The Pri nce Ge orge’s Pos t A C OMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FOR PRINCE GEORGE ’S COUNTY Since 1932 Vol. 81, No. 50 December 12 — December 18, 2013 Prince George’s County, Maryland Newspaper of Record Phone: 301-627-0900 25 cents County Council English Literacy Accidents Raises Minimum Between Cyclists Wage to $11.50 and Drivers Rise an Hour by 2017 in Maryland County Council Votes Increase Up Sharply Unanimously in Support Over the Last Five Years for CB-94-2013 By JOSH BIRCH Capital News Service By COUNTY COUNCIL Press Office BEL AIR - Accidents between cars and bicyclists in Maryland increased sharply The Prince George's County Council, over the last five years, according to a Cap - during session on Wednesday, November ital News Service analysis of crash data. 27, 2013, unanimously adopted amended There were 841 accidents between cars legislation raising the County's minimum and bikes in Maryland in 2012, according wage to $11.50 an hour by October 1, 2017. to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administra - The current state and federal minimum tion, a 5 percent increase over the 799 bike- is $7.25 an hour, roughly $15,000 annually car accidents in 2008. for a full-time worker, leaving the minimum CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE PHOTO BY ZAINAB MUDALLAL Harford County resident Pam Moore wage employee below the poverty line. The Wendy Samee (left, standing), co-teacher of an English course offered by the Literacy Council of never worried about sharing the road with current minimum wage, which has not been Montgomery County, reviews an exercise with students. Maricela Cabrera (far right, striped cars until she was struck by one while riding raised since 2009, consistently falls below sweater), 35, and her daughter Giselle Jimenez (not pictured) are both taking the course, a novel her bike in August. She lost consciousness the rate of inflation. CB-94 gradually in - approach to learning that employs children to teach their parents English. and suffered a collapsed lung, broken ribs, creases the County's minimum wage to abrasions and a concussion from the acci - $11.50 by October 1, 2017. dent, she said. Council Chair Andrea C. Harrison (D) - “There was nothing I could do different,” District 5, is pleased with the Council action. In Maryland Program, Children Moore said. “I was following the laws. I "I want to thank my colleagues for their was where I was supposed to be.” support of CB-94 throughout this legislative In 2012, five people in Maryland died from process. I also want to thank our citizens Help Parents Learn English bike-car crashes and 689 people were injured. and County businesses for participating in By ZAINAB MUDALLAL tional approach to helping work and help her write and Many motorists do not view bicycles as this process. With this action, the Prince Capital News Service adults with low levels of liter - pronounce English words she vehicles that have an equal right to use the George's County Council has taken concrete acy learn English, by making doesn’t know,” said Giselle, as road, said Neil Buchness, president of steps to ensure disadvantaged workers can ASPEN HILL- Playing the their children the teachers. she spelled out her name with Chesapeake Spokes, a bicycle group in Har - make ends meet and improve the quality of role of the teacher is not a U.S. Department of Educa - magnetic letters on a white - ford County. their lives. We can take pride in this game of dress-up for 10-year- tion estimates show that 11 per - board at Brookhaven Elemen - “We’re actually people. We aren’t just achievement, a sound policy decision that old Giselle Jimenez. Her Eng - cent of Maryland adults aged tary in Aspen Hill last week. something to contend with in the road or also helps to build a better local economy lish is stronger than her 16 or older lack basic prose lit - Her mother was upstairs learn - go around,” he said. “Give us a little more for all of our residents." mother’s, Maricela Cabrera, eracy skills — the ability to ing how to compare food prices respect out on the road.” Today's action by the Prince George's 35, who often needs Giselle’s read and answer questions and read English recipes. Buchness said the state needs to ensure County Council is part of a unique and un - guidance on homework as - about readings. With a lack of The Family Literacy pro - motorists know the law. precedented collaboration among the three signed in a family literacy class funding in adult education mak - gram began last year at schools “I think the biggest thing that will help us jurisdictions to establish a "regional mini - they are taking together. ing it difficult to address the across Montgomery County. is education. Getting it out there. The more mum wage" that is fair to both employers Cabrera and Giselle are problem, groups like the Liter - These once a week classes