlers to come out of Prince George’s County ever, is now at Binghamton University. The Tigers, meanwhile, are left to press on, creating an identity for themselves post-Diallo. And it’s a bit of an odd feeling, members of the program say. “It’s strange not having him around,” said DuVal coach Cortez Hayes, who’s now in his 19th year coaching wrestling in the county. “But at the same time, it [was] a good experience for his teammates last year to see what he went through to become a state champion. And now, for the newer guys, when
See TRACK, Page A-12
See DUVAL, Page A-12
THE GAZETTE
Page A-12
TRACK
Continued from Page A-11 GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL
Player of the Year
Valen Johnson Junior Pallotti Outside hitter Was all over the place for the Panthers with 180 kills, 126 digs, 53 assists, 66 aces.
FILE PHOTO
St. Vincent Pallotti’s Valen Johnson is The Gazette’s 2013 Player of the Year in volleyball.
First Team
tiple top-3 finishes at the county championships. Now, football is an afterthought and “track is life,” Garrett said. “It was fun and I was winning. So I loved it.” Yancey said Garrett has become one of Wise’s leaders. By training hard, he sets an example for teammates, Yancey said. “He’s done a lot in his spare time to actually better himself,” Yancey said. Garrett and the boys’ team have championship aspirations for the county, region and state — in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. “We’re hungry, we’re working hard. And we feel like we can win indoor and outdoor,” Garrett said. That goal might be attainable with many of Wise’s top scorers returning, including Garrett,
SUITLAND
Continued from Page A-11
Khayla Carr
Keturah Gregory
Dara Harris
Kilana Jenkins
Christina Oyawale
Kristin Watson
Senior Bowie Setter
Senior High Point Middle
Junior Flowers OH/setter
Senior Henry A. Wise Libero
Senior Parkdale Middle
Junior E. Roosevelt Outside hitter
First-year setter led team to county title over Crossland; averaged eight assists.
Became team’s rock and top passer, averaging 4.5 kills and six blocks per game.
Doubling up positions, she recorded 118 assists, 90 kills, 87 digs and 223 service points.
Anchored the Pumas’ defense in leading team to a winning record.
Was a force in the middle with 157 kills and 38 blocks in final high school season.
Watson did a little bit of everything for the Raiders: hit, dig, set and serve reliably.
Coach of the Year Shirley Diggs High Point Guided Eagles to regional title and state tournament berth for first time since 2005.
Second Team
Honorable Mention
Chelsea Beaudoin, senior, Flowers, hitter; Grace Biney, senior, High Point, hitter; Katelin Canty, senior, Flowers, hitter; Erica Kittlesen, senior, High Point, setter; Amber Reese, senior, Roosevelt, hitter; Kalynn Stroman, senior, Friendly, hitter; Tyler Trahan, senior, Crossland, setter
Deja Amaker, Friendly; Nace DentonHurst, Friendly; Zoe Pascal, Wise; Alesia Richardson, Roosevelt; Shannon Riley, Bowie; Sumentra Sinanan, High Point; Paige Smith, Pallotti; Samaya Smith, Crossland; Paulan Smith, High Point; Sabrina Towson, Crossland
group,” Neubeiser said. “There’s a really nice mix — we’re kind of a young team actually. We knew coming in that we’d be young. We just needed some of the guys to step up, and they did.” Pierce recorded 14 passing touchdowns during the Jaguars playoff run. “We knew we had to do it for these seniors this year,” Pierce said. Senior Joshua Gills, who spent part of the season under center, caught five passes for 84 yards. The multi-position star caught a 30-yard touchdown in the second quarter that capped off an 85-yard drive. “This is a terrific season
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr Vaughan and Yancey. “Most of the people are still here,” said Vaughan, an All-Gazette indoor and outdoor selection. “We could actually win a state championship this year.” Vaughan said the extra year of experience will help Wise, particularly its newer runners. “They know what it takes now. They don’t have to think about it as just running anymore,” Vaughan said. The Pumas finished third in the outdoor 4A state championships in the spring — within striking distance of champion Northwest — despite disqualifications from multiple high-stakes events. A lane violation led to a disqualification in the 800-meter relay, costing the Pumas valuable points. “I remember that feeling like it was yesterday,” Garrett said. “That could have been states right there.”
The team is using the championship meet as motivation for the indoor and outdoor seasons. “It made our kids that much more hungry,” coach Fardan Carter said. Wise must overcome the loss of a few top runners, including Chase Powell and Joel Thomas, who accounted for a substantial portionoftheteam’spoints.Butin addition to returning most of their athletes, the Pumas also bring in valuable newcomers. Carter said he expects contributions from Bishop McNamara transfer Malik Self and freshman Maceo Barbosa, among others. Between the returnees, the freshmen and the transfers, this year’s team has enough talent to compete for a championship, Carter said. “We’re going to be in contention again. It’s just a matter of our kids working hard and dedicating themselves,” he said.
with a storybook ending,” Gills said. “The seniors couldn’t have asked for a better year.” Northwest senior cornerback Rodney Snider had a shutdown performance in the secondary, breaking up four passes and intercepting a deep throw late in the second quarter. The special teams advantage belonged to the Jaguars, whose opening offensive possession started on Suitland’s 28-yard line as a result of a short punt. Northwest capitalized on the field position and took a 6-0 lead after E.J. Lee’s 9-yard rushing touchdown. The Rams started slow for the third consecutive game, committing seven penalties and managing only 105 yards in the first half. Their offense picked up in the second half, but so did
their penalties. “You can’t have 17 penalties in a state championship game. That shouldn’t be allowed. Those are things we did and we have to own up to it,” Suitland coach Ed Shields said. The Rams had not lost since November 2012, when they were defeated by Henry A. Wise 41-6 in the 4A South Region final. Northwest’s victory gives Montgomery County its first football state championship since Sherwood won in 2008. “It’s just an amazing feeling,” Pierce said. “Words can’t explain how we all feel right now. It’s great to definitely shock the world, and get it done.”
egoldwein@gazette.net
egoldwein@gazette.net
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
DuVal High School graduate Thierno Diallo’s success has left an impression on wrestlers still left in the program.
