The Riverdale Park
Town Crier
December 2016/
January 2017
Volume 46, Issue 10
Holiday Events
Council Actions
Holiday Safety Tips
Ward 2 Report
Public Works Report
RPBA
Boy Scout Troop 252
Waggertail Dog Park
Community Circles
Local Organizations
Jan. 2017 Calendar
Dec. 2016 Calendar
Page 1
Page 2
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Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
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Page 10
Town of Riverdale
Park Contact
Information
Town Hall
5008 Queensbury Road
301-927-6381
Department of Public Works
5012 Queensbury Road
301-864-1803
Police Department
5004 Queensbury Road
301-927-4343
Bates Trucking and Trash
Collection
Bulk Trash Collection
BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
301-773-2069
Residents must call Bates by 2
p.m. Tues., for Wed. pickup
Holiday Events
Mark your calendars and plan
to join us!
 December 13, 2016
12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. - Senior’s Luncheon at
Crescent Cities Center
 December 17, 2016
11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - Children’s Holiday
Party with Santa at Town Hall
 December 17, 2016
12 noon to 8:00 p.m. - Holiday Market/Festival of
Lights at Town Center
Toys for Tots
The Town will be participating in Toys for Tots again
this year. If you would like to help families in our
community, please deliver new and unwrapped toys
to Town Hall by Friday, December 16.
Town Hall Hat and Glove Tree
The Town of Riverdale Park will be collecting new
hats and gloves to decorate the tree at Town Hall.
The hats and gloves will be donated to organizations
in our community.
Town of Riverdale Park
www.riverdaleparkmd.gov
Town Hall
5008 Queensbury Road
Riverdale Park, MD 20737
301-927-6381, Hablamos Español
[email protected]
Mayor Vernon Archer, 240-832-2257
[email protected]
Council Actions
October 24, 2016
Special Legislative Meeting
1. Motion to authorize Acting Town Manager to send a letter to Board of
Appeals supporting Variance Request for 4508 Tuckerman Street for a
variance of 7.7% net lot coverage (Ward 1) – Approved
November 7, 2016
Legislative Meeting
Council Members
Ward 1 – Marsha Dixon, 301-531-4230
md ixo n @ r ive rd a lep a rkm d .g o v
Ward 2 – Alan Thompson, 301-927-7407
a kth o mp so n @ ri ve rd a l ep a rk md .g o v
Ward 3 – David Lingua, 301-779-3849
d jlin g u a @ r ive rd a lep a rk md .g o v
Ward 4 – Christopher Henry, 301-910-9855
ch en r y3 2 4 0 @ve r izo n .n et
Ward 5 – Colleen Richardson, 240-646-6457
cr ich a rd so n @ r ive rd a lep a rk md .g o v
Ward 6 – Alejandro Silva, 301-801-3021
a si lva @ ri ve rd a l ep a r kmd .g o v
Leonard Addison, Acting Town Manager
[email protected]
Consent Agenda
Motion to approve consent agenda items: – Approved
1. Street closing of Natoli Place from Queensbury Road to Lafayette
Avenue at Veteran’s Memorial Park from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon on
November 11, 2016 for annual Veteran’s Day Ceremony (Ward 1)
2. Street closing of Town Center parking lot from midnight December 16,
2016 to 9:00 p.m. on December 17, 2016 for Holiday Market and
Festival of Lights (Ward 1)
3. Minutes from October 3, 2016 Legislative Meeting
4. Minutes from October 24, 2016 Special Legislative Meeting
Jessica Barnes, Town Clerk
[email protected]
Public Works, 301-864-1803
Leonard Addison, Director
[email protected]
Police Department, 301-927-4343
David Morris, Police Chief
dmorris@riverdalepa rkmd.gov
Code Enforcement 240-898-2500
Colleen M. Ferguson, Code Manager
[email protected]
________________________________________________________
Fire Department - Emergency 911
Information - 301-927-0356
Holiday Safety Tips:
Candles and Fireplaces
Brian Carpio, Fire Chief
[email protected];
[email protected];
www.riverdalevfd.com
Increased use of candles and fireplaces, combined with an increase in the
amount of combustible, seasonal decorations present in many homes means
more risk for fire.
