16
H ya tt svi ll e Life&Times June 2010 Hyattsville’s Community Newspaper Vol. 7 No. 6 Included: The June 9, 2010 Issue of The Hyattsville Reporter — See Center Section Hyattsville Life & Times PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit # 43 Easton, MD 21601 BUSBOYS & POETS OWNER SPEAKS AT HL&T EVENT The Hyattsville Life & Times celebrated its 6th birthday with a party, and Busboys & Poets owner Andy Shallal was the keynote speaker. PAGE 3 GRAPE EXPECTATIONS FROM FOUR WHEELS TO TWO Residents trade car keys and Metro passes for bike trails during this year's Bike to Work Day. PAGE 9 Hyattsville resident and Washingtonian food critic Todd Kliman talks about his new book, The Wild Vine. PAGE 5 DEATHS continued on page 11 by Paula Minaert The Hyattsville Police Department is facing accusations of wrongdoing in two separate instances. The ac- cusations involve racism, abuse by police officers, and attempting to cover up discrimination and abuse. At a June 1 press conference held outside police headquarters, one current and one retired Hyattsville police officer said that they were subjected to retaliation when they spoke out about alleged abuse and racial and sexual discrimination within the department. Accord- ing to published sources, retired Lt. Gary Blakes and Officer Barbara Smith each said that they had spoken out about an instance of abuse by city Accusations follow city police dept. by Susie Currie For most people, Memorial Day weekend marked the beginning of pool season. But for those wanting to dive into the newly renovated Hamilton Splash Park, it will be pushed back by nearly three weeks, to June 17. Still, the renovations promise to be worth the wait. The Magruder Park pool will have three slides, floating- animal play structures, a tipping bucket, lily-pad cross- ings, and an aqua climbing wall. Also, the wading pool will have new splash features and a shaded area. The public pool — like all others run by the Maryland- National Capital Park and Planning Commission — had been scheduled to open on May 29. As recently as May 18, that date was confirmed in a press release from M-NCPPC media officer Craig Kellstrom. But on May 25, just four days before the scheduled opening, Kellstrom circulated a release with an opening Pool opening delayed by Alex Scarfone On May 30, three young men died of what appeared to be accidental carbon monoxide poisoning after using a gas-fueled generator to power their Hyattsville home. Mark Brady, a spokesman for the Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Medical Services De- partment, identified the victims as Elon Jones, 21, and brothers Edward Gonzalez, 20, and Henrry Gonzalez, 18 — an unusual spelling confirmed on two forms of his identification. Hyattsville police received a call from Diana Pasig, Edward’s girl- friend, at 9:05 a.m. from the Gon- zalez house, on 38th Avenue near Longfellow Street. She told them she had found the three men un- conscious when she went to drop off the couple’s 4-year-old son. Friends and family members said that the home was in foreclo- sure and had been without power since the previous Thursday, due to unpaid utility bills. The young men were apparently using the generator to power the air condi- tioner and small appliances. More than 20 police officers re- portedly responded to the call, as a crowd gathered in front of the modest brick home. Many sobbed as the covered stretchers came down the stairs, behind yellow police tape. Carbon monoxide kills three City will switch to wind power by Kara Rose The City Council passed an amendment during its May 24 budget meeting for a three-year plan with energy broker Clean Currents, LLC. The plan would provide, through Washington Gas, 100 percent wind power energy for all city-owned proper- ties. The amendment is expected to pass during the final voting process, scheduled for June 7. If it does, the project would take effect July 1 and last through June 30, 2013. The Bethesda brokerage firm − which has worked with the cities ENERGY continued on page 10 POOL continued on page 10 POLICE continued on page 10 PHOTO BY KARA ROSE Hamilton Splash Park was still under construction on May 29 — the date it was supposed to open. FUN FOR ALL AT ARTS FEST PHOTO BY CATIE CURRIE Mandy the Clown delighted children with her balloon creations at the Third Annual Hyattsville Arts Festival on May 22. More pictures on page 11.

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Page 1: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

HyattsvilleLife&Times

June 2010Hyattsville’s Community NewspaperVol. 7 No. 6

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BUSBOYS & pOETS OWNER SpEAKS AT HL&T EVENTThe Hyattsville Life & Times celebrated its 6th birthday with a party, and Busboys & Poets owner Andy Shallal was the keynote speaker. PAGE 3

gRApE EXpECTATIONS

FROM FOUR WHEELS TO TWOResidents trade car keys and Metro passes for bike trails during this year's Bike to Work Day. PAGE 9

Hyattsville resident and Washingtonian food critic Todd Kliman talks about his new book, The Wild Vine. PAGE 5

deaTHS continued on page 11

by Paula Minaert

The Hyattsville Police Department is facing accusations of wrongdoing in two separate instances. The ac-cusations involve racism, abuse by police offi cers, and attempting to cover up discrimination and abuse.

At a June 1 press conference held outside police headquarters, one current and one retired Hyattsville police offi cer said that they were subjected to retaliation when they spoke out about alleged abuse and racial and sexual discrimination within the department. Accord-ing to published sources, retired Lt. Gary Blakes and Offi cer Barbara Smith each said that they had spoken out about an instance of abuse by city

Accusations follow city police dept.

by Susie Currie

For most people, Memorial Day weekend marked the beginning of pool season. But for those wanting to dive into the newly renovated Hamilton Splash Park, it will be pushed back by nearly three weeks, to June 17.

Still, the renovations promise to be worth the wait. The Magruder Park pool will have three slides, fl oating-animal play structures, a tipping bucket, lily-pad cross-ings, and an aqua climbing wall. Also, the wading pool will have new splash features and a shaded area.

The public pool — like all others run by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission — had been scheduled to open on May 29. As recently as May 18, that date was confi rmed in a press release from M-NCPPC media offi cer Craig Kellstrom.

But on May 25, just four days before the scheduled opening, Kellstrom circulated a release with an opening

Pool opening delayed

by Alex Scarfone

On May 30, three young men died of what appeared to be accidental carbon monoxide poisoning after using a gas-fueled generator to power their Hyattsville home.

Mark Brady, a spokesman for the Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Medical Services De-partment, identifi ed the victims as Elon Jones, 21, and brothers Edward Gonzalez, 20, and Henrry Gonzalez, 18 — an unusual spelling confi rmed on two forms of his identifi cation.

Hyattsville police received a call from Diana Pasig, Edward’s girl-friend, at 9:05 a.m. from the Gon-zalez house, on 38th Avenue near Longfellow Street. She told them she had found the three men un-conscious when she went to drop off the couple’s 4-year-old son.

Friends and family members said that the home was in foreclo-sure and had been without power since the previous Thursday, due to unpaid utility bills. The young men were apparently using the generator to power the air condi-tioner and small appliances.

