The Pri nce Ge orge’s Pos t A C OMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FOR PRINCE GEORGE ’S COUNTY Since 1932 Vol. 77, No. 15 April 9 — April 15, 2009 Prince George’s County, Maryland Newspaper of Record Phone: 301-627-0900 25 cents Patients Urge Legalization of Medical Marijuana Maryland’s Compassionate Use Act Law Merely Provides a False Sense of Security BY MICHAEL FROST Rather than take her word for it, the The patients testified on behalf of a that are operating within state law, a Capital News Service officer called for backup that included bill that would establish a task force to major departure from the Bush admin - a canine unit, she said. evaluate the effectiveness and fairness istration’s stance on the issue. ANNAPOLIS - Hughes ended up spending several of the current law and consider The Darryl Putnam Compassionate When a police officer asked her what hours in jail. She fought the charges whether medical marijuana should Use Act, passed by the General she was doing behind a van in the and won, but only after a lot of time, become legal in the state. They said Assembly in 2003, was a compromise park, Pamela Hughes told him the stress and money — three things that medical marijuana provides relief for between those advocating the legal - honest truth. her fibromyalgia, a chronic condition certain ailments in ways no other med - ization of medical marijuana and “I said I was smoking a cannabis characterized by widespread pain and ication can replicate. those against such a move. cigarette,” she said. fatigue, and a reoccurrence of stage IV No one testified against the bill, The act is named after Putnam, a She presented the stunned police - cancer were already monopolizing. and a vote on the legislation has not former Green Beret and Howard man with a written recommendation Hughes and several other patients been scheduled. County Farm Bureau director who from her doctor and a copy of told the House Judiciary Committee Medical marijuana has been legal - advocated for the legalization of med - Maryland’s “Compassionate Use last week that while Maryland’s ized in 13 states, including California, ical marijuana. He died of cancer in FILE PHOTO Act,” which reduces the penalties for Compassionate Use Act was a step Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont. 1999. Judiciary Committee Chairman Joseph possession of medical marijuana. forward for its time, the law merely U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Vallario Jr., D-Prince George’s, believes “I honestly thought that I wasn’t provides them with a false sense of said recently that federal law enforce - federal law is the line that shouldn’t be breaking the law,” Hughes said. security. ment will no longer target providers See MEDICAL , Page A 3 crossed. Maryland Maryland Exemplifies Launches Integrated 2010 Census Preliminaries Education Public Preparation State is Model of Early Kicks Off April 6 Child Learning Schooling BY MEGAN MILLER MAREN WRIGHT Capital News Service Capital News Service WASHINGTON - It may be a year WASHINGTON - Maryland is a before the 2010 census, but Maryland model of integrating early child learn - residents should start seeing prelimi - ing programs and traditional schooling, nary work happening in their neighbor - Maryland State Board of Education hoods in as little as two weeks. member Karabelle Pizzigati told a PHOTO BY MAREN WRIGHT CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE The first public preparation for the Elaine Harmon, a former WASP of Silver Spring, stands in front of the "Cub" plane at the College Park national education conference on 2010 census kicks off April 6, with cen - Aviation Museum. The plane is the same model that she used for flight lessons at the College Park Airfield Tuesday. sus workers hitting the streets to update in 1940. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation host - a comprehensive database of residential ed the gathering to promote successful Maryland addresses. birth-to-third-grade learning models. Congressional Gold Medal Proposed for WASP Corps Of the three Maryland census The foundation is concerned that MAREN WRIGHT recognition — whether they sought it tion wasn’t expected but it serves as offices, only two, Largo and Frederick, achievement depends not only on what BY Capital News Service or not. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., justification for the 38 women who will begin address canvassing on that happens in school, but on what hap - with all female senators as co-spon - died during their flight service. date. The Baltimore office should get pens long before a child gets COLLEGE PARK - Florence sors, introduced a bill last week to “It wouldn’t hurt to have more peo - started by mid-April. there.Maryland has been at the fore - Marston doesn’t really want recogni - award the WASP corps the ple know about what we did and how Start dates in Maryland differ front of integrating the pre- and post- tion for what she did as a Women Congressional Gold Medal, the high - it helped other women to fly for the because of the offices’ varying progress kindergarten environments, Pizzigati Airforce Service Pilot. est honor they can offer civilians. military,” Tedeschi said from her home in hiring and training staff, said Monica said. In 2005, the General Assembly “All I did was to fly a couple of air - “The Women Airforce Service in Bethany, Conn. Davis, media specialist with the voted to unify the state’s early-care planes,” said the Clinton woman. Pilots of World War II were trailblazers WASP like Tedeschi and Marston, Philadelphia Regional Census Center. programs under the Maryland State But others find what she and about and true patriots,” Mikulski said in her who declined to give her age, flew Maryland census offices have Department of Education.The 2005 1,100 other women did during World statement. “They risked their lives in non-combat military missions, freeing reached their hiring goals for address legislation centralized policy making, War II a pretty amazing feat. The service to our nation, but for too long the limited number of male pilots for canvassing, according to Davis, and are she said. It was supported by a wide women risked their lives in the new their contribution to the war effort has combat. Trailblazing only begins to now contacting people to begin a range of children’s advocates, includ - field of flight — and broke gender bar - been undervalued or under-recog - describe their contributions and char - required five-day training course. riers in the process — to train glider nized.” pilots and ferry military equipment. Jane Tedeschi, 89, a WASP who See EDUCATION , Page A 7 Soon they may get their hard-won grew up in Somerset, said this recogni - See WASP, Page A 5 See CENSUS , Page A 5 INSIDE Md. Proposes Squeezing Bus Service to Close Metro Gap Neighbors Columns: A Proposal Presented to Metro’s Board Contains $9.4 Million in Cuts Morningside, Brandywine, Clinton LEONARD SPARKS Suitland and BY Capital News Service “Open to The Public,” a listing of places to visit WASHINGTON - Maryland could eliminate Neighbors, Page A2 bus lines, shorten routes and increase its Metro subsidy as it works with the District and Virginia to close a $29 million deficit in the regional tran - Greater Baden Medical Services sit authority’s budget year that begins June 1. Granted $270,372 Through American A proposal presented to Metro’s board con - Recovery and Reinvestment Act. tains $9.4 million in cuts to Metrobus service in Funds Part of Nationally Distributed Prince George’s and Montgomery counties and Grants to Expand Health Services adds $7 million to Maryland’s $200 million Community , Page A3 share of Metro’s 2010 budget. The board approved allowing riders to com - Governor Martin O’Malley Announces ment on Maryland’s plan and those of the District and Virginia at a series of public hear - PHOTO BY PVERA, FLICKR $1.5 Billion in Recovery and ings to be scheduled for next month, two in each Maryland’s plan calls for eliminating the B27, B29/B31, C12/C14, C7/C9, R3 and W15 Investment Funds to Protect Health jurisdiction. Metrobus lines. The plan also proposes shortening nine lines and decreasing the frequency Care Safety Net “No one on this board wants to reduce our on four others. Business , Page A5 level of service,” said Peter Benjamin, a board member representing Montgomery County. “No line south of the Wheaton transit station and tee member to vote against forwarding the menu White House Sends Special Delivery one on this board wants to increase our fares.” North of the Rockville station. of cuts to the full board. The elimination of the Maryland’s plan calls for eliminating the B27, Another $1.2 million would be saved by the C12/C14 and a reduction in frequency on the Invitation to Prince George’s County B29/B31, C12/C14, C7/C9, R3 and W15 elimination of the R3 line between Greenbelt and A12 line will hurt poor people in particular, Students to “Let’s Go Play.” Dodge Metrobus lines. The plan also proposes shorten - Fort Totten. The state is also saying it could save Solomon said. Park, Seat Pleasant Elementary School ing nine lines and decreasing the frequency on $800,000 by ending the C12/C14 line, which “Poor people are usually the last ones to Children to Participate in Easter Egg four others. runs between the Branch Avenue and Naylor receive service and now are one of the first to Roll. The biggest savings — almost $3 million Road stations on the commuter rail’s Green Line. On The Town, Page A6 after accounting for the loss of fare revenue — Marcell Solomon, who represents Prince would come from trimming service on the Q2 George’s County, was the lone finance commit - See METRO, Page A 3 A2 — April 9 — April 15, 2009 — The Prince George’s Post Towns and N EIGHBORS In and Around Morningside-Skyline Forty-Nine Officers Added to the Police Department by Mary McHale 301 735 3451 Prince George’s County, the community saying, “Each Past president of Morningside Lee Funeral Home.