Greenbelt news review., October 28, 1954, Image 1

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Vol. 19, No. 12 Greenbelt, Maryland, Thursday, October 28, 1954 10 Cents
GCS Also Ran
Philadelphia Firm Is High Bidder
For Commercial Center , Says PHA
High bidder for the commercial properties of Greenbelt was
Gilbert Realty, Inc., of Philadelphia, it was announced Monday by
Public Housing Administration.
Midway between the high bid of $444,444 and the low bid of
$222,222 was Greenbelt Consumer Services’ bid of $336,000. The
GCS. bid was submitted through a subsidiary set up for the purpose
of acquiring the properties.
There were a number of bids on
separate parcels, but as the over
all bids were higher than the par
cel bids it is expected that the
commercial properties will be sold
as an over-all package.
“We are sorry we were not the
successful bidder,” Robert Morrow,
controller of GCS, told the Co
operator. “However, we entered
the maximum bid which we felt we
could justify.
“As you know, GCS owns the
land under and adjacent to the
supermarket building, and we are
prepared, if it becomes necessary,
to add to that building to make
room for a pharmacy, variety
store, and most of the other stores
we presently operate here in.
Greenbelt.
“We are looking forward to
working with the new landlord.
Our present leases run for another
two years, until October 31, 1956.
We will be happy to continue to
lease the present property, pro
vided the new owner is willing to
modernize the facilities. How
ever, if we cannot reach mutual
agreement, we will prepare to
_moy.e into onr own building.”
A bid of SB,OOO for parcel 1, the
parking area and vacant land on
the school side of the center, was
submitted by Allen D. Morrison of
Greenbelt. Thomas B. Ricker, a
former general manager of GCS,
submitted a bid of $62,500 for par
cel 3, which includes the service
station, garage and fire department
building.
With the completion of the sale
of the center to be announced
next week, according to PHA, the
Government will no longer hold
title to any land in Greenbelt.
Junior Hi Goblins
"Trick or Treat”
To Benefit UNICEF
Friday night from 7:30 to 9 p.m.,
Junior High Goblins of Greenbelt
Community Church, directed by
Counselors Ann Braund and Lloyd
Moore, will be crying “Trick or
Treat.”
But the “Treats” will be for the
world’s underprivileged children
through UNICEF (United Nations
Children’s Fund).
Each young person will be wear
ing an orange UNICEF Arm Band
and carrying a carton to collect
coins which will be used to “treat”
the needy children in some eighty
countries throughout the world.
10c will provide six glasses of milk
for a child in Korea, or provide a
child in India with 10 bowls of rice.
For 15c, UNICEF can supply en
ough pencillin to cure a child of
yaws, crippling tropical disease.
Through this intergovernmental
organization the usually high in
fant mortality rate is being sharp
ly reduced"; dread and deforming
tropical diseases are arrested and
cured by penicillin; malaria is be
ing eliminated through use of
DDT; preventative T.B. injections
are being given to millions of po
tential victims; milk is being test
ed for the first time.
The boys and girls will meet
back at the Fellowship Center,:
Community Church at 9 p.m. to
count their coins and enjoy a Hal
loween Party.
Greeenbelt News Review
Published Every Thursday By The Greenbelt Cooperative Publishing Association, Inc., 9 Parkway, Greenbelt, Maryland
Teen Vandalism Cited
At Citizens Meeting
Juvenile vandalism in Greenbelt
was the subject under discussion
last Monday night, October 25, at
the regular monthly meeting of the
Greehbelt Citizens Association in
the Center School.
The topic arose when Prudehcio
Martinez, Jr., 9-E Research, gsked
the organization for assistance in
finding facilities and space for a
series of “do-it-yourself’ scientific
projects he has organized for
Greenbelt youths. . At first, he con
ducted the sessions in a room of
his home but later, when the group
increased, he received permission
from the Methodist Church to use
the old chapel on Woodland Way.
Complaints from families re
siding near the chapel about the
loud noise and improper language,
as well as actual destruction of
church property, led officials of the
church to decide, at a meeting
earlier the same evening, that
these facilities should no longer
be made available to Martinez and
his group.
Martinez declared that the origi
nal group of boys had nothing to
do with the vandalism and disturb
ance to the neighborhood but that
troublemakers, both boys and girls,
were responsible for the situation.
After lengthy discussion, the
matter was referred to the GCA
Youth Center Committee, headed
by Beverly Fonda.
At the beginning of. the meeting,
George Reeves, 2-C Eastway. was
elected vice-president of GCA to
succeed Mrs. Eleanor Carr.
GCA will sponsor a Children’s
Movie Matinee at the Greenbelt
Theater on Wednesday, December
1. 1954. Teachers will attend a
state conference and all schools
will close that afternoon. The
program of films will be announced
shortly.