More than 20 police offi cers re-portedly responded to the call, as a crowd gathered in front of the modest brick home. Many sobbed as the covered stretchers came down the stairs, behind yellow police tape.

Carbon monoxide kills three

City will switch to wind powerby Kara Rose

The City Council passed an amendment during its May 24 budget meeting for a three-year plan with energy broker Clean Currents, LLC. The plan would provide, through Washington Gas, 100 percent wind power energy for all city-owned proper-ties. The amendment is expected to pass during the fi nal voting process, scheduled for June 7. If it does, the project would take effect July 1 and last through June 30, 2013.

The Bethesda brokerage fi rm − which has worked with the cities

enerGY continued on page 10POOl continued on page 10

POlIce continued on page 10

photo by kara roseHamilton Splash Park was still under construction on May 29 — the date it was supposed to open.

FUN FOR ALL AT ARTS FEST

photo by catie currieMandy the Clown delighted children with her balloon creations at the Third Annual Hyattsville Arts Festival on May 22. More pictures on page 11.

Page 2: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Page 2 Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010

a community newspaper chronicling the

life and times of Hyattsville

Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, Md 20781

Hyattsville Life & Times is published monthly by Hyattsville Community Newspaper, Inc., a 501c(3) nonprofi t cor-poration. Interested reporters should send their e-mail addresses to the editor to be reminded of deadlines and re-ceive internal news. Articles and news submitted may be edited. The dead-line is the last week of the month for the following month’s issue. Letters to the editor and opinions are encour-aged. For all e-mail correspondence with HL&T: news, features, tips, adver-tising and business write to [email protected]. To submit articles, letters to the editor, etc., e-mail [email protected].

executive editor Paula Minaert

[email protected]

Managing editorSusie Currie

[email protected]

editorial InternKara Rose

ProductionAshley Perks

advertising directorFelix Speight

[email protected]

Writers & contributorsMylie DurhamVictoria Hille

Valerie RussellKimberly Schmidt

Hugh Turley

Board of directors Julia Duin - President

Chris Currie - Vice PresidentJamie Aycock - General Counsel

Paula Minaert - SecretarySusie Currie - Ex Offi cio

Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. Mail to every address in Hyattsville. Additional copies are distrib-uted to libraries, selected businesses, community centers and churches in the city. Total circulation is 7,500.

Hl&T is a member of the national newspaper association.

FromTheEditor

by Paula Minaert

On May 21, I visited James E. Duck-worth School, which lies up the road in Beltsville. It may seem a little re-mote from life here in Hyattsville, but actually it’s not. The city is con-nected to this school, and in more than one way.

Duckworth, part of the Prince George’s County school system, provides special education for children ages 5 to 21. Some have severe disabilities and some have multiple disabilities. Because each one requires a great deal of very focused attention, most classes have fewer than seven students.

Peer coaches rise to the challengeThat Friday, though, was a day to

look at what the students can do, not what they can’t. It was called Chal-lenge Day, and it’s part of the Spe-cial Olympics program. It celebrated students as they demonstrated their personal best in an adapted sport.

Two of the students at Duckworth − Kiearra Jarrell and Brandon Sara-via − live here in Hyattsville. That’s the fi rst connection between the city and the school. Kiearra received a Special Olympics medal for taking part in the dance event, and Brandon was awarded one for basketball.

I spoke with Brandon’s mother, Emely Saravia. She told me that the 12-year-old has attended the school since 2003, and he really likes it there.

Now for the second connection with Hyattsville: the Duckworth ath-letes spend several months training for Challenge Day with the help of students, called peer coaches, who come from neighboring schools. One of those schools is our own Concordia Lutheran.

In fact, the coaches for both Kiearra and Brandon attend Concordia. Kie-arra’s coaches were Eden Getnet and Charles Abbott and Brandon’s were Eric Morales and Folane Mengesha.

“Our students love doing this,” said Mary Gillis, a Concordia teacher who came to Challenge Day. “I started this program with my sixth graders, and they didn’t want to stop as they moved up to seventh and eighth grades. So we have 43 students here today.

“It really blesses our kids. Some of the ones who have the most trouble following the rules turn out to be the best mentors. And being part of it is a blessing for the teachers, too.”

There’s yet another connection linking Duckworth with the city. One of the teachers at the school, Kate Schick, lives here in Hyattsville.

“These kids can learn and succeed, just in a different or unique way. That’s how I feel about teaching at Duckworth − looking for that unique something, that spark in each stu-dent, and helping to bring it out,”

said Schick. “With some students you may have to look a little harder, but it is defi nitely there. Some of our students are not able to walk or talk, but you can see that spark and appreciate their success when they smile at you or respond to your voice. That’s why I go to work every day.”

Schick stressed that peer coaches

are integral to the whole program. “They give our students a chance to interact with their non-disabled peers. And the coaches have the same opportunity. Every year, one of the coaches talks about discover-ing how they and their partners are more alike than different.”

I’m proud Hyattsville is part of this story.

Legend andLORE

by Kimberly Schmidt

In my sister’s garden, not too far from the Northwest Branch of the Anacostia River, one fi nds scattered in the loose, rich soil hundreds of small, smooth river rocks. Both soil and stones speak to the geological history of our area and of the starring role of the Anacostia.

The last L&L column noted how runaway slaves connected with Native Americans along the river’s banks. This month, we revisit the Anacostia, with a focus on 20th-century fl oods.

In 1868, Spa Springs in nearby Bladensburg was said to have medicinal waters, the ingredients of which were “so powerful and salutary as to be of great benefi t to all classes of persons,” as Sister Catherine Wright wrote in her book Port O’ Blad-ensburg: A Brief History of a 1742 Town.

But by the mid-20th century, development and agriculture had resulted in heavy pollu-tion and silt, transforming the Anacostia from a meandering, deep-water, riparian paradise to a shallow channel of waste water, used pri-marily to fl ush the region’s sewage out to sea. Parking lots and paving increased runoff and contributed to the frequent fl oods.

During World War II, the Washington Post observed that floods had “wrought more interruption and damage to the war

efforts in this part of the country than a group of saboteurs could have caused in a comparable period.” Those in our area were particularly susceptible, as historian John R. Wennersten notes in his book Anacostia: The Death and Life of an American River: “People who lived in the vicinity of Peace Cross, Colmar Manor, Hyattsville or Riv-erdale knew one salient fact. After a heavy rain the Anacostia could rise eighteen inch-es in one hour.”

In 1906, the Anacostia flooded four feet and threatened the Chesapeake Railroad Bridge in Hyattsville. In 1923, a 12-footer washed out 10 bridges in Hyattsville and Riverdale and flooded hundreds of homes. During peak flooding − about four times a year − bus lines were closed from Baltimore to Washington. B&O Railroad officials wor-ried about floods overtaking their trains and the train station in Hyattsville, at the east corner of Decatur Street and Rhode Is-land Avenue.

