A special word of thanks also to Chief Henry Norris, Sergeant Earl Ercoline and Officer Edward Fraser of the Landover Hills Police Department, Councilmember William Kley and Michael Thompson. Councilmember Kley was an all around helper, and Councilmember Michael Thompson and Public Works staff member Mr. James Ford, prepared and served all of the food and beverages. Vice Mayor Jeannette Ripley, Councilmembers Terry Wilson, Roderick Kennedy and Richard Shipp also came out and participated in the activities. Also, Kathy Tavel, Town Manager, Juanita Hood, Administrative Assistant and Police Chief Henry Norris who participated in preparing the "National Night Out" program . Mr. Robert Frazier who did a fine job as disc jockey, Mr. Leo Benjamin who assisted with set up and take down and Shirley Weatherspoon, receptionist, who staffed the Voter Registration table. A word of thanks to everyone who came out and anyone else who played a part in the success of the occasion.
 

On Wednesday, August 7, 2002, there was a Prince George's County Executive Candidates Forum at St. Mary's Church; a candidate forum was under consideration for the Town of Landover Hills, however, since the St. Mary's forum was close by, we participated in the St. Mary's Church forum. All of the candidates for Prince George's County Executive were in attendance except one, Mr. J. Mitchell Brown.
 

The forum was sponsored by the Archdiocese of Washington, Legislative Network. There was a good turnout and overall the forum was successful.
 

A Town resident, Mrs. Gloria DeFreece and Ms. Gwendolyn Britt, a candidate for the State Senate in the 47^th District and a member of the "Home Town Team", are planning a "Meet the Candidates" activity for all of the candidates who are aspiring for office. A date has not yet been determined, however, there will be flyers and other forms of communications announcing the event. Remember, that election Primary Day is on Tuesday, September 10, 2002.
 

Several young people are still being seen around Town riding bicycles and mopeds without wearing a helmet. Parents please insure that your child wears a helmet when riding a bicycle or moped, as a safety measure.
 

The traffic calming humps that were recently installed are doing a good job in helping to slow down motorists who do not observe Town speed limits. Motorists are reminded to drive carefully and obey traffic signs even where traffic calming devices are not present.
 

The upcoming Town Meeting will be held on Monday, August 19, 2002. At this meeting there will be a demonstration of the new voting machine. Everyone is invited to come out and learn how to use this machine before Election Day arrives. The meeting time is 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
 

• Demonstration of the new voting machines by a representative of the Board of Elections.



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The Asian Tiger Mosquito is a very aggressive day-biting mosquito which has become a serious pest in Landover Hills. Keeping this mosquito controlled in Landover Hills will take an organized community clean-up effort. Please check your yard for water holding containers such as:

• tires
• kiddie pools not in use
• buckets, barrels or cans
• wheelbarrows, canoes or boats
• tarps where water can puddle
• flower pots or saucers under pots

The Asian Tiger Mosquitos that are plaguing this area can carry West Nile Virus. It is up to everyone to eliminate all water sources to prevent breeding.
 

One sign that West Nile Virus may be in an area is the discovery of dead birds, especially crows and starlings. If you should find a dead bird that has no visible signs of injury, please call 1-866-866-2769. This a hotline number set up by the State of Maryland. They will direct you on what to do with the bird.

I want to address in this month's newsletter a topic that is very important to everyone in our community, "Watching Out For Your Neighbor". Recently, there has been several cases of vandalism to auto, a vehicle theft, an attempted vehicle theft and a break-in. When a member of our department spoke to the victim(s) they mentioned, as an unrelated matter, that they have noticed juveniles or young adults congregating in the street late at night but they did not report it to the police department.
 

I must stress to each of you that we depend on everyone in this community to be our eyes and ears and to report any suspicious activities. If these incidents are reported while they are going on, we can check on the individuals and find out who they are and why they are there. This will show these individuals that if you hang around Landover Hills it will be reported to the police.
 

So, I ask you again as a community, please report loitering and suspicious activity by calling 301-333-4000 and tell the Prince George's County Communications that there is a group gathering in the street and you would like an officer to check them out.
 

On this same topic, I would like to address the parents in Landover Hills. We have had several incidents of small children walking in the roadway unattended, children and teenagers yelling at motorists, using foul language, walking in the roadway blocking traffic, congregating on street corners, painting traffic signs and sidewalks and vandalizing road work sites. The deterrent for this type of behavior starts at home. Talk with your children and young adults. Find out where they are going, what they are doing and who they will be with. Your children depend on you to guide them on the path of life. If they are left to do this without any guidance, someone who does not have their best interest at heart will show them the wrong way to go. It is better for them to hear it from you than from the police department.
 

Landover Hills is a very nice community but we do have sporadic incidents of crime. If you will work with the police department by calling 301-333-4000 or 911, depending on the type of incident, we can keep Landover Hills a safe place to live.
 

There seems to be some confusion about how to reach an officer when you need one. If you have an emergency dial 911. If you have an incident such as a need for a report, or you need to speak with an officer, dial 301-333-4000. This is the phone number for Prince George's County Police Communications. Our officers are dispatched by PG County Police Radio. By using 301-333-4000 you will always get an officer to respond. If our officer is busy on another call, they will send a Prince George's County Officer.
 

If you want to contact the department for administrative purposes or to leave a message, call 301-773-6400. If you are trying to pay a citation, get a copy of a report, register a bicycle, make an appointment for fingerprints, get a vehicle release, etc. call during business hours 9:00 am until 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. During these hours there is usually someone in the office to answer the phone and assist you. Before and after these hours the officer is on the street and may not get your call until much later.