DUVAL
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you show them the videos, it’s an easy sell. This wasn’t another school that he wrestled for. That happened right here at DuVal High School.” With a balanced lineup that returns eight wrestlers from last season, it’s not as if the Tigers will simply roll over given the graduation of their franchise grappler. A majority of them have been keeping busy, too. Nearly every member of Hayes’ roster participated in a fall sport, mainly cross country and football. Among the aforementioned group of returners, juniors Jalend Hill (106 pounds) and Adepeba Olujuwon (126) will compliment a strong quartet of seniors in Brian Kobe (132), Derec Nijnyi (152), David Shelton, Jr. (160) and Ayodeji Agbelese (285). Hill and Kobe both ran cross country while Agbelese, Nijnyi and Shelton, Jr. played football for the 10-2 Tigers. Kobe, a second-year wrestler and first-year runner, said he was inspired to join the wrestling team after hearing about Diallo’s accomplishments. Now, he’ll try to emulate his peer and role model. “It’s really sad to see him go be-
cause I used to look up to him for motivation,” Kobe said. “We have a lot more people coming out this year because they saw what Diallo did and they feel as though they have the potential to accomplish something like that. “I’m looking forward to the season to show him how much I’ve improved and taken his advice and used it to better myself.” Hayes, who also serves as the football team’s strength and conditioning coach, encourages his wrestlers to prepare themselves for the rigors of the winter season by either running cross country to build stamina and endurance or playing football. Hill, who also ran cross country for the first time this year, qualified for the state meet and is hoping for similar success on the mat. “My stamina was holing me back last season, so I ran cross country,” Hill said. “I think wrestling is more mental, but you can learn a lot from cross country because even when you’re tired, you have to push through.” With football coach Dameon Powell by his side, Hayes is anxious to see how his team’s offseason training will contribute to potential success. Already, he’s observed an increase in the number of students trying out for
the team — both at DuVal and throughout the county — and is hopeful Prince George’s schools can enjoy a wrestling renaissance in the near future. “I put the same challenge to all my new wrestlers as I put to Diallo his freshman year,” Hayes said. “You have a young man who was athletic, who came from junior varsity football and blossomed and became a very dynamic wrestler. We have some others who have shown some flair and are very dynamic and I think that gives them hope.” While it likely will be an uphill battle for any county team this season given the strength of Parkdale’s squad, DuVal has consistently sent wrestlers to the state tournament under Hayes and this year, Diallo or not, appears to be no different. “I think that instead of putting one name on the map like Diallo did for the last four years — he’s been the face of P.G. County wrestling — we can put a team name on the map and make our county known for wrestling,” Hill said. “We’re excited.” ncammarota@gazette.net
THE GAZETTE
FOX
Continued from Page A-11 As the first quarter unraveled Dec. 5, it became clear what Shobowale meant when he said Fox was “cooking.” Fox made a catch-and-shoot 3-point shot from the wing to put Roosevelt up, 3-2, responded to a DeMatha alley-oop with another 3-pointer to retain a 6-4 lead, and converted another shot two possessions later to extend it to 9-5. At the end of the frame, Fox shot 4-of-8 for 11 points against the most prestigious team in one of the most prestigious basketball conferences the nation has to offer. That pace would prove unsustainable, and DeMatha coach Mike Jones hasn’t led the Stags to WCAC title after WCAC title for no reason at all. He shifted his defense, pressuring Roosevelt’s guards into turnovers before the ball could get to Fox. All in all, DeMatha dominated the Raiders 81-42. Fox finished with 20 points on 8-of-18 shooting. The rest of Roosevelt went 9-for-38 in scoring the remaining 22 points. “The first month probably won’t be pretty,” Roosevelt coach Brendan O’Connell had said a week earlier prior to the game. “But we’re going to be fine.” That’s the prevailing theme among coaches around the county. No matter how much an O’Connell team has lost, “you can never count that man out,” Henry A. Wise coach Rob Garner has said numerous times. “Numbers don’t lie,” Bladensburg’s Antonio Williams added. O’Connell began coaching the program in the 20052006 season. Since taking over, he has coached to six region championships, three trips to the state finals and one state championship (2012-2013). Of course, that state title team had arguably more talent than any public school team in the state and more than most private schools. Versatile big man Malachi Alexander is now starting for Holy Cross, point guard Emmanuel Matey is getting minutes
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for Morgan State, hyper-athletic small forward Tiwian Kendley is putting up nearly 20 points per game for Lamar Community College and Lerenzo Foote is averaging a double-double for Prince George’s Community College. Shooting guard Trevor Evans waffled between walking on at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County or focusing solely on his engineering studies and opted for the latter. “We won our league, which wasn’t easy. We won the county championship, we won a regional championship, we had
“I knew I had to wait my turn. I worked tremendously on my shooting, my dribbling, shooting the three, working hard basically every day in the fall. ...” 27 wins — more wins than any Roosevelt team ever has,” O’Connell said after beating Col.
Zadok Magruder for the 4A state title last March. “Yeah, we had different types of players ... It’s a
Page A-13 really special team.” Talent-wise, it was unmatched, which is why Shobowale called Fox “our little secret” after the loss. He played sparingly last season, finding his spots here and there, but for the most part, he sat back and learned from his elders. “Nobody knows about him yet,” the assistant coach said. “I mean, he was really good last year,” O’Connell said. “We just had a lot of really good players.” Fox came to terms with the fact that the six guys ahead of
him last year would get the minutes of playing time. “I knew I had to wait my turn,” he said. “I worked tremendously on my shooting, my dribbling, shooting the three, working hard basically every day in the fall. ... “We had a lot of great players and we made them work hard in practice so we could win that championship. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time. I want to go as far as we did last year.” tmewhirter@gazette.net
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THE GAZETTE
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C I T Y
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Thursday, December 12, 2013 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
December 12, 2013
Around Town!
CITY OF COLLEGE PARK WINTER ALERT SNOW & ICE REMOVAL
MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEETINGS TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2014 7:00 P.M. CLOSED SESSION TO CONSIDER THE ACQUISITION OR SALE OF REAL PROPERTY FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE 7:30 P.M. MAYOR AND COUNCIL WORKSESSION TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2014 7:30 P.M. MAYOR AND COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING, FOLLOWED BY A SPECIAL WORKSESSION WITH PROPERTY OWNERS TO DISCUSS THE NSQLWG STRATEGIES TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 7:30 P.M. MAYOR AND COUNCIL WORKSESSION TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2014 7:30 P.M. 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 December 3, 2013, the College Park City Council took the following actions: • Adopted 13-R-26, a Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, Maryland, Adopting an Energy Efficiency Policy. • Adopted 13-R-27, a Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park, Maryland, Adopting a Renewable Energy Production Policy. • Authorized Staff to Submit an Action Plan for Energy Reduction and Renewable Energy Generation to the Maryland Energy Administration for the Maryland Smart Energy Communities Program. • Approved an Amended Detailed Site Plan (06095-01) for Monument Village at College Park West, and the related Declaration of Covenants and Agreement Regarding Land Use. • Approved, with conditions, Detailed Site Plan 03098-03 for Metropolitan at College Park, and the related Declaration of Covenants and Agreement Regarding Land Use. • Approved a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Maryland and the City of College Park to coordinate efforts for the purchase, installation and operation of bikeshare stations in College Park. • Approved a Contract between the University of Maryland, the City of College Park and Alta Bicycle Share, Inc., to provide and maintain a bikeshare program in College Park. • Approved a joint UMD-City of College Park letter to Prince George’s County with comments on Plan Prince George’s 2035. At their regular meeting on November 26, 2013, the College Park City Council took the following actions: • Adopted 13-R-25, a Resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City of College Park to amend in their entirety and adopt the Commercial Tenant Improvement Program Guidelines. • Approved a Memorandum Of Understanding (“MOU”) with the Maryland Small Business Technology Development Center In Substantially The Form Attached as part of the Commercial Tenant Improvement Program and authorized the City Manager to sign the MOU. • Approved a Declaration of Covenants and Agreement for the Kidwell development • Approved FY 2014 Public School Education Grants
www.collegeparkmd.gov
Jerry Anzulovic, the recipient of the 2013 Jack Perry Award, is shown here with Councilmember Perry’s children, Donna and Joseph, after being presented with the award by the City Council.
From The Public Works Dept... 9217 51st Avenue
1911944
240-487-3590
publicworks@collegeparkmd.gov
ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS CLOSED WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2013
The College Park Needle Arts Society founder, Leslie Montroll (right), presented a specially made quilted wall hanging to mark their tenth anniversary to Mayor Andrew Fellows (left) and the College Park City Council. The quilt was made to hang in the City’s Old Parish House.
CITY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY BUS DRIVER – PART-TIME On-call driver needed to transport senior citizens and others to shopping, medical appointments, and various events within an 8mile radius of College Park on weekdays. No guaranteed schedule. Valid driver’s license and a kind and patient manner are required. CDL w/passenger endorsement preferred. City application is required. Open until filled. EOE Applications are available from: City of College Park - Human Resources, 4500 Knox Road, College Park, MD 20740. Or on our website: www.collegeparkmd.gov. INFORMATION SYSTEMS TECHNICIAN Full-time desktop support position. Responsible for installing, configuring, trouble-shooting, repairing and upgrading hardware/ software to insure optimal performance. Other duties include assisting users with hardware/software problems and providing user training. Required qualifications include high school diploma or equivalent plus additional relevant vocational or college course work and a minimum of two years hands-on work experience troubleshooting PCs and upgrading software in a network environment. Working knowledge of Linux, Cisco switches, AS400, website maintenance and VPN technology is a plus. Starting salary $40,949 DOQ plus excellent benefits. Apply online at www.collegeparkmd.gov and please attach a resume and cover letter. EOE
BREAKFAST WITH SANTA
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2013 COLLEGE PARK COMMUNITY CENTER 5051 PIERCE AVENUE 10:00 AM UNTIL 12:00 PM This free event is for children of all ages to visit with Santa! Enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast and bring your camera to capture photos with Santa! Sponsored by the College Park Recreation Board and the MarylandNational Capital Park and Planning Commission. Reservations not required. For more information, please call 240-487-3570 or 301-441-2647.