Stories and pictures from the local paper cap-tured the resilience and humor of locals:

“Abandon ship …. er auto. We’re swamped! All hands man the lifeboats. Women and children fi rst! It’s a damp, misty day and the Peace Cross is fl ooded.”

“This weekend’s heavy dew caused the usual fl ood at the Bladensburg Peace Cross and is to be blamed for a narrowly averted disaster involving a Greyhound bus and unknown destroyer. ... The ship is believed to have been on a training cruise from the Naval Academy at Annapolis, which had either spent the weekend in Baltimore or mistook Defense Highway (Route 50) for the Severn River or both….When last seen from the bridge of the Greyhound, the ship was steaming into a barbecue stand. Greyhound is considering equipping buses on this run with radar and lifeboats.”

The Anacostia River Flood Control Project built berms in 1955, but not before Hurricane Connie hit in August of that year. That fl ood was so signifi cant that some locals ditched their cars for boats.

Other fl ood control projects during the 1970s fi nally tamed the Anacostia. However, the problem of sewage and the use of the Anacostia as a dumping ground continued. The next L&L will address contemporary efforts to bring the river back to life.

Kimberly Schmidt is president of the Hyatts-ville Preservation Association.

“We’re swamped”: Stories of the fl oods

photo by paula MinaertPeer coaches Eden Getnet and Charles Abbott with Duckworth student Kiearra Jarrell.

Page 3: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010 Page 3

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St. Jerome School

by Susie Currie

The Hyattsville Life & Times cel-ebrated its 6th birthday with a party on May 27 at Hitching Post Hill, an 1840 Italianate mansion that is the oldest private residence in Hyattsville. The event also hon-ored longtime advertisers such as realtor Keren Kuo and Franklins restaurant owner Mike Franklin, who donated craft beer for the event.

Busboys & Poets, a combination restaurant and bookstore that is scheduled to open its fourth lo-cation later this year on Route 1, supplied light hors d'oeuvres — as well as the keynote speaker, own-er Andy Shallal.

Looking relaxed in an open-col-lared shirt and jeans, Shallal first thanked the crowd of several doz-en leaders of local government, civic groups, businesses, schools and churches for Hyattsville hos-pitality. "I've been doing restau-rants for a long time, and I've never been welcomed to a place as I have been to Hyattsville." He said that plans for the new space have expanded to include a con-ference center. Applause greeted his announcement that it would be named for longtime activist Howard Zinn, who died in Janu-ary. Though construction has yet to begin, at least one employee has already signed on: Shallal's daughter, who will be attending the University of Maryland.

Busboys & Poets, with two loca-tions in Washington, D.C. and one in Shirlington, takes its name from an incident that happened in a Washington restaurant one night during the halcyon days of the Jazz Age. The story goes that Vachel Lindsay was dining at

the Wardman Park Hotel (now a Marriott, in Woodley Park) when a busboy slipped several sheets of paper beside the poet's plate. Annoyance turned to interest as Lindsay picked them up and read a poem titled "The Weary Blues." When queried, the busboy — Langston Hughes — admitted that he was the author. Lindsay intro-duced him to publishers and the rest, as they say, is history.

Before opening the first location at 14th and V streets NW in Wash-ington, Shallal said he noticed "a huge, pent-up demand for gather-ing spaces. We feel that democ-racy is better served when more conversations happen."

A member of Think Local First, which he described as being "an alternative to D.C.'s chamber of

Shallal headlines HL&T eventcommerce," Shallal is passionate about the idea of keeping money in the neighborhood. To that end, he says, "We're talking with Ver-tigo Books, to try to bring them back." That independent book-store closed in 2009 after more than 17 years, and the owners still live in the area.

"People come in to our readings, bringing books they've gotten from Amazon to get autographed, and think they're supporting the store," he said. "No! I know, it's really hard to get in your car and go to a bookstore when you want to buy a book at midnight, but independent bookstores can't sur-vive that way."

He also said that he intends to support local artists by displaying their work. "Look, there's a lot of wall space to fill," he said, "and I'm not going to import stuff."

photo courtesy of snogren DesignAn HL&T reception at Hitching Post Hill included civic and business leaders such as Franklins owner Mike Franklin, third from left, and City Council President Marc Tartaro, far right.

photo courtesy of snogren DesignAndy Shallal, who has chosen Route 1 for his fourth Busboys & Poets location, addressed the crowd.

Page 4: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Page 4 Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010

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Dear Miss Floribunda,

I saw a garden tour on TV, in which the term “square foot gar-dening” was used to describe what looked to me like raised beds. What is the difference between this kind of garden and raised bed gardening, and what are the advantages of either compared toconventional gardening?

Out of the Loop on Oliver Street

Dear Out of the Loop,

The term “square foot gardening” was coined by Mel Bartholomew in 1981 in his Rodale Press book with that title. An updated edi-tion, All New Square Foot Gar-dening, came out in 2006, and you can also consult the website of the Square Foot Gardening Foun-dation.

Is it the same as raised bed gar-dening? Yes and no. It is actually an especially methodical varia-tion of it. Raised beds are used: A frame made out of wood or stone

or some other durable material is built around an area usually about 4 feet by 6 feet by 3 feet and fi lled with a mixture of compost, vermic-ulite and peat moss. Now here’s where the “square foot” concept comes in. Each bed is divided in a kind of grid with sections measur-ing a square foot each. Different seeds are planted in each square, the number varying according to the size of the resulting plant. You would plant only one tomato in a square, but you could have several radishes in another. Some squares contain insect-repelling herbs or fl owers, such as marigolds. If you like, there’s no reason why you couldn’t plant a fl ower bed using this method.

Whether you want to garden this way depends on a number of things: your space (or lack thereof), the quality of your soil, your energy level. Once the beds are built, this is an easy, effi cient, almost foolproof, and ultimately inexpensive way to garden. You don’t step on your seedlings or compact the soil with your feet,

and you don’t need as much wa-ter or fertilizer if you use a water-retentive, already fertile soil mix-ture. Weeding becomes easier, too; the microclimate that results from the close planting not only conserves moisture but also sup-presses weeds, so the ones you do fi nd are easily extracted from the soft soil. You don’t use insecti-cides if you follow the directive to companion plant, and you harvest an amazing amount from a small space.

