Salutations, Streetcar Suburbs!
Welcome to the Streetcar Spotlight — “How is it already Memorial Day?” Edition.
If spring has clipped by at a dizzying pace for you, you’re not alone. That’s right, Memorial Day is less than two weeks away, and then it’s basically summer!
This spring we’ve been treated to two rare astronomical delights in the region, just weeks apart, first the eclipse, and then a mid-Atlantic aurora borealis?! Were any of you readers lucky enough to view the “northern lights” down south(ish) here? Alas, I missed it, but here is an amazing video of the phenomenon over the Washington Monument this past week. At least there’s still the upcoming nova to see with the naked eye sometime between now and September! I’ll be putting it on my summer bucket list.
Got any local new or favorite summer bucket-list items of your own? Share on our related Facebook posts (HL&T, CPH&N, & Laurel)!
Click “view in browser” or HERE to see the full version with UPCOMING EVENTS.
Local News in a Nutshell: Original Reporting & Analysis
Primary Election Results
First up, we have Maryland election results for the May 14 primary elections for you online, courtesy of AP News, as well as a link to preliminary results for county offices. U.S. Senate candidate Angela Alsobrooks won the state Democratic primary.
Democrat Glenn Ivey easily beat out his three challengers from his party for his seat as a representative in the U.S. Congress for Maryland District 4. Check out our full local coverage.
Flood Abatement in College Park
Let’s hope you weren’t drenched heading to the polls yesterday, but if you were, that brings us to our next topic: flooding in College Park. More than twelve years after the county approved a plan to reduce flooding in the Calvert Hills neighborhood, the city has finally entered the contractor selection phase of the as-yet-unstarted project, with plans to begin mid-summer.
Councilmember in District 3, Stuart Adams told the CPH&N that the upcoming project will bring stormwater systems up to current standards, but that current codes are not up-to-date with climate change. “We need to acknowledge that this is going to happen a lot more frequently than people want to believe,” Adams said, “to acknowledge that the risks are here today, but they continue to increase.”
Summer Student Exodus Presents Challenges for CP Businesses
Speaking of summer storms, have you ever wondered how businesses in College Park survive the season when most of the college students from UMD head home?
Here’s a timely and close look at how different types of local businesses handle the steep drop in customers during the summer months. The short answer? They get very creative.
Hyattsville Council Cited for Electronic Side Conversations
Shifting to Hyattsville, the city council was recently cited by a state board for violating the Open Meetings Act by using the chat feature on the virtual meeting platform for substantive side conversations that were not visible to the public.
To ensure future compliance, the city has removed the online chat function from all future virtual city council and committee meetings. While we’re at it, here’s a refresher of our recent coverage of Hyattsville council meetings.
Native Ferns: to Eat, or Not to Eat?
Finally, if you’re a fern lover like me (consider me obsessed), this month’s Native Gardening with Jimmy column tells us everything we need to know about planting local varieties in your garden.
He’s also got stellar tips regarding which ones you can eat, which ones you can’t, and why. I’m definitely planning to make some fiddlehead fern pasta sometime soon.
My Top 5 Local Twitter Tidbits (okay, “X”)
1. A black bear was spotted in Hyattsville last Wednesday near 38th and Longfellow, according to HPD, as well as in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast D.C. Experts say that black bears are generally not aggressive if you leave them alone, and you can reduce encounters by removing bird, pet, and other food sources outside. @washingtonpost and @wusa9
2. PGPD is investigating the homicide of 54-year-old Sandeep Gupta in the town of Berwyn Heights. On May 12, at approximately 10:30 pm, Berwyn Heights Police Department officers were called and discovered the man was deceased. On May 13, 2024, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the manner of death a homicide. Detectives are working to identify a suspect(s) and a motive: 301-516-2512. @PGPDNews
3. Hyattsville police are looking to identify two men connected with the stabbing of a 17-year-old in the troubled area behind the football field of Northwestern High School. The teen was not a student at the school and his injuries were not life-threatening. Police have shared surveillance footage of the suspects and said anyone with information should call 301-985-5060. @HyattsvillePD
4. Chef Tobias Dorzon of Huncho House in Hyattsville recently was named Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association of Maryland — a first for a chef from Prince George’s County. The Riverdale native has been on multiple cooking TV shows and is planning to open a second restaurant soon. @wusa9
5. Prince George’s County Animal Services Facility & Adoption Center is offering FREE pet adoptions until May 31, 2024. The facility is nearing capacity, so fees are being waived to help move pets into a fur-ever home. @PGCSprout (PG County Dept. of the Environment)
Well, the next time we chat, it will be almost meteorological summer, so I hope you’ll enjoy these last days of gray-May before it gets soup-er hot! Keep sending your lovely emails with questions or comments on the newsletter.
Cheers,
Heather Marléne Zadig, Newsletter Editor
heatherz@streetcarsuburbs.news
Upcoming Events
Unless marked with an “$,” events listed do not charge admission.
Thurs. May 16
5pm. $ It’s Only Life After All: Indigo Girls documentary at Greenbelt Cinema. With forty years of making music as the iconic folk-rock band Indigo Girls, Amy Ray and Emily Saliers have made their mark as musicians, songwriters, and dedicated activists.
5-7pm. Come celebrate National Love a Tree Day with the Hyattsville Shade Tree Board! Members of the board will be at Streetcar 82 Brewery to answer your questions about tree care and share local volunteer opportunities.
6pm. Trivia night at Pizzeria Paradiso Hyattsville is back! Treat yourself to mouthwatering pizza, sip on cold beer, and engage your mind. The games start promptly at 6pm every other Thursday.
