Beat The Rush Please give us your copy on Mondays or at least by noon on Tuesdays. We are trying not to get swamped Tuesday nights. News Review 1, Volume 62, Number 22 15 Crescent Rd., Suite 100, Greenbelt, MD 20770-1887 Thursday, April 22, 1999 Residents Ask Pointed Questions National League of Cities At GHI Historic District Forum . OKs Greenbelt Proposal by Barbara Young and night work put in by the the Historic Preservation Com­ by Virginia Beauchamp its history of plans, both formal Strong interest was evident in GHI Ad Hoc study committee on mission would add another layer Question: When does a re­ and informal, including notes, in­ the faces and in the speech of which he served that preceded of approval required for some quest from a small Maryland city ternal memoranda, and phone most of the approximately 100 the committee's unanimous rec­ home rehabilitation work. Then take on a possible nationwide di­ logs, to the projected complex. persons gathered at the American ommendation for GHI members Jane Egan spoke up to reassure mension? Answer: When that re­ However, when the city re­ Legion on April 17, a Saturday and the City of Greenbelt to pro­ the audience that the commission quest is adopted by the National ceived a response from USDA, it afternoon, for a forum on pos­ ceed with requesting the Historic wants to work with GHI resi­ League of Cities. was stunned to learn that the re­ sible Historic District designation District designation. He said dents, not frustrate them. And indeed near the end of quest would be honored for the for Old Greenbelt. The forum. about 75% of those returning a Susan Braselton reiterated that 1998, a proposal from Greenbelt fee of $12,310.80. According to presented by GHI, featured 1995 survey mailed by the com­ additions and alterations now in did become NLC policy when it a USDA spokesperson, "This cost Howard Berger and Gayle mittee to GHI members "liked place on GHI homes would be was added to the national reflects 120 hours for Rothrock of the Historic Preser­ the [Historic District] idea." "grandfathered" in. She ex­ organization's list of guidelines three ... Senior Engineers ... at a vation Section of the Maryland Griffin also described why he plained, however, that if GHI at­ concerning the Freedom of Infor­ rate of $32. 79 an hour and 40 National-Capital Park and Plan­ had purchased his home and why tains Historic District status, resi­ mation Act (FOIA). (FOIA man­ hours for a GS-6 Office Manager ning Commission, GHI Ad Hoc he had decided to stay. Men­ dents replacing windows would dates open access upon request at a rate of $12.66." This Committee member Ed Griffin ti on i ng the possibility of in­ need to replace them with win­ to information contained in non­ amqunt-which the city was un­ and GHI forum consultants Su­ creased property values, he said dows more nearly resembling the classified documents in federal prepared to pay-was seen by san Braselton and Bob Neuman. that Historic District status could original casement windows than agency files.) city councilmembers as a second Jane Egan, a member of the "indicate some stability in the those now in most GHI homes. NLC's response has been an kind of circumvention on the part County's Historic Preservation community." When a resident inquired about unexpected, and pleasant, spin-off of USDA. Commission, attended and spoke Howard Berger said the Park what the situation would be if the to the city's long-standing and This was the history underly­ briefly about the Commission's and Planning Commission's ap­ Commiss10n decided on an ex­ cantankerous relationship with ing Greenbelt's 1998 policy pro­ desire to work cooperatively with proach in its joint work with the pensive kind of replacement win­ the U.S. Department of Agricul­ posal to NLC. "Greenbelt be­ GHI residents. Ad Hoc committee had been to dow, Susan Braselton responded ture. That period of disagree­ lieves [the cost submitted by At the beginning and end of try to provide useful technical that members would have to pay' m en t began in the summer of USDA] violates the spirit of the forum, short periods were set information. for this kind of rising cost. 1995 over USDA's decision to FOIA," the city's request argued. aside for informal discussion and Tax Credits Questions build an administrative office "If research is the issue, perhaps questions. Handouts and exten­ Consultant Susan Braselton Attendees had an opportunity complex off Sunnyside Ave. on municipal staff could be given sive wall exhibits explained the described how GHI and its mem­ to ask questions at microphones the Beltsville Agricultural Re­ access to the records and perform guidelines for home improvement bers would