It’s an ideal fi rst garden for chil-dren, and it’s easy on the elderly, as I found out through my neighbor Patapanelope Vegetatas. Patapan-elope is always my fi rst and most knowledgeable resource on vege-table gardening, and although she doesn’t use raised beds herself she told me she had made a square foot garden for her maternal grand-mother, Arthritica Sorinthenes. Grandma Sorinthenes loves the fact that she doesn’t have to stoop down to weed or harvest and shecan even sit on the sides of the cin-derblocks surrounding the beds while she tends her garden. She doesn’t have to contend with the heavy clay for which our region is notorious and which slows dig-ging or weeding. When she har-vests her vegetables, she just adds several trowels of compost to keep the soil rich.

Patapanelope tells me this kind of gardening is popular in very dry areas, wherever the salinity of the soil is high, and in polluted and cramped urban gardens.

A number of neighbors are en-gaged in square foot gardening. Not far from me, Olman and Olaidie Aikenbach employ this kind of gardening in their retire-ment. Olman has a caveat: the path between beds should be wide enough to accommodate spill-over from sprawling plants such as squash. Another street over, the much younger Fairchild fam-ily has created a similar garden. It has become a focus of family companionship and cooperation, with each member participating with pride. Even the littlest Fair-

child has helped point the low wall their father made from recycled rocks and concrete chunks taken from the old Hyattsville Trol-ley bed. More and more families are building square foot gardens, each using materials in an indi-vidual way.

To learn more about this and other forms of gardening, please come to the next meeting of the Hyattsville Horticultural Soci-ety at 10 a.m. on June 19, at the home of Jeff Moulton, 6122 42nd Avenue.

file photoRadishes are one of many vegetables that grow well in square-foot gardens.

Page 5: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010 Page 5

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BRICK WORK PLUS

by Susie Currie

“I never wanted to write a book about wine,” says Hyattsville resi-dent Todd Kliman. Funny, coming from the man whose food column at the Washington City Paper won a James Beard Foundation award and who, for the past five years, has been food and wine editor of Washingtonian magazine.

One might think that’s exactly what he’s done; his first book, The Wild Vine: A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine, debuted last month to wide-spread acclaim. When I sit down with him in the colorful bunga-low he shares with his wife, Ellen, and toddler, Jesse, he’s between readings (Politics and Prose, Barnes & Noble, Borders) and in-terviews (the BBC and Washing-ton Post, among others). He ticks off a full schedule, beginning with his first reading in Miami a week or so ago and continuing into the foreseeable future. “It’s been pretty crazy,” he allows.

Spend some time with The

Wild Vine, though, and you’ll see why the author, 43, describes it as “part travelogue, part biogra-phy, part memoir and part his-tory.” The book was four years in the making — much of it written at local eateries such as Under the Coconut Tree and Shagga Cof-fee and Restaurant — but it really began much earlier, at a candlelit din-ner party during Hurricane Isabel.

The 2003 storm, as those who lived through it remember, sent area residents scrambling to use stockpiles in their rapidly defrost-ing freezers as the hours without electricity stretched into days. That night, the Klimans’ host served a Virginia wine made from the only American grape ever to produce drinkable wine: the Norton.

“Next to the names of the great European wines — Cabernet Sau-vignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Char-donnay — the name Norton sounds jarring by comparison,” writes Kli-man. His first taste may not have been jarring, but it certainly got his attention. He made a mental note of the bottle’s source — Chrysa-

Forgotten grape shines in local author’s debutlis Vineyards, near Middleburg, which has the largest single plant-ing of Norton grapes in the world — and later tracked down owner Jenni McCloud who turns out to have quite a story herself.

McCloud is a self-described “Nor-tonian,” and her influence and en-thusiasm for the grape was con-tagious. Soon, Kliman embarked on a quest to uncover the story behind the obscure grape, which became the story of winemaking in America. It’s one that spans four centuries, hopscotching from Virginia to Missouri to California and back again, encompassing all manner of European grapes, no-bles and vignerons (who cultivate the vineyards).

Along the way, we meet Daniel Norton, a 19th-century Richmond doctor who created his namesake grape almost by chance; flamboy-ant London publisher Henry Vize-telly, who judged Norton wine one of the best at two international competitions in the 1870s; Mis-souri bootleggers who tended the grape during Prohibition; and contemporary Norton evangelists like McCloud, among many other memorable characters. The sweep-

ing story could have easily become unwieldy and desiccated, but in Kliman’s hands, it comes to life.

The Wild Vine describes transfor-mations on several levels, and its author had at least two life-chang-ing experiences while writing it: the birth of his son in 2008, and a year later, the death of his father, Greenbelt artist Ted Kliman, to whom the book is dedicated. The

book reveals, in part, the close re-lationship they had, and a tribute to the artist is evident in the large oil paintings adorning the plum-colored walls of his son’s living room. They’re from his last series: “Lamentations.”

Most of the book was written in the three months after the funeral. “It gave me something creative to focus on,” explained Kliman, who taught English and literature for 10 years at American and Howard universities.

His creative energies these days are mostly channeled towards his day job, for which he dines out 8 to 10 times a week. (That’s why you won’t find an author photograph on the dust jacket — or with this story.) Reviewing eateries is a family affair; 2-year-old Jesse is approaching his 500th restaurant visit.

For now, the Norton remains elu-sive. Most local stores don’t carry it; you’d have to cross the Potomac and visit a megastore like Total Wine & More (several outlets in Virginia, none in Maryland) to be guaran-teed a bottle. Still, sometimes the search closer to home pays off.

“It’s like a treasure,” Kliman says. “A buried treasure.”

photo courtesy of flickr/stannateArea writer Todd Kliman aims to rescue the Norton grape, above, from obscurity with his first book. It's the first American grape to produce quality wine.

Page 6: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

June 15Grab a board game and head over to the Hyattsville Library for Family Game Night. Light snacks and additional board games will be provided. Free. 6:30 p.m. Hyattsville Library, 6530 Adelphi Road. 301.779.9330.

June 16The Washington National Opera will be holding opera workshops on The Bar-ber of Seville for children ages 4 to 10 and their families. Company “teaching art-ists” will discuss the story’s characters and emotions using crafts and activities. Free. 7 p.m. Hyattsville Library, 6530 Adelphi Road. 301.779.9330.

June 18College Park Arts Exchange’s book club features literary nonfiction by women. This month’s book is Thrity Umrigar’s First Dar-ling of the Morning: Selected Memories of an Indian Childhood, which describes the author’s middle-class Parsi upbringing in 1960s and 1970s Bombay. Free. 7:30 to 9 p.m. Old Parish House, 4711 Knox Road, College Park. 301.927.3013.

June 19Local artist Sherill Anne Gross showcas-es her new series of cut-paper creations in Pretty Little Things, an exhibit

that examines depictions of women in mid-20th century America. This eve-ning’s opening reception is from 5 to 8 p.m.; if you miss it, you can still see the show through July 17. Free. Weekdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Avenue, Brentwood. 301.277.2863.

