The signs of fall continue to appear as the leaves descend from the trees, and we move closer to the winter season.

We are also moving closer to an important day in our history, Tuesday, November 5, 2002, the day of our general election. It is very important that everyone fulfill their civic responsibility by voting on Tuesday, November 5, 2002, for the candidate of their choice.

There are many persons who chose not to participate in the Primary Election, where one can choose the candidates who will represent them. The choices have now been made for those persons who chose not to participate in the Primary Election. Therefore it is important for everyone to participate in the election on Tuesday, November 5, 2002. Come out and vote.

Many new residents have moved into the Town of Landover Hills, therefore, it is again necessary to inform new residents about the portion of our system of government, as also pointed out in
the Resident Handbook.

There are three wards in the Town of Landover Hills, each ward has two council members, their names and telephone numbers are listed on the first page of this newsletter. These are your elected representatives, any problems or concerns that you have should first be brought to the attention of your council members. If the council member can't be reached and you have an urgent matter, contact the Town Manager and later contact your elected ward representatives.

The map in this edition shows the wards and the names of the council members in each ward. If there are any questions call Town Hall at 301-773-6401.

The next Town Meeting will be on Monday, October 21, 2002. Your participation is invited.
 

Redistricting or "reapportionment" is the redrawing of the boundaries of an elective political district. The overriding legal principle that triggers the necessity for reapportionment is referred to as "one person, one vote". The principle dictates that in order for every citizen to enjoy his or her Equal Protection rights under the 14^th Amendment, every citizen's vote should be of generally equal mathematical weight. In other words, the voting strength of citizens living in one district should not be greater than the voting strength of citizens living in another simply because there are a great deal less people in one district enjoying the same amount of representation as compared to another more populated district.
 

Every 10 years, based on the newest census numbers, jurisdictions large and smallexamine their