COMCAST/VERIZON CUSTOMER FEEDBACK REQUESTED
The College Park Cable Television Commission would like to hear about the customer experience when calling Comcast or Verizon. We have an escalation process to help customers who may be experiencing problems they feel are not being addressed by the company. If you would like to share your experience, please send an email to cabletv@collegeparkmd.gov. The Cable Television Commission will review responses at their next meeting.
For information about shopping, dining, attractions, services, and accommodations in College Park, visit shopcollegepark.org
COLLEGE PARK DOWNTOWN PARKING GARAGE CORNER OF YALE AVENUE & KNOX ROAD
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 157-6(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.
For information about cultural and arts opportunities in College Park, please visit the following websites: Free Stuff at University of Maryland www.freestuff.umd.edu College Park Arts Exchange www.cpae.org Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland www.claricesmithcenter.umd.edu
All City offices are closed Wednesday, December 25, 2013 to observe the Christmas holiday. The refuse and recycling schedule will be as follows for this holiday week: • Monday collections: no change • Tuesday collections: no change • Wednesday collections will occur Thursday, December 26, 2013. Special collections for brush and bulky items will only be scheduled for Friday, December 27, 2013. You must call 240-487-3590 to schedule a pickup before setting your items to the curb. Please visit www.collegeparkmd.gov for the tentative curbside leaf collection schedule.
RECYCLING HOLIDAY LIGHTS
My Organic Market (9827 Rhode Island Avenue; 301-220-1100; www.momsorganicmarket.com) is accepting your old incandescent holiday lights for recycling through January 31, 2014. Bring in your strings of holiday lights – but do not include boxes or packaging – and receive a coupon for 15% off the purchase of LED holiday lights from HolidayLEDs.com (www.holidayleds.com).
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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
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MOVIE REVIEW
&
‘FURNACE’ HEATS UP
The Gazette’s Guide to
Many moving parts keep a sprawling ensemble cast busy and engaged
Arts & Entertainment
www.gazette.net www.gazette.net
Puck (above) played by Nick DePinto. The fairies play music in the woods during Annapolis Shakespeare Company’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” JOSHUA MCKERROW
BY
Storyteller keeps tradition alive with two performances in Prince George’s County
n
BY
CARA HEDGEPETH STAFF WRITER
For professional storyteller Karen Abdul-Malik, her roles as mother and storyteller are intertwined. “A storyteller’s life is not separate from family,” Abdul-Malik said. “It wasn’t like I walked out and came back. [My kids] have always been a part of my storytelling life.” Known professionally as Queen Nur, AbdulMalik of Willingboro, N.J., will be at the Publick Playhouse on Tuesday for two performances. The programs will focus on the symbols and history of the holiday of Kwanzaa, which honors African traditions in African-American culture. It’s a similar presentation to the one that got things rolling for Adbul-Mailk more than 20 years ago.
See QUEEN, Page B-4 Karen Abdul-Malik, known professionally as Queen Nur, has been a storyteller since the early 1990s. QUEEN NUR
Thursday, December 12, 2013
WILL C. FRANKLIN
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STAFF WRITER
h, the fairies! They control everything! At least in the writings of William Shakespeare, that is. In the case of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a feud between the fairy king, Oberon, and the fairy queen, Titania, reaches out and turns the human world upside down with hilarious consequences. In its third season — first as a professional theater group — the Annapolis Shakespeare Company is set to bring the Bard’s tale to life at the Bowie Playhouse. According to artistic director Sally Boyett-
See WONDROUS, Page B-4
Queen of Kwanzaa
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Page B-1
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM n When: 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturday matinees, 3 p.m. Sundays, to Dec. 22 n Where: Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie n Tickets: $18-$24 n For information: 410-415-3513; annapolisshakespeare. org
Vision focused on the future Dance company presents second-annual Holiday Extravaganza n
BY
CARA HEDGEPETH STAFF WRITER
Even before Vision Contemporary Dance Ensemble held auditions for its 2013-2014 season in September, the company’s schedule was already booked. Among other performances, the calendar includes Vision’s Holiday Extravaganza at Joe’s Movement Emporium on Saturday. Vision, only in its second year, was founded in 2012 by distinguished choreographer Katherine Smith. Smith is a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., where she is now a member of the dance faculty. Smith has worked closely with dance greats including the late Talley Beatty and James Truitte, and her theater and touring credits include “Black Nativity,” “For Colored Girls” and “The Wiz.” After holding a successful summer dance program in 2012, Vision co-executive director Darnese Wilkerson said, “Smith decided she was ready to develop a high-level, high-quality dance company.”
CHRISTOPHER REESE
Vision Contemporary Dance Ensemble performs during last year’s Holiday Extravaganza at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, D.C.
Vision performs a variety of dance styles including tap, Pointe, jazz, contemporary and modern. This year’s ensemble consists of 28 male and female dancers ranging in age from 10 into their twenties. Wilkerson’s daughter Lenai, a junior at the Baltimore School for the Arts, has
See VISION, Page B-3
THE GAZETTE
Page B-2
Thursday, December 12, 2013 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, ’Tis the Season: A Holiday Celebration, 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Dec. 14, , 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, 12th Annual Festival
of Nine Lessons and Carols, 8 p.m. Dec. 13; Nolan Williams Jr.’s “Christmas Gift!” 8 p.m. Dec. 1314, 3 p.m. Dec. 14; Kaleidoscope of Bands, 8 p.m. Dec. 13; Ballet Company M: The Nutcracker, Act II, 7 p.m. Dec. 14; Kol Sasson Final Winter Concert, 7 p.m. Dec. 14; UMD Chamber Singers: Images of the Christmas Feast, Dec. 15, Uni-
versity of Maryland, College Park, claricesmithcenter.umd.edu.
Harmony Hall Regional Center, TBA, call for prices, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301203-6070, arts.pgparks.com. Greenbelt Arts Center, The Renaissance Man’s “A Comic Christmas Carol,” Dec. 13-22, call for prices, Greenbelt Arts Center, 123 Centerway, Greenbelt, 301-4418770, www.greenbeltartscenter.org. Hard Bargain Players, TBA, 2001 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, www.hbplayers.org. Joe’s Movement Emporium, Vision Contemporary Dance Ensemble presents “A Holiday Extravaganza,” 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier, 301-699-1819, www.joesmovement.org. Laurel Mill Playhouse, “It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play,” Dec. 13 to Jan. 4, call for ticket prices, Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St., Laurel, 301-452-2557, www.laurelmillplayhouse.org. Montpelier Arts Center, Movies at Montpelier: “The Year Without
a Santa Claus,” 11 a.m. Dec. 14; “Monsoon Wedding,” 6 p.m. Dec. 14, 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, 301-377-7800, arts.pgparks.com. National Harbor, ICE! “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” to Jan. 5, Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, Maryland. www.christmasonthepotomac.com. Prince George’s Little Theatre, TBA, call for tickets and show times, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, 301-957-7458, www.pglt.org. Publick Playhouse, Kwanzaa with Queen Nur, 10:15 a.m. and noon, Dec. 17, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly, 301-277-1710, arts.pgparks.com. 2nd Star Productions, “Funny Money,” coming in January, Bowie Playhouse, 16500 White Marsh Park Drive, Bowie, call for prices, times, 410-757-5700, 301-832-4819, www.2ndstarproductions.com. Tantallon Community Players, “Miracle on 34th Street,” Dec. 6-15; Harmony Hall Regional Center, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301-262-5201, www. tantallonstage.com.
VISUAL ARTS Brentwood Arts Exchange, “My
A CLOSER LOOK
BILL RYAN/THE GAZETTE
A MIRACLE DOWN THE STREET
Scott La Rue as Fred, Samantha Goldenberg as Susan and Hillary Glass as Doris in “Mirracle on 34th Street,” at Harmony Hall in Fort Washington. For more information, visit www.tantallonstage.com.
Haiku: Paintings of Cianne Fragione,” to Dec. 28; Front Window Featured Artist: Ellyn Weiss, to Nov. 28, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood, 301-277-2863, arts. pgparks.com.
