29 March 2007 Greenbelt News Review
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GREENBELT News ReviewAn Independent Newspaper VOL. 70, No. 19 15 Crescent Rd., Suite 100, Greenbelt, MD 20770-1887 MARCH 29, 2007 Lucy Flam – Former Russian Refugee Enjoys Retirement in Greenbelt by Sandra A. Lange Lucy Flam moved to Green- sistance against German occupa- belt in 2003 with her husband, tion,” she observed. Eli. At that time she had worked “Both were eventually arrested. for the Voice of America (VOA) He survived a Nazi concentration for over 40 years. In her last camp, while Vicky was impris- position with VOA, she led the oned, tried and decapitated at age large Russian cultural branch, 33.” That book is in its second supervising several hours of daily printing. programs and some 30 staffers Flam’s most recent book was PHOTO BY BILL CORNETT and freelancers. published in November 2006. Firefighters worked almost four hours Monday morning putting Since retiring from the VOA Called “The Lives of a Genera- out the fire at 9116-9118 Edmonston Court. in 1993, Flam has devoted her- tion,” it presents the experiences self to three major book proj- of Russian émigrés prior to and ects. Eight years ago she began during World War II as well as Electrical Problems Cause Books for Russia. Together with their subsequent achievements in two former colleagues, a former America and elsewhere. Fires in SHL Apartments classmate and three other people, Early History she has collected and shipped Lucy Flam Lucy Flam was born Ludmilla by James Giese and Barbara Hopkins more than 100,000 donated books Tchernova in Riga, Latvia. Both and other publications to Rus- Embassy in Moscow; subsequent sets of her grandparents had fled By Tuesday evening, thousands to a building (while buildings are sia. Most of the books had been shipments were paid for by the to Latvia from Russia follow- of Springhill Lake residents were adjoined with common side walls written and published outside Diaspora Library. ing the 1917 revolution. They homeless or without electricity or to others, each cluster of apart- of Russia by Russian émigrés Since her retirement Flam also were part of a large community nervous and on edge as a result ments with a common building and were previously unavailable has written two books. Both, in of Russian nobility, landowners of a series of fires that took place entrance is considered one build- to the general readership of the Russian, were published in Mos- and intellectuals who escaped in the massive garden apartment ing), approximately 66 families country. cow. The first one, “Vicky, the communism and sought refuge complex on Monday and Tues- have needed to find other ac- The books are now accessible Princess Vera Obolensky,” Flam in Latvia. day, March 26 and 27. commodations. While many are to readers and scholars at the described as a heroic and tragic “One of my grandfathers was Three buildings were seriously staying with family and friends, Russian Diaspora Library and tale of the woman who was mar- an entrepreneur, the other was damaged by fire at an estimated Springhill Lake management and Study Center. The first two ship- ried to Flam’s first husband’s a son of a senator and had an cost of $1.5 million. No injuries the Red Cross have helped others ments of 20-foot-long containers uncle. “Vicky and my husband’s were reported, however. Six to find accommodations in hotels were paid for by the American uncle both joined the French Re- See FLAM, page 5 buildings were evacuated and the or elsewhere. residents left temporarily home- Power Supply less (the additional three buildings The multiple fires, the result Owners of The Hanover Support that were evacuated as the result of overheated wiring bringing the of their sharing common utility electrical power supply into the services with the three that were buildings, caused fire officials to City Interests in Co-op Housing damaged). With most Springhill Lake buildings having 11 units See FIRE, page 6 by Thomas X. White Follow-up discussions on a support and assistance of the city and eventually making its way to SHA Reopens US1/MD201 proposal to locate senior hous- for that portion of the project. the Anacostia River) and Sheldon ing on the site of the Greenway Text Amendment Goldberg of the Greenbelt East Corridor Project Study Village apartments were conduct- Specifically, FCP is consider- Advisory Council and a member ed at a Greenbelt City Council ing a zoning text amendment of the Greenbelt Advisory Plan- by Thomas X. White and James Giese worksession on March 14 with that would permit the R-18 zone ning Board. Federal Capital Partners (FCP), to allow senior housing within FCP Report A project newsletter mailed opment, the project was deferred new owners of the project. The the zone. If such a text