Landover Hills Chronicle
Landover Hills Newsletter	April 2001

                            Letter From The Mayor

As this addition of the Chronicle is being circulated, work crews are busily engaged in the repaving of Buchanan St., 72^nd Avenue, Varnum Street, Parkwood Street and Shepherd Street. Residents are requested to cooperate in this effort by insuring that automobiles are moved in a timely manner; so that persons engaged in the repaving of these streets can complete their task.
 

In addition to the repaving of these streets, as a safety measure, traffic calming devices will be installed at locations along 72^nd Avenue, as a means of slowing down motorists who do not observe speed limits.
 

Residents are again asked to be alert and report any suspicious activity to the Police; such as, trucks parked in front of houses or unfamiliar automobiles parked for extended periods of time; in addition to any suspicious individuals in the area.
 

The last copies of the book entitled, "Maryland's 157", about the incorporated Cities and Town in the State of Maryland are being distributed to the remaining private and public schools, as this edition of the Chronicle is being circulated. The Maryland Municipal League (MML), the official organization of Maryland's 157 incorporated cities and towns has produced this book for distribution to all of the public and private schools in the state.
 

The publication of this book is intended to "help make Maryland citizens aware of the uniqueness of municipal government in this state, to provide an understanding of the nature of municipal government, and to promote a willingness among citizens to become involved in the level of government closest to them."
 

In its effort to achieve this goal, the MML is providing a complimentary copy of the book to every public and private school library and county library in the state; in hopes that Maryland 's 157 will have a prominent place in each library's local history collection.
 

The Town of Landover Hills of course is also included in this book. The Mayor of the Town of Landover Hills, with the help of many other persons, whose efforts are greatly appreciated, had the responsibility of coordinating the distribution of the book throughout Prince George's County. A copy of the book is available at Town Hall for Resident's review. Anyone interested in purchasing a copy may do so by contacting Landover Hills Town Hall.
 

On April 28, 2001, the MML Communications Committee is sponsoring a "Night at the Ball Park", at the Bowie Baysox Stadium. An invitation has been extended to the Town of Landover Hills to participate in this activity. All municipalities will be recognized on this occasion. There will be special activities for children. The time of this activity will be 7:00 p.m. For further information contact Landover Hills Town Hall.
 

The upcoming Town Meeting will be held on April 16, 2001; at 7:30 p.m. Come out and get involved in your Town government.
 

If you have a disability and require any aid, services or removal of barriers in order to fully participate in a Town of Landover Hills meeting or event please call Town Hall @ 301-773-6401.

Landover Hills Annual Easter Egg Hunt- will be held on Saturday, April 14, 2001 at 11 a.m.

Prizes for gold and silver egg. All ages welcome. Rain or shine (hunt is outdoors so dress appropriately). Raffle. Landover Hills Town Hall 6904 Taylor Street
 

University Park Annual Town Wide Yard Sale is Saturday April 21 from 9am to 2 pm. Over 50 homes! Pick up your map highlighting the participating homes on the morning of the event at the corner of Adelphi Rd and Wells Parkway, as well as University Park Town Hall- 6724 Baltimore Ave.
 

Maryland Day 2001- April 28; A grand celebration on the campus of the University of Maryland. University-wide open house. Includes children's programs, student performances and more. Over 200 events to be held. University of Maryland, College Park. 10-4. Free. 1-877-UMTERPS
 

Old Bowie Antique & Craft Spring Fling- April 29. Over 100 antique, collectible and craft booths. Clowns and pony rides for kids. Route 564 & Chestnut Ave. Bowie. Sunday 10-5
 

31^st Annual Montpelier Spring Festival- May 6; Features music, dance, variety of food, over 100 artists/crafters, kids parade, pony rides, displays and demonstrations. Montpelier Mansion, Laurel. 12-6 pm. Free. 301-776-2805.

The next Town election will be held on Tuesday May 8, 2001. One Council seat from each Ward will be up for election. Councilmembers elected in 2001, shall serve a four year term which will end in 2005.
 

Anyone who is currently registered with the Board of Elections Supervisors of Prince George'sCounty and whose registration displays a Landover Hills address shall be eligible to vote in the Town election. Mail-in voter registration forms may be obtained at the Landover Hills Town Hall. Absentee ballots may be requested in writing. Absentee ballots must be received at the Landover Hills Town Hall; 6904 Taylor Street, Landover Hills, MD 20784, no later than Monday , May 7, 2001 at 4 p.m..
 

The March 23, 2001 deadline for filing a petition to be a candidate in the upcoming has passed. The following candidates submitted their petition prior to the deadline and will be listed on the ballots.
 