Harmony Hall Regional Center, “It Happened One Night,” Pa-
A concert for choir and orchestra celebrating the heritage of the Christmas story. Featuring works by Ernst Bloch, Aaron Copland, Arcangelo Corelli, Claudio Monteverdi, Hugo Distler and Francis Poulenc, as well as J.S. Bach’s beloved “Wachet auf ” (“Sleepers wake”) cantata.
per Collage by Ronnie Spiewak, to Dec. 27, 2nd Annual Prince George’s Parks and Recreation Employee Visual and Performing Arts Exhibition, to Dec. 27, gallery hours from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10701 Livingston Road, Fort Washington, 301-203-6070. arts.pgparks. com. David C. Driskell Center, “Still...” by sculptor Allison Saar, to Dec. 13, University of Maryland, College Park. www.driskellcenter. umd.edu. Montpelier Arts Center, “Hiroshima Schoolyard,” to Dec. 1, gallery open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, 9652 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, 301377-7800, arts.pgparks.com. University of Maryland University College, TBA, call for prices
and venue, 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
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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.
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New Deal Café, Mid-day Melodies with Amy C. Kraft, noon, Dec. 12, 19; Open Mic with Paige Powell, 7 p.m. Dec. 12; John Guernsey, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13-14; Beggars Tomb, 8 p.m. Dec. 13; Cousin John Band, 8 p.m. Dec. 14; Not2Cool Jazz Trio, 11 a.m. Dec. 15; Kids’ Open Mic, 1:30 p.m. Dec. 15; Fez Tones Hafla, 6 p.m. Dec. 15; Reel and Meal at the New Deal: “War on Whistleblowers,” 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16; Poetry Night Open Mic, 7 p.m. Dec. 17; Open Mic with Joe Harris, 7 p.m. Dec. 19; Black Masala, 8 p.m. Dec. 20, 113 Centerway Road, 301-4745642, 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 Sat-
urdays, Fran Uhler Natural Area, meets at end of Lemon Bridge Road, north of Bowie State Univer-
sity, 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.
REC CENTERS Prince George’s Sports & Learning Complex, Senior Days at
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.
Seat Pleasant Activity Center, Line Dancing, 6:30-8 p.m.
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.
ET CETERA 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.
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Taking risks BY
VIRGINIA TERHUNE STAFF WRITER
Last year, the stage show “Christmas Gift!” debuted in College Park as a musical revue celebrating a lost holiday tradition practiced by African-Americans in the 1800s. This year, producer/composer Nolan Williams Jr. is again presenting the show at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, but this time it will celebrate the tradition through the eyes of a 13-year-old girl living today who discovers its true meaning for herself. “It’s a very different show,” said Williams, who wrote the book, music and lyrics for what he describes as an evolving musical presented as a narrative instead of a revue. “It’s a story structured around an interesting journey in a world that is both mystical and mythical,” he said. “It’s still the same overarching theme, but this is more integrated, unified and connected [than last year].” Directed by Eric Ruffin, “Christmas Gift!’ is running once on Friday and twice on Saturdayin the Kay Theatre at the center. The show features an orchestra and a mixed professional and nonprofes-
VISION
Continued from Page B-1 been a member of Vision since its inception. “Because we advertise this company to be the most talented dancers in the DMV, we’re looking for two things,” Wilkerson said. “Looking for talent — that’s, of course, the first step — but the most important quality we’re looking for is good character.” The majority of Vision ensemble members attend performing arts schools such as the Baltimore School for the Arts or
sional cast of 18 — nine principals, six ensemble performers, three dancers and the Voices of Inspiration group serving as a community chorus. Williams described the set as minimalistic, with a series of platforms and elevations, with variations in lighting tied to scene changes. Many of the 28 songs are new, but also included are two favorites from last year: “What Child is This” (with its “bigband, jazzy setting”) and the finale, “Go, Tell It!” he said. The tradition that inspired the show was a greeting game in which the first person to shout “Christmas gift’” upon encountering someone could expect to receive from the other a small handmade or home-cooked present. “I didn’t know about it until I started working [on the show],” said Saran Bakari, 15, a sophomore at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in northwest Washington, D.C., who plays the teenage protagonist, Zawadi Wise. Bakari said she’s been celebrating Kwanzaa with her family ever since she was born, and in some ways the two traditions are similar. “The gifts are not about quantity but more about quality, like books, or African fabric or something handmade,” she said. Williams describes the teenager that Bakari plays as “very self-interested, very smart, very tech-savvy, very
Duke Ellington. Several company members have also trained under Smith previously. “Ms. Smith is the modern teacher at Duke Ellington so I’ve been training under her,” said Shaylin Watson, a junior at Duke Ellington. “She’ll bring stuff out of you [that] you never knew you had.” Watson will perform in the majority of the pieces at the Holiday Extravaganza including a company dance called “Hark,” and an all-girls piece entitled “Breath of Heaven.” “I have had the privilege to be trained under [Smith] since I was 7,” Lenai said. “It’s just been
n When: 8 p.m. Friday; 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Saturday n Where: Kay Theatre, 3800 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, University of Maryland, College Park n Tickets: $10-$35 n For information: 301-405-2787, claricesmithcenter.umd.edu
B. K. DUBOSE/NEWORKS PRODUCTIONS
Producer/songwriter Nolan Williams Jr. presents his second-annual “Christmas Gift!” show on Friday and Saturday at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center in College Park. This year the holiday musical tells the story of a 13-year-old girl who learns the meaning of giving. The Voices of Inspiration perform as the chorus. materialistic — and she’s used to getting what she wants,” he said. “[But as the story unfolds] she discovers things about herself, her history and culture, and especially the history of her family,” said Williams. “In the process she comes of age and learns about selfless giving and selfless living.” Bakari said she also sees the character as spoiled but also misguided. “She learns to manipulate her parents ... and she thinks she’s smart [doing that],” she said.
HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA n When: 4 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday n Where: Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road., Mt. Rainier n Tickets: $20 n For information: 301-6991819, joesmovement.org
an amazing experience being in her rehearsals. She forms the music to her dancing and it fits
During the musical, young Zawadi meets four griots, who in West African culture serve as storytellers, singers, poets and musicians, preserving the oral tradition of their communities. “There are two males and two females,” said Bakari. “They help guide me in different ways but [toward] the same result.” No stranger to the stage, Bakari has performed in school productions of “Pippin” and “Bat Boy: the Musical,” and most recently in “Four Little Girls:
perfectly as if it were made for it.” But even the dancers who are new to Vision and to Smith’s training have been able to quickly and easily find their place. “I was greeted with open arms into the company,” said Brian Bennett. Bennett became a member of Vision toward the end of the first season after he was invited to sit in on a company rehearsal. Bennett said he knew almost immediately that he wanted to be a part of the ensemble. “I loved the environment and the pieces they were doing,”
Birmingham 1963,” a reading at the Kennedy Center in September directed by Phylicia Rashad. “Christmas Gift!” is Bakari’s first time, however, working with an alladult cast. “They’re open and very supporting, and they’ve allowed me to take risks,” said Bakari, who has her eyes set on college, then Broadway. Williams said much the same about his partnership with the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and its support of new projects. “I call this a musical in the making,” said Williams, who sees “Christmas Gift!” evolving over time and also being performed in other cities. He said he hopes it will become a tradition like its namesake, adding to others such as “Black Nativity” by Langston Hughes and “The Harlem Nutcracker,” with its jazz and swing versions of the Tchaikovsky work. “Part of my motivation has been to create a new work that will add to that body of literature and arts that speak to and celebrate African-American culture,” said Williams. vterhune@gazette.net
Bennett said. “It was a really comfortable place to be and I felt like I wanted to add my own personal input to the company as well.” Bennett is a senior at the Baltimore School for the Arts and hopes to pursue a degree in dance with a minor in communications. “I need that backup plan,” he said. The Holiday Extravaganza, which will be the first Visionhosted event of the season, will feature about a dozen pieces to the tune of holiday music including classics such as “Jingle
Bells” and “Little Drummer Boy.” The showcase will also include a Kwanzaa celebration. After four sold-out shows last year, Vision company members feel they have something to prove. “Of course there’s an expectation for your first year out and you expect to see a step higher and I think we are getting to that step higher,” Lenai said. “I’m excited for everyone to see Vision … see how diverse we are … how much we have improved as a company and individually.” chedgepeth@gazette.net
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2013 Holiday Worship
Extend your hand in hope and assistance. Share your Holiday Services and special programs.
Invite your local community into worship with you.
Reserve your space today!