amend- FCP Partner Lacy Rice out- last week to organizations and pending resolution of funding is- proposal had been first intro- ment were adopted, FCP would lined the results of market analy- individuals on the Maryland State sues and other project priorities. duced to council at a December be required to go through a De- ses and followed up on several Highway Administration’s (SHA) The corridor is shown as a 13, 2006, worksession with FCP tailed Site Plan (DSP) process leads provided earlier by council interest lists announces the re- large peanut-shaped segment with where they outlined plans for re- that would be just as rigorous as and city staff. FCP had inves- sumption of project planning the top at the Route 198 area of developing the property they had the special exception process but tigated possibilities suggested by for the US Route 1/MD 201 Laurel, I-95 and the Ammen- purchased last summer. would allow more influence by council for either cooperative (Kenilworth Avenue/Edmonston dale and Beltsville areas on the FCP told council then that the City of Greenbelt. ownership, condominiums or Road) Corridor Study from MD West, the Beltsville Agricultural they were pursuing two phases This process was the reason subsidized senior housing regimes 198 (Laurel) to I-95/I-495 (Capi- Research Center (BARC) and of the project: a phased renova- for the December 13 workses- for the planned senior housing tal Beltway). Vansville areas on the east, the tion of all existing apartments sion; the purpose of the March project. Following an informational existing Route 1 and the railroad and construction of a new se- 14 worksession was to follow up The consensus assessment, public meeting in the spring of down the center and the southern nior housing component on the on concerns raised in December based on their follow-up, was 2002 on a range of alternatives to end in the vicinity of the Beltway site currently occupied by the by individual councilmembers. that “the co-op/condo market was address the increasing congestion and Cherrywood Lane. development’s swimming pool Attending the worksession soft and the needed economies occurring in the corridor and to and small clubhouse. The site is were the mayor and all members were not present to accomplish support planned economic devel- See SHA STUDY, page 11 adjacent to Hanover Parkway and of council; City Manager Michael their plans other than by market just outside the city limits. McLaughlin; Assistant City Plan- rate rental for the planned se- What Goes On The phased renovation of the ner Terri Hruby; Lacy Rice, part- nior housing component.” Most Saturday, March 31 apartment buildings and grounds ner of FCP; Sam Glass, associate results of the FCP investigation 9 to 11 a.m., Potomac Watershed Cleanup – Greenbelt Lake has now already begun and the of FCP; Larry Taub, attorney of the city-suggested alternatives – Meet in the Playground Area of Buddy Attick Park. Springhill project has been renamed from with O’Malley, Miles, Nylen & had been laid out in a January Lake Stream – Meet Behind Springhill Lake Recreation Center Greenway Village Apartments to Gilmore, representing FCP; and 18 letter from Rice to the city Sunday, April 1 “The Hanover.” Ken Dunn of Loiederman Soltesz manager. Because plans for the age-re- Associates, also retained by FCP. Councilmembers were not 1 to 5 p.m., Artful Afternoon, Community Center stricted, market-rate senior hous- Also attending were Alan happy with the results presented. Tuesday, April 3 ing component are dependent on Turnbull and Michelle Touchet Either they reiterated their prefer- 7 p.m., Public Safety Advisory Committee Meeting, Community the intricacies of Prince George’s of the Friends of Still Creek (a ence for anything other than a mar- Center County’s zoning laws that require small tributary that runs adjacent ket rate rental option for the senior Wednesday, April 4 a special exception process for to the FCP property and goes un- housing units or more generally 8 p.m., City Council Budget Worksession – Planning and Commu- locating a senior building in its der the I-95/495 highway into the nity Development, Capital Projects, Community Center current R-18 zone, FCP seeks the Greenbelt National Park property See HANOVER, page 11 Page 2 GREENBELT NEWS REVIEW Thursday, March 29, 2007 Letters to the Editor Grin Belt Residents Thank THANKS by honoring women during this I’d like to express my grati- campaign, which extends through Patti Brothers March to Mother’s Day in May. I was very dismayed to learn tude to several people for their that Greenbelt animal control offi- help in the recent snow/ice Linda Shevitz, Coordinator, cer Patti Brothers is no longer the storms. Maryland Women’s city’s [assistant] animal control First to Michael Hudson of History Project officer (ACO).