The Town Office has received recent calls from residents concerning rat sightings. In order to control or prevent any type of rodent problem you must do the following. It has to be a group effort, if only one or two residents check their yards and clean up it won't do any good!
 

First, determine if you have a rat problem: Check under slabs or ground cover, around woodpiles, under junked cars, along walls of houses and buildings and under porches.
 

What the signs are: Rat burrows in ground, rat runs (dark looking trails in the grass), rat droppings, gnawing marks on doors, containers, pipes, etc.
 

5 steps to get rid of rats:

1. Find the rat food. Such as pet food left outside or bird feed on the ground, animal feces on the ground, garbage or trash on the ground, open garbage cans, fallen fruit, vegetables or compost piles with garbage, bags of seed or pet food in garages or sheds.
 

2. Get rid of rat food: take pet food into the house after feeding, keep bird food off of the ground, put animal feces and trash into metal garbage cans with tight fitting lids, rake up fruit and vegetables on ground, do not put food into compost piles, put dog food and bird seed into covered metal containers.
 

3. Bait the rats: buy boxes of standard rat bait, use bait according to instructions, do not place bait where children or pets can get to it.

4.Check for live rats: after baiting for ten days test for live rats, kick dirt in burrows and check for reopened holes, stay away from live rats
 

5. Get Rid of Rat Shelter: remove junked furniture and appliances in your yard, remove junked cars from your yard, mow tall weeds and grass, stack lumber or wood at least 18" above the ground, fill in rat burrows with dirt and put lime around the area.
 

We have information flyers at the Town Hall for anyone that is interested. Please call 301-773-6401.

• Cars must be parked with passenger side tires against the curb. The only exception to this is on one- way streets where cars must be parked in the direction on travel.

 
• All cars parked within the Town limits need to have current tags. This includes cars parked in driveways.

 
• All cars must be parked on an improved surface. Driveways must be constructed of asphalt, concrete or gravel. There is NO PARKING ON THE GRASS. (No one will be ticketed on the roads scheduled for re-surfacing if "No Parking" signs are posted).

• Cars in violation of any of the above Town ordinances can be given citations which carry fines of $50.00.

 

 

---

Many of the houses in Town have either no house numbers or house numbers that are difficult to read from the street. This makes it difficult for emergency personnel to respond quickly during an emergency. Please make an effort to make sure your house numbers can be seem from the street even at night. Who knows you might even get your pizza delivered quicker!

While patrolling the Town, I have noticed many residents start their car in the morning to warm it up before they go to work or to school, often leaving the car unlocked. You may think this is a good idea but it is illegal and it makes it very easy for a car thief to drive your car away. Please make your car tough to steal. A vehicle is stolen every 20 seconds in the United States.
 

The Landover Hills Police Department is a participant in the "Watch Your Car" program. The "Watch Your Car" program is administered by the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council and it follows the guidelines of the National "Watch Your Car" program.
 

"Watch Your Car" is a voluntary vehicle registration designed to deter auto theft and assist in the apprehension of auto thieves. Vehicle owners sign an agreement stating their vehicle is not normally used between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. If a police officer observes the vehicle being driven anywhere in the United States during these hours, they may stop the vehicle and verify it is being operated by the vehicle owner, or a person designated by the owner.
 

The registration process consists of the completion of a registration/waiver form and taking it to local participating police department such as the Landover Hills Police Department. A police officer will then affix "Watch Your Car" decals in the proper place on the vehicle's windshield and rear window. The decals serve to notify police officers across the nation that the vehicle is registered with the "Watch Your Car" program. Information from the registration form will be entered into a centralized database accessible by law enforcement officers on a 24 hour basis.
 

If you would like to participate in this program you must present your vehicle, photo identification (driver's license, ID card, etc.) And Maryland current vehicle registration or copy of the vehicle title. The vehicle owner verifies the completed information and signs the registration/waiver form. The registering police agency/officer must then physically inspect the vehicle to verify the accuracy of the information on the registration/waiver form. Upon registration the decals will be properly placed on the vehicle. We encourage you to contact the Landover Hills Police Department at 301-773-6400 to arrange for registration of your vehicle.
 

Just a reminder, if you are in need of police service and it is an emergency, please call 911. Your call will be given by radio to a Landover Hills Police Officer. If a Landover Hills Officer is not available, a Prince George's County Officer will be dispatched to your location. If you need an officer for a non-emergency call, please call 301-333-4000. This number is the switchboard for the Prince George's County Police Department. Tell them you need a Landover Hills Officer to come to your location and what the nature of the call is. Again, if one of our officers is not available, a Prince George's County Police Officer will be sent to your location.
 

We want to thank the many residents that assist the police department by watching the neighborhood and providing information to the police. Together we will be able to keep Landover Hills a nice, safe place to live.