Friday, May 18, 2012
Ruling stems from divorce case filed by a couple married in California in 2008.
Same-sex marriages legally performed out of state must be recognized by Maryland Courts, according to a decision issued Friday by Maryland’s highest court. “Maryland courts will withhold recognition of a valid foreign marriage only if that marriage is ‘repugnant’ to State public policy,” wrote Court of Appeals Judge Glenn Harrell Jr. in the 7-0 decision. The case stems from a 2010 divorce case filed in Prince Georges County. Two women, Jessica Port and Virginia Cowan, were legally married in October 2008 in California. Eight months later, the couple separated and ultimately filed for divorce in July 2010. The judge in that case ruled that recognizing “the alleged marriage would be contrary to the public policy of Maryland” and declared it …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Hyattsville students can apply for this Lions Club scholarship.
Earlier this month, the Riverdale Lions Club announced a scholarship awards program to benefit at least one male and one female student who is a resident of District 22, which includes Hyattsville, Berwyn Heights, Greenbelt, Riverdale Park, New Carrollton, University Park, Landover Hills, or Edmonston). Patch sat down with Riverdale Councilman Jonathan Ebbeler who is partnering with the Lions Club to find out a bit more about the program. Patch: Tell our readers about how the scholarship came to be. Councilman Jonathan Ebbeler: From my first day in office I pledged to contribute my stipend to local nonprofits and contacted a few to explore their interest in partnering with me. Since the stipend is paid with tax payer money I figured …
Energy coaches could help retrofit your home to be more earth friendly under expanded program.
Looking to make your home greener without spending too much green? A new program set to expand into Hyattsville could help show you how. Earlier this week, the Hyattsville City Council unanimously approved a proposal to expand University Park's Small Town Energy Program to Hyattsville. Funded by a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, the program is designed to help homeowners take advantage of existing tax rebates and other government or retail discounts to lessen the financial burden of retrofitting a home to be more energy efficient. The STEP-UP program is unique in that it provides a local "energy coach" who helps guide homeowners through the process of identifying financing options for energy efficient upgrades. It's …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Governor calls budget package "good for all Marylanders." Republicans say burden to local governments may force county governments to increase taxes.
The Maryland House of Delegates gave final approval Wednesday to a package of three bills that increases taxes on some state residents, shifts part of teacher pensions to local governments and undoes the so-called "doomsday budget." The votes Wednesday afternoon capped the three-day special session called by Gov. Martin O'Malley in order to override more than $500 million in cuts made in a budget passed in early April. The Senate approved the same three bills Tuesday. As part of the package, legislators approved by a vote of 86-51 what amounts to a 50-50 split of teacher pension costs with local governments. The split will be phased in over the next four years beginning July 1 with the new budget year. That bill also includes a doubling of…
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Protestors argued that pit bulls are being unfairly targeted by the Maryland Court of Appeals.
Annapolis resident Stehle Harris is afraid she won't have a home. As the owner of a bull terrier, Harris said the recent Maryland Court of Appeals opinion that pit bulls and pit bull crossbreeds are dangerous could lead to a slippery slope. The opinion also states that landlords can prohibit the dogs from their properties. "I think pit bulls capacity to do damage is no greater than a chihuahua," she said. "I'm more apprehensive about smaller dogs." Harris was one of a group of Marylanders protesting the court's opinion at Lawyer's Mall in Annapolis on Tuesday afternoon. Erin Harty, of Baltimore, said Harris' fears aren't unfounded. As a volunteer at Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, she said the center is already being …
Mayor avoids closed session for now, claiming progress towards a resolution of police staffing issues.
Mayor Marc Tartaro last night avoided a potentially controversial closed session to discuss aspects of next year's budget for the Hyattsville City Police Department. But the move pushes back final approval of next year's budget by at least one week. "The closed session will not be necessary at this time," said Tartaro. "That issue is moot." After the meeting, expanding on his "moot" comment, Tartaro said that he had met with senior city staff, including City Treasurer and Acting City Administrator Elaine Stookey and Police Chief Doug Holland, earlier in the day. Among the topics they discussed was a resolution to the police personnel classification issues which have been the latest sticking point in budget deliberations. The dispute …
Some say light rail will ease commuting, while others are wary of funding issues.
For more on the Purple Line, check out our series. Speak Out: What do you think about the Purple Line coming to Prince George's County? Will it help or hurt local businesses?
State funding hurting from gas tax rejection. Future federal funding uncertain until 2015.
The Purple Line, the proposed 16-mile light rail transit system extending from New Carrollton to Bethesda, could be missing one vital component for its progression: funding. With the Maryland budget in crisis and a congressional stalemate over highway funding, the Purple Line’s construction could be pushed back, although several officials interviewed about the project would not predict how long the delay might be. The federal government approved preliminary engineering for the project in October, qualifying it for funding through New Starts, a federal program for new transit projects such as the Purple Line, bringing it a significant step closer to construction. From there, cost estimates and construction schedules could be fine-tuned …
Monday, May 14, 2012
At least some aspects of a debate over the police budget could be held behind closed doors during tonight's Hyattsville City Council meeting.
Budget season drags on for the Hyattsville City Council, which tonight is slated to consider approving next year's omnibus budget ordinance. Part of those deliberations could take place behind closed doors, as Mayor Marc Tartaro has proposed holding a closed session to discuss aspects of the police department budget. At last week's meeting, a week after the council's self imposed budget deadline, the city council voted to table the measure to get more information on controversial changes to personnel counts in the Hyattsville City Police Department. The dispute centered on a discrepancy between police personnel classifications called for in two different budget measures. In mid-April, the city council approved a police department budget …
Sunday, May 13, 2012
This week's top Prince George's County news.
Speed, Buzzard Contributing Factors in Sunday's Motorcycle Fatality David Christopher Norris, of Upper Marlboro, died Sunday after his motorcycle struck a buzzard causing him to veer off the road. Engine Overheats in NASA Goddard Building Containing Radioactive Material An engine at NASA Goddard overheated and smoked in a building containing radioactive material Thursday. Cafritz Hearing is Adjourned After six days, the Prince George's County District Council ended the evidentiary hearing for the Cafritz rezoning request. The developers want to rezone about 37 acres just south of College Park, in Riverdale Park, to Mixed-Use Town Center so that they can construct a Whole Foods Market, almost 1,000 residential units, and both retail and …
Paul Amirault
2:16 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
Regarding the Japanese and the Communists, fear mongering and despicable. more ›