Greenbelt news review., December 02, 1954, Image 1

About Greenbelt news review. (Greenbelt, Md.) 1954-current

Image provided by: University of Maryland, College Park, MD

                
Published Every Thursday By The Greenbelt Cooperative Publishing Association, Inc., 9 Parkway, Greenbelt, Maryland
Vol. 19, No. 17 Greenbelt, Maryland, Thursday, December 2, 1954 10 Cents
Mayor Frank Lastner
Resigns After 12 Years
By I. J. Parker
Th,e few spectators left at the
end of last Monday night’s council
meeting witnessed the oral resig
nation of Mayor Frank Lastner
from the city council. At 12 mid
night, with the budget finally ap
proved, Lastner ended twelve years
of community service on the most
honored local body.
Lastner declared that it was the
first office from which he had ever
resigned, and was doing it only be
cause the law forbids his holding
two elective offices. “Nothing I
have ever done in Greenbelt has
made me happier,” Lastner stated,
commenting' on his council service.
“It has been a wonderful Aeduca- "
tion .. . . it is difficult to put into '
words . . . people have been won
derful to me.” •
“We have had differences of
opinion in the council room but I
have never known them to be car
ried outside.” iHe commended- the
present and past councils he has
served with for their outstanding
devotion to the community ... a
city which has never- -been out of
the thoughts iof eouncilmen both at
home and; at work.'. “I’ll do the
job for the county that -the people
expect me to,” Lastner said.
“I reluctantly . . . certainly hate
. . . to offer my resignation.. I will
always be a resident of Greenbelt.
Greenbelt is my home.”
Councilman Thomas Canning,
who had served many years, on the
council with Lastner, declared that
Joe—regretted—aeoepfeing—Lastncr’s
resignation. “Lastner has been a
champion of Greenbelt ... a fight
er for many years for the good of
this community. I have never
known anyone who had more zeal
for public service,” Canning con
cluded. The -council will present
Lastner with a gavel, suitably in
scribed, at a later date.
Junior High PTA
To Meet December 8
The Greenbelt Junior High
School Parent-Teacher Association
will hold a regular meeting on
Wednesday evening, December 8,
at 8 p.m. in the school auditorium.
A pre-Christmas musical program
will be presented by the glee club
under the direction of Raymond
Finlay and by the school orches
tra directed by Robert Dawson.
Robberies Prevalent
In U.S. During 1954
Robbers, larcenists and burglars
had a criminal field day during the
first six months of 1954.
These three types of criminals
showed outstanding increases in
their activities over the corre
sponding period of 1953. All types
of major crimes in the United
States for the first half of 1954
showed an increase of about 8.5
per cent over the preceding year.
If the nation’s criminals had
their own Board of Exchange, the
following June 30 “closing quota
tions” would have been posted on
the exchange board, according to
the burglary investigation division
of Employers Mutuals of Wausau:
Robberies, up 20.4 per cent; bur
glaries, up 13.2 per cent, and lar
ceny, up 9 per cent.
There was a falling market in
stolen automobiles. Auto theft de
creased by 2.3 per cent.
Burglaries and larcenies in rural
areas increased much more than in
urban areas, but urban robberies
increased twice as much as those
in rural areas. Auto theft declined
2.7 per cent in cities, but only 0.8
per cent in rural districts.
Greeenbelt News Review
SQUARE DANCE SATURDAY
The Greenbelt Band parents will
hold a Square Dance at the Cen
ter School auditorium Friday, De
cember 3, at 7:30 p.m. General ad
mission for adults and children will
be 30 cents. A popular caller
from Washington will be on hand,
and refreshments will be available.
Lions Club Sponsors
Christmas Baskets
This Christmas the Greenbelt
Lions Club will again help the un
fortunate families in the com
munity. This annual project of the
Club. began last Christmas when,
baskets were placed around the
Community Christmas tree for the
collection of food, clothing and
money.
With the cooperation of many
people of Greenbelt, The Ameri
can Legion, and Greenbelt Con
sumer Services, approximately
twenty baskets of food were col
lected last year. On the-, seicond '
day before Christinas,' ministers Of'- :
the variotis churches : together with
others formed a committee to con
vey these baskets to those less
fortunate. ;
During the week immediately
preceding Christmas, the baskets
will again appear beside the com
munity tree at the shopping center
and members of the Lions Club "
will be there to ask residents to
help their neighbors.
This year the Lions Club will
collect only food and money. All
money collected will be used to
purchase needed food articles.
Woman’s Club Plans
An nual Xmas Party
The Woman’s Club of Greenbelt
will hold its annual Christmas Par
ty Thursday, December 9, 1954 at
8 p.m. in the social room of the
Community Church. The program
will include Christmas carols and
readings by members of the speech
class at Northwestern High School
under the direction of Mrs. Dor
thea Dawson.
The ingathering of the gifts and
hand made dolls for the children
of the Glenn Dale Sanatarium and
the District Training School at
Laurel will take place at this time.
The hostesses will be Mrs. Earl
Thomas, Mrs. L. Benefiel, Mrs. J.