 Never leave burning candles unattended or sleep in a room with a lit
candle
 Keep candles out of reach of children
 Make sure candles are on stable surfaces
 Don't burn candles near trees, curtains or any other flammable items
 Don't burn trees, wreaths or wrapping paper in the fireplace
 Check and clean the chimney and fireplace area at least once a year
Source: National Safety Council
It is the policy of the Town of Riverdale Park,
pursuant to the provision of Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act and The Americans with
Disabilities Act, to prohibit discrimination
against qualified persons with disabilities in any
aspect of employment within the government.
It is also the policy of the Town of Riverdale
Park to disallow discrimination in fair housing
based on race, gender, sexual orientation, marital
status, disabilities, and/or age.
Some materials contained in The Town Crier
represent the opinion of the authors and does not
necessarily represent the view of the Town of
Riverdale Park.
The Town Crier is also available at the Town’s
Website: www.riverdaleparkmd.gov
Submission deadline: 15th of each month
Sub mit all copie s to
townc rie r@ ri ve rdalepa rk md.gov
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On November 7, the
Mayor and Council
welcomed four teachers
who were visiting from
the Town’s Sister City,
Ipala, Guatemala.
Ward and Committee Reports
Ward Two Report
planned (but now cancelled) expansion of Town
Hall. This project was cancelled because the town
could no longer afford it when we lost tax revenue
from the USDA office building that was purchased
by the federal government last year. While the
Finance Committee met for almost
By Council Member Alan Thompson
akthompson@river daleparkmd.gov
The weather has finally gotten chilly, and the
holiday season is now underway. I wish you a
happy and safe holiday season, and a joyous new
year!
two hours, at the end of the meeting we really just
had a list of questions about the bond that we
issued to cover the costs of the construction and
what might be done with it (to minimize expense to
the Town). To follow up, there was a telephone
meeting on November 3 with representatives of the
State of Maryland, who helped us secure the
funding back in 2013. On that call we found out
that we could, in fact, return just part of the
borrowed money, and apply the rest to parts of the
project that are essential, including roof
replacement and addressing flooding issues that
have plagued the building for many years. We will
almost certainly have another Finance Committee
meeting to discuss this at some point in December,
with the Town Council making a final decision in
January. We will announce the meeting on the
TownAnnounce e-mail list mentioned above.
Town Manager Search
The Town Manager is now at a critical phase. We
on the Council will be interviewing the top few
candidates (out of several dozen applicants) this
month, and plan to make an offer (and start
contract negotiations) as quickly as possible.
Bridge Construction
Construction of the bridge connecting the Cafritz
development to Rivertech Court is now well
underway. As of December 1 we should be about
half way through the pile driving, but there’s lots of
construction ahead still. Readers of the
TownAnnounce mailing list receive weekly updates
on the status of the entire Cafritz project – you can
subscribe at http://riverdale park.org/mailman/listinfo/townannounce if
you haven’t already!
Snow
While it’s been a warm fall, we are now getting into
snow season. Just as a reminder, during a snow
emergency (or any non-trivial snow storm) you
should park your car either off the road entirely (if
Finance Committee
The Finance Committee met late in October to
discuss a single item – how to wind down the
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you can) or on the even side of the street. For
streets in town that run east-west, the even side is
the north side; for streets that run north-south, the
even side is the west side.
Leaf Collection
LEAVES WILL NOT BE COLLECTED ON THE DAYS
THAT THE TOWN IS CLOSED.
Residents should continue to: rake leaves to the
curb and pile leaves away from cars and storm
drains. The leaf vacuum cannot reach around cars.