301-670-7106
Montgomery County Circulation 200,000 Prince George’s County Circulation 105,589 Fairfax County Circulation 105,000
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Griots guide teen in ‘Christmas Gift!’
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CHRISTMAS GIFT!
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WONDROUS
Continued from Page B-1 D’Angelo, the company continues to grow, as evident by becoming a professional theater. “This year, we decided to really pursue professional status and employ all professional actors in our production,” BoyettD’Angelo said. “We do have a big emphasis on teaching, as a teaching company, and what that means is really continuing education when actors are already professional and they can continue to expand their skills and development.” While several professional theaters look to New York to fill their cast lists, Boyett-D’Angelo prides their company on hiring local actors. “There are so many talented professional actors in the D.C./ Maryland/Virginia area that we can really fill great productions with their talents and not even have to go to New York,” BoyettD’Angelo said. Another first for the young theater company is bringing in a guest director for the first time. Kristin Clippard worked in San Francisco, Iowa and Orlando before making a stop in Maryland. Clippard has directed numerous Shakespearean plays and has decided to set this version of “Midsummer” a little closer to modern day. BoyettD’Angelo said the play has a
QUEEN
Continued from Page B-1 Abdul-Malik was 9 years old when she started writing poetry. She said her father would play back up to her verses with jazz music. Now, Abdul-Malik has three children of her own; two daughters, Coniqua, 31, and Sarai, 24, and a son, Niles, 26. In the early 1990s, Abdul-Malik read a Kwanzaa story to Sarai’s preschool class and another to Niles’ kindergarten class. A teacher recognized her talent and suggested Abdul-Malik pursue storytelling professionally. Though she didn’t know much about the art form at the time, Abdul-Malik soon learned about the National Association
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Titania, played by Lauren Turchin, woos Bottom, played by Frank Vince. very 1990s vibe to it and Clippard agrees. “Yeah, mostly with the music, of course, that sets that up for us,” Clippard said. “The clothing choices are definitely in line with that, too. The fair-
ies look sort of a like suburban gang, if you will, and the lovers are looking very much like high school kids in the ’90s. So yeah, there’s a hint of that.” With the fairies fighting amongst each other, nature
of Black Storytellers, a group for which she is now presidentelect, and attended a storytelling retreat in North Carolina. “That’s where a lot of the training came from,” AbdulMalik said. Among her training, AbdulMalik said she learned about the purpose of storytelling and role of a storyteller. “What we do, we’re educating about history. We could use folk tales, Aesop’s Fables, personal tales,” Abdul-Malik said. “When we tell those stories, we’re also passing on lessons of times that have passed ... We do it in an entertaining manner so that we pass on ... the morals, the culture though stories ... Stories are not just to entertain but to pass these principles on.”
Kwanzaa, which was created in 1966 by Mulana Karenga, centers on seven core principles — unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith. But Abdul-Malik points out it is important to recognize those principles throughout the year. “It is a communal holiday and those principles are to be lived all year long,” Abdul-Malik said. “We should always work toward unity and knowing ourselves, giving back to our communities together ... leaving your communities more beautiful than when we walked in ... We should be telling those stories all year long.” On Tuesday, Abdul-Malik will be backed by her drummer,
tends to take a back seat to reason. Because of that, Clippard said she’s taken a seasonal direction to the midsummer play. “We’ve taken a midwinter approach to this forest,” Clippard said. “The idea is that sum-
QUEEN NUR n When: 10:15 a.m. and noon, Tuesday n Where: Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly n Tickets: $5 n For information: 301-277-1710, arts.pgparks.com
Philadelphia musician Dwight James. The first show is a morning program for all ages and the second is an afternoon program for the playhouse’s Seniors 60 & Better series. “They’re very similar,” Abdul-Malik said of the two shows. “The stories might change a little
mer has been frozen and it’s kind of a winter wonderlandlook to the world of the play.” Although umbrellas play a part in this production, Clippard said audiences shouldn’t worry about getting wet — or having bit ... the adult [program] might have more about ancestors. We honor our ancestors during this time ...” Family has remained important for Abdul-Malik. Coniqua was in middle school when she began helping her mother with storytelling research. Sarai is a vocalist and both women help Abdul-Malik with In FACT Inc., Adbul-Malik’s nonprofit organization. In FACT, or Innovative Solutions through Folk, Art, Culture and Tradition, works to “perpetuate and preserve folklife traditions and sustain communities and affect social change.” Abdul-Malike founded the group in 2011. While Coniqua helps with research, Sarai leads the hip-hop and blues workshops for the organization.
to bring their own umbrella for that matter. “The idea of the umbrellas kind of came because the whole play is about love and about how it ebbs and flows in different relationships and how we fight hard to get it and how we make silly mistakes,” Clippard said. “The thing about the umbrellas kind of came about when I was thinking about the weather and how it’s kind of topsy-turvy and how umbrellas are something that we carry with us through all seasons. That kind of feels like that’s apropos for the idea of love because love covers all things, too — jealousy, mistakes, fighting, confusion.” For “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Clippard said she hopes audiences take stock of the relationships in the play and think if perhaps they seem familiar outside of the theater. “I hope people get a little bit of recognition out of it and maybe seeing those fights between the fairy king and queen or between the lovers … and go, ‘Oh yeah, I can remember maybe treating someone that I love that way before because I was jealous or angry,’” Clippard said. “Maybe just a hint of ‘I see myself,’ in their arguments and I can understand why I behaved that way. Maybe a hint of understanding.” If not, surely the fairies will make amends. wfranklin@gazette.net Niles is serving in Kuwait, but Abdul-Malik said he remains connected to his family and the storytelling tradition through emails and social media. As the new president for the National Association of Black Storytellers, Abdul-Malik hopes to build partnerships with other national organizations to help a broader audience understand the importance of storytelling. Though she’ll undoubtedly have more administrative responsibility, it’s unlikely Queen Nur will limit her own storytelling. “It’s like when you become a mother,” Abdul-Malik said. “You’re always a mother. When you become a storyteller, you’re always a storyteller.” chedgepeth@gazette.net
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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.
DEC. 12 Free Event for Homeowners and Renters, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.,
Largo Community Church, 1701 Enterprise Road, Mitchellville. Rebates, solar panels and energy efficient resources for your home. Contact 301-772-1552 or homeenergyaudit@pfccoalition.org.
DEC. 14 Christian Writer’s Critique Group, 9 to 11:30 a.m., Largo Com-
munity Church, 1701 Enterprise Road, Mitchellville. The Christian Writer’s Fellowship is a critique and writing group that meets every second Saturday. Contact lrw941@ verizon.net. Handel’s Messiah, 4 to 5:30 p.m., St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, 8001 Annapolis Road, New Carrollton. Concert featuring selections from Handel’s well known oratorio performed by a superb choir, outstanding soloists and phenomenal orchestra. Reception following. Admission is free. Contact 301-577-1281 or butlerize@aol.com.
The 14th annual Christmas Benefit, 5 p.m., Mount Calvary
Way of The Cross Church, 306 Hill Road, Landover. Benefit musical
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with an oldies flavor. Contact 301800-3179 or nwready2minister@ yahoo.com. Christmas Dance Party, 5 to 10 p.m., Mount Rainier Christian Church, 4001 33rd St., Mount Rainier. Party family-friendly dance music for all ages. Includes free dance instruction, food and non-alcoholic drinks, karaoke and prizes for children. Go to the back of the parking lot to the back door to enter. Contact 443-632-5218 or brianpadamsus@yahoo.com. Winter Concert, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 4512 College Ave., College Park. The Maryland Cantabile will perform works by Barber, Persichetti, Mozart and Victoria. Tanya Ruth, mezzo soprano, will perform Christmas songs by John Jacob Niles. Contact mdcantabile@ gmail.com.
DEC. 15 Christmas Music Program,
10:30 a.m., Glenn Dale United Methodist Church, 8500 Springfield Road, Glenn Dale. Contact soniametelsky@hotmail.com.