Finley, Mrs. A. Chasanow, Mrs. H.
Wodak, Mrs. R. Webster and Mrs.
E. Braund.
BAPTISTS’ MISSION VISUAL
An interesting visual will feature
the evening service of the Baptist
Chapel, meeting in Center School,
next Sunday at 6:45. Just this
week the Home Mission Board of
the Southern Baptist Convention
released a filmstrip of beautiful
colored views of mission personal
ities, scenes, and new buildings
churching the many unchurched
areas of our land. The visual is
entitled “Answering the Call.” Ev
eryone is invited.
“M 0 SOAP” OPERA
How would you like a night out
with your hubby as a guest of the
J.C.C.? On Monday, December 13
at 8 p.m., a “No Soap Opera” will
be held at the Suburban Kitchens
in Hyattsville. Prizes, refresh
ments, and demonstrations will
highlight the evening. For more
information, call Mrs. Ryss, 5841.
HAPPY ENDING -
Seven-year old Edis Starnes of
58-E Crescent found a change
purse at the Center last week and
immediatelv took it to the police
station. The owner. Mrs. Edward
Kaighn, was so pleased at the
prompt recovery of the purse, that
she divided the contents with the
young man, who was as pleased
with the happy ending" as she was.
AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
What Goes On?
Friday, December 3 - Square
Dance sponsored by parents
of Greenbelt Band at the Cen
ter School auditorium at 7:30
p.m.
Meeting of Greenbelt Veteran,*
Housing Corporation board of
directors at Hamilton Place
building at 8:15 p.m. Mem
bers invited to hear discussion
of next year’s budget.
Saturday, December 4 - Annual
Jewish Community Center
dance at American Legion
Home from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m.
Pairs and Spares party at,
Community Church social hall
at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 5 - CHURCH
SERVICES
Community Church - Morning
worship at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.
; with Rev, Braund preaching
*; the first jn a, series of Advent
i sermons',” “Comfort Ye‘ My
f People.” ' Annual --Christmas
i Tree Lighting Ceremony at 7
pan; ■■■ A v.- ■. "
. Greenbelt Lutheran Church -
Services at 8:30 and 11 a.m.
with sermon by Pastor Birner.
Greenbelt Baptist Chapel
- (meeting in Center School) -
Mothing worship at 'll a;m.,-
sermon “What It Means to
be a Christian” by Dr. Crowd
■' er. v '
Methodist Church (meeting
at North End School) - Morn
ing worship at 11. a.m. Sermon
by Rev. Knock, “Living the
Advent.”
St. Hugh’s Catholic Church -
Masses at 7:30, 8:30, 9: SC and
11 a.m.
Monday, December 6 - Choral
Group meets in Center School
in Room 201 at 8:15 p.m.
Tuesday, December 7- Kinder
garten parents meet in Social
Room, Center School, 8 p.m.
Miss Beardsley, County Super
visor of Kindergartens, will
speak.
Wednesday, December 8 -
Greenbelt Unit 1 of Prince
Georges County League of
Women Voters meets at 47-F
Ridge at 8:15 p.m. to discuss
county health needs and serv
ices.
GVHC membership meeting,
8:15 p.m., Theater.
Thursday, December 9 - Green
belt Woman’s Club annual
Christmas party in social
room of Community Church
at 8 p.m.
Friday, December 10 - Greenbelt
Junior High PTA meets in
auditorium at 8 p.m.
Annua! Tree Lighting
At Community Church
The Annual Christmas tree light
ing ceremony on Community
Church lawn will be held at 7 p.m.
Sunday, December 5. The custom
has been for the Senior High Pil
grim Fellowship, which gave the
living Christmas tree to the
Church, to be in charge and to se
lect an honored guest who will at
a certain point in the ceremony
throw the switch which lights the
tree. The name of the person seA
lected to do this is not revealed un
til the actual ceremony takes place.
This service will be led by Sharon
Romer. President, Sondra Hufen
dick, Peter Bowman, and Stanley
Edwards, Jr. They wil be assisted
in decorating the tree by George
Sheaffer and Bruce Bowman.
A. Christmas Party, featuring
Christmas carols by the Senior
Chancel Choir in the Social Hall,
will begin immediately after the
tree lighting ceremony. Refresh
ments will be served by the After
noon Guild with the Chancel Choir
acting as hosts for the occasion.
Trash Collection, Library, Fire
Dept., Dropped From Tax Payments;
New Tax Rate Set At $ 1.71 per S IOO
By I. J. Parker
The city council approved a final budget for 1955 calling for
an expenditure of $324,399 and established a real and personal
property tax rate of $1.71 per SIOO assessed valuation at its regu
lar meeting last Monday nighht. Also established was a tax rate
on industrial property of 68 cents per SIOO assessed valuation.
