december 2015 hyattsville life & times

By Sam Stern

A representative for the Marvin R. Blumberg Co., which owns the Clay Property — a 12.87 acre undeveloped parcel of land south

of University Hills — presented updated development plans at the Nov. 16 Hya� sville City Council meeting. � e landowner wants the city to support a proposed re-zoning and a land swap.

“University Hills loves those woods. If you take them away from us, they can never be replaced,” said Ward 3 resident Jim Menasian

December 2015Hyattsville’s Community NewspaperVol. 12 No. 12

Life&Times

December 2015Hyattsville’s Community NewspaperVol. 12 No. 12

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CENTER SECTION: DECEMBER 9, 2015 ISSUE OF THE HYATTSVILLE REPORTER — IN ESPANOL TOO!

Special election guide: meet the Ward 5 candidates. Page X.

BREWING continued on page 11

BLACK LIVES MATTERNPR's Kojo Nnamdi joins race discussion at Hyattsville's Busboys and Poets. P. 4

DEMATHA'S 3-PEATDeMatha Football's championship victory was a true team effort. P. 7

FINDING FITNESSFitness options vary for Hyattsville residents and their resolutions. P. 3

MICHAEL DOMBROSKIThe cast of Northwestern High Schoolʼs production of “Grease,” which opens Dec. 10. For a list of showtimes, check the community calendar on page 9. From Left to right in the back row: Keyon Douglas and Jonathan Palmer. From left to right in the front row: Enoch Wilson, Pedro Aviles Gamez, and Nicholas Fountain-Sykes. TRAFFIC continued on page 12

by Scarlett Salem

Washington City Paper recently posted it’s annual “Beer Issue,” reporting on the region's surging cra� brewery scene. In a series of posts, beer enthusiasts highlight-ed the more glamorous aspects of cra� brewing: the taste and taxon-omy of micro-brews. But for Hy-a� sville resident Ma� Humbard, brewing requires sacri� ce.

“We brew in Virginia, but are based in Hya� sville. It’s an hour commute to the brewery. Every weekend I drive out there. ... And that’s time away from my kids,” said Humbard, whose Handsome Beer label became available to the public in September. Humbard has a Ph.D. in cell biology and previously worked as a cancer re-searcher at the National Cancer Institute. He writes the home-brewing blog A Ph.D. in Beer.

Handsome Beer is a newcomer in the world of cra� brewing, and co-founder Humbard is still bal-ancing a full-time job with his new project. “I have another source of income because I have a family. We self-� nance the entire brew-ery, no loans, ” said Humbard.

Handsome Beer’s other co-founder, Graham MacDonald, has taken on the label as a full-time job. “Yep, I'm working on this seven days a week,” he said. MacDon-ald, a Washington, D.C. resident,

Proposal allows 210 townhouses

instead of only 58 detached houses

Rezoning sought for controversial development

� e sacri� ce of brewing cra� beer

By Talib I. Karim

As the numbers of residents and businesses along Route 1 (Bal-timore Avenue) increase, so too has the incidence of tra� c acci-dents. In the seven days between Nov. 15 and 22, Arts District residents posted on Facebook about three collisions. In one in-stance, a driver ran a red light and slammed into another car. A� er the collision, the reckless driver climbed out his car window and � ed the scene, one eyewitness said.

Accidents have become com-monplace along Hya� sville’s share of the busy U.S. Route 1. In Maryland, Route 1 spans over 80 miles, starting in Mount Rainier and continuing through to Pennsylvania.

� e street’s role as a major inter-state artery is a key factor in Hy-

Route 1 tra� c safety continues to plague local businesses, residents

DEVELOPMENT continued on page 8

GREASED LIGHTNING

Hyattsville Life & Times | December 2015

A community newspaper chronicling the

life and times of Hyattsville

Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781

http://HyattsvilleLife.com

http://facebook.com/HyattsvilleLife

http://twitter.com/HvilleTimes

Hyattsville Life & Times is published monthly by Hyattsville Community Newspaper, Inc., a 501c(3) nonpro� t corporation. Editors welcome reader

input, tips, articles, letters, opinion pieces and photographs, which may be submitted using the mailing ad-dress above or the email addresses

below.

Editor and Web ManagerRebecca Bennett

[email protected]

EditorMark Goodson

ProductionAshley Perks

Digital Archives Manager Susie Currie

Copy EditorsSean Bennett

Karen RileySam Stern

[email protected]

301.531.5234Writers & Contributors

Julia Gaspar-Bates, Lauren Kelly, Andrew Marder, Chris McManes,

Gray O’Dwyer, Kit Slack, Scarlett Salem, Fred Seitz, Caroline Selle, Sam Stern

Board of Directors Joseph Gigliotti - President and

General Counsel Chris Currie - Vice President

Caroline Selle - SecretaryPeggy Dee, Karen J. Riley, Rosanna Landis Weaver,

Gretchen Brodtman, Debra Franklin, T. Carter RossRebecca Bennett - Ex O� cio

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

Total circulation is 9,300.HL&T is a member of the

National Newspaper Association.

MyTwoCents

By Ronald Pedone and Elizabeth Payer

� e Marvin R. Blumberg Co. is asking the City of Hya� sville to support its request to change the zoning designation of the Clay property, the land the Company owns in the University Hills area from R-80 to R-20, a much high-er density designation.

Let's be honest about why the Blumberg Co. is seeking this change. With a simple designa-tion change, the Blumberg Co. would potentially reap larger

Blumberg Company's re-zoning requestamounts of money by building and selling as many as 210 units (R-20) on the 12.87 acres. � e current zoning only allows ap-proximately 58 detached units (R-80).

Let's also be equally hon-est about why Prince George's County and the City of Hya� s-ville might want to support such a zoning designation change. Both entities see the color green — more tax dollars to be collect-ed by the county and the city if they go along with the Blumberg Co. request. Despite all the rhet-oric and posturing, it's really not about maintaining the quality of life for the residents of University Hills; it's not about preserving precious green space and woods; and it's certainly not about what's best for the environment.

In a word, it is about money. It's highly likely the developer

would make much more money selling more units in a higher density location. And, yes, the city would take in more revenue if it decides to support the Blum-

berg Co.’s request. We would hope, though, that Hya� sville is not simply driven by a desire for a few more tax dollars. We want to believe the city wouldn't sur-render to a developer's ambitions for "pro� t maximization.”

Of course, the Blumberg Co. has the right to make as much money as it can by developing this acreage. It's in business to make a pro� t, a huge pro� t, if it can. But, should the city also be in the business of selling out the preferences of its residents simply for additional tax dol-lars? What a sad state of a� airs it would be if the City of Hya� s-ville chooses to go along with such a course of action. We'd like to believe the city would re-ject such a choice.

A� er long deliberations, mul-tiple discussions with area resi-dents, and thoughtful planning, the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission, in its September 2015 preliminary plan, recommended that the Clay property remain designated

as R-80 and not changed to a R-20 designation. Park and Plan-ning came to this decision be-cause it recognized that an R-80 designation is consistent with the character and feel of adjacent University Hills — single fam-ily detached homes on large lots, many of them wooded.

It is our belief that there will be no lack of opportunity to buy a townhouse in the Prince George's Plaza Transit District Overlay Zone (TDOZ) area. As currently envisioned, the TDOZ includes planning for mixed-use and townhouse development. In-deed, plans for townhouse devel-opment are inundating the area. � e only current designation exception is the 12-plus acres lo-cated within the University Hills community. What is so troubling or damaging about preserving the option for prospective home-owners to buy a new, single-fami-ly house within the TDOZ? New single family homeowners would pay substantial taxes, a� er all.