Our Savior Lutheran Church’s annual Christmas Concert, 3 p.m.,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, 13611 Laurel-Bowie Road, Laurel. Featuring choirs, strings, hand bells, praise team and sing-along carols. Refreshments and child care are available. There is no admission charge, but we ask that you bring a freewill offering of a nonperishable food item for Elizabeth House soup kitchen in Laurel. Contact 301-776-7670. HOPE Support Group, 3 to 5 p.m., St. John’s Parish Education Center, 8912 Old Branch Ave., Clinton. For people suffering from
depressive illnesses. Contact 301868-6180.
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 Christian 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 301-8643869 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 Commu-
nity 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,
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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,
Baha’i devotions, 10 to 11:30 a.m., first and third Sunday of every month. Breakfast served at 10 a.m. All are welcome. The devotions are at 14200 Livingston Road in Clinton. Call 703-380-7267.
Urgent call for 50 prayer warriors, noon to 1 p.m. Monday
through Friday. Christian Outreach International Center calls for prayer warriors in intercessory prayer with Bishop Janie Carr at the church, 3709 Hamilton St. in Hyattsville. Call 301-927-1684.
Hidden Strengths Support Ministry Inc. Phone Line Prayer Ministry, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. every
Wednesday. Email requests to hssministryinc@aol.com. Call 202372-7716.
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.
New Broken Vessels Ministry Women’s Bible Study and Discussions, 9 a.m. every Friday at It’s
God’s Choice Christian Bookstore, 1454 Addison Road South in Capitol Heights. Call 301-499-5799 for information. Vocalists/singers needed to harmonize “Inspirational Music,”
every Saturday at 8221 Cryden Way in Forestville. Call 301-5990932 or 301-219-4350.
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Victory Church International prayer services, 6 to 8 a.m. daily
at the church, 9308 Allentown Road in Fort Washington. Call 301-449-7706.
Heavens Best Healing and Deliverance Baptist Church revival services, 8 p.m. Monday through
Friday and at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays at the church, 8311 Old Branch Ave. in Clinton. Call 301877-7702.
Church on the Hill “School of Healing,” 3 to 5 p.m. the first and
third Sunday of each month at the A.D. Headen Chapel, Refreshing Spring Church, 6200 Riverdale Road in Riverdale. For registration information, call 301-333-0499.
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Some 124,000 Ballots Cast in The Gazette My Favorite Teacher Program By Karen Finucan Clarkson Special to The Gazette “This is an opportunity to celebrate the absolute best in Prince George’s County – those educators who day in and day out are doing amazing things in their classrooms,” said Christian Rhodes, education policy advisor to Rushern L. Baker, III, the county’s executive. Rhodes, who has visited each of the schools where the winners of this year’s My Favorite Teacher contest are employed, noted the outstanding work these educators are doing to ensure the success of their students. Rhodes’ comments came during a December 3 awards ceremony at the Prince George’s Community College Marlboro Gallery for the winners of The Gazette’s sixth annual My Favorite Teacher contest. Surrounded by college students’ works of art, family, friends, students, school administrators and staff, and sponsors from the local business community gathered to honor this year’s three winning educators. The contest – also held in Montgomery County – began in September when The Gazette asked students to nominate their favorite teachers. The newspaper selected finalists at the elementary-, middle-
With four public charter schools in Prince George’s County, Imagine Schools offers parents throughout the county an alternative to the traditional public education model. A third-year My Favorite Teacher sponsor, Imagine
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An apple for the winners of The Gazette’s 2013 My Favorite Teacher program. From left to right: Darrell Holloman II, a social studies teacher at Bishop McNamara High School; Sis. Portia Yvette Clare, a second grade teacher at From the Heart Christian School; and Brad Brown, a language arts and reading teacher at The Chelsea School.
and high-school levels based on the most compelling student essays, and then opened up the voting to the public to select the winners. Ultimately, the contest drew some 500 nominations in the two counties and garnered more than 124,000 online votes. Prince George’s County selected Portia Yvette Clare, an elementary school teacher at From the Heart Christian School in Suitland; Brad Brown, a middle school language arts and reading teacher at Chelsea School in Hyattsville; and Darrell Holloman II, a social studies teacher at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville. On hand to present the awards were Shawn Toler, regional director of Imagine Prince George’s County, the My Favorite Teacher platinum sponsor; Lola Singletary, marketing director, Chick-fil-A at Capital Centre and Steeplechase, the elementary school sponsor; LeAmber Howell, representative for MGM National Harbor, the middle school sponsor; and Vic Samuels, vice president, community relations, Educational Systems Federal Credit Union, the high school sponsor.
Schools views the program as “an excellent way to engage our community and highlight the outstanding work that so many of our teachers are doing each day,” says Shawn Toler, regional director. As part of a national public charter school family, Imagine Schools partners with parents and guardians in the education of their children by providing high quality schools that prepare students for lives of leadership, accomplishment, and exemplary character.
In addition to receiving verbal accolades from the sponsors, the teachers were presented with the My Favorite Teacher signature award, a stunning glass apple mounted on an inscribed base. They were surprised and thrilled when Doug S. Hayes, associate publisher of The Gazette and The Star, presented them with generous gifts – including a $350 check from The Gazette, free massage and facial from Massage Envy; $50 from Safeway; $25 gift certificate from Buffalo Wild Wings, a party-platter gift certificate from Chick-fil-A; and four tickets to Nolan Williams, Jr.’s Christmas Gift! at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. Students received a gift bag with similar gifts from Chick-fil-A, Safeway, Buffalo Wild Wings and the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. During the ceremony, students read the essays they submitted online nominating the winning teachers. Their words resonated with the sponsors, educators and parents alike. For additional details about The Gazette My Favorite Teacher contest go to www.gazette.net.
While each school is uniquely tailored both in curriculum and structure, the integration of character development and academics sets Imagine campuses apart. Imagine Schools uses six Measures of Excellence to evaluate the effectiveness of each charter school: parent choice, academic achievement, character development, shared values, economic sustainability, and new school development. The work at Imagine Schools is guided by three shared values: integrity, justice, and fun. Teachers and school leaders are squarely in charge of the decisions affecting the schools and students they serve.
For more information, visit the websites of or call the individual schools: Imagine Andrews Public Charter School Joint Base Andrews 301-350-6002 | www.imagineandrews.org Imagine Foundations Public Charter School Upper Marlboro 301-808-4003 | www.imaginefoundations.org Imagine Foundations II Public Charter School Morningside 301-817-0544 | www.imaginefoundations2.org Imagine Lincoln Public Charter School Temple Hills 301-808-5600 | www.imaginelincoln.org
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Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
Darrell Holloman II Social Studies Teacher Bishop McNamara High School
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Mr. Holloman is a man you want to have conversations with. He always tries to push you to do your best and go beyond an assignment; he wants you to want to find out more than you have to….However, the most important thing he does is provide students with a Brad Brown moral lesson. Language Arts and Reading Teacher Kevin Glotfelty 11th Grade “As teachers, we often second guess ourselves,” says Darrell Holloman II, so “it makes me feel encouraged that Kevin was able to get what I wanted him to out of the classroom.” This year’s high school My Favorite Teacher, Holloman was “a little embarrassed by the attention, but recognized that I should take it all in while I can. Most are not blessed with the opportunity to receive their ‘roses’ while they are alive.”
From left to right Victoria Samuels, vice president of community relations, Educational Systems Federal Credit Union; Darrell Holloman II, social studies teacher, Bishop McNamara High School; Kevin Glotfelty, eleventh grade student and nominator.
The award is bittersweet for Holloman, who will leave shortly for Micronesia to join his wife, now assistant attorney general of the state of Yap. “Kevin’s nomination, and now being the recipient of this award, has made the closing to this chapter in my life more like a fairy tale. This award has eased my pain of leaving a school and students that I love…To be recognized for something that you love without any expectations of accolades is not only pleasantly surprising but humbling.”
As he prepares to depart for Micronesia later this month, Holloman has told his students that “this is an amazing opportunity for me as well. I get to explore the world that most only view and discuss in textbooks or in the news. I hope that my desire to explore new and exciting places will one day inspire you to do the same. Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to grow. What God has in store for you may be bigger than the dreams you have for yourself.”