7:30-9:30pm. Come hang at Denizens in Riverdale Park with Cap City Trivia every Thursday, with prizes for the top teams and delicious beer available for everyone.
Fri. May 17
6:30 - 8:30am. Join the City of Hyattsville at the Bike to Work Day Driskell Park pit stop, 3911 Hamilton Street. There will be refreshments and giveaways courtesy of local partners like ATHA, Arrow Bicycle, the Hyattsville CDC, Jersey Mike’s, Maryland Meadworks, and Sangfroid Distilling.
7-10pm. SWELL Band at the New Deal Café: Known for its kitchy, cool vibe, SWELL puts a unique spin on bangers from many genres including vintage swing, Latin, blues, 60’s soul, 80’s favorites, originals and more. SWELL features Mollie Morison, David Kitchen, Eric Leifert, and Wil Cameron who serve up everything from Etta James to Amy Winehouse; Elvis to The Eurythmics and more.
Fri. May 17-18, 8pm. $ Closing weekend of Avenue Q at Laurel Mill Playhouse. (Not for kids.)
Sat. May 18
9am-noon. Volunteer Trail Work at Greenbelt Park. Help improve trail conditions and preserve Greenbelt Park! Volunteers will focus on a specific trail in the park. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the Sweetgum Picnic Area at 9am.
11am-5pm. Mt. Rainier Day, at Mount Rainier Nature Center to celebrate the City’s 114th Anniversary! live music and entertainment, family-friendly games, and activities. The event also features a street festival, featuring over 60 local artists, and crafters, and an array of food truck options.
1-3:30pm. Family Movie and Craft: “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” Beltsville branch library – Large Meeting Room. Closed Captioning will be available, and Spanish Closed Captioning will be available upon request.
6-10pm. Assembly – “A Sculpture Garden of Mythic Delights” from The Creative Supply at Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. by Hyattsville’s own @paul.hrusa! These 3’ to 5’ sculptures are meant to be seen in person, as photos just don’t seem to do them justice.
7-9pm. $ Pa’lante Serie Cultural Latinoamericana at Joe’s Movement Emporium with Taisha Estrada. The final headline concert of the Pa’lante Cultural Series will focus on the sounds and culture of the Caribbean through the music of Taisha Estrada, a DC-based Puerto Rican vocalist, songwriter, and storyteller.
7-10pm. Tipsy History at Maryland Meadworks: The Battle of Bladensburg. Join long-time 18th and 19th century reenactor, and Hyattsville resident, Phil Hosea, as he sips mead and takes you through why the mighty British Empire sent its soldiers to sleepy Bladensburg, and what happened when they did.
Sun. May 19
1-5pm. $ 41st Historic Hyattsville House Tour. Presented by the Hyattsville Preservation Association, the self-guided tour features 7 homes of various styles and periods with a booklet and map showing the sites. Houses are within walking distance and may be seen in any order at visitor’s own pace.
2-4pm. Edible Art Family Workshop at Mixt Food Hall in Brentwood. In partnership with Edible Arrangements® and MIXT Food Hall, the Brentwood Arts Exchange is excited to offer its Edible Art Family Workshop! This family-friendly workshop focuses on the importance of eating delicious fruits while also creating an edible arrangement sculpture for you to take home.
3pm. $ Prince George’s Philharmonic Season Finale. The program features violinist and National Sphinx Competition winner Annelle K. Gregory in a performance of Glazunov’s romantic Violin Concerto. The program opens with Wagner’s festive Overture to Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg and closes with the ever-popular Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov. You will not want to miss this blockbuster finale!
3-4pm. Olivia Currier, Montpelier Arts Center. Olivia Currier is a mezzo-soprano from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She holds a degree from Texas Tech University where she studied under Rebecca Hays and William Averill.
Wed. May 22, 6-7pm. Cold War 2.0: A Foreign Policy Discussion Series. Laurel branch library – Large Meeting Room A (Dorothy Height Room). Join Bear Afkhami and library staff for an in-depth discussion on why analysts have dubbed the power competition between Russia, China, and the United States as a “New Cold War.” Learn about how Cold War 2.0 is shaping global security. (Adults.)
Sat. May 25
1-4pm. Teen Art Showcase, Riversdale House Museum Historic Site. A day focused on celebrating some of Prince George’s County’s best artists. This year’s event will celebrate the talent of Black/Brown teen artists. Highlighting the importance of black art, and art within minority spaces. silent auction supporting local artists showcased during the program with a portion of the proceeds supporting free art workshops for youth. live music selections, art activities, and food and beverages.
7-10pm. Mama Moon & The Rump Shakers at the New Deal Café: A blues fusion group out of Washington, D.C. that brings a unique creativity to blues music all while keeping the sould & roots of blues music alive. Known as DC’s Goddess of the Blues, Mama Moon has a dynamic stage presence and eccentric sense of style and energy that is unmatched.
7pm. Silly Party Games Night at Maryland Meadworks. Another game night with a series of goofy exercises to get folks to meet new people and learn fun and surprising things about old friends. AND free cheez balls.
7pm. No Favors band, live at Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. in Hyattsville.
Tues. May 28, 6-8pm. Manga and Anime Club Watch Party showing of “Liz and the Blue Bird” at Bladensburg branch library: teens (13-18 yrs) Do you nerd out about “My Hero Academia,” “Attack on Titan,” “Demon Slayer,” or “Sailor Moon”? Watch the movie, meet people with similar interests, and explore our collection. All levels of fandom are welcome.