The>budget for the coming year contemplates integration of the
Dupont Gallery Shows
Works Of Local Artist
A group of 22 paintings by a lo
cal artist are now on a display, in
■ the Gallery pf Art of the Dupont
Theater, • 1332. Connecticut Avenue
(Dupont Circle)., The works are
by Benjamin Abramowitz, 3-L
.Eastway, well-known Greenbelt
artist, and will be. on display until
Monday, December 13.-; . .. :
Classical and biblical themes
dominate the group of paintings
entitled as follows: Battle, Circe 1
and 2, The Wind, Moses, Hydra,
Hippolyta, Out of Eden, Noah’s
Ark, . Harpy, Anchises, Oedipus,
Lycurgus,, Sabine. Women 1 and ,2,
Golden Ram. Dido, Hercules, Death
of Hector, Laocoon, Embarkation
of Theseus, and False God.
11-Year Old Greenbelt
Boy Wins Essay Contest
Richard Moss, 11, son of Ruth
Moss, 14-G Hillside, a sixth grader
at the North End School, 1 was re
cently awarded a 20 volume set of
the Book of Knowledge. This was
the second prize in a contest en
titled “Life in Your Home Tbwn,”
sponsored by the radio program,
Egbert Umley, formerly heard on
Station WRC on Saturday morn
ing. This program ended its series
with this contest.
Richard won second prize on the
merits of the contents of his essay.
He gave a brief history of Green
belt, described an average day, and
listed the various advantages of
living here.
Scouts To Collect
Clothing Bags Sat.
Prince Georges Boy Scoujts have
distributed more than 21,000 “Good
Turn Day” bags to neighbors and
friends as the first step in a
countv-wide clothing drive to be
staged Saturday, December 4, to
help provide jobs for handicapped
people at Goodwill Industries. The
project is being sponsored by the
Prince Georges District of the Na
tional Capital Area Council, Boy
Socuts of America.
Apnroximatelv 3,000 Cub; Boy
and Explorer Scouts, together with
hundreds of mothers and dads, are
expected to participate in the nne
dav drive t" collect the filled bags
next Sa.turd.av, Mr. William Roll
of Hyattsville, chairman of the
District’s Civic Service Committee,
said that housewives are being
urged to gather up all the unused,
repairable clothing, shoes and
household textiles and to place the
filled bags at their doors or on
their porches before 10 a.m. on
“Good Turn Dav.” Additional
of discarded materials,
Mr, r*~u minted out. should be
placed in cartons or other contain
ers.
JCC DANCE SATURDAY
The eighth annual dance of the
.Tewiqh Cornmunitv Center will be
held Saturday night. December 4.
at the American Lemon Hall from
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets mau hp
purchased from JCC members or
at the door.
municipal library with the county
system, a volunteer fire depart
ment, and a monthly fee charge
for garbage and trash collection.
The public health nurse will re
main on part-time duty, and the y
police force will serve the city with ■ •
;a full complement of men op 24-
hour duty. ■ • ,r t - ;,l_.
The library, most controversial
of the budget , items at the public
hearing last week, was included in
the budget with a sum to carry it
for a half year or less, if integra
tion is accomplished then. Coun
cilman James Wolfe first moved
to keep the library under city
control and was supported by
councilman Robert Hurst. Wolfe
declared that the expression of citi
zens indicated" they wanted the li- •
brary to - continue as before. Hurst ’
agreed with the move stating he
was not assured that the library
would be accepted by the county
and wanted the sums to remain
in the budget as a precaution. The
motion lost, 3-2.
Another motion to integrate the._l_.
library was passed unanimously
after discussion disclosed that
Mayor Frank Lastner, and Coun
cilmen Tom Canning and Ben
Goldfaden felt strongly that the
county library could provide ade
quate service, eliminate duplica
tion of expense to citizens, and
would help reduce the tax rate as
well as encourage development.
City manager Charles McDon
ald, speaking on the public health
service, assured the council that
the nurse performs her duties sat
isfactorily under the present ar
rangement, and any additional
hours would be spent on welfare
work. He cited the need for im
mediate help on local welfare cases
(about twelve in number) and de
clared that the situation does not
in his opinion warrant adding
hours to the health department
nurse’s duties.
Industrial property now occupies
about 70 acres in Greenbelt, Mc-
Donald informed the council, add
ing that additional land recently
sold by the government to outside
interests should be zoned “light
industrv” very shortly. McDonald
also stated that such land is usual
ly assessed at twice the amount
residential property is assessed,
and that the practice is to estab
lish a tax rate at 40 percent of the.
real property tax rate. The council .
agreed to the suggestion and pass-,
the 68-cent tax rate. It was dis
closed that development in the
area near the railroad tracks is
contemplated shortly and that the-.'
taxes derived would greatly bene
fit the community. 1 J •
On this point Mayor Lastner,
opined that industrial development
mav make budget problems . non
existent in the future and that the
city could add or replace many of'
the services we relinquished.
Before the meeting concluded,
Mayor Frank Lastner tendered his
res’"nation from the city council
to assume his new duties as Com
missioner of Prince Georges Coun~.
tv. Mayor pro-tem Wolfe took
over the gavel and the council ac
cepted Lastner’s resignation with
regret.