Chelsea School
All of his students love to go to his class in the very subjects that are the hardest for us….His class is not easy but it is fun; he gets us. To him we all have ability and he knows how to bring it out….He has left a lasting impression on me and all of his students that will not only help us in school but in life. Scott Lake, 8th Grade
“Being named this year’s middle school My Favorite Teacher reminds Brad Brown that “teaching is a wonderful and empowering calling. Every day in the classroom presents me with a fresh opportunity to be truly present, to understand that students are hungry for knowledge and skills to succeed but also potentially grappling with what is presented to them. One needs to bring the best of oneself to the task every day.”
From left to right LeAmber Howell, project consultant, MGM Resorts; Brad Brown, language arts teacher, The Chelsea School; Scott Lake, eighth grade student and nominator.
After reading the statement nominating him for the award, Brown “was really surprised but also immeasurably struck that a student would take the time to acknowledge someone that he thought had made an impact on his life as a learner in a public fashion. Hopefully everyone reading this has had an experience as a student where, upon some reflection, they see that a teacher really helped them achieve their academic or personal goals.”
An educator since 1999, Brown earned a B.A. in theatre arts from the University of Southern California and a M.A. in educational psychology from the University of Colorado, Denver. He currently teaches students struggling with language-based learning differences at Hyattsville’s Chelsea School. The reaction to his nomination “has been overwhelming. The Chelsea School is small, but our community is filled with dedicated teachers, staff, parents, friends and students. When my community learned that I was nominated, almost daily colleagues, parents and, most affecting to me, my students, told me I was receiving their vote. It has been a very gratifying experience to say the least.”
MGM GRAND NATIONAL HARBOR
“It’s exciting to be a part of something as wonderful as My Favorite Teacher,” says Victoria Samuels, Educational Systems Federal Credit Union vice president of community relations. “As we honor Darrell Holloman II, this year’s My Favorite Teacher high school winner, we would like to commend the students who took the time to recognize their teachers. When a student is inspired enough to recognize his or her teacher, you know there is something special there.”
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It is due to the efforts of those students, that “My Favorite Teacher gives us all the chance to recognize educators who get involved. After all, when a teacher motivates, encourages and inspires the next generation, it can change the world.” Educational Systems Federal Credit Union serves the employees, students and immediate family members of Montgomery, Prince George’s, Anne Arundel, Charles, Calvert, St. Mary’s, and Talbot County Public Schools, as well as Montgomery College, Prince George’s Community College and the College of Southern Maryland. Learn more about Educational Systems FCU online at esfcu.org.
MGM resort properties that proudly support community-based educational initiatives to build and fortify our workforce of the future. Ensuring the success of Prince George’s County’s children is a collaborative effort, one that involves not only parents and teachers, but supportive businesses, such as MGM National Harbor, says Dee Dee McKinney Odom, a MGM spokesperson. Teachers, however, are key, having “made a commitment to shape the minds of our future leaders. We celebrate them each and every day throughout the MGM Resort properties.” MGM Resorts International – known for its corporate social-responsibility policy and community investment – is seeking to create a world-class destination resort casino that respects the history and culture of Prince George’s County and meets the needs of the sophisticated Maryland marketplace. Through “Touching Communities, Touching Lives,” MGM National Harbor joins more than 20 other
The design of MGM National Harbor is influenced by both the natural topography and the iconic nature of nearby national monuments and their interactions with residents and visitors. Its operational standards will reflect the superior level of quality found in its other hotels, including Bellagio, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, ARIA, and The Mirage. The ultimate vision for National Harbor extends far beyond gaming to include a luxury hotel, fine dining courtesy of local and celebrity chefs, premier entertainment, shops featuring some of the world’s finest retailers, and a luxurious spa. To learn more about MGM National Harbor and to view the architectural renderings of this stunning resort, visit www.mgmnationalharbor.com.
THE GAZETTE
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Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
understand something. I really appreciate how she treats us, like we should be treated. She sincerely cares about us. Simone Thompson 6th Grade
Portia Yvette Clare
Teacher From the Heart Christian School
When Portia Yvette Clare first read the statement nominating her as My Favorite Teacher, she “was humbled and overwhelmed. I thought, ‘Thank you, Lord. She has heard my heart. This is exactly what I desire for all of my students.’ “Receiving this award means that my level of commitment to my students and to my craft must not be compromised. It means that my character and conduct matter, and that everything we do affects someone else. That’s humbling to me,” says Clare. “We all have something important, necessary and sufficient to give, and we must recognize and accept that responsibility so that others might be edified, strengthened and encouraged through our service.”
From left to right Lola Singletary, Marketing Director, Chick-fil-A Capital Centre/ Steeplechase; Sis. Portia Yvette Clare, second grade teacher, From The Heart Christian School; Simone Thompson, sixth grade student and nominator.
Sis. Clare is the absolute BEST teacher! She makes learning fun and very interesting. Her humor and smile make us laugh when we are down. She teaches in a very simple manner that everyone can understand. Sis. Clare never rushes us when we don’t quite
Held Tuesday evening December 3, 2013 Prince George’s Community College (Marlboro Gallery)
Now in her 23rd year of teaching, Clare holds an A.B. in English from Duke University, M.S in elementary education from Pensacola Christian College, and M.Ed. in education from Regent University. “I was initially attracted to teaching because my mother was, and still is, a teacher. Oftentimes, while playing with my friends, I would pretend to be the teacher and they would pretend to be my students. By the age of four, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I sincerely believe that I was born to teach.” Clare sums up the reaction of family, friends and co-workers with the words, “jubilation, glee, bliss, pride and elation…The outpouring of love that I have received because Simone Thompson took the time to think of me has been tremendous. I am eternally grateful and sincerely thankful. To God be the glory, great things He has done.”
From left to right: Kevin Glotfelty, eleventh grade student and nominator; Darrell Holloman II, social studies teacher, Bishop McNamara High School; Simone Thompson, sixth grade student and nominator; Sis. Portia Yvette Clare, second grade teacher, From The Heart Christian School; Brad Brown, language arts teacher, The Chelsea School; Scott Lake, eighth grade student and nominator.
opportunity to give recognition and praise to a local educator for his or her hard work and dedication to teaching our children and giving them the tools to think and make good decisions for themselves.” It’s as much about community as it is about chicken at Chick-fil-A. Its My Favorite Teacher elementary school sponsorship is testament to that. “Chick-filA supports opportunities that foster positive educational and developmental opportunities for all ages and strives to be involved with community projects and programs designed to enhance Prince Georges County and its citizenry,” says Lola Singletary, marketing director for Chick-fil-A at Capital Centre and Steeplechase. That concept of community infuses Chick-fil-A’s belief that “it does ‘take a village’ to raise children properly.” Now in its second year as a sponsor, Chick-fil-A finds the contest to be “a fantastic
Singletary found it “gratifying to learn about the lives of the finalists and discover what brought them to teach and why children matter. The respect and admiration for those who win the contest are the reflection of residents of Prince Georges County, and that is an honor quite different from a ‘national’ award, because it is their direct and immediate community.”
Doug S. Hayes, associate publisher of The Gazette & Gazette-Star welcomes teachers, students, sponsors, friends and family to the 2013 My Favorite Teacher awards ceremony at Prince George’s Community College’s Marlboro Gallery.
Since opening its first Chick-fil-A in an Atlanta shopping mall in 1967, the company has steadily grown to become the second largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain in the U.S. The restaurant chain offers scholarships to employees and local franchises “recruit and employ young people.” Platinum sponsor Shawn Toler, regional director of Imagine Schools Maryland (left), and Doug S. Hayes, associate publisher of The Gazette & Gazette-Star
Sis. Portia Yvette Clare, second grade teacher, and Simone Thompson, sixth grade student and nominator, From The Heart Christian School sharing an emotional moment during the ceremony.
