The Prince George’s Post A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER FOR PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY Since 1932 Vol. 75, No. 26 June 28 - July 4, 2007 Prince George’s County, Maryland Newspaper of Record Phone: 301-627-0900 25 cents Department of Aging Issues Heat Warning for Elderly Seniors Advised to Act to Prevent Heat Exhaustion Courtesy MD DEPARTMENT ON AGING (BALTIMORE, MD) – Summer weather and outdoor activities generally go hand-in-hand. However, it is important for older adults to recog- PHOTO BY JAMES PROCTOR PHOTOGRAPHY nize, prepare for, and take action to avoid severe 2007 recipients of 100 Black Men of Greater Washington scholarships. health problems and conditions often associated with summer weather. Hyperthermia – A Hot Weather Hazard for 40 Scholarships Awarded at 100 Black Men of Older People It is important for seniors to remember that they are at particular risk for hyperthermia, a heat- Greater Washington Scholarship Luncheon related illness brought on by long periods of expo- sure to intense heat and humidity, which causes an 12 PGCPS Students Become First-Time Scholarship Recipients increase in a person’s core body temperature By JAMES PROCTOR students coming from Prince George’s county ate with a degree in Sport Management in just 3 (98.6°)(37°C). The two most common forms of Contributing Writer schools. These recipients were: Carrington R. years. She is very likely to do so because she hyperthermia are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Carter, II, Joshua D. Cuthbertson, Qaahir T. has already been able to excel in academics and Heat Exhaustion is a warning that the body is The 100 Black Men of Greater Washington Elliott, Mirah A. Ivory, Anthony J. Mack, David athletics --receiving partial scholarships in both getting too hot. The person may be thirsty, giddy, (BMOGW) held its annual Scholarship K. McClain, Preoshia K. Montague, Reginald L. areas. weak, uncoordinated, nauseous, sweating profuse- Luncheon at the Hyatt Capitol Hill on Saturday Peterson, Jr., Kierra L. Royster, Desmin L. The 100 BMOGW provides $2,000 scholar- ly and the skin is cold and clammy. June 23rd. The group awarded over 40 scholar- Wade, Jonathan D. Young and Rachelle Wright. ships to high school seniors who are attending Heat Stroke caused by excessive exposure to ships to students in the Metropolitan area. These Rachelle Wright was typical of the high caliber an accredited college, university, or specialty hot, humid temperatures kills an average of 1,700 scholarships are renewable and most of the of award recipients; she was the class school of higher learning. The scholarships are persons in the United States each year. About 80% recipients were collecting awards which they Salutatorian for Potomac High School in Oxon awarded in increments of $500 over four years of heat stroke deaths occur in persons age 50 and had earned from previous years. There were 15 Hill. She will be attending the University of as long as the student remains enrolled full-time older, because age and other factors such as dis- Maryland Baltimore County and plans to gradu- first-time recipients this year with 12 of the 15 See BMOGW, Page A9 See Warning, Page A7 Cavitt,Vaughns PGCPS 5th Graders Win Cash Appointed to for Entries in National Contest Planning Board, 3 at Langley Park-McCormick ES “Dare to Dream” M-NCPPC Courtesy PGCPS (ALEXANDRIA, VA) —Fifth-grader County Executive Shante’l Jones, a student at Langley Park- McCormick Elementary School in Hyattsville is Appoints New Members the winner of a $5,000 college scholarship from BrainstormUSA, an Atlanta-based marketer of to Replace Old PHOTO BY EMILY APATOV/ THE PRINCE GEORGE’S POST educational software, videos, workbooks and Jane Lipton Cafritz and her husband, computers. The award is presented as part of the Commissioners Calvin, address community stakeholders company's 1st quarter 2007 “Dare to Dream… at the meeting at Riverdale Elementary. Expect to Succeed” Scholarship Program. Courtesy OFFICE OF THE COUNTY Shante’l dreams of becoming a doctor; for EXECUTIVE her entry, she created a poster, an essay, and a Developers in diorama. A letter of support from her mother Sarah A. Cavitt of Fort Washington and accompanied her entry. Shante’l was chosen to Sylvester J. Vaughns of Palmer Park were receive the scholarship, beating out hundreds of appointed by Prince George’s County Executive Riverdale other contest entrants. Jack B. Johnson, and confirmed by the Prince Gerson Villanueva and Morgan Percy, also George’s County Council on Tuesday, June 19, students from Langley Park- McCormick ES, as members of the Prince George’s County Request will receive prizes from BrainstormUSA as well. Planning Board and the Maryland-National Villanueva, a 5th grader, won second place Capital Park and Planning Commission (M- nationally for his entry expressing his