Remove tree limbs, rocks and other debris from
leaves to be collected because they can damage the
equipment and cause delays. Please put leaves in
brown paper bags or in containers marked “YARD
WASTE” out FOR PICK UP on Wednesdays with the
yard waste. Do not put them out with regular
trash.
Stay safe and warm, and look for my column again
in February!!
Public Works Report
By Leonard Addison
Saturday Drop Off
The 2017 schedule for drop off of bulk trash on the
third Saturday of each month is from 9:00 a.m. –
2:00 p.m. is: January 21, February 18, March 18,
April 15, May 20, June 17. July 15, August 19,
September 16, October 21, November 18 and
December 16
Riverdale Community Day
Although the weather was not bright and sunny as
we would have preferred, enough faithful residents
came out in the rain to participate in the fun, food,
games and activities on Riverdale Day. The
attendees who brought sunshine and smiles to our
faces were the numerous children and adults who
joined the DPW in creating original artwork during
the event. Pictured are some of the talented
budding artists that stayed with us until the event
ended. Many of them left with some of their
original art and all left with lots of smiles.
Holiday Trash Collection
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
 Regular trash will NOT be collected on
Monday, December 26th in observance of the
Christmas holiday, the next collection day for
regular trash will be on Thursday, December
29, 2016.
 Regular trash will NOT be collected on
Monday, January 2, 2017, in recognition of
New Year’s Day. The next collection day for
regular trash will be on Thursday, January 5,
2017.
 Regular trash will NOT be collected on
Monday, January 16, 2017, in recognition of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. The next
collection day for regular trash will be on
Thursday, January 19, 2017.
CURBSIDE LEAF COLLECTION SCHEDULE
NOVEMBER 2, 2016 – JANUARY 15, 2017
DAY OF THE
WARD
WEEK
Town Closings
 Town offices will be closed in observance of
the Christmas holiday on Monday, December
26, 2016.
 Town offices will be closed for New Year’s
Day, Monday, January 2, 2017.
 Town offices will be closed on Monday,
January 16, 2017, in recognition of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.’s birthday.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
1, 3, 5, 6
2, 4
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
ALL WARDS
(REGULAR YARD COLLECTION DAY)
BATES TRUCKING COMPANY WILL
COLLECT BAGGED LEAVES.
PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE TREE
BRANCHES, WOOD, OR OTHER
DEBRIS IN THE BAGS.
1, 3, 5, 6
FRIDAY
2, 4
Yard Waste Collection
As a reminder, effective January 1, 2014, the Waste
Management Division of the Prince George’s County
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Department of Environmental Resources issued a
notice (included in resident’s August 2013 tax bill)
that requires ALL yard waste to be placed in brown
paper bags or loose in a clearly marked “YARD
WASTE” collection can/container (i.e., trash cans).
For additional information please call 311 or 301883-5810.
Primary Streets - i.e., Riverdale Road Taylor Road
Lafayette Avenue, Queensbury Road, etc.
Secondary Streets – i.e., DuPont Circle, Cleveland
Avenue, Rhode Island Avenue, Quesada Road,
Beale, 49th and 48th Avenues., Silk Tree Drive, etc.
Residential Streets – i.e., Oliver Street., Madison
Street., Rittenhouse Street., 47th Avenue, Somerset
Road, Sora Lane., etc.
Snow Emergency Conditions
Snow emergency conditions shall be considered in
effect within the Town of Riverdale Park whenever
a snow emergency is declared in effect in Prince
George's County by the Prince George's County
Executive, the Maryland State Highway
Administration or the Maryland State Police.
Please note: our major roadways, (Rt. 201, Rt. 1, Rt.
410, Good Luck Road), will be treated by the State
and County.
Residents of our Town should note that they will be
responsible for doing their part by keeping the
walkway in front of their property cleaned of snow
and ice after each event.