The meeting also heard of prog
ress being made on the GCA-co
ordinated Community Festical for
Teachers, to be held in Center
School auditorium Sunday after
noon, November 21, from 3 to 6
p.m. Teachers from all Greenbelt
schools including St. Hugh’s, Jun
ior High, and the new High Point
High School, will be honored. More
than twenty Greenbelt organiza
tions have already signified that
they will cooperate in making the
reception a success. The annual
affair formerly was sponsored by
the Community Church. This year,
GCA will coordinate the event, as
sisted by the churches, the PTA’s
and a score of additional Green
belt groups.
Local 90 Acre Tract
Rezoned For Industry
Reclassification for light-indus
trial use of a 90-acre residential
tract in Greenbelt near the B. & O.
Railroad and Greenbelt Junior
High School was recently ordered
by the County Commissioners.
The zoning change carried by
3-to-2 vote, with Edward .T. Wat
ers and Mrs. H. Wilson Spicknall
dissenting.
The property in question is own
ed by Harry A. Boswell, Jr., Har
rv A. Boswell. Sr.. Alfred H.
Smith and Philip Lustine.
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
What Goes On ?
Friday, October 29 - Junior and
Senior High Halloween Dance
at Center School gym, 8 p.m.
to 11:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 30 - Chil
dren’s Halloween party at
Center School gym from 6:30
to 7:30 p.m.
Junior and Senior High Hal
loween Dance at gym, 8 p.m.
to 11:30.
Monday, November 1- City
Council meeting in office over
Variety Store at 8 p.m.
Tuesday, November 2 - Election
Day. VOTE 7 a,m. to 7 p.m.
at Center School.
Wednesday, November 3 -
North End School PTA square
dancing classes at 8 p.m. ($3
per couple for entire course.)
Thursday, November 4 - Ameri
can Legion Post No. 136 drill
team at Post Home from 7 to
8 p.m.
Saturday, November 6 - Dupli
cate Bridge Club in Home
Economics Room of Center
School at 8:30 p.m.
Bank To Close Nov. 2
The management of Suburban
Trust Company, Silver Spring and
Hyattsville, Maryland, has an
nounced that all offices of that in
stitution will not be open for the
transaction of business on Tues
day, November 2, 1954, in observ
ance of Election Day, a legal holi
day in the State of Maryland.
Firs): Expressway
Accident Near Here
Last Sunday evening at about
8:30 pm. the first accident took
p’ace on the new parkway near
Greenbelt. Greenbelt Police officer
Austin R. Green, first on the scene,
called out the rescue squad to
minister to four injured Marines.
Three others were hurt.
The car, headed north toward
Baltimore, had a blowout, went
out of control and turned over sev
eral times. Surprisingly, no one
was seriously injured, although
the four Marines were treated at
the Prince Georges General Hos
pital.
“This accident shows how dan
gerous it can be to have a blow
out,” said officer Green, “especially
when speeding.”
Center School PTA
To Attend Classes
The Center School Parent-
Teacher Association will meet on
Tuesday evening, November 9, in
a back-to-school session for the
parents who will report directly to
their children’s home rooms at
8:30 p. m.
The teachers will hold the floor
for the hour’s session; each in his
room will explain to the assembled
parents this year's goals set for
the class and the means; and meth
ods which will be used to reach
them. Following the lecture, each
teacher will hold a discussion per
iod.
Parents with questions on gen
eral educational practices or on
particular phases of the school’s
program which they wish to have
covered in the teacher’s presenta
tion mav submit them in advance
to Morris .Solomon. Chairman of
the Program Committee, GR. 3-
7581.
At 9:30 am. a befi wifi call the
members of the association to as
sf" viW ' 1 in tha auditorium for a
short summation of the evening’s
proo-ram. a business meeting, and
refreshments.
The meetina was scheduled to
take place in Education Week and
is a part of the celebration of that
event by the Center School.
Greenbelt Realty - GVHC Friction
Revealed At Friday Board Meeting
By Bernard Krug
Smoldering friction between GVHC and the Greenbelt Realty
Company came out in the open last Friday night, October 22, at
the regular meeting of the Greenbelt Veteran Housing Corporation
Board of Directors.
The realty company is operated by Abe Chasanow, who also
serves GVHC as general counsel. Ralph Webster, board president,
told the meeting that a prospective home-buyer recently told, a
member of the GVHC office staff that Greenbelt Realty warned him
that he would get “a rough time”
at GVHC. Chasanow challenged
this statement as “hearsay,” but
Webster, nevertheless, repeated
his faith in the reliability of the
information and expressed his
mounting concern over the entire
situation.
Chasanow, on his part, cited the
expense his company has incurred
in preparing all-inclusive check
lists, to make sure that all details
of home-selling transactions are
accurately recorded. He added that
his firm now has no control over,
nor information on, contract sign
ings and other legal aspects of
transferring ownership.