dream to NCPPC). Ms. Cavitt will fill the seat vacated by Community’s become an architect. Villanueva was awarded a former Commissioner William M. Eley, Jr., and CSI multi-media computer and a variety of edu- Mr. Vaughns will replace Commissioner Eley as cational software pieces. Percy, a 4th grader, Vice Chairman of the Planning Board. Input made model tooth and submitted an entry Ms. Cavitt, a long-time resident of Prince demonstrating her desire to become a dentist. George’s County, retired from a 25 year career Morgan placed third, winning a bundle of soft- with the Social Security Administration where ware pertaining to the school curriculum at PHOTOS COURTESY PGCPS (L-R): Gerson Villanueva, Shante’l Jones, and she served in numerous roles, including EEO By KATE ELIZABETH QUERAM Langley Park-McCormick ES. Contributing Writer Morgan Percy, 2007 Dare to Dream Officer and Branch Office Manager. She is well- The “Dare to Dream - Expect to Succeed” Scholarship recipients from Langley Park- known throughout Prince George’s County as a See Dreams, Page A9 McCormick Elementary School. On June 14,, the Cafritz property develop- See Commissioners, Page A9 ment team held the third in a series of commu- nity forums encouraging local residents to INSIDE voice their concerns and suggestions for the Now is the Time to Forfeit use of the 36-acre lot in Riverdale Park, MD. COMMUNITY BUSINESS The lot on Route 1 has been held by the Cafritz family since 1959. Directly adjacent to Fireworks in Prince George’s Emily Apatov of Cafritz Developers College Park and University Park, the meet- The Prince George's Request Community ings on the commercial development produced PGFD/ EMS Waives Penalty for Consumer Fireworks Post sits down with Input to Shape a large turnout with residents of several cities Dr. Eugene Williams Riverdale at all three forums. Courtesy PGFD/EMS The Prince George ’s and Montgomery and learns how to Development Jane Cafritz, the project’s developer, County Fire/EMS Departments held a fireworks use the New King Prince George’s began discussing the property’s transformation Injuries caused by illegal consumer fire- safety demonstration at Six Flags America to James Bible to County Companies with her husband two years ago. “We wanted works range from minor to fatal and occur every remind citizens and residents that although all encourage summer Recognized by to see what the community’s vision was,” she year around Fourth of July celebrations. Many consumer fireworks are both dangerous and ille- reading A3 said. “We felt from the beginning that the TEDCO A5 of the preventable fireworks injuries and deaths gal, under the county’s Fireworks Amnesty community would have an important role, in the United States involve children. See Cafritz, Page A5 See Fireworks, Page A7 A2 —June 28 - July 4, 2007 — The Prince George’s Post Towns and NEIGHBORS Clinton Conversations By NORMA FAZENBAKER booked in excess of 800,000 room 301.579.6116 nights of convention business. Five additional premier hotel and timeshare So far, I have attended two of my companies are also coming to National picnics, and still have two to go Harbor, bringing the total number of through. They have been lots of fun, hospitality units to approximately and I’m not yet sick of hamburgers and 3,000 rooms. There will be a Fairfield hot dogs. Our NARFE picnic yester- Resorts, Hilton’s Hampton Inn, day was not as well attended as we had Residence Inn by Marriott, Westin hope; with 1,364 members, it seems Hotels and Resorts and waloft Hotel. we should have more than 30 people These five hotels expect to hire 600 show up for a good picnic. employees. The project will bring a Hope you are all enjoying your total of 2,200 permanent jobs to Oxon summer. With the celebration of my Hill. birthday coming up at Rosecroft on In conjunction with the expansion, July 9— along with the South County Gaylord has also given $1 million to Democratic Clubs— I am looking for- Prince George’s Community College ward to the rest of summer. to sponsor a hospitality program to We are still planning the trip to the cover start-up costs for faculty, materi- Laurel Highlands in Pennsylvania, but als, equipment and curriculum for the the dates are now October 15 through Hospitality Institute at the college. PHOTO BY JOHN CASSADY/ THE AUDOBON SOCIETY 17. We will visit the Flight 93 Gaylord is also establishing a scholar- Whip-poor-will populations have declined 73 percent due to habitat loss and also the fragmentation by roads and Memorial, and if you have never done ship program for high school students other development of remaining habitat into patches too small to support this nocturnal ground-nesting species. this, please plan on joining us for this desiring to pursue a higher education Whip-poor-wills nest in forests with natural openings and edges and are now confined to larger, intact forest trip.