Laws that apply:
 During any period in which a snow
emergency condition exists and a snow
emergency is in effect, it shall be unlawful
to park any vehicle on any part of any street
designated as a snow emergency street,
provided that signs have been erected on
that street giving notice that such street is a
designated snow emergency street.
 During any period in which a snow
emergency condition is in effect, it shall be
unlawful to park any vehicle on the oddnumbered side of any public street in the
Town of Riverdale Park regardless of
whether such street has been designated a
snow emergency street. Streets with
parking restricted on one side are exempt
from this section.
 Any vehicle parked in violation of the snow
emergency provisions of the section
may be removed and impounded by or
under the direction of any duly-authorized
police officer. The owner of said vehicle, in
addition to any towing or impound fee,
shall be liable for a fine of $250.
What Residents Can Do?
 Whenever possible, move parked cars off
the street so that snowplows can remove
the snow from the street from curb to curb.
 If off-street parking is not available, park on
the even side of the street (violators will
be subject to having their vehicles
impounded and fined $250 – 64-10(b)(c)).
 Be patient during any snow emergency as
crews work around the clock to clear the
streets.
 Clear sidewalks in front of residence and
refrain from depositing snow back on to the
roadway (this can potentially cause an
accident).
Riverdale Park Business
Association
By Audrey Bragg
We are sorry to announce that our President, Ted
Spiropolous, has resigned. His work load at his
business Town Center Market has expanded and he
can’t find the time to devote to the association. Eric
Peratino, Vice President, will take on the Presidency
for the interim until we decide how to handle it. He
Snow and Ice Removal
As we enter into the snow season, please note that
Public Works crews will be plowing and salting
Town streets and parking lots to clear snow and ice.
As in the past, we will treat our streets in the
following method:
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will either suggest voting for a new President or
appointing a new President after meeting with the
membership.
Town Center Market now sells liquor as well as
wine and beer!
The Festival of Lights will be held on December 17,
2016. Looking forward to seeing all there. Holiday
Market is always fun and great for shopping for
those extra special gifts. Caroling on the Trolley
gets you in the spirit of the holidays.
Sally Mendoza of Shine Massage Studio is working
on a new web site for the Association. She will be
presenting to the membership in December. All
paid members will be listed and have links to their
business web sites.
Boy Scout Troop 252
We were pleased to welcome Sister Ellen Marie
Hagar, President of Elizabeth Seton High School at
our November meeting. We are looking forward to
her participation in our Association
By Robert Killen
We attended the Maryland National Park and
Planning Commission Powwow at Jug Bay 4-16
October- camped out Friday and Saturday nights,
taught Native American games by the tipi all day
Saturday (Scoutmaster (SM) Killen was drafted as
First Aider because of staff shortages, but our
Scouts had a grand time romping and stomping.
The Christmas/Holiday party will be held on
December 14th at 5:30 p.m. at Sir Walter Raleigh Inn
at College Park. Members will receive invites and
any nonmembers who join before the party will be
able to attend for free. Our agenda for the party
will be the debut of our new web site and an
overview of the Cafritz property.
We cooked Hobo Dinners Friday night, ate breakfast
Saturday upstairs in the barn, had pizza for lunch
upstairs, and supper was leftover bison burgers and
fry bread from the concessionaires.
Ernie’s Lock will now be open on Saturdays. Please
mention this article for a discount.
Robert Harper Books has a number of events
during the month of December. Poetry readings,
Jazz concerts, Book Discussions, etc. Check out the
web site at www.robertharperb ooks.com
Our Senior Patrol Leader (SPL), Guillian Cañete, has
had his Eagle Project approved, without changes, so
he is busy trying to beat his 5 January 18th birthday
deadline. There's an article on the project in the
Bladensburg Newsletter. He also has four Merit
Badges to complete, too (plus school and family
work) - HE'S BUSY!