en - people that realize that we are cyclists and teaming up to learn English in acy Council are filling the gaps courage parents and children to a course offered by the Literacy left by schools. Council of Montgomery “I help [my mom] practice WAGE BIKE See , Page A 5 County, a novel, intergenera - reading, help her with home - See ENGLISH, Page A 7 See , Page A 3 Maryland and D.C. Among Maryland Horseshoe Crabs Tagged for Worst for Food Allergies By AVIVA WOOLF A delay in treatment, typi - Research Along Atlantic Ocean Coast Capital News Service cally epinephrine, can result in death in as little as 30 minutes. By COLLEEN WILSON Capital News Service WASHINGTON - Food al - Epinephrine, commonly lergies in children have risen administered through an auto- 50 percent since the late 1990s, injector called an EpiPen, is ANNAPOLIS – Can you imagine look - with Maryland and D.C. hav - essentially adrenaline. When ing almost exactly the same for more than ing some of the highest rates injected into the outer thigh, 250 million years? in the country. And no one the hormone will open air - Well, put yourself in the shell of a knows why. ways that constrict during an horseshoe crab – a primitive-looking crit - To combat the rise, the Cen - allergy attack. ter that surfs up and down the Atlantic ters for Disease Control, which The guidelines also ex - coast and has existed long before dinosaurs reported the 50 percent increase pound on how to explain al - roamed the Earth. in a 2013 study, recently re - lergies to children, how to Today, biologists, biomedical compa - leased a 108-page comprehen - keep children’s lunches sepa - nies and commercial harvesters study sive guide to assist schools. The rate and how to create a posi - horseshoe crabs. Everyday people who “Voluntary Guidelines for Man - tive psychosocial climate in walk along the beaches can assist re - aging Food Allergies in Schools the classroom. searchers by reporting the location of and Early Care and Education Kaylin Bugos, a senior at tagged crabs they find while walking along the University of Maryland, Programs” meticulously docu - the beaches – about 2,000 to 3,000 calls PHOTO COURTESY OF SHEILA EYLER/U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE. ments procedures and policies has known she’s been ex - are reported annually. Sheila Eyler, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, tags a horseshoe crab regarding the disease. tremely allergic to peanuts and This research is conducted through a with a unique label so it can be tracked along the Atlantic coast. Photo courtesy of The guidelines label symp - tree nuts ever since her uncle federal program led by Sheila Eyler, a bi - Sheila Eyler/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. toms of an allergy attack, in - innocently fed her a Reese’s ologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv - Peanut Butter Cup when she cluding how a child would ar - ice based in Annapolis. Horseshoe crab “We’ve been doing this since ’99 from shoe crabs because commercial har - was 3. ticulate such symptoms, like, tagging involves putting a unique identi - this office,” Eyler said. “That was my first vesters realized the crabs’ blood could “my mouth feels funny” or fication card on the crab with a toll-free assignment and I’ve been doing it ever since.” “my tongue feels like there is phone number, so its movement can be The late-1990s, Eyler said, is when a hair on it.” See FOOD Page A 3 tracked along the coastline, Eyler said. people started caring more about horse - See CRABS Page A 7 INSIDE Online Care Cost Calculator Collection Schemes Fleece Consumers Governor’s Brazil Trade Mission Movie Review “Philomena” Earth Talk AARP launched a free online Health Debt has transformed our society. It Joined by more 30 Maryland busi - A sweet old woman searches for her Dear EarthTalk: Care Costs Calculator, a major addition can be a useful financial tool, or an nesses, higher education leaders and long-lost son with the assistance of to their Ready for Retirement suite of anchor around your neck. It seeps government officials, Governor Mar - a cynical freelance journalist who's Is there a way to get local commu - planning tools. In a survey accompa - into every aspect of our life and can tin O’Malley kicked off an economic hungry for a meaty human interest nities involved in cleaning up water - nying the release of the calculator, be complicated. Easy credit, the de - development mission to Brazil, which story. That one-sentence description ways, like rivers, lakes, streams and AARP found that just one third of older sire to keep up with the latest in has one of the fastest growing major of Philomena is accurate, but it creeks? Americans have taken any steps to save consumer goods, or the habit of liv - economies in the world and the barely scratches the surface of the for out-of-pocket health care expenses.