We think it's vital to preserve

residential, single family hous-ing as an alternative in our com-munity, as well as throughout Hya� sville. We believe that zon-ing modi� cations to accommo-date the building of townhouses ignore this important option. We further maintain that densi-ty proportionality should be the standard. And, we are convinced that the avalanche of townhouse units not only violates this pro-portionality but will also radi-cally and severely change the character, appeal, and quality of life for those who live in Univer-sity Hills. For many residents, it is a simple and straightforward ma� er: keep the integrity of the entire University Hills commu-nity intact. Let it remain zoned as R-80, a community tradition-ally known as "single family de-tached homes." Sometimes the best "change" is no change.

Ronald Pedone and Elizabeth Pay-er are the President and Vice-Pres-ident of the University Hills Area Civic Association (UHACA). � e views expressed are theirs and do not necessarily re� ect the views of UHACA or Hya� sville Commu-nity Newsaper, Inc.

NEWS BRIEFS READ THE FULL STORY AT HYATTSVILLELIFE.COMBIKESHARE FEASIBILITY STUDY

� e Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is conducting a feasibility study to determine how Prince George’s County can set up a sustainable and success-ful bikeshare program.

� e study area includes the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area (inside the Beltway), the City of Greenbelt, and the National Har-bor, throughout which there are many municipalities, community groups, issues and moving parts, M-NCPPC’s Fred Sha� er said. � e feasibility study is expected to identify opportunities, con-straints, development implemen-tation plan and identify funding opportunities.

Assistant Hya� sville City Ad-ministrator Jim Chandler said that it’s encouraging and a posi-tive sign that the county is in-vesting resources to look at the feasibility of a bikeshare system. “With the completion of the � rst phase of the Trolley Trail linking College Park to Hya� sville along the U.S. Route 1 Corridor and in the future could link into the existing [Washington,] D.C. trail system, making biking a more viable commuter alternative,”

Chandler said. Anyone with feedback can

contact M-NCPPC Planner Co-ordinator Fred Sha� er at fred.sha� [email protected] or at 301.952.3661.

MD 500 STREETSCAPEPROJECT

� e Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) said it’s $10.6 million MD 500 (Queens Chapel Road) “streetscape” project from Hamilton Street to East West Highway is 27 percent complete. � e project involves improvements to sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian signals, bike lanes, pavement resurfacing and street lighting. SHA will also convert the existing painted me-dian into a landscaped median.

SHA said crews to-date have completed construction on a signi� cant portion of water util-ity and drainage work for the project. Crews will perform lim-ited work during winter months, SHA said, and by late spring, will construct curbs, gu� ers and new street-lighting infrastructure.

� e original completion date of late 2016 was pushed back for inclusion of additional traf-� c signals at Belcrest Road, SHA said. Weather-permi� ing, SHA

� e Hya� sville Life & Times sends our condolences to the family of Larry Perrin of Potomac, Md., who passed away on Nov. 24. Perrin, a realtor, placed a full-page advertisement on our back page in every issue since this publication was founded more than 11 years ago. His ads were always memorable for their clever slogans and vivid images, the products of a long and fruitful col-laboration with our page designer. Larry had a longer association with the paper than any of our current sta� , volunteers or board members, and will be greatly missed.

IN MEMORY OF LARRY PERRIN

expects the entire project is to be � nished by late fall 2017.

MUDDY BIKE TRACKS FADING

� e number of noticeable patch-es of torn up grass and muddy bike tracks where the Hya� s-ville Cyclocross bike race came through on Oct. 4 are diminish-ing. � is year’s event was almost postponed because of heavy rain that had fallen the week prior. According to the City of Hya� s-ville, the green space will be � xed and the race course was altered to avoid the sports � elds.

Two days before the race, Arrow Bicycle owners and race organiz-ers Chris Militello and Chris Da-vidson said they were in the park

for three hours with city o� cials and sta� in the rain to determine how to hold the event and mini-mize impact by rerouting the race.

“We knew there would be im-pact to all grass, but were already planning to seed and topdress the park at the end of the sports season, which we do every year,” Hya� sville City Administra-tor Tracey Nicholson said. “So, when race organizers con� rmed that they could re-route the race so as not to touch any sports � elds, we made the decision to host the event.”

More than a month a� er the race, Nicholson said park visi-tors can still see where the race caused minimal impact, but there are many areas the city is proud to report a full recovery.


Helping Sell HyattsvilleAnd our Neighboring Community

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Wishing all my Hyattsville Neighbors a Joyous Holiday Season and a

Happy and Healthy 2016!

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NEW LISTINGS

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PAID ADVERTISEMENT

By Maria James

For many, Jan. 1 is a reminder of the previous year's failed efforts to successfully lose weight. Losing weight almost always tops the list of New Year’s resolutions set. Of-ten barriers to achieving this goal can be summed up in one of three words: time, cost or motivation. The good news is that Hyattsville offers uniquely different options that appeal to every fitness level, from the couch-to-gym type to the fitness enthusiast. Get ready to tackle those barriers and accom-plish your health and fitness goals for 2016.

Looking for motivation? Con-sider hiring a personal trainer or taking classes at LA Fitness, locat-ed at 2970 Belcrest Center Drive. “We have four personal trainers on staff and they are all certified,” said operations manager Ashley Goodwin. Once certified, Good-win said all trainers are required to take classes to stay up-to-date on the latest in health and fitness. The gym offers a variety of class-es — everything from Zumba to aqua aerobics. A full schedule can be found online at www.LAFit-ness.com. In addition to physical needs, LA Fitness also addresses practical needs, such as child care. Kids Klub is a fun and safe place for kids to stay while parents workout. Cost is an extra $10 per child per month or a drop-in fee of $5.

For those who feel the itch to try something completely new, visit Hyattsville’s newest gym, iL-oveKickboxing, at 6451 America Blvd, Suite 104. The Hyattsville location is the company’s first to be located in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Manager Ra-dames Arocho encourages those considering joining to be unfazed by the name. “This is kickboxing for fitness, not combat,” said Aro-cho. “Our classes cater to all fit-ness levels. During the class, you can go at your own pace.” The gym, which opens at the end of December, will offer several hour-long classes. Thanks to heavy mar-

keting on social media, the gym already has over 600 people regis-tered to take classes. The current special is three classes at $19.99 or five classes at $29.99, and in-cludes a free set of boxing gloves. Visit www.ilovekickboxing.com to learn how to join.

Nearby on Landover Road and also on Greenbelt Road is Planet Fitness. For just $10 per month members have access to the gym 24 hours a day, seven days per week. “We’re busy all year round, but it really picks up in January and February,” said Assata Cow-ard, general manager of Planet Fitness. “The main thing is we help members understand this is a lifestyle change.”

Another cost-friendly and con-venient option is Fitness Evolu-tion, located in the Mall at Prince Georges. Members pay $9.99 per month for a basic membership or $19.99 per month for a premium membership that includes unlim-ited fitness classes, guest privileg-es and nationwide club access.

