I shall begin by congratulating those residents who came out on May 13, 2003, and fulfilled their civic responsibility by voting for the candidates of their choice. I also thank all the residents who supported me during the last election. I think that we have a good Town Council, who has rolled up their sleeves and begun anew, working to make life better for the residents of the Town of Landover Hills.
 

All residents are encouraged to drive carefully, particularly at this time, because school will soon be recessing for the summer.
 

Many residents are aware of the recent occurrences in and around the Stardust Inn, located just outside of the corporate boundaries of the Town of Landover Hills. On May 14, 2003, there was a show cause hearing at the County Services Building, located on Rhode Island Avenue in Hyattsville, Maryland regarding the recent shootings at the Stardust Inn. I had an opportunity to testify, along with other elected officials, in a court room filled with persons concerned about the happenings at the Stardust Inn. The hearing lasted until just past 1:00 a.m. The final outcome was a $5000 fine against the Stardust Inn and a ten day suspension of their liquor license. I thank all of the residents and concerned persons of Landover Hills who came out to the hearing including Senator Gwendolyn Britt; and urge your continued support of this issue. A clear message should be sent to the owners of the Stardust Inn and Liquor Board that we are not pleased with the recent occurrences at the Stardust Inn. Other persons who were not present at the May 14, 2003 hearing are invited to join in.
 

The next Town Meeting will be held on June 16, 2003, at 7:30 p.m. During this meeting there will be an awards ceremony for persons who have made contributions to the Town of Landover Hills. Delegate Victor Ramirez will also be present to give an update on Legislative issues which came out of the recent session. There will both interesting and informative activities at the upcoming Town Meeting on June 16, 2003, therefore, you will not want to miss this interesting Town Meeting. We look forward to your participation.
 

Mayor Lee P. Walker

Delegate Victor Ramirez will be attending the Town Meeting to give an update on Legislative issues which came out of the recent session in Annapolis.

Landover Hills Baptist Church's 3^rd Annual Community Day, Saturday, June 21^st 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Join us at the corner of 73^rd Avenue and Buchanan Street. Fun for the whole family! Free Games, Prizes, Face Painting, Balloon Art. Free Refreshments: Hot Dogs, Chips & Soda. Information booths- Health, Fire Department , Police and more! Help those in need!! Bring a non-perishable food donation and learn how its distributed. For more information, call 301-577-6700.
 

Mother's Morning Out at Christ Methodist Church (69^th Ave & Annapolis Road) is having a Summer Fun Program in July (9am- 1pm) for children 2-6 years old. Bring Lunch. For information call Mrs. Tamai @ 301-773-1995. Travel USA with games, stories, craft and song.
 

Anacostia River Boat Tours, pontoon boat rides down the river and back. Every Tues., Thurs., and Sat., 12- 12:45.; ALSO Sundays, 7-7:45 pm. FREE; No advance reservations; sign up when you arrive at the park.
 

Arts at the Waterfront, Bladensburg Waterfront Park, each Sunday evening in June from 7-8 pm, free outdoor performances in the pavilion.

June 22- The Crawdaddies, Zydeco music- come prepared to clap, stomp and dance the night away.

June 29- Carousel Puppets in Yankee Doodle Revue, a musical celebration of American history.

The mother of Mrs. Roderick E. Kennedy, wife of Ward II Councilman Kennedy, died on Saturday, May 24, 2003, in Passau, Germany, at the age of 94. Mrs. Lucie Hermann was the widow of travel author, novelist, and lecturer Franz Josef Hermann. Her son, Mr. Klaus Hermann, Mrs. Kennedy's brother, recently retired as editor of the Passauer Neue Presse, the major newspaper in the German province of Lower Bavaria. Mrs. Hermann is also survived by her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Waltraud Hermann, her granddaughter, Mrs. Barbara Schicketanz, grandsons Thomas Hermann, first chair flutist of the Passau Opera Orchestra, Patrick Kennedy of Greenville, South Carolina, Thomas Kennedy of Reston, Virginia, and Michael Kennedy, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Salt Lake City, Utah, and four great-grandchildren.
 

Congratulations to all of the Town's graduates. We wish you great success in all of your future endeavors!

This mosquito lays its eggs in containers or holes in trees. It is closely tied to human habitation and any container in your yard which will hold even a small amount of water for a week or more can breed the tiger mosquito.

Keeping this mosquito controlled in Landover Hills will take an organized 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 State's mosquito control program cannot adequately control this species due to its habits. It breeds in containers in peoples' yards which cannot be treated and nighttime spray operations are not very effective for the tiger mosquito because it rests in sheltered areas which the spray will not reach.

We've had a very wet Winter and Spring and are bound to have a large mosquito population this summer. Everyone needs to make an effort to keep their yards are water free as possible, so that everyone can enjoy their backyards throughout the summer season.
 

I would like to bring a couple of matters to your attention that are a continuous problem within the Town. The first problem is residents who store unregistered, inoperable vehicles or vehicles that have out of state tags on their property. The second is residents who are parking vehicles on the street with suspended or expired registration or the vehicle has no tags at all.
 

Vehicles that are stored on residential property and they are either unregistered, inoperable or they have out of state tags are in violation of Town and County Ordinances. We have been issuing numerous code notices to residents that have these vehicles on their property. Some residents have either tagged or removed the vehicles while others have not. The residents that still have vehicles that are in violation are receiving municipal infractions. This means that they now owe a $50.00 fine and are subject to appear in court.
 

Since this is an ongoing problem, the Mayor and Town Council have decided to increase the fine to $100.00 for storage of either an unregistered, inoperable or vehicle with out of state tags on residential property. Therefore, if you have one of these vehicles, you need to bring it into compliance with the Town Ordinances by either tagging it with current Maryland tags or removing it from the property.
 

Now, the other matter of residents who are parking vehicles on the street and the tags are either suspended, expired or they have no tags at all. These vehicles are considered abandoned vehicles. Currently, they can be issued a parking citation for $100.00 and they are impounded. This will change very soon. They Mayor and Council have increased the fine for parking an abandoned vehicle on public property to $200.00 and in addition the vehicle will be impounded.
 

I would also like to remind all residents to park with their passenger side (right side) against the curb when they park on a two-way street. You cannot park with your driver's side (left wheels) against the curb. If you do, you will receive a $50.00 parking citation.
 

On a lighter note, it's warmer weather and all of us like to move our activities outdoors. Enjoy the warm weather but please remember your neighbors when you do. Keep the noise level down. Your neighbors may not enjoy the same music that you do or they may have a small child or a sick relative. Please be thoughtful when you are having a party or barbecue.
 

Parents, remember that if your child is under the age of sixteen they must wear a bicycle helmet. The Landover Hills Police Department will be hosting a bicycle rodeo during the month of July.

We will have additional details in the July newsletter. We would also like to remind motorists to be mindful of the children who are in the streets on bicycles, skateboards, etc.
 

Rental Inspections have been moved to July and August. If you have already called to schedule an appointment, thank you. If you haven't please call us at 301-773-6400.