Put on some old clothes and come to the Anacostia River Clean-Up at Bladensburg

Waterfront Park to help remove trash from our local water-ways. All ages welcome; adults must accompany children 16 and under. Free. 9:30 a.m. to noon. 4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg. 301.779.0371.

Come watch the West Michi-gan ThunderHawks take on the Maryland Maniacs in their last indoor football game of the season. $15 for adults, $5 for kids age 4 to 14, and free for children un-der 4. 7:05 p.m. Cole Field House, Uni-

versity of Maryland, College Park. 301.490.2694.

June 20Bring the whole family for a Father’s Day trip to Sea-sonal Selections: In a Jam to help the Kitchen Guild preserve berries used for jam. All ages welcome. Free with museum admission of $3 (discounts for stu-dents and seniors; free for ages 4 and under). Riversdale House Museum, 4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420.

June 26The College Park Aviation Museum is holding Airport Explorers, a daylong scavenger hunt on the museum and airport grounds. Prizes will be awarded to the team that finishes first. $10; pre-registration required. Ages 8 and up. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive, College Park. 301.864.6029. June 27Grab your cap and glove and come watch the Washington Nationals take on the Bal-

timore Orioles at Orioles Park at Camden Yards during the com-munity baseball trip. Tick-

ets are $33 per person, which includes round-trip bus fare

and a game ticket. Pre-registration required.

Buses leave Magruder Park at 10:30 a.m. for the 1:35 p.m. game. 301.985.5020. July 4Greenbelt will host its Independence

Day Celebration at Buddy Attick Park with

a children’s craft tent

Page 6 Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

calendar continued on page 7

Sponsored by the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission

Hyattsville Farmers Market at Queens Chapel Town Center

Fresh local produce — the best from Southern Maryland farmsCookbook giveaway and exchange • Casual, relaxed environment • Plenty of parking in the rear

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photo courtesy of sherill anne grossLocal artist Sherill Anne Gross showcases her new series of cut-paper creations in the Pretty Little Things art exhibit at Brentwood Arts Exchange.

Page 7: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010 Page HR1

The Hyattsville Reporter No. 194 June 9, 2010

An Official Publication of the City of Hyattsville

���������

���

CITY INSIGHT: Congratulations to the City PD

��The�City�recently�learned�that�Corporal�Michael�Rudinski�will�receive�the�Individual�School�Safety�Award�at�the�national�conference�of�the�School�Safety�Advocacy�Council�next�month.����Cpl.�Rudinski�has�served�as�a�School�Resource�Officer�since�1998,�and�was�one�of�the�first�School�Resource�Officers�in�Prince�George's�County.��In�fact,�Cpl.�Rudinski�initially�suggested�that�the�program�could�help�foster�stronger�relationships�between�the�City,�school�officials,�students�and�their�parents�and�families.��In�his�role�at�Northwestern�High�School,�Cpl.�Rudinski�deals�with�a�number�of�challenging�issues.��He�works�to�prevent�gang�involvement,�and�to�raise�awareness�for�parents�and�educators.��By�teaching�the�teachers,�he’s�able�to�expand�the�network�of�people�working�to�keep�our�kids�out�of�danger.��Cpl.�Rudinski�has�become�an�often�called�expert�on�gang�activity�in�schools.��He’s�presented�his�strategies�throughout�Maryland�and�at�national�conferences,�too,�reaching�thousands�of�community�leaders.��While�he�works�to�prevent�gang�involvement,�Cpl.�Rudinski�has�also�played�a�key�role�supporting�federal�prosecutions�of�gang�members,�in�cooperation�with�the�Bureau�of�Alcohol,�Tobacco,�Firearms�and�Explosives.��At�the�Bureau’s�request,�he’s�also�worked�directly�with�a�Northwestern�High�student��

���personally�affected�by�gang�violence.��Thanks�to�the�efforts�of�everyone�at�Northwestern,�the�student�successfully�graduated.��While�Cpl.�Rudinski�serves�as�the�full�time�School�Resource�Officer�at�Northwestern,�he�also�meets�the�needs�of�other�local�schools.��He’s�an�active�part�of�the�City’s�Drug�Abuse�Resistance�Education�(D.A.R.E.)�program�and�has�been�involved�with�efforts�to�improve�safety�related�to�drop�off�and�pick�up�of�elementary�school�students�on�43rd�Street.����As�a�member�of�the�Police�Department’s�Community�Action�Team,�Cpl.�Rudinski�has�taken�part�in�events�like�National�Night�Out�Against�Crime�at�Magruder�Park.��He’s�also�responsible�for�organizing�the�holiday�program�Shop�with�a�Cop,�a�chance�for�children�to�shop�for�holiday�gifts�for�their�families�in�the�company�of�a�police�officer�using�funds�donated�by�a�number�of�community�partners,�including�the�Mall�at�Prince�George’s.��Cpl.�Rudinski�has�explained�that�it�isn’t�just�about�providing�a�service�to�the�less�privileged.��It�is�about�helping�kids�see�law�enforcement�officers�as�helpful�and�approachable.���For�six�years,�Cpl.�Rudinski�served�as�the�President�of�the�Maryland�Association�of�School�Resource�Officers,�encouraging�the�program’s�growth�state�wide.��As�Sergeant�Chris�Purvis�put�it,�“Mike�has�dedicated�his�life�to�keeping�our�kids�safe.��His�dedication�to�his�job�…�has�enhanced�school�safety�not�just�in�Hyattsville,�but�throughout�the�nation.”���Residents�may�have�seen�Cpl.�Rudinski�on�duty�at�number�of�community�events.��He’s�a�man�of�many�talents.��You�might�even�check�behind�the�DJ�booth.��During�last�year’s�National�Night�Out,�he�stepped�in�to�spin. �

National�Night�Out�2009�at�Magruder�Park.��Cpl.�Rudinski�entertains�the�crowd.�

Cpl.�Rudinski’s�squad�car,�complete�with�the�Northwestern�Wildcats�logo�on�the�hood�

COMING IN JULY:The new Hyattsville

Reporter in the Hyattsville Life & Times �

�Every�month,�the�Hyattsville�Life�&�Times�arrives�in�the�mailboxes�of�every�address�within�the�City.��Through�an�arrangement�between�the�paper�and�the�City,�the�Hyattsville�Reporter�appears�as�a�special�insert�every�month.��Beginning�in�July�2010,�you’ll�still�see�the�Reporter�insert�–�but�you’ll�see�it�in�full�color!��You’ll�also�notice�that�the�new�Reporter�will�be�shorter,�and�Public�Service�Announcements�about�City�events�and�services�will�appear�elsewhere�in�the�paper.��In�addition�to�this�insert,�you�can�always�learn�about�the�City�of�Hyattsville�by:��Visiting�our�website�at�http://www.hyattsville.org.�

�Calling�or�visiting�our�Administrative�Offices�at�301/985�5000.��Normal�office�hours�are�Monday�through�Friday�from�8:30�a.m.�until�5:00�p.m.��The�City�Municipal�Building�at�4310�Gallatin�Street�is�open�24�hours�a�day,�and�there�are�information�racks�in�the�Main�Lobby�on�the�First�Floor.�

�If�you�have�cable�television�through�Comcast,�you�can�find�HCTV�on�Channel�71.��If�you�have�Verizon�service,�check�out�Channel�11.��Information�about�City�services�and�events�is�updated�regularly.�

�Also,�check�your�mailbox�for�the�“greensheet”�version�of�the�Hyattsville�Reporter,�delivered�direct�to�homes,�usually�the�last�week�of�each�month.�

�Subscribe�to�the�City’s�listserv�through�Yahoo!Groups.��Visit�http://www.hyattsville.org/�stayinformed�to�enter�your�email�address�and�subscribe.�

Page 8: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

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Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010 Page HR3

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Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010 Page 7

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

from 3 to 6 p.m., a performance by the Greenbelt Concert Band at 6:15 p.m., and a performance by the Community Drum Circle from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Fireworks will follow directly afterwards, at 9 p.m. Free. Greenbelt. 301.397.2200.

Who needs to go all the way downtown for fireworks? The University of Maryland will again host a family-friendly evening complete with live music, food, and, of course, fireworks. Con-cert starts at 7 p.m.; fireworks, at 9 p.m. Free. Campus Parking Lot 1 (just off Campus Drive), College Park. 301.864.8877. July 9The Outback Steakhouse Sum-mer Jam series continues this evening, with a moon bounce for the kids and a wine garden for adults. Sing along to your favorite disco hits provided by Superflydisco. Burgers, chicken and hot dogs will be prepared by Outback Steakhouse. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free. Hyattsville

Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street. 301.985.5020. July 11During this morn-ing’s canoeing at Lake Artemesia, park rangers will dis-cuss the lake’s history and point out water-fowl, turtles, fish and other local wildlife. Activity is weather permitting, with ca-noes available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserva-tions required. Ages 6 and up; participants 6 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult. 7 to 10 a.m. $7 per person for canoe rental. 8200 Berwyn Road, Berwyn Heights. 301.627.7755.

Sportaculture is putting on − for free! − six new short plays that focus on local sports. At the Bladensburg Waterfront Park. Be sure to bring a pic-nic. All ages welcome. Starts at 6:30 p.m. 4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg. 301.526.9921.

See what people did before Baskin Robbins when the Riversdale Kitchen Guild

hosts an ice-cream mak-ing demon-

s t r a t i o n , early 19th-century style.

Noon. Free with museum admission of $3 (discounts for students and

seniors; free for ages 4 and un-der). Riversdale House Museum,

4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420.

OngoingGet ready for fresh produce as the West Hyattsville Farm-ers Market kicks off its sea-son on June 15. Tuesdays, 2 to 6 p.m. Behind Queens Chapel Town Center, Queens Chapel

Road and Hamilton Street. 301.627.0977.

The producers-only Riverdale Park Farmers Market is open for the season, with a variety of local vegetables and fruits, honey, baked goods, meat, jams, flowers and more. Free. Thurs-days, 3 to 7 p.m. At the inter-section of Rhode Island Avenue and Queensbury Road, River-dale Park. 301.332.6258.

Spring means it’s time again for the free Anacostia River Boat Tours, held six days a week. Join a park naturalist on a pontoon boat to search for birds and other wildlife. All ages wel-come. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 12:45 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, 5 to 5:45 p.m. Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis Road, Bladens-burg. 301.779.0371.

Bring the family for fun and music at Arts on the Water-front, a Sunday series that be-gins June 13 and runs through-out the summer at Bladensburg Waterfront Park. The event fea-tures jazz, reggae, blues and rock

musical acts and puppet shows for the kids. Refreshments are available for purchase. Free. Sundays, 6 to 7:30 p.m. 4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg. 301.779.0371.

The Hyattsville Library offers a variety of storytimes. Space is limited; free tickets available at the Children’s Desk. Ages 9-23 months with caregiver: Mon-days, 10:15 a.m. Ages 2-3: Mon-days, 11 a.m. and Tuesdays, 10:15 a.m. Ages 3-5: Tuesdays, 11 a.m. Ages 3-6: Wednesdays, 7 p.m. English-Spanish Story-time for ages 3-6: Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. 6530 Adelphi Road. 301.985.4690.

Community Calendar is com-piled by Kara Rose and Susie Currie. It’s a select listing of events happening in and around Hyattsville from the 15th of the issue month to the 15th of the following month. To submit an item for consideration, please e-mail [email protected] or mail to P.O. Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781. Deadline for July submissions is June 23.

CALENDAR continued from page 6

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Page 12: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Page 8 Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010

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COMMENTARY & OPINION ON HISTORY & POLITICS

Hugh’sNews

by Hugh Turley

For 15 years, Jesse Trentadue, a Salt Lake City at-torney, has pursued the truth about his brother Ken-neth, who he maintains was tortured to death in fed-eral custody. Trentadue is like a dog with his teeth in Uncle Sam’s trousers, and he won’t let go.

Federal authorities allege Kenneth Trentadue com-mitted suicide by hanging at the Oklahoma City Fed-eral Transfer Center, where he was being held for a parole violation. When staff from the Oklahoma Med-ical Examiner’s offi ce arrived on August 21, 1995, they found his scalp split to the skull, his throat slashed, and his body covered in blood, bruises and burns.

Trentadue wanted to fi nd out who killed his brother, and every lead takes him back to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Shortly before Timothy McVeigh’s execu-tion for his role in the bombing, Trentadue says, he received a message from McVeigh theorizing that the FBI probably killed his brother because they thought he was John Doe No. 2.

Trentadue says the anonymous plotter was Richard Lee Guthrie, who resembled Kenneth down to the dragon tattoo on the left arm. Guthrie also allegedly committed suicide by hanging in prison, as did inmate Alden Gillis Baker − who, in 1999, gave the lawyer a written deposi-tion describing witnessing Kenneth’s murder.

In March, U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups rejected Trentadue’s Freedom of Information Act request for CIA documents. But the ruling wasn’t a complete setback for him; it revealed that the CIA as-sisted in the prosecution of McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who was also found guilty. In addition, it mentioned contacts with foreign informants and foreign witnesses.

In a declaration Trentadue fi led in court, he said that when he visited Nichols in prison, Nichols told him that other conspirators were involved in the Oklahoma bombing: “One was acting as a govern-ment provocateur” and “the other was a high-rank-ing federal offi cial,” according to court records.

Last June, Trentadue’s FOIA request for 26 CIA documents was rejected. A letter from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, which reviewed the documents, said their release “could cause grave damage to our national security.” One wonders how. Were NGA spy satellites monitoring persons in Okla-homa before the bombing?

Trentadue’s trail goes higher still. From Justice De-partment e-mail messages he has obtained, he has concluded that attorney general Eric Holder, who was deputy attorney general in the Clinton admin-istration, “was the one in charge of covering up my brother’s murder.” If he is correct, the public faces a question Plato raised in The Republic: “Who will protect us from our protectors?”

“Justice” Department?

Page 13: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010 Page 9

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by Susie Currie

Usually, 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. is not when Magruder Park is at its busiest. But on Bike to Work Day, May 21, more than a hundred cyclists gathered near the playground pavilion for a pit stop complete with fruit, pastries from Uptown Bakery, T-shirts, water bottles and camaraderie.

Volunteer organizer Anne Zuk tallied 118 riders in all, 91 of them pre-registered. Nearly a quarter were making the trip to their offic-es for the first time. Among them was Jason Riggs, who usually bikes from his Hyattsville Hills home to the West Hyattsville Metro sta-tion. “I’m excited to try part of the Metropoli-tan Branch Trail this morning,” said Riggs, describing his route to 16th & U streets in Washington, D.C.

Arrow Bicycle owners Chris Militello and Chris Davidson were on hand to offer “mechanical, psychological, and logistical support,” said Militello, who at his store regu-larly helps those new either to biking or to Hyattsville map out various routes to work and other destinations. The two of them checked air pressure and brakes, and Davidson even fixed one rider’s bike computer on the spot.

It was the third year Magruder Park hosted a pit stop − and the first with clear, sunny skies. Attendance was up from about 70 last year, which, like the year before, had been cold and drizzly. “The weather definitely helps with turnout,” said Militello.

Magruder Park was one of five Prince George’s County pit stops on the 38th Annual Bike to Work Day, an event coordinated by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and Commuter Connections, part of the Metro-politan Washington Council of Governments. The morning culminated in a record-setting rally at Washington’s Freedom Plaza, with a crowd of more than 9,000.

Two of the Magruder Park riders, Chris Doyle and Michael Karpman, were headed to the rally, as they’ve done nearly every year since “sometime during the Carter administration,” said Doyle, a Hyattsville resident.

The two met years ago as employees at Mt. Rainier’s Glut Food Co-op, where Doyle still works. “I’m actually having a Bike Away From Work Day,” he explained.

He said the only years he missed the down-town rally were when he had very young chil-dren. This year, one of those children, Anne, now 14, was part of a biker convoy headed to

Commuting without cars on Bike to Work Day

by Bart Lawrence

Living it up at a typical bachelor (or bach-elorette) party rarely leaves you feeling bet-ter the next morning. Erik Pedley’s, though, was anything but typical.

The 26-year-old and 28 of his friends and family members held his bachelor party on a recent Saturday volunteering at Hyattsville Elementary School. “I wanted to do some-thing to celebrate the next chapter in my life with my fianceé, Teresa [Wendt],” said Ped-ley. The wedding is planned for June 26.

When Pedley, a University of Maryland grad-uate who lives in Germantown, got the idea to have what he described as a “charitable” party, he began looking at schools in the College Park area. A conversation with his grandmother, who is good friends with a teacher at the school, led him to Hyattsville Elementary. The next thing Pedley knew he was standing on a ladder with a paintbrush in hand. (Though it wasn’t really as simple as that; in between, Pedley received a lot of planning assistance from his best man, Bobby Goldbeck.)

The party painted and repaired basketball hoops and landscaped the school’s garden, using 45 bags of mulch. The Jaffe Construc-tion Company of Rockville (owned by Ped-ley’s stepfather, Bill Lieter) provided the skills, equipment and materials necessary to repair and expand the school’s outdoor

classroom seating, an area that had fallen out of use due to disrepair.

In addition to their beautification and re-pair efforts, the party raised nearly $1,200 in donations, primarily from wedding guests. The donations will be used to buy approxi-mately 200 books for the school’s library.

“This is great for the school and community,” said PTA member Jonathan Alexander, “and a wonderful show of generosity.”

“I’m proud of my friends for coming out to help,” said Pedley. “We had a lot of fun.” This sort of fun isn’t likely to put the aspirin companies out of business anytime soon. But if the idea catches on, look out, Bayer.

Unique bachelor party trades pints for paints

photo by catie currieMichael Karpman, who has participated in Bike to Work Day for 30 years, demonstrated his recumbent-bicycle technique at this year's pit stop in Magruder Park.

Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt. Among the group of students was Hyattsville resident Lucia Kilday, 14, who, after seeing her friends off at Roosevelt, continued on to Robert Goddard School in Seabrook, where she is in 8th grade.

“That was probably about eight miles each way,” estimated her father, Stuart Eisenberg.

Doyle and Karpman fielded questions about their recumbent bicycles from interested fel-low travelers. Unlike the more common up-

right bicycles, recumbent models distribute weight over a wider area, as the rider reclines with legs outstretched.

As Karpman, a math tutor, demonstrated the riding position for curious onlookers, he explained the attraction of bikes like his over the traditional variety. “They’re faster, more comfortable, and safer − because you ride downhill feet first instead of head first,” he said. “Other than that, they’re ex-actly the same.”

photo by canDace hollingsworthErik Pedley, center, is flanked by Bill Leiter, left, and Bobby Goldbeck, two guests he in-vited to be part of a work crew at Hyattsville Elementary School for his bachelor party.

Page 14: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Page 10 Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010

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police officers and were subsequently punished by the department. Both were suspended and Blakes said he was forced to retire early. They have filed an Equal Employment Oppor-tunity Commission complaint.

In January, the NAACP in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties announced that it had asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the department for discrimination against African-American officers. Six members of the force, including Smith, had gone to the NAACP with the request. June White Dillard, president of the Prince George’s chapter, said recently that the city is not responding to the complaints.

The city denies the NAACP allega-tions of racism and disparate treat-ment, and stated in a June 2 press release that it “is confident that any investigation will demonstrate that city has acted responsibly and appro-priately.”

Hyattsville Mayor Bill Gardiner said that Blakes was suspended with pay based on other issues – which he said the city legally could not disclose. He explained the city could not provide information for the NAACP investigation unless the officers involved waive their privacy rights. He added that Blakes resigned of his own voli-tion, choosing not to appear be-fore a trial board of his peers.