Shine Massage And Wellness Studio is offering Fall
Specials valid through December 31. Relieve your
stress during the holiday madness! 60-minute
Aromatherapy Massage $80. 75-minute Massage
with Eco-Fin Berry Winter Hand Treatment $100.
Check out the web site at
www.ShineMassageStudio.com or call Sally
240-487-9427
We are practicing for our next Court of Honor - SPL
Cañete has earned Life Scout rank, Assistant SPL
Joseph Elliott is back from a summer at the
reservation in California, but we haven't seen him.
Scribe Michael Jarquin has earned Star rank, the
Martinez brothers have earned Scout rank, and are
working hard on their First Aid Merit Badge (MB)
with Ms. Tolson. Scoutmaster (SM) Killen and Eagle
Scout Billy Sellers (grandson) have been judging
Early Voting and the General Election, and SM Killen
awarded MB completions to seven scouts from
other troops.
Riverdale Park Animal Medical Center offers
discounts to new patients from Riverdale Park. Call
301-277-4618. Keep your pets healthy this holiday
season. Remember Chocolate is a danger to dogs
and many plants can be poisonous to all pets. Call
Dr. Sundar for advice.
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Committee Chair and Charter Organization Rep.
Eneida Martínez-Brown chaired the Catholic
Committee on Scouting annual Awards Banquet and
she and Committee Member Sandra Tolson
awarded MB completions to several scouts from
other troops.
Waggertail ball and chewing on the baseballs that
fly over the fence. If you also have a ball lover, dogsafe balls, with no or two holes, can be found at
Unleashed in Hyattsville. (One-hole balls can create
suction that can injure your dog’s mouth.) If you
shop at Unleashed, please thank them for their
generous donation of treats and balls for the
Waggertail Halloween Party.
Contact Sandra Tolson‐ [email protected],
301‐927‐2275; Eneida Martínez‐Brown,
[email protected], 301‐864‐0059; Bob
Killen, [email protected], 301‐483‐ 8455, if you
would like to join. We meet Friday evenings at the
Riverdale Park Town Hall when we're not camping.
Our Town Crier will keep you up‐to‐date.
Leslie’s thoroughbred mongrel, Janey, loves food
dispensing toys, especially the Starmark Bob-A-Lot.
Knocking the food out of the toy keeps her busy for
about 20 minutes at a time. The Hyattsville Big Bad
Woof carries Starmark products. You can give them
a hearty thank you, as well, for all the healthy dog
treats they donated to the Halloween Party.
Waggertail Dog Park
Every neighborhood needs a dog like Lassie and
Audrey’s and Simon’s lovely collie, Bonnie, is ours.
Bonnie loves the USA-made, smoked knuckle bones
that Audrey finds at Mighty Healthy Pets, in College
Park.
It’s that time of year when folks
exchange gifts with friends and
family. Not to neglect our canine
pals, we surveyed some
Waggertail Dog Park regulars,
during our October Halloween Party, (see party
photos at www.facebook.com/waggertail/ ),
to discover the pawfect gift.
Marshall’s, at Prince George’s Plaza, is a popular
shopping spot for folks who have toy-chewers who
go through lots of toys. Like Simba, the handsome
shepherd mix, who needs lots of squeaky toys
because he loves to “shake them till they die.”
Nancy and Gary also shop at Marshall’s for Thor’s
toys because their beautiful husky mix, with one
brown eye and one blue eye, goes through his plush
toys and rawhides, too.
If you frequent Waggertail, you know that balls and
sticks are the dog park favorites. We even have a
tennis ball angel because batches of new balls
appear frequently (thank you tennis ball angel/s).
Sticks are plentiful, too, because of the beautiful
trees, in and around the park.
Lora’s Standard Poodle, Breezy, loves a toy that
came from Petco. The toy is a padded stick with a
squeaky dog-head
on the top and
tassles at the
bottom. Lora
knows it is her
favorite thing
because, after
Breezy eats, she
prances around the
house, showing it off.