be eligible for 10% placed on both sides of the large search Center (BARC) property. the research themselves." that would supersede GHI's tax credits if Old Greenbelt be­ room. Several people sought Believing that USDA was acting Apparently persuaded by this Member Handbook if residents comes a Historic District. Ac­ clarification on the matter of secretly in ways that circum­ argument, NLC in December vote to go forward. Members c6rding' to a handout, tax credits fences and other issues covered vented federal environmental adopted among its guidelines that should have received ballots in might be retroactive for up to in proposed guidelines. One resi­ mandates, the city at that time when a city requests "directly rel­ the mail this week. five years, but final determination dent voiced strong objection to placed a Freedom of Informa­ evant" information, a federal GHI resident Ed Griffin de­ on the matter has not been made. having any restrictions placed on tion request with the agency for See FOIA, page 2 scribed the three years of day She explained how approval of See HISTORIC, page 7 Orson Welles Is Featured At Theater's New Filmfest by Dorothy Sucher "Touch of Evil" That silken voice - those Orson Welles directed and hooded eyes, half sinister, half act,ed in this rarely-shown film seductive - that sardonic intel­ in 1958, famed as a stylistic ligence . .. who could it be but masterpiece. It also stars Orson Welles? Two films by Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, the prodigiously gifted actor-di­ Akim Tamiroff, Marlene rector, regarded fifty years ago Dietrich, Dennis Weaver, and as Hollywood's boy genius, will Zsazsa Gabor. be shown this week at the old Narc Heston and corrupt cop Greenbelt Theatre in Roosevelt Welles tangle over a murder in­ Center, beginning April 23. vestigation in a sleazy Mexican Theater owner Paul Sanchez border town, with Heston's and the Friends of the bride Leigh the pawn of their Greenbelt Theater have made a struggle. fine choice in their ongoing Be sure to note the fantastic, campaign to save the historic justifiably famous opening shot Steve Kane and Yvette King welcome the audience to the Y2K meeting. - photo by Prospero Zevallos theater while reviving some of and the great Latin rock score the classics of American movie­ by Henry Mancini. Also don't making. miss the cameos by Joseph Town Meeting Offers Discussion "Citizen Kane" Cotten and Mercedes Orson Welles burst on the McCambridge. On Y2K Problems and Solutions scene with this film in 1941, when he was all of 25 years ,, by Dennis Jelalian manner, or they may fail to oper­ ing the city, stressed that it is old. Ever since, it has consis­ What Goes On On Saturday, April IO, the ate at all. Major systems may be important to be informed, flex- tently made every list of the Greenbelt Y2K Community Pre­ affected. Sat., April 24. 11 a.m. - ible, and prepared. He urged ev- greatest American movies, often 2 p.m. Albert Herling Bench paredness Group and the City of Small computer chips have eryone to as Number One. Greenbelt government co-spon-· also been embedded in everything Dedication, Greenbelt Library obtain in- A fascinating tale of a Will- Mon., April 26, 8 p.m. sored a town meeting in the from coffee pots and toasters to formation iam Randolph Hearst-like multi-purpose room in the Com­ automobiles and industrial ma­ Greenbelt City Council Meet­ about Y2K publisher's rise to power, "Citi- ing, Municipal Building munity Center to discuss Y2K is­ chinery of all kinds. These may compliance zen Kane" stars Welles, Joseph sues and plans to deal with it. be affected as well. Tues., April 27, 7 p.m. and pos- Cotten, Everett Sloane, Agnes ACE Meeting, Municipal What is Y2K? The Greenbelt Y2K Prepared­ sible prob- Moorehead, George Conlouris, Briefly, most computers use a ness Group and the City of Building !ems di- and Ruth Warrick. The cinema- Wed., April 28, 8 p.m. two digit code for the year. For Greenbelt are working to elimi­ rectly from tography (by Gregg Toland), example, 99 for 1999. When the nate or minimize any possible Council Budget Worksession the source music score (by Bernard - Public Works, Community year changes to 2000, these com­ disruptions. Present at the meet­ agency or Herrmann), and Oscar-winning puters will see only the last two ing were representatives of the Center manufacturer in order to be able screenplay (by Welles and Thurs., April 29, 7:30 zeros. Computers may interpret Y2K Group, the city, and numer­ to assess the Y2K risk. Herman J. Mankiewicz) are all that as the year 1900, or they ous other agencies. Mayor Pro p.m. GHI Board Meeting, Prince yeorge's County Coun- first-rate. This is a stunning Hamilton Pl.