The Gazette congratulates all the Prince George’s County teachers who made it to the final voting round this fall: PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL n Danella Michelle Borden-Browne Patuxent Elementary School n Portia Yvette Clare From the Heart Christian School n Norma Dean (Richardson) Samuel P. Massie Academy n Michael R. Goforth Valley View Elementary School n Angela Grooms Whitehall Elementary School n Myrna P. H. James George E. Peters Adventist School n Marcus D. Johnson Imagine Lincoln Public Charter School n Melissa Shipp (Ford) Scotchtown Hills Elementary School n Judy Skarsten New Hope Academy PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL n Traci L. Allen James Madison Middle School n Brad Brown Chelsea School n Jennifer C. Eller Holy Redeemer n James Fowler Beltsville Academy n Celeste Kell Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School n Jeffrey Lloyd Walker Mill Middle School n W. Nulty Lynch Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School n Titus O. Peck Benjamin Tasker Middle School n Andrew VanEgmond Drew Freeman Middle School n Tonia Ziegler Drew Freeman Middle School PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School n Darrell Holloman II Bishop McNamara High School n Veronica Nowinsky DuVal High School n Torrence Oxendine Laurel High School n Stephanie M. Reliford Laurel High School n Erika Sheehan Elizabeth Seton High School n Lucia Simpson Bladensburg High School n Janay Stallworth Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School n Rashieda D. Addison-Gantt
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THE GAZETTE
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Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
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2011 Scion XD.................. $11,800 $11,800 2012 GMC Terrain SLE-1...... $19,800 $19,800 #355050A, 4 SpeedAuto, 4DR, 1-Owner, Espresso #460033A, 2WD, 6 SpeedAuto, 1-Owner, 45k Miles
#326082A, Navigation, 3K Mile, Crystal Black Pearl...............................
#P8847A, 29K Miles, Blizzard Pearl........................................................ #429002B, 11,421K Miles........................................................................
$26,980
#327217C, 63K Miles..............................................................................
$31,980
#P8825, 6 Speed Auto, Ice White, 4WD, 1-Owner, Certified...................
$34,980
#327208A, 6 Speed Auto, Caspian Blue, Certified.................................
VOLVO
15401 Frederick Rd, Rockville, MD
www.darcarsvolvo.com
G558430
1-888-831-9671 1-888-831-9671
11,980
$
15,480
$
2012 Mazda Mazda 6
CERTIFIED
19,800
See what it’s like to love car buying
#438356A, 96K Miles, 4WD
2008 Cadillac STS
$10,800 2011 Toyota RAV-4............. $17,800 $17,800 2007 Toyota Camry LE......... $10,800 #472097A, 5 SpeedAuto, Turquoise Metallic #363397A, 4 SpeedAuto, Metallic Silver, 1-Owner
DARCARS
13,980
2010 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ
13 Toyota Camry LE #R1738, $ 6 Speed Auto, 14.2k $
miles, 4 Door, 1 Owner
#N110003, 5 Speed Auto, Blue Metallic, Sunroof, 73K Miles
$
11 Ford Focus SE $$
#364474A, Auto, 4 Door, 1 Owner
11,480
$
2008 Honda Pilot SE
09HyundaiVeracruzLTD $$
#364523A, 6 Speed Auto, 1-Owner, Sport
2008 Volvo S60 2.5T
1.888.824.9165
DARCARS
See what it’s like to love car buying.
YOUR GOOD CREDIT RESTORED HERE
Page B-12
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
Page B-13
DARCARS NISSAN DARCARS
SEASON TO CHOOSE
See what it’s like to love car buying.
2011 VW Jetta
2005 Chevrolet Colorado LS
#346249A, Auto, 2WD
8,977
$
11,977
$
#P8751A, Wolfsburg Edition, Leather, Sunroof, Manual
2014 NISSAN VERSA$17,115 NOTE MSRP: Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: NMAC Bonus Cash:
13,995
$
$14,995 -$500 -$500
SV Hatchback #11614 2 At This Price: VINS:370976, 370059
2013 NISSAN SENTRA S MSRP: $17,560 Sale Price: NMAC Bonus Cash:
$
#12013 2 At This Price: VINS: 794572, 797360
2014 NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5 S MSRP: $23,640 Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: NMAC Bonus Cash:
17,795
Your Car just economical got easier!
#346486A, Auto Transmission, Alloy Wheels, Sunroof
$
$19,495 -$500 -$500
13,977
$
18,495
2012 Nissan Altima #446003A, Automatic, 1-Owner, Low Miles
$27,995 -$3,000 -$1,500 -$500
$ G558432
2008 Nissan Altima 2.5S Coupe
2013MSRP: NISSAN ROGUE S$22,990 AWD
2014 NISSAN MAXIMA S MSRP: $32,005
22,995
#346423A, Auto Transmission, Alloy Wheels, Bluetooth, Power Features
12,977
$
2003 Ford Thunderbird #N0275, Hard Top Convertible, Low Miles
13,977
$
With Bluetooth, Rear View Monitor #13114 2 At This Price: VINS: 154860, 155602
W/ Bluetooth, #22213 2 At This Price: VINS: 142237, 141453
choices?
2012 Nissan Versa SL
$14,995 -$500
14,495
Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: NMAC Bonus Cash:
Sale Price: Nissan Rebate: Nissan Bonus Cash: NMAC Bonus Cash:
11,977
$
#P8767,PWR, Mirrors, Lock, Remote Keyless Entry
$19,795 -$1,000 -$1,000
$
Selling for Looking
2010 Nissan Versa Hatchback
14,977
$
2010 Nissan Frontier #P8788, 4WD, Leather, Bluetooth, 1-Owner
#16114 2 At This Price: VINS: 436838, 446410
DARCARS NISSAN of of ROCKVILLE ROCKVILLE 15911 Drive • • Rockville, Rockville, MD MD (at (at Rt. Rt. 355 355 across across from fromKing KingFarm) Farm) 15911 Indianola Indianola Drive www.DARCARSNISSAN.com 888.824.9166 •• www.DARCARSNISSAN.com
Prices include all rebates and incentives. NMAC Bonus Cash requires financing through NMAC with approved credit. Prices Pricestax, include rebates incentives. NMAC Bonusand Cash requires financing through NMAC with approved credit.with exclude tags, all freight (carsand $780, trucks $725-$995), $200 processing charge. *Lease payments are calculated Prices exclude tax,$200 tags,processing freight (cars $810,and trucks $200 processing charge. valid only onthrough listed tax, tags, freight, charge first$845-$995), payment dueand at signing, and are valid withPrices tier one approval VINS. See dealer for details. Offer expires 12/17/2013. NMAC. Prices valid only on listed VINS. See dealer for details. Offer expires 10/22/2012.
23,977
$
2013 Nissan Cargo Van #E0283, Auto, Low Miles, 1-Owner
19,977
$
2010 Nissan Murano SL #P8790, 1-Owner, Leather, AWD
23,977
$
www.DARCARSnissan.com DARCARS NISSAN of ROCKVILLE 15911 Indianola Drive • Rockville, MD (at Rt. 355 across from King Farm)
888.805.8235 • www.DARCARSNISSAN.com
BAD CREDIT - NO CREDIT - CALL TODAY!
Search Gazette.Net/Autos
2014 NEW COROLLA LE
36 $
NEW2 AVAILABLE: 2014#470004, COROLLA LE 470006
2 AVAILABLE: #470156, 470170
$
129/mo.**
4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO
NEW 2014 SCION XD 2 AVAILABLE: #453005, 453011
NEW 2013 HIGHLANDER 4X2 2 AVAILABLE: #363401, 363223
SAVINGS START NOW!
24,590
$
AFTER TOYOTA $1,500 REBATE
15,990
4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL., INCL.
$
4 CYL., AUTO
169/mo.**
4 CYL., 4 DR., AUTO
NEW 2013 RAV4 LE 4X2 BASE 2 AVAILABLE: #364572, 364556
NEW 2014 CAMRY LE 2 AVAILABLE: #472138, 472071
36 Month Lease $
149/mo.**
4 DR., 4 CYL., AUTO
NEW 2014 CAMRY LE
2 AVAILABLE: #377729, 377730
16,990
AFTER $750 REBATE
2 AVAILABLE: #472091, 472090
0% FOR
4 DR., AUTO, 4 CYL.,
4 CYL., AUTOMATIC
AFTER $500 REBATE
NEW 2013 PRIUS C II
$
20,990
60
DARCARS
MONTHS+
On 10 Toyota Models
See what it’s like to love car buying
$
18,990
AUTO, 4 CYL., 4 DR
AFTER TOYOTA $1,750 REBATE
G557425
1-888-831-9671
15625 Frederick Rd (Rte 355) • Rockville, MD n OPEN SUNDAY n VISIT US ON THE WEB AT www.355Toyota.com
G558428
$
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 12-31-13.
Page B-14
Thursday, December 12, 2013 lr
Advertorial
G558426