Nina’s frisky
German
Shepherd, Zoe,
thinks this happy
circumstance is
awesome, as
balls and sticks
are her favorites.
Not surprisingly, Labrador Retriever Leo loves balls
the most, too. Although Will’s and Mary Ellen’s
hound, Tango, is easy to shop for because her
favorite thing is playing with other dogs, her pack
mate Luna loves playing with the big, purple
Our final survey subjects were Greta’s and Cindy’s
majestic lab mix, Toby - he favors Kong food toys
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and the Titleist golf balls he finds on walks – and his
pack mate, little Peaches, who loves her Winnie the
Pooh Finger Puppet. It is the one toy she doesn’t
tear up and won’t share with Toby. Greta finds their
dog toys at Value Village and the Hyattsville Big Bad
Woof.
Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, The Grinch
and others in a heart-warming musical circus
adventure suitable for all ages. Will Horton Hatch
the Egg and save the Whos from the Sour
Kangaroo? Will Jojo get home safely from the butter
battle? There's no guarantee, so come and see! This
holiday season, use the "brains in your head and
feet in your shoes" to steer yourself and your family
in the direction of Greenbelt Arts Center for songs
such as "How Lucky You Are", "It's Possible",
"Amazing Mayzie", and "Alone in the Universe". "Oh
the thinks you can think, when you think about
Seuss!"
If you plan to use the dog park, register your dog at
the Riverdale Park Municipal Offices during business
hours (8:30 am – 5:30 pm) or at meetings of the
Friends of Waggertail Dog Park (FoWDP). The
FoWDP act on behalf of all dog park users, as a
voice to the town government, by making
recommendations on improvements, informing the
Town of maintenance issues, and by planning dogcentric events. To join, email
[email protected] and meet
fellow dog lovers to make a difference in your
community. The Friends of Waggertail Dog Park
(FoWDP) wish all our dog park friends and
neighbors a very happy New Year. We invite you
and your dog to join in the fun in 2017.
December 2, 3, 9, 16, 17 at 8PM
December 4, 10, 11, 18 at 2PM
Ticket prices: $25 General Admission, $22
Students/Seniors/Military, $14 Youth (12 and under
with adult)
For more information on this production and for
photos Please feel free to contact Malca Giblin,
show producer, at [email protected]
Community Circles
Local Organizations
Community Chat with Council Member Dannielle
Glaros
All are welcome and invited! Riverdale Park
Join your Prince George’s County Council Member
Dannielle Glaros on Sunday, December 4, from
2:00pm-4:00pm at Robert Harper Books, 6216
Rhode Island Avenue, Riverdale Park. Drop by
anytime to talk with neighbors, ask questions, and
hear about what’s happening across District 3 and
Prince George’s County. Light refreshments will be
served. Questions? 301-952-3060 or
[email protected].
Lion’s Club: Contact Pat Prangley at (240) 882-4993.
Northern County Soccer Alliance: Contact
[email protected] or (301) 577-3559.
Riverdale Park Boy Scout Troop 252: Contact
Scoutmaster Bob Killen at (301) 483-8455.
Madison Hill Homeowners Association: For
information, call (301) 583-8857.
Riversdale Historical Society: Contact Riversdale
Mansion at (301) 864-0420.
Riverdale Park Farmer’s Market: Contact Jim
Coleman at (301) 586-5973.
Riverdale Park Business Association: Contact Ted
Spiropulos at 301-758-3822 or
[email protected]
Riverdale Park Arts Council: Contact Samuel
Williams, Jr. at (909) 380-4231.
Greenbelt Arts Center Presents: Seussical
A fantastical, magical, musical circus! All your
favorite Dr. Seuss characters come to life and
transport you from the jungle of Nool to the
invisible world of the Whos, while the Circus
McGurkus fills the stage with unicycles, juggling,
acrobatics and more! Join The Cat in the Hat,
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