Minority Contractors Speak Out

By Ovetta Wiggins, Rosalind Helderman and Nelson Hernandez
Washington Post Staff Writers
Thursday, May 8, 2008

It was billed as an educational forum for local minority business owners. But it turned into a rally for a state senator and a strategy session to increase the number of contracts awarded to minority contractors on huge developments in Prince George's County, such as National Harbor.

About 120 minority business owners and elected officials in the county gathered at Tantallon Country Club in Fort Washington last week for the meeting. Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Prince George's) was cheered for his recent actions against National Harbor during the General Assembly session, and business owners testified about their unsuccessful attempts to obtain contracts at National Harbor.

Muse delayed action on liquor license legislation for National Harbor because he had received complaints from business owners and because he was concerned about the number of contracts given to minority business owners in the county, he said.

"He is our leader," said Jerry Mathis of Mathis Realtors, head of the Prince George's County Business and Community Coalition. "He is the one who stood up for us."

Mathis said Muse has been vilified by the media and some of his colleagues since he took his position on the National Harbor legislation. In one instance, he was accused of what appeared to be a shakedown. Members of Mathis's group, on the other hand, say what Muse did was heroic.

Muse said he "did nothing to hurt National Harbor."

He said he asked the company to provide data detailing "what you have done for persons in my community. . . . I got nothing."

Sen. David Harrington (D-Prince George's) joined Muse in questioning National Harbor's commitment to minority business owners. National Harbor pledged to give 30 percent of the work at the development to local and minority business owners, but only 4 percent went to minority businesses in the county.

Harrington criticized National Harbor for the numbers, but he was a member of the County Council that set up the deals, including the minority participation standards.

Several business owners provided testimonials about their experience with National Harbor and the TAC Co., which was hired by the Peterson Cos. to help National Harbor meet its minority business goals.

Norman "Doc" Hayes, who owns a restaurant in Fort Washington, said he met with developer Milton V. Peterson in February and was told that it would cost $70 a square foot to rent at National Harbor. Hayes said it would cost $35,000 to open a restaurant there at that rate. But that wasn't the end of Hayes's dealings with the project. A month later, the Food and Wine Festival, which scheduled an event at National Harbor this month, needed to partner with a local charity to obtain a temporary liquor license. It selected the Erikka A. Hayes Foundation, which Hayes runs, and questions were raised about how Hayes's foundation came to be chosen. It was given a five-year contract with the festival.

County's Credit Score

County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) and County Council Chairman Samuel H. Dean (D-Mitchellville) made their annual trek to New York to talk up the county in front of investors for the nation's top bond-rating agencies.

Along with high-ranking county staffers, the two met Tuesday with executives from Fitch Ratings and Standard and Poor's and were scheduled to meet with Moody's Investors Service yesterday, Johnson said.

At least one of the three agencies has boosted the county's bond rating in each of the past four years, and Johnson said he urged investors to this year award the county the top AAA bond rating.

"I think we deserve one," he said in an interview from New York. "We think the numbers are speaking for themselves. Despite the economy, we've had growth."

The designations allow counties with higher ratings to borrow money at lower interest rates. Investors set the ratings after examining economic prospects, so improved rankings indicate confidence about the county's health.

Johnson said he told the ratings houses that taxes collected during home sales are down in the county, but other economic indicators are good, including rising property tax revenue because of a growing base of commercial property.

The investors were impressed by job growth at National Harbor and other projects planned for the county, as well as how the county handled its budget when the economy was stronger, Johnson said.

"The point we made is that despite the general economic dislocation . . . we're in really excellent shape," he said.

The county could hear back from the agencies in a matter of weeks.

An Easier Reelection

When New Carrollton Mayor Andrew C. Hanko ran for reelection two years ago, the contest was so close that Hanko packed up some of the items in his office, went home before the final results and took his telephone off the hook. He learned that he had won after a city official knocked at his door.

This time, the 77-year-old veteran community leader remained at City Hall on Monday night for the election results and learned that he had defeated community activist Jacques Chevalier II, 450 to 120.

New Carrollton is a diverse community of nearly 13,000 residents, according to the 2000 Census, and although Chevalier spent many evenings in a Shoppers Food Warehouse parking lot seeking votes, Hanko won his 12th term in office by focusing on distributing pamphlets door to door.

Chevalier spent years fighting various issues in the District, but in recent years he has spent much time lobbying on educational issues on behalf of his children, who attend county schools. Some residents said they were turned off by Chevalier's tactics, including at a forum where he accused the mayor and members of the police department of being racist.

Student Leader Elected

Student leaders chose a sophomore from Crossland High in Temple Hills last week to replace outgoing student school board member Haywood L. Perry III.

Edward Burroughs III defeated four other candidates in the annual election held by the Prince George's Regional Association of Student Governments, which represents more than 30 schools. He will take office at the end of next month.

Burroughs is president of student government at Crossland. He has a 3.68 GPA and is a member of two honor societies and the varsity golf and baseball teams.

Through an adult adviser at Crossland, Burroughs declined to be interviewed on his agenda. In a statement, the school system said Burroughs had advocated in a pre-election speech for extra security and metal detectors at high-risk schools.

"I am confident that Mr. Burroughs will not only continue the powerful tradition of excellence I have contributed to but broaden it," Perry said.

Perry, meanwhile, has been accepted at his first choice for college, the University of Pennsylvania, where he said he intends to study philosophy, politics and economics. But look out for his return to Prince George's.

"There's no question that Prince George's County is home," Perry said. "Prince George's County is where my roots are, and Prince George's County is where I plan to continue my future."

Teach Got Mad Skills

When you think of successful rappers, your mind might turn to Jay-Z, Kanye West and perhaps Young Jeezy. Add this one to your list: Jessica Beamon, a third-grade teacher at Rockledge Elementary in Bowie.

With a rap song describing four rules for keeping students safe from predators, Beamon won a $10,000 classroom makeover and an America's Safest Teachers award from Honeywell and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Addressing a safety curriculum that didn't have songs or a memorable icon, such as McGruff the Crime Dog, Beamon composed the song with the idea that children like to sing. With lines such as "Rule number three,/Is about one's place,/To never invade your personal space," she finished it in 20 minutes, she said. She said she didn't expect to win, especially after feedback from her husband.

"He started reading it in a way that it didn't sound like in my head," Beamon said. "I said, 'That is not the way it goes!' He said, 'How does it go?' " and Beamon began singing it for him. Her husband, she said, was not particularly impressed.

All third-graders at the school are learning it now, Beamon said, and they'll be singing it over lunch.

Staff writer Hamil Harris contributed to this report.