Q&A: Riverdale Councilman Talks Lions Club Offer Scholarship to Dist. 22

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 …

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Legislature Approves Tax Hike, Pension Shift

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…

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As School Plant Sale Looms, Volunteers Needed

Call goes out for volunteers for upcoming Native Plant Sale to support the Hyattsville PTA

The Hyattsville Elementary School Parent Teacher Association is looking for volunteers for the third annual Native Plant Sale this weekend.  "This is by far your PTA's primary fundraising event, and it's also our most labor intensive. The funds raised will go to support all our students, so we need everyone to do his or her part," wrote Hyattsville PTA President Bart Lawrence in an email. In the email, sent to members of the Hyattsville PTA listserv, Lawrence outlined the specific needs for volunteers over the weekend:  May 18 (Friday), 5 to 9 p.m. - We need help setting up for the sale (e.g., setting up table, labeling/pricing plants, and probably someone to ride back to Baltimore to grab a second load of plants). We will be at the school…

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Prince George's Headlines: Buzzard Contributes to Fatal Motorcycle Crash, Radiation Scare at NASA Goddard

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 …

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Tax Increases On Special Session Menu

Plan to fix "Doomsday Budget" includes $247 million in tax increases and elimination of exemptions for single filers earning $100,000 or more and joint filers earning $150,000 or more.

UPDATE (5:59 p.m.)—Some Maryland residents will pay more taxes in the coming year under a plan worked out between Gov. Martin O'Malley and legislative leaders. O'Malley, accompanied by House Speaker Michael Busch and Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller, announced the nearly $35.8 billion plan during a Wednesday morning news conference in Annapolis to discuss the upcoming special session. "To leave this budget incomplete, to leave this budget as it stands right now, would damage the very forward motion that all of us, together, have worked so hard to achieve for our state," O'Malley said. "Progress is a choice," O'Malley said. "Job creation is a choice. Building America's number one schools, making a college education affordable, …

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JustABill

2:22 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012

Pitor ... If I may borrow a line from the great President Ronald Reagan, "There you go again!" You take one tiny little part of my last comment and use it completely out of context to avoid the real topic. I never said anything about nor even remotely implied that the single mother of ONE child or the married couple with THREE children or even the fictional family willfully having 20 children …   more ›

Last Day of School: June 8

The last day of school for students in the Prince George's County Public School system is Friday, June 8.

Kids, circle June 8. Draw stars around it. Make big plans for the day. The last day of school for students in Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) will be Friday, June 8. The last day for teachers will be Monday, June 11. Other employees scheduled to work a 10- or 11-month schedule should confirm their last day of work with their supervisors.  Although all Prince George’s County schools were closed on Aug. 24 due to the earthquake and on Aug. 29 due to Hurricane Irene, make-up days were held on Oct. 21 and Feb. 13—both previously scheduled "off" days. Individual schools closed for additional days due to the earthquake or hurricane adjusted the length of their school day to make up instructional time.

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DeMatha Music Program Sweeps Competition

All of DeMatha's music ensembles win first place recognition at Virginia Beach Music Festival except for one, which came in second place to another DeMatha music ensemble.

DeMatha Catholic High School's bands and choruses returned triumphant from the Virginia Beach Music Festival, held last weekend.  In what has become almost routine for the music program, every single DeMatha ensemble which participated in the competition came away with first place awards in their divisions. The only group which didn't claim first place was Percussion Ensemble II, which came in second in the Percession Ensemble Open Division, losing first place to DeMatha's Advanced Percussion Ensemble.  In all, the school was competing against 38 different performing groups split between seven different schools from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and Georgia.  "The kids have stepped up, and as usual, lived up to the tradition of the …

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Speak Out: Should School Start After Labor Day?

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot says Maryland's families and economy would benefit from a later school year start. Do you agree?

Should public schools open after Labor Day? Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot says they should. Citing the benefits to Maryland families, small businesses and tourism, Franchot called for a policy change to have all school systems in the state begin classes after Labor Day weekend, according to a press release. Most state school systems now begin classes a week to 10 days before the end-of-summer holiday, which takes place this year on Monday, Sept. 3. For the 2012-2013 school year, in Prince George's County, students will begin classes on Monday, Aug. 20. Teachers generally report back to school a week before the students. 'The chance for families to spend precious time together and to build those lifelong memories during that final, …

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Youth Movement Sweeps Prince George's School Board

Two teens and a 20 year old win party nominations in county school board races.

Last Chance: Early Voting, a Lenten Fish Fry, and More

This Friday marks the last night of St. Jerome's annual Lenten fish fry.

Here's a quick round up of some last minute opportunities and looming deadlines in the communinty this week: 

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