Webster was joined by Manager
Paul Campbell in declaring that all
transactions are the prime respon
sibility of GVHC and that Green
belt Realty’s only role is to bring
buyer and seller together.
After a short discussion by the
board, it was voted tQ refer the
matter to the Management Im
provement Committee, whose
chairman is Director A1 Long.
This group was authorized to pre
pare rules and regulations gov
erning future relations between
GVHC and the Greenbelt Realty
Company.
Tree Removals Abolished
Effective immediately, the Board
voted' to abolish GVHC members’
privilege of requesting tree re
moval for a $lO fee. Frank Kriby, ■
chairman of the Maintenance com
mittee, announced that this ar
rangement was a “losing propo
sition” for GVHC since most of the
tree-cutting jobs cost the corpora
tion much more than the $lO fee.
He added, however, that GVHC
would continue to remove, at no
charge, trees that endanger life,
limb, property, or efficient sewer
age.
Less Maintenance, Same Fee
In connection with this discus
sion, Elliot Bukzin said that sev
eral members had compained to
him that more and more items of
maintenance are being abolished
by GVHC with no corresponding
decrease in the maintenance
charges. Webster commented that
by eliminating services, GVHC is
actually forestalling a rise in
maintenance charges. Kriby not
ed that the present maintenance
crew numbers one-half the force
that operated under PHA “and is
doing a bett r job.”
Objects To Charge
GVHC member Benjamin Abram
ovitz, 3-L Eastway, appeared at the
board meeting to lodge a personal
complaint about the high heating
charge for the studio room he re
cently added to his home. Ac
cording to his figures, the extra
charge for the one rocm amounts
to $45 per year, or $7.50 per month
for the average six-months heat
ing season.
India Missionary Speaks
At Community Church
Mrs. Lov Long, who with her
husband has spent 18 years in
India as a missionary, will speak
at both services this Sunday at
Community Church.
The Longs have been stationed
at the Congregational-Christian
Mission, Nagpada Neighborhood
House. Bombay, India. This pio
neer social settlement was opened
in February 1927.
The board agreed that the ad
ditional expense appeared high,
but Campbell pointed out that the
studio’s cubic space was one-fifth
that of the rest of the house and .
therefore should be charged for
at the rate of one fifth the heating
charge for the entire house. The
problem was taken under advise
ment. with Webster commenting
that GVHC should investigate the
possibility of separating hot water
cost from heating cost.
Tests To Save Oil?
Bukzin, chairman of Utilities
Committee, informed the Board
that the GVHC heating system was
being put in tip-top shape before
submitting it to a comprehensive
series of tests by a private engineer
in an effort to control.or lower oil
fuel bills. Three No. 17 duplex
houses will be used in the tests,
also to include a complete check
of the boilers with special gauges.
Boundary Extensions
The board recognized requests
from several GVHC members for
permission to extend their boun
daries for fencing purposes or for
other reasons. Individual requests
will be referred to the Grounds
Committee and that group will
then make its recommendation to
management. The member will
agree to maintain the land but the
Board will retain the option of re
calling the use of the land, if nec
essary.
Hans Jorgensen, head of fche
Home and Grounds Committee,
brought up the suggestion of elim
inating the GVHC grounds main
tenance operation altogether and
contracting with the city to do the
iob. This idea was referred to
management for study.
Other Actions
Tn other actions the Board:
(1) changed the dates of the next
six board meetings to avoid con
flict with holidays. New dates will
be November 5 and 19, December
3 and 17. January 14 and 28.
(2) contributed up to sls to help
defray expenses of the Community
Festival for Teachers on Novem
ber 21, and set up an advertising
disnlay at that affair.
fi3) decided to man a phone at
GVHC office during any future
hurricanes or severe storms, to
t°ke emergency calls about fallen
trees and other destruction. Camp
bell announced that “Hazel” had
destroyed many trees, broken
shingles, and blown over a brick
wall behind the GVHC office. The
wall will be replaced with a chain
link fence.
(4) heard a statement by Attor
ney Chasanow that a ruling from
Internal Revenue Service would
be forthcoming within 90 days, cov
ering the responsibility of GVHC
members regarding tux payments
ine’uded in their monthly charges.
Following the board meeting,
the board of the Greenbelt Land
Tmpiovement Company met, and
decided to write to Peoples Devel
opment Company pointing out that,
at present, it anpe <rs that GLIC
will not have the funds necessary
to make regular payments at the
?nd of the year to PHA and to
PDC. (If that eventuality should
r eeur GLIC stated in its letter, it
is requesting the r a :e.sary funds
to o arrv the vacant land, and to
assist the Greenbelt Community
Builders in furthering its cooper
ative housing developments.