In a separate case, the city contin-ues to contest a Maryland Public Information Act lawsuit that resi-dent Matthew J. Crouch has filed against the HPD. Crouch is asking that the department release internal investigation records of what he al-leges was an excessively forceful ar-rest by a former city police officer.

The incident took place in Septem-ber 2008. Published sources state that Crouch had a dispute with former Officer Todd O. Prawdzik, after which he had to be hospitalized for head wounds. Crouch alleges that Prawdzik hit him in the head twice with his gun.

Prawdzik had been involved in a similar incident in January of that year. Gardiner said, “The city fol-lowed up on the complaint [of that incident] and based on its investi-gation, charges were presented to the state’s attorney’s office.”

He added the lengthy investi-gation was still underway when Prawdzik’s altercation with Crouch occurred that September, after which Prawdzik’s police powers were suspended. Prawdzik resigned from the force in March 2009 and in June, he was sentenced to three years probation for second-degree assault in the January incident.

The State of Maryland initially charged Crouch with assault after the incident, but declined to pros-ecute for insufficient evidence, said his attorney, Philip J. Sweitzer.

Referring to the MPIA case, Sweitzer said that the city was ordered to turn over the disputed materials on March 8, 2010. The city disclosed about 30 pages of re-cords before filing a motion to dismiss the case – an action Sweitzer said is invalid because it was filed more than 30 days after the order.

“And now it’s three months later,” he said. “and we simply want the HPD to turn over the [rest of the] records.”

He added that that information may affect a second lawsuit Crouch has filed, claiming assault, false arrest, false imprisonment, and malicious prosecution, as well as violations of federal and state con-stitutional rights. Named in the suit are Prawdzik, Chief Holland, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey, and others.

“This disclosure may tell us who knew what and when and who al-lowed [Prawdzik] to continue work-ing,” said Sweitzer.

But the city’s position, as outlined in filing documents, is that it has in fact complied with the March 8 rul-ing to turn over all required papers. It contends that the other documents being sought are confidential person-nel records that it is prohibited from disclosing.

date of June 17 for both Hamilton and the other county facility being upgraded, North Barnaby Splash Park in Oxon Hill. Rockville-based Paddock Swimming Pool Company is overseeing both renovations, which total $1.8 million.

The winter’s record snowfall is partly to blame for the delay, said county aquatics coordinator Tara Eggleston. “The projects are pretty extensive,” she explained. “[The con-tractors] did some minor prep work before winter, but they were hoping to get in there by February.”

Also, she said, the aging pools’ walls and foundations were in bad shape. “They’re over 20 years old, so some structural things needed to be cor-

rected before making them look pretty,” she said, adding that she doesn’t expect another opening delay.

Future plans call for improving the bathhouse and expanding program-ming. “Hamilton used to offer swim-ming lessons, and we’d love to get back into that next season,” said Eggleston.

One thing that she said will expand this season is staffing. “The pools are configured differently, so you have to have more coverage," said Eggleston. "Whereas before you might have seen five guards on duty at any given time, now there might be seven to nine.”

Admission prices at both pools will increase by $1, to be brought in line with rates at other county facilities. The new rate is $5 for adults and $4 for ages 17 and under. Hamilton Splash Park will be open daily from noon to 7 p.m., beginning June 17.

of Chevy Chase and Brookeville, Md., as well as the Prince George’s County Library System − had pre-sented options at an earlier meeting that showed potential savings to the city with various scenarios: zero, 50 percent or 100 percent wind power for one, two or three years.

Council’s decision for the three-year, 100 percent wind power pro-posal will, according to Clean Cur-rents, save the city approximately $17,381. The company estimates that the environmental impact of using wind power only over the course of a year is comparable to taking 163 passenger vehicles off the road or recycling 287 tons of waste.

The Hyattsville Environment Committee had advised the move. “This year, we sent a whole bunch of information over to the council at the beginning of the budget pro-cess,” said chair Jim Groves, “and again we said, look, Clean Currents

is out there and it is cheaper than what you’re doing right now.”

While this program does eliminate carbon emissions, the three-year, fixed-rate plan has its downfalls.

“The only risk we run is [if] the price of electricity went down,” said Mayor Bill Gardiner. “[In that case,] we would have saved money if we did a one- or two-year contract and switched back.”

The energy plan will cover any city-owned streetlights, park lights and buildings, including the BB&T building. The city currently uses Pepco, which uses fossil fuels that are purchased from power plants and factories and then sent to the places that purchase them. Wind power is outsourced from windmill-powered energy in other parts of the country.

“It’s nice that we're saving money… but the more important thing is that we are carbon-free,” said Groves. “Even if it was the exact same cost, we need to do this be-cause it is the right thing to do.”

ENERgY continued from page 1

pOOL continued from page 1

“They're over 20 years old, so some structural things needed to be corrected ...“

— Tara Egglestoncounty aquatics coordinator

pOLICE continued from page 1

file photoBeginning July 1, all electricity at city properties will be supplied by wind power.

Page 15: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010 Page 11

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On Memorial Day, as a make-shift shrine of fl owers and teddy bears appeared on the porch, several area police offi cers and fi refi ghters fanned out across the neighborhood in a door-to-door effort to educate people about the dangerous gas.

“Sunday’s tragic incident was certainly preventable,” said Prince George’s County Fire Chief Eu-gene Jones. “We want to ensure that our residents are aware of ba-sic life safety information.”

The Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department’s handout “Carbon Monoxide: The Silent Killer” ex-plained that the gas is impossible to see, taste, or smell and recom-mended installing at least one carbon-monoxide detector on every level of a house.

The amount considered safe is 35 parts per million, but when fi refi ghters entered the Gonzalez residence, they recorded carbon monoxide readings of 200 to 300 parts per million, said Brady.

The Gonzalez brothers worked for the Spanish grocery store Me-gamart, and store owners Herson Lopez and Uriel Ochoa said they will cover all funeral and interment costs. At press time, a viewing for the brothers was scheduled for 2 to 9 p.m. on June 5 and 6 at Gasch’s Funeral Home, with burial planned for Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Sil-ver Spring on June 7. A memorial for Jones was slated for 1 p.m. on June 5 at Crossover Church.

DEATHScontinued from page 1 HYaTTSVIlle HOUSe TOUrArts Fest 2010

photos by catie currieDiana Little, top, was one of dozens of area artists at the Third Annual Hyattsville Arts Festival on May 22. Above: Milkweed Studios, left, offered origami for sale, and Franklins, right, was one of several local eateries represented. The festival was jointly sponsored by EYA and the Hyattsville CDC.

photo by w. scott chappellThe annual May tour of historic homes, including this one, drew nearly 500 people.

Page 16: Hyattsville Life & Times June 2010

Page 12 Hyattsville Life & Times | June 2010

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