If a gym is not your scene, there are other local opportunities to get moving. Several yoga studios offer a range of classes: Love Yoga on Baltimore Avenue, Yoga Space on Gallatin Street and Bikram (Hot) Yoga on Queensbury Road in Riverdale Park. Ballet, Tap and All That Jazz dance studio offers several fitness classes for adults. Zumba is available at both the Prince George’s Plaza Commu-nity Center and Wells Ice Rink. Arrow Bicycle organizes a Sunday group ride, which meets at 5108 Baltimore Avenue at 9 a.m.

The City of Hyattsville also holds Ageless Grace seated exercise classes at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays at the Hyattsville Municipal Building. And the city just began a series of free “Movin' with the Mayor” classes, which will bring Tai Chi with Dancing in Silence to the Hyattsville Municipal Building on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. Visit www.hyattsville.org for oth-er upcoming classes.

Get fit in 2016


RIDES ARE FREE INNOVEMBER & DECEMBER

PASEOS SON GRATISNoviembre y

Diciembre

By Brianna Rhodes

Prince George’s County is home to the the wealthiest African-American majority commu-nity in the nation, according to WAMU 88.5’s Kojo Nnamdi. “It’s also got struggling schools, poverty, and long-running ten-sions between police and minor-ity residents,” he said.

Police relations, education, youth concerns, and economic issues were a few topics discussed at an open forum event held at Busboys and Poets in Hya� sville on Nov. 17. � e event, hosted by Nnamdi, provided an oppor-tunity for community members to voice their opinions about the Black Lives Ma� er Movement in Prince George’s County.

Erica To� en, with Black Lives Ma� er DMV, said the local chapter began in Jan. 2015 when organizers felt the movement fo-cused too heavily on black men. “So when we say ‘black lives ma� er,’ we mean all black lives,” she said.

“The national conversation on race certainly has an effect here in our county, if for no

other reason because our coun-ty is a predominantly black county,” said Jonathan Hutto from the Prince George’s Peo-ple’s Coalition. “And although we have the ... label of being the richest in terms of black residents per capita through-out the United States, pockets of poverty, pockets of schools

that are ill-funded, schools that are actually being closed in our county, police brutality, and police harassment — all the issues that you read about and hear about all take place in Prince George’s County,” he said.

“In the State of Maryland and Prince George’s County, there

are so many di� erent ways we can improve community polic-ing” said Maryland State Dele-gate Alonzo Washington (D-22).

“� e � rst interaction for a trained police o� cer and the cit-izens of Prince George’s County is when they are now licensed police o� cers [a� er eight months of training],” Washing-

ton said. “What I plan to intro-duce next year is to ensure that that doesn’t happen anymore in the State of Maryland, that there is community service within training for all police agents in Maryland and Prince George’s County.”

“We think some of the ways to [resolve issues] are through jobs, through connections to commu-nity, and through other increased opportunities by building the so-cial fabric and the safety net of fab-ric for children and youth in com-munities to be able to respond to and depend on,” said Tonia Wel-lons from the Prince George’s So-cial Innovations Fund.

Residents also shared their views on the de� nition of black power and the successes of the Black Lives Ma� er Movement since it began.

“Young people need to take ac-tion,” said Lois Velle from Bowie about young people being aware of the movement.

“I was a student activist in the 60s. Now it’s their turn to carry the torch. Young people have got-ten too comfortable and don’t re-alize what’s going on,” said Velle.

Black Lives Ma� er: A discussion of the movement in Prince George’s County

BRIANNA RHODESKojo Nnamdi and facilitators discussing issues amongst African-American residents in Prince George's County.


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CulturalConnections

by Julia Gaspar-Bates

Javier Culzoni’s childhood in Asunción, Paraguay set the stage for his eventual immigration to the U.S. His mother, a dancer, fre-quently traveled around the world for several months at a time. Con-sequently, Culzoni said he and his brother grew up “with two di� er-ent faces,” as relatives would care for them during their mother’s ab-sences. “At my house, there were always 10-12 people every day and on weekends. We would all get together and spend time having a BBQ. I miss that a lot,” he said.

When Culzoni was 15, his par-ents separated and his father moved to the U.S. Until mov-ing here 11 years later, he saw his father only during a visit to Paraguay. In 2000, Culzoni was playing semi-professional soccer and decided to join his dad in the U.S. “When I came here, I was living in RockvilIe. I worked in construction and played soccer in amateur leagues in Maryland.

� ey would pay me $100 per game. I would save the money to enroll in English classes,” he said.

� e � rst year was hard. Cul-zoni consciously tried to cultivate friendships with Americans. “Be-cause that would help me learn and listen and appreciate [English] be� er,” he said. His initial motiva-tion to learn English occurred fol-lowing an encounter in a grocery store when he had di� culty com-municating with the cashier. “A� er I le� , a [Latino customer] came out and gave me her phone num-ber because she wanted me to call her. At that moment, I realized that I needed to learn English, ” he said.

� ere were other learning curves for him. “� e pace of life is slow in Paraguay, and people show up late for meetings. It’s disrespectful in the U.S. if you show up late. Here you can lose business or your job for being late,” he said.

Javier misses the warmth of the Paraguayan people. “� ey will in-vite you to their house for a BBQ or birthday party. Even if they don't

know you but a friend invites you, you’re welcome. Everybody shares everything. Here, sometimes you don’t stop to appreciate, you just work, work, work and you miss things that you don’t realize be-cause you’re so focused on work-ing and not enjoying. In Paraguay, people aren’t worried about work-ing. If you try hard enough, you can just live comfortably,” he said.

Another aspect of the U.S. he said shocked him in a good way is the diversity of people from di� er-ent countries. “When you come here and don’t speak the language, you’re afraid that people will make fun of you. But that’s not the case, people try to understand you and communicate with you and help you to learn,” he said.

Javier, his American wife and young child relocated to Hya� s-ville from Annapolis to be closer to his mother, who now lives in Silver Spring, Md. “We knew that Hya� s-ville was an artsy town and we like that ambiance, with old houses. You don’t really have to go to D.C. be-cause you have things here and ev-erything is within walking distance. I like the diversity mostly,” he said.

Javier recently visited Paraguay with 595 Entertainment, an orga-nization he co-founded, to solicit support from government agencies to set up team-building challenge courses throughout the country. “We want to create socio-economic growth in smaller cities to help sup-

port local small businesses. I saw a lot of economic progress. Every-thing changed,” he said.

Observing changes at home was not the only change Javier experi-enced. “I felt like a stranger, like I don’t belong [in Paraguay] any-more. Even though I want to retire there, I don’t think I’ll be able to adjust to that life anymore. It is like a mixed emotion sensation. I feel like I’m American now,” he said.

In fact, since 2013 Javier has been an American citizen. “It wasn’t an easy process, but in the end it’s good satisfaction. If I start think-ing about where I came from and how I got here — how I wasn’t able to speak English, to become an American is really nice. It’s the fruit of my sacri� ces from leaving my country, my family,” he said.

Julia Gaspar-Bates is a cross-cultural trainer and consultant. “Cultural Connections” is devoted to bringing forth the voices of im-migrants and other foreigners who have se� led in Hya� sville.

Learning English transformed one Paraguayan immigrant’s experience

JULIA GASPAR-BATESJavier Culzoni


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By Gray OʼDwyer

Randy and Rose Fletcher were al-ready married when they bought Hitching Post Hill, an historic es-tate in the University Hills neigh-borhood of Hya� sville. What they didn’t know was that owning a his-toric house is like ge� ing married again — there are good days, bad days, and a lot of in-between days, and to keep it all going you need equal doses of patience and love.

And just like a marriage, you can’t go it alone. You need people to lean on, who have the knowl-edge and expertise to help you

get through the rough times. � e Fletchers learned this the

hard way during the earthquake in Aug. 2011, when they came home to � nd sha� ered plaster, broken bricks and a house in ruins. Re-pairing their historic home was an enormous task, one that tested their resources and their resolve.

� at’s when they discovered the Historic Preservation Grant Fund, administered by the Maryland-Na-tional Capital Parks and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). � e commission provides grant money and expert resources, among other incentives, to help with historic

Hitched to Hitching Post Hill

preservation e� orts.Now the couple is seeking ad-

ditional funding and in Octo-ber, the Hya� sville City Council voted to write a le� er of support for the Fletcher’s latest grant ap-plication.

Hitching Post Hill is an impor-tant piece of local history, built ca. 1840 in the Greek Revival style with elements of Italianate design. It was later owned by General Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a colorful � gure from a distin-guished Maryland family. Beale was an explorer, diplomat, gen-eral, naval o� cer, surveyor, and humanitarian who pioneered Western se� lement and cham-pioned American Indian rights in Washington, D.C. During Beale’s tenure, the house hosted President U.S. Grant and his Arabian stallions, President Gro-ver Cleveland, and Bu� alo Bill

Cody’s entire Wild West troupe. � e house was improved over the

years by successive owners, but also saw hard use. Admiral Chauncey � omas added solid brass plumb-ing in the 1890s, and master plas-terer John Gianne� i made the ceil-ings into works of art in the 1980’s. Later on, the house su� ered signi� -cant wear and damage when it was used for many years as a boarding house for University of Maryland students.

Randy Fletcher was head-over-heels in love when he found Hitch-ing Post Hill. He grew up in Con-necticut, surrounded by historic buildings and badly wanted to own a home with patina and charm. Rose Fletcher was a bit more skep-tical, mostly because her family is Italian and know all about living in really old homes — some of her relatives live in a house built in the 15th Century.

� ey knew that restoring an his-toric home would be a project, but they didn’t plan for an earth-quake, or the ro� ed porch, which collapsed during a cocktail party with 20 guests on it, or any num-ber of other issues.

� ey discovered that Gianne� i, who was past president of the Prince George’s County Histori-cal Society, had donated a his-toric preservation easement on the house, which protects the ex-terior from major alteration and requires architectural review for most construction projects.

An easement is a terri� c legal tool to rein in unscrupulous owners, but also makes doing the right thing a li� le harder. Replac-ing the ro� ed porch wasn’t sim-ply a ma� er of a trip to the hard-ware store. � e Fletchers had to source tongue-and-groove heart pine decking to match the exist-ing wood and replace damaged columns with exact replicas.

It was costly, but Gianne� i steered them toward the Historic Preservation Grant Fund and M-NCPPC’s sta� of architectural historians for help. � en, when the earthquake hit, the Fletchers had no choice but to turn again to the local preservation network to guide them through the di� -cult and expensive restoration process. � ey’re applying again this year to help � nish the porch repairs and work on brick spall-ing in the basement walls.

� e Fletchers are con� dent that they’re doing something impor-tant to keep local history alive. As with any marriage, it’s their love for the house — along with some community support and practical resources — that keeps them going through the tough times.

REBECCA BENNETTRandy and Rose Fletcher have applied for a Historic Preservation Grant to help finish porch repairs and work on water damage in the basement walls at Hitching Post Hill.


By Chris McManes

DeMatha Catholic High School football players were already close to one another. As they prepared for the Nov. 22 Washington Catho-lic Athletic Conference champion-ship, their solidarity increased.

“We became closer at our last prac-tice,” senior defensive end and Penn State recruit Shane Simmons said. “We expressed our feelings about the team. There were a lot of tears and stuff about how we feel about each other. That really helped us bond.”

That togetherness was on full dis-play in the title game when the Stags dismantled archrival Good Coun-sel, 48-17. The victory was De-Matha’s 23rd league title and third-

straight WCAC championship.Senior cornerback Robbie Robin-

son, who’s heading to Arizona State, was in his first year at the Hyattsville school.

“I came up here five months ago not really knowing what I was get-ting into, but I bonded with every-body on the team,” Robinson said. “I can call everybody my brother. … To win a championship with your brothers means a lot.”

To reign supreme, the Stags had to overcome a midseason loss and disciplinary problems that sent some players to the bench. And, loaded with Division I tal-ent, they carried the weight of high expectations.

“Keeping your kids focused and making sure they come out and

produce every game is tough,” De-Matha Coach Elijah Brooks said. “But I thought our boys handled it

as well as they could, and I’m really proud of the way they finished the season.”

The Stags began the year with victories over two of Florida’s reigning state champions, 38-14 over Miami Central and 23-22 at American Heritage in Plantation, Fla. The first game was televised nationally by ESPN, and the wins propelled DeMatha to a No. 3 na-tional ranking.

The Stags improved to 4-0 with home victories over La Salle of Pennsylvania and St. Mary’s Ryken. Top-ranked locally, DeMatha trav-elled to No. 7 St. John’s and man-handled the Cadets, 40-0. The Stags’ defense didn’t allow a point in 10 consecutive quarters.

After a 52-47 shootout victory at

Strong bond helps DeMatha win their third-straight WCAC football championship

Bishop McNamara, DeMatha met Gonzaga in a battle of unbeaten teams. ESPN2 beamed the Purple Eagles’ 24-14 win across America. The Stags hurt themselves by com-mitting four turnovers and 11 pen-alties.

As Brooks gathered his dejected players, he told them they were still going to win the championship. He was right.

In the first round of the WCAC playoffs, DeMatha made it 22 in a row over St. John’s, 42-21. This set up another championship show-down with Good Counsel.

Maryland recruit Lorenzo Har-rison ran for 243 yards and three touchdowns, and the Stags’ defense scored off a Robinson fumble re-covery and an Austin Fontaine in-terception return.

“Gonzaga kind of slowed us down, but we went back to practice and knew that wasn’t the real DeMatha playing,” Harrison said. “We just came out and got ourselves together and continued to dominate.”

EDWARD POTSKOWSKIDeMatha Stags celebrate the last of seven touchdowns scored in the championship game.

Moviendo Con La AlcaldesaPara apoyar la salud publica, y divertirse, Alcaldesa Candace Hollingsworth y negocios locales están ofreciendo clases de ejercicio y salud gratis a los residentes de la Ciudad de Hyattsville. Las clases estarán para todos niveles. La proxima es de Tai Chi el sabado, 18 de diciembre, 1:00-2:00 p.m., con Dancing in Silence, Inc., en el Edificio Municipal, 4310 Gallatin Street. Para mas informacion, por favor contacte a Ellarose Preston en 301-985-5006 o [email protected].

Premios Aplauso Claus¿Brilla su casa con alegría durante esta tem-porada de festividades? O esta la casa de tu vecino tan brillante que pone una sonrisa en su cara? La ciudad de Hyattsville aceptará nomi-naciones de decoración hasta el 11 de diciem-bre. Usted puede nominar su propia casa u otro favorito en la ciudad. Utilice la forma de nominación en el página web: www.hyattsville.org/Claus-Applause. ¡Buena suerte! Transporte Gratis Para Las VacacionesComo un regalo navideño a los residentes, el servicio de Call-A-Bus funcionará gratuitamente en diciembre. El autobús es principalmente para ayudar a las personas mayores y residentes con discapacidad llegar a sus citas médicas, pero también

hacemos viajes de recolección supermercado y prescripción. El servicio se ofrece para ida y vuelta, desde y de regreso a su casa. Si nunca ha utilizado el bus antes, registro es fácil y además gratis. Llame para reservar su viaje gratis – 301-985-5020. Gratis Todo el Año – Bus de la Universidad de Maryland Ruta 113 del bus de la Universidad de Mary-land circula por Hyattsville, para en el estacion de Metro de Prince George’s Plaza, y sigue hasta la Universidad. Residentes de Hyatts-ville pueden conseguir una tarjeta para usarlo gratis si lleve identificacion con foto y prueba de residencia en la Ciudad al Edificio Munici-pal, 4310 Gallatin Street, lunes a viernes, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Dan tarjetas la misma dia. Mapas y horarios de rutas estan disponibles en www.dots.umd.edu.

Contratando Policias¿Tiene interes en ser Policia de Hyatts-

ville? El Depart-mento esta

reclutando

policias con experiencia y personas con interes en ser policia. La Ciudad ofrece salarios compet-itivos y beneficios excelentes. Para mas informa-tion, por favor, visite www.hyattsville.org/jobs.

Colecta de Juguetes Sonny Frazier La Colecta de Juguetes anual de Sonny Frazier ya esta abierta. Colecta juguetes para niños en la comunidad que no recibieran regalos de otra manera. Residentes pueden donar juguetes nuevos, desenvueltos hasta el 9 de diciembre. Donaciones de efectivo tambien son bienveni-dos. Por favor, contacte a Consejal Ruth Ann Frazier en 301-779-5428 para mas informacion.

Recoleccion de Basura, Residuos de Jardin y Hojas Durante Las FiestasOficinas de la Ciudad estaran ceraddos el vi-ernes, 25 de diciembre, y el viernes, 1 de enero. Estas DOS semanas, los cambios al Horario de Recolección de Basura están abajo:No recolección de hojasNo lunes recolección de residuos del jardínRuta de basura de martes se recolecta el lunesRuta de basure de miércoles se recolecta el martesRuta de basura de jueves se recolecta el mier-colesRuta de basura de viernes se recolecta el jueves

Academia de Policia para ResidentesResidentes estan invitados a solicitor para un curso de 11 semanas para mejorar comunicacio-nes y colaboracion con la Policia de Hyattsville. La clase ocure cada jueves en la tarde empe-zando el 14 de enero. Para participar, debe tener 18 años y pasar una verificación de ante-cedentes. Para una solicitud o mas informacion, por favor, contacte a Corporal James Denault en 240-286-6047 o [email protected].

Movin’ With the MayorTo encourage health, and have some fun, Mayor Candace Hollingsworth is partnering with local businesses to offer free wellness classes to City of Hyattsville residents. Classes will be open to all skill levels. The next class is a Tai Chi Class, on Saturday, December, 18, 1:00-2:00 p.m. con Dancing in Silence, Inc. at the City Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street. For more information, please contact Ellarose Preston at 301-985-5006 or [email protected].

Claus Applause Decorating Awards Is your home bright with cheer during this holiday season? Or does your neighbor’s house shine so much it puts a smile on your face? The City of Hyattsville will accept decoration award nominations through December 11. You can nominate your own house or another favorite one in the City. Please use the nomination online at www.hyattsville.org/ClausApplause. Good luck!

Free Rides for the HolidaysAs a holiday gift to residents, the Call-A-Bus will operate free of charge in December. The bus is primarily to help seniors and residents with disabilities get to their medical appoint-ments, but we also make grocery store and prescription pickup trips. We offer round trip service, from and back to your home. If you’ve never used the bus before, registration is easy and also free. Call in advance to reserve your free trip – 301-985-5020.

Free all Year – University of Maryland Shuttle BusRoute 113 of the University of Maryland Shut-tle Bus loops through Hyattsville, stops at the Prince George’s Plaza Metro, and then heads to the University. Hyattsville residents can get a

pass to ride free by bringing photo ID and proof of residence to the Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin Street, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Passes are issued the same day. Route maps and schedules are available at www.dots.umd.edu.

Hiring Police OfficersInterested in becoming a Hyattsville Police Officer? The Hyattsville Police Department is currently recruiting experienced officers and others interested in starting a career in law en-forcement. The City offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits. For more information please visit www.hyattsville.org/jobs.

Sonny Frazier Toy Drive The annual Sonny Frazier Toy Drive is now underway. The drive collects toys for children in the community who would not otherwise receive holiday presents. Residents may donate new, unwrapped toys until December 9. Mon-etary contributions are also welcome. Please contact Councilmember Ruth Ann Frazier at 301-779-5428 for more information.

Holiday Trash, Yard Waste and LeavesCity offices will be closed on Friday, December 25, and Friday, January 1. Those TWO weeks, changes to the trash, yard waste and leaf col-lection schedule are as follows:No leaf removalNo yard waste pickup on MondaysTuesday trash route will be collected on Mon-dayWednesday trash route will be collected on TuesdayThursday trash route will be collected on WednesdayFriday trash route will be collected on Thurs-day

Civilian Police AcademyResidents are invited to apply for an 11-week course to increase communication and collaboration with the Hyattsville Police. The class takes place Thursday evenings starting January 14. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and pass a background check. For an application or more informa-tion, please contact Corporal James Denault at 240-286-6047 or [email protected].

Hyattsville ReportertheNo. 324 • December 9, 2015 www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000

Page HR1 Hyattsville Life & Times | December 2015 Hyattsville Life & Times | December 2015 Page HR2

Creative Minds Parent-Child ProgramTuesdays and Thursdays (last day December 17), 10 AM – 12 PMMagruder Park Recreation Center, 3911 Hamilton StreetMore information: Saarah Abdul-Rauf, 301-985-5065, [email protected]

Ageless Grace Senior Exercise ClassesWednesdays and Fridays (No class on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day), 10 AM – 11 AMHyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin StreetMore information: Beryl Johnson, 301-985-5058, [email protected]

Claus Applause Holiday Decorating Contest JudgingWednesday, December 16, 6 PM- 9 PMMore information: Cheri Everhart, 301-985-5021, [email protected]

Environment Committee MeetingWednesday, December 16, 7 PMHyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin StreetMore information: Jim Groves, [email protected]

Price Rite Nutritional TourThursday, December 17, 2 PM- 4 PMPrice Rite Grocery Store Shopes at Queens Chapel, 3104 Queens Chapel RoadMore information: Beryl Johnson, 301-985-5058, [email protected]

Movin’ With the Mayor – Tai Chi ClassSaturday, December 19, 6:30 – 7:30 PMDancing in Silence, 4413 Tucker-man Street; More information: Ellarose Preston, 301-985-5006, [email protected]

City Council Meeting Monday, December 21, 8 PMHyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin StreetMore information: Laura Reams, 301-985-5009, [email protected]

Seniors Free Movie MondayMonday, January 4, 9 AM – 12:30 PMBeltway Plaza; Call-A-Bus will transport.More information: Beryl Johnson, 301-985-5058, [email protected]

Board of Supervisors of Elections MeetingTuesday, January 5, 4 PMHyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin StreetMore information: Laura Reams, 301-985-5009, [email protected]

City Council Budget Work SessionTuesday, January 12, 8 PMHyattsville Municipal Building, 4310 Gallatin StreetMore information: Laura Reams, 301-985-5009, [email protected]

Mentes Creativas - Programa de padres e hijosEl martes y el jueves (17 de diciembre en el ultimo dia), 10:00 AM – 12:00 PMCentro de recreación de Parque Magruder, 3911 Hamilton StreetMás información: Saarah Abdul-Rauf, 301-985-5065, de [email protected] Gracia Eterna - Clases de ejer-cicios El miércoles y el viernes (no hay clase en la navidad o dia de año nuevo), 10 AM – 11 AMEdificio Municipal de Hyattsville, 4310 Gallatin StreetMás información: Beryl Johnson, 301-985-5058, [email protected]

Consideracion de Las Decora-ciones de Casas Miércoles, 16 de Diciembre, 6 PM - 9 PMMás información: Cheri Everhart, 301-985-5021, [email protected]

Reunion del Comite del Medio-ambienteMiércoles, 16 de Diciembre, 7 PMEdificio Municipal de Hyattsville, 4310 Gallatin StreetMás información: Jim Groves, [email protected]

Price Rite Tour NutricionalJueves, 17 de Diciembre, 2 PM- 4 PMPrice Rite Grocery Store Shopes at Queens Chapel, 3104 Queens Chapel RoadMás información: Beryl Johnson, 301-985-5058, [email protected]

Movin’ With the Mayor – Tai Chi ClassSabado, 19 de Diciembre, 1 PM – 2 PMEdificio Municipal de Hyattsville, 4310 Gallatin StreetMás información: Ellarose Preston, 301-985-5006, [email protected]

Reunión del Consejo Municipal Lunes, 21 de Diciembre, 8 PMEdificio Municipal de Hyattsville, 4310 Gallatin StreetMás información: Laura Reams, 301-985-5009, [email protected]

Pelicula Gratis Para MayoresLunes, 4 de Enero, 9 AM – 12:30 PMBeltway Plaza; Call-A-Bus trans-portaráMás información: Beryl Johnson, 301-985-5058, [email protected]

Reunion de La Mesa de Super-visores de EleccionesMartes, 5 de Enero, 4 PMEdificio Municipal de Hyattsville, 4310 Gallatin StreetMás información: Laura Reams, 301-985-5009, [email protected]

Reunion de Trabajo del Presu-puesto del Consejo MunicipalMartes, 12 de Enero, 8 PMEdificio Municipal de Hyattsville, 4310 Gallatin StreetMás información: Laura Reams, 301-985-5009, [email protected]

CALENDAR CALENDARIO

Reportero de HyattsvilleelNo. 324 • 9 de diciembre, 2015 www.hyattsville.org • 301-985-5000


DEC. WINTER

FEB. 26TH

DEC INVIERNO: CADA MIÉRCOLES Y VIERNES

FEB26

connection to Rosemary Lane.“Whatever you recommend,

ensure to the greatest extent possible that the ambience and the view of Ash Hill ... would be preserved,” Gloria Felix-� omp-son, representing the Hya� sville Preservation Association, told the council.

“I think [the developers] ig-nore all of the environmental

concerns that have been raised throughout this entire process by many stakeholders, not just the environmental commi� ee,” Ward 3 resident Alyson Reed said. “I think the proposal is a misguided a� empt to allay the concerns of some of the residents who live in immediate vicinity to the Clay Property.”

Councilmember Patrick Pas-

chall (Ward 3) said if there is no land swap, it leaves the entire area open to being developed in the ways that are currently permit-ted, which he said residents have concerns about.

At press time, the topic was listed as a discussion item for the Dec. 7 City Council meeting. Visit www.Hya� svilleLife.com for more information.

during public comment.� e applicant’s vision for rezon-

ing to R-20 includes building a community that aligns with the Plan Prince George’s 2035 vision for the Hya� sville down-town area. “As amended by the Transit Development District Plan (TDDP), the R-20 Zone generally allows for single-fam-ily a� ached residential dwelling units,” landowner representa-tives said in a le� er to the city regarding the property. � e R-20 zone would allow the Clay Prop-erty to have up to 210 units.

� e property is currently zoned as R-80, which would allow for up to approximately 58 units, accord-ing to Chris Hatcher Esq., a legal representative for the landowner.

� e property is currently be-ing considered for inclusion in the Prince George’s Plaza Transit District Overlay Zone (TDOZ). A zoning map amendment to in-clude the Clay Property is in the process of being approved by the county.

Councilmember Tom Wright (Ward 3) said he didn’t under-stand why the developer wants the property rezoned since the updated Prince George’s Plaza TDDP recommends it stay R-80.

Hatcher said the other outlying

residential areas were also zoned R-20, so this would keep the Clay Property consistent with the other areas in the TDOZ.

He also said the Prince George’s Plaza TDDP does not allow for cul-de-sacs; though, the Univer-sity Hills neighborhood includes several cul-de-sacs. � e Prince George’s Plaza TDDP requires that all streets connect to exist-ing public roads, which is some-thing University Hills residents have expressed concern about.

Hatcher said they submi� ed two land swap proposals to the Maryland-National Capital Parks & Planning Commission, both of which border the Clay Prop-erty square just south of historic Ash Hill (Hitching Post Hill). � e � rst proposal was unfavor-able for the developers, because they found it included park land that would require a substan-tial amount of time to transfer. � e second proposal swaps that same Clay Property square with a parcel of similar size directly south and west of the square (see photo). Hatcher said they met with the parks department in October, and that the proposals are currently under review.

Hatcher said the swap would put more preserved space in between the development and the historic property, and that it would also prevent the required

DEVELOPMENTcontinued from page 1

RDA ENGINEERING CO.The second of two land swap proposals between the property owner and the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission.

Hyattsville Life & Times | December 2015 Page 9

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COMMUNITY CALENDARDecember 10, 11, 18 and 19The Jim Henson Academy of Visual and Performing Arts at Northwestern High School is proud to present "Grease," the classic ‘50’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Musi-cal. More than just a fun high school musical about dating and cars, "Grease" tells a tale that ev-eryone can relate to. It is a story about young people creating a second family at school, strug-gling to figure out their place in the world, and endeavoring to be “the one that you want.” 7 p.m. $7; students and seniors $5. Northwestern High School Au-ditorium, 7000 Adelphi Road. 301.985.1820.

December 11Join Fleisher’s of Maryland for an intimate jazz concert featuring Sandro Albert and Jeanne Gies from New York City. $30. 8 p.m. 5200 Baltimore Avenue. Seating limited, call 301.699.5553 for reservations.

December 12Don’t get stuck at crowded malls this season buying gener-ic gift sets for your loved ones. Come to the Brentwood Arts Exchange Holiday Craft Fair and Beer Tasting Lounge! Thirteen Fine Craft artisans from the community will be displaying their items for sale inside our warm and cozy gal-lery and classroom. A wide se-lection of fine craft items will be available such as pottery, jewelry, textiles, glass, orna-ments, and much more. In ad-dition to the craft sale, there will be a beer tasting lounge. 11

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Design and create your dream house out of graham crackers, candy, and frosting at the Gin-gerbread House Holiday Hul-labaloo. Then create your own one of a kind ornament just in time for the holidays! Bring an optional donation of a new un-wrapped toy for local families. Free. Noon to 3 p.m. 3711 Rhode Island Avenue, Mount Rainier.

Do you ever watch musicals and wish you lived in a world where people burst into song on public transportation? Sing Christmas carols on the trolley rides that conclude the Annual Riverdale Park Festival of Lights and Holiday Market. Feature holiday gifts and live music from noon to 8 p.m. Santa will arrive via fire truck and stay from 2 to 5 p.m. The trolley rides, which run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. (last one depart-ing at 7:30 p.m.), are free with a donation of a canned good. 6200 Rhode Island Avenue, Riverdale Park. 301.927.6381.

A touchstone for every genera-tion, Star Wars and its epic tale

of the hero’s journey, captures our imaginations. In Studio So-Hy’s latest installment, May the Art be with You: A Tribute to a Galaxy Far, Far Away, artists explore their own experiences and interpret Star Wars' impact upon the American milieu. $15; kids 12 and under free. 7 to 11 p.m. Studio SoHy, 4327 Gallatin Street.

December 12 to 19The National Capital Trackers model-railroad club returns to the College Park Aviation Mu-seum with its Holiday Trains and Planes exhibit. See it during regular museum hours of 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free with museum admission. College Park Aviation Museum, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park. 301.864.6029.

December 16Join us this December as Con-nect the Dots Dance Company presents an interactive perfor-mance of excerpts from The Nutcracker. Enjoy beauti-ful costumes and music as we explore ballet at the library! Free. 6 p.m. Hyattsville Li-brary, 6530 Adelphi Road. 301.985.4690.

December 18 and 19Head to Publick Playouse for a Mistletunes Rock N’ Roll Mul-ticultural Holiday Celebration, including the Gift of the Magi, The Nutcracker, Kwanzaa Kite, and Soul of a Menorah. Sing along in this show packed with everyone’s favorite holiday songs and learn more about how cus-toms such as lighting candles, ex-changing gifts, festive meals and family gatherings are universal to end-of-the-year holidays. Fri-day at 11 a.m. Saturday at 2 p.m. 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly. 301.277.1710.

December 19 and 20The Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department (HVFD) is plan-ning another year of jolly ol’ fun with Santa Runs! Saint Nick will ride around on a fire truck in the City of Hyattsville and Uni-versity Park. Free. 4:30 to 8 p.m. Weather make-up date Dec. 21. Sign your block up, get notifica-tions or see the planned routes at www.hvfd.com/santa-run. HVFD said they cannot guar-antee they can visit every block requested.

December 30Close out the year by seeing

Riversdale by Candlelight, where residents from three eras of Riversdale's history welcome guests to the candlelit museum for tours, refreshments, live mu-sic, and children's activities. $5; free for ages 12 and under. 6 p.m. Riversdale House Museum, 4811 Riverdale Road, Riverdale Park. 301.864.0420.

December 27Join in the traditional story-telling, song and ceremony in a joyous Kwanzaa celebration presented by Queen Nur at "KWANZAA-IT’S KUJICHA-GULIA!" $20 per person; $15 for students, seniors and groups of 20 or more. 4 p.m. Publick Playhouse, 5445 Landover Road, Cheverly. 301.277.1710.

ONGOINGSee the Annual Winter Festival of Lights from the comfort of your heated car as you drive through the Watkins Regional Park dis-play, which features over a million lights. Please bring a canned good to donate. Admission per car or van is $5 for a single visit or $10 for a three-visit pass. Open daily through January 1 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. 301 Watkins Park Drive, Up-per Marlboro. 301.699.2456.


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by Lauren Flynn Kelly

When patronizing a big-box thrift store, it’s often unclear who you’re helping in the pro-cess. Will the proceeds from your purchase benefit chari-ties nearby? Will your do-nated clothes be sent abroad to people in need? Sometimes you just don’t know, especially when that store is owned by a for-profit, privately held com-pany.

At the Hyattsville Compas-sion Center, however, the mis-sion is clear: support local fam-ilies in need with food, clothing and spiritual guidance. Located on the campus of the Redeemer Lutheran Church at the inter-section of East West Highway and Queens Chapel Road, it is one of 10 thrift and dona-tion centers of the Lutheran Mission Society (LMS) in the Maryland and southern Penn-sylvania region.

Not technically a store, the nonprofit center accepts “dona-tions for handling” for like-new items that include clothing and shoes for all ages, linens and housewares, accessories, books and magazines. Center Coordi-nator Anita Whetstone said she finds that many people come in for the basics — kitchen items like a blender or a barely worn winter coat. The Cen-ter even distributes diapers at an extremely discounted han-

Give back by “shopping” your local church

dling fee of 10 cents per diaper. “We’re always conscious of who our visitors are and what their needs might be. It’s how we de-cide what to put out,” she said.

The center is open Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thurs-days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. But on Saturdays, something very special happens. On these “ministry days,” the center sees clients who cannot afford to make donations for their cloth-ing, and supplies each family up to a certain amount of clothing and food. They can also visit with a pastor, and see a “faith community” nurse, Jeanine Mc-Grath, who provides medical or nutritional advice and performs simple tasks, such as blood

pressure checks.The food donations may

come from church members collected on Sunday after ser-vice, when a grocery cart is placed outside the sanctuary with notecards explaining its purpose and a shopping list, from members of the nearby Trinity Lutheran Church in Mount Rainier or from LMS headquarters. Anyone is wel-come to donate non-perish-able food items or make cloth-ing and other donations to the thrift center. The center is now collecting contributions for its annual “Miracle of Christ-mas,” and on Dec. 18 will dis-tribute food and gift boxes for eight chosen clients, two of which have been “adopted” by Trinity and by a local couple, respectively, to cover all their food and gift needs for the holiday.

“The beauty of this ministry is that some of the clients that have been helped through here, they come back and donate when they’re back on their feet,” said Whetstone. “And we have a very healthy dona-tion cycle. We are getting tons of donations, which is the life-blood that keeps us going.”

Since becoming the center coordinator in June, one of Whetsone’s goals has been to boost the amount of volun-teers. Whetstone and her staff make sure that the items being displayed are high-quality and not excessively worn or dirty. With relaxing classical music and seasonal displays to boot, visiting the Hyattsville Com-passion Center is a pleasant “shopping” experience overall.

LAUREN FLYNN KELLYThe Hyattsville Compassion Center supports local families in need with food, clothing and spiritual guidance.


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has worked the past several years in the D.C. restaurant scene as a manager and beer director. “Most of my time is currently spent visit-ing with bars and restaurants in the area. … We're an extremely small company, only him and me, so there's plenty for me to do.”

� eir business partnership has found a working equilibrium, which can be summarized simply. “I make beer, he sells beer,” Humbard said. “He’s a good person to have in the sales arena because he is ... thought-ful and outgoing. I’m a scientist. I’m analytical and thorough.” Humbard, who has over 10 years of experience home brewing, brews and packages the beer, then ensures it gets to the distributor.

Handsome Beer’s reception has been favorable. Washington City Pa-per cited it as an up-and-coming op-tion for local beer enthusiasts. “� e beer has been served in about 30 di� erent locations at this point and sells out quite quickly at each loca-tion and there are no complaints. We are new so we are just trying to put it in the market,” said Hum-bard. “When it [the beer] shows up places, it sells out fast. � e trick is ge� ing us into places. � ere are two of us, [it’s] not a big workforce.”

“I’ve had two of their beers: Strange Charm and the Galaxy Saison,” said Hya� sville resident Andrew Ge� en. “Both beers are good, well-made and will appeal to beer drinkers in the area.” Ge� en is a co-founder of the Baltimore-based Charm City Meadworks, a brewery that specializes in cra� mead. “I enjoy drinking brown ales in the fall as the weather cools, so the Strange Charm really hit the spot,” Ge� en said.

Town Center Market in Riverdale Park, Md. hosted its Handsome Beer Release Event on Oct. 2. Store co-owner Ted Spiropoulos, who also orders the majority of the cra� beer they sell, was pleased to feature a new local brewery at the event. “I didn’t know about them until our salesman told us they were local and we love supporting local brew-eries,” he said. All six kegs were sold out at the event. Spiropoulos said the beer was “well-received.”

A handful of unveiling events have a� racted a healthy assort-ment of press coverage from Ur-ban Scrawl to an industry leading website, www.americancra� beer.com.

Handsome Beer’s preliminary success has withstood its share of challenges. � e paperwork alone took a year and a half to complete. � en there was the issue of where to brew.

Humbard said that in a traditional micro-brewery, the o� cial address is wherever the beer is brewed. For licensing purposes, Humbard’s Hy-a� sville home serves as the brew-ery’s o� cial address. “We didn’t have the money to build a brewery,”

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he said. � e company contracts with Old Bust Head Brewery in Warrenton, Va., where the actual brewing takes place.

� e concept of contract or “tenant” brewing is common in the beer world. Handsome Beer simply rents out the unused ca-pacity that Old Bust Head isn’t currently using. “� e long term goal would be to build some-thing here, in this quadrant of Riverdale, Hya� sville, and Col-lege Park,” said Humbard.

MacDonald believes the demand is there for Handsome Beer to brew locally. “I think we're starting to see a lot more [regional] venues picking up cra� beer, local cra� beer in par-ticular, relative to only even a year or

two ago,” he said.� e duo is currently experiment-

ing with label art and estimating costs to o� er a competitively priced six-pack price, but that’s approxi-mately six months down the road, Humbard said. “I want people to recognize this is a local brand even though it is complicated. It’s a com-pany in Hya� sville and eventu-ally going to be a physical place that people can go to,” he said.

For more information about Hand-some Beer and their brews, include where to taste and purchase it, head to their website at: www.handsomebeer.co. To follow their beer and a� end up-coming events, visit their Facebook and Twi� er pages.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HANDSOME BEERMatt Humbard and Graham MacDonald are co-founders of Handsome Beer.


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She said the driver of the car was “cut off ” by another driver who abruptly changed lanes while driving down Route 1, apparently southbound.

“People don’t have patience to wait and…will cut you off,” said Castro.

Enforcement is key, she said. She notes new, larger traffic signs installed along Route 1. However, Castro said, “What’s the use of hav-ing traffic signs if there is no [police] enforcement? Often time I have to shout at drivers to slow down.”

This sentiment is shared by Melissa Tyner, of Selay Hair & Nails, an Arts District sa-lon located on Route 1. Tyner said, “[Speed cameras] would keep people from speeding.”

The Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA), previ-ously announced new cross-walks on Baltimore Avenue at Jefferson and Madison Streets, and a left turn signal south-bound at Jefferson Street.

Additionally, on Nov. 23, Maryland State Delegate Alonzo Washington (D-22), led a SHA tour of problem areas along Route 1. Offi-cials walked from Oglethorpe Street to Charles Armentrout Drive observing traffic and discussing sidewalks, cross-ings and other potential issues along the stretch.

New safety measures can’t come soon enough for Emily Bond, mother of two who lives on Baltimore Avenue. “My big-gest fear is that ... a car or truck will careen into my house ... [yet] we love our community and believe that [it] will pre-vail in making Hyattsville ... truly walkable,” she said.

attsville’s traffic woes, accord-ing to Yanira Castro, owner of the Tire Place. Castro’s busi-ness is located at Baltimore Avenue and Jefferson Street, and has been in operation for more than 15 years. As such, Castro’s seen her share of ac-cidents on Route 1. Castro recounts the day a vehicle crashed into the neighboring car wash, striking one custom-er and two car wash employees.

NANCY GILLETTEClockwise from upper right: Children enjoy painting at St. Jerome's Academy's Carpe Noctum Christmas boutique, which saw more than 1,000 visitors; a little girl tells Santa her wish list for Christmas during a city-sponsored breakfast event; children help Mayor Candace Hollingsworth light of the ree at Magruder Park.

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MissFloribundaDear Miss Floribunda,

Every December I buy a beautiful Christmas cactus and by the next

December it is history. I thought cacti thrived on neglect but no

ma� er what I do, I can't keep this kind alive. Last month you passed

on some gardening advice that you got � om your sister-in-law � om

Sonora. I believe Sonora is cactus country. Could you give me some

more tips?

Cactus-Challenged on Hamilton Street

Dear Cactus-Challenged,

� e � rst thing my Mexican sister-in-law Picante had to say a� er reading your le� er was, "� at Christmas cactus is not desert cactus but tropical cactus!" She explained that these zygo-cacti (Schlumbergera) behave like or-chids: they are epiphytes that

grow in trees in coastal mountain regions of Central America and Brazil where they are pollinated by hummingbirds. Picante breeds them by taking cu� ings when she trims them in early spring and she says they can last for many years with proper care. � e catch is that they need tropical — not desert — conditions to survive.

Because they grow in tight pockets in trees, they like to be pot-bound. It is a good idea to prune and re-pot them in new soil in early spring but don't put them in larger pots until they've go� en so large that they are starting to wilt. Basket-like orchid pots are best for them, � lled with light and acidic soil, such as that sold for succulents. Use a 20-20-20 fertilizer no more than three times per year and a 0-10-10 fertilizer in late October. During their bloom-ing period, they should be wa-tered lightly every other day or

the � owers will fall o� . When not in bloom, they should not be watered frequently (about once a week), but they do need a moist environment. You could

keep a container of water next to your plants or place them on a humidity tray of gravel, only halfway � lled with water. Of course, mist them regularly. Pi-cante advises placing them in a north- or east-facing window, if not dra� y, with sheer curtains to � lter the sunlight. � ey like plenty of light but not harsh light. In their natural habitat, the tree canopy � lters the light for them and protects them from being drenched by rain although moisture in the air is constant. Because they naturally grow at high altitudes, they like a cooler temperature at night, if manageable. � ey need shade, and if their leaves turn reddish that means they are ge� ing too much sun.

To get them to bloom again by next Christmas, cut back on

light in October and keep them from excessive heat or cold. A cool basement is a good place for them. If your basement is any warmer than 65 degrees Fahren-heit, you will need to keep your cacti in a dark place (like a closet) for twelve hours each day to get them to bloom again. Or, do as Pi-cante does and just pop a box over them overnight. Fertilize with a low-nitrogen 0-10-10 fertilizer to encourage the development of � owers rather than green growth.

To discuss this and other horticul-tural questions and meet fellow gardeners, please come to the De-cember meeting and party of the Hya� sville Horticultural Society on Saturday, Dec. 19, � om 10 a.m. to noon. It will take place at the festive home of Jean and Millard Smith at 3600 Longfellow Street.

During their blooming period, Christmas cacti should be watered lightly every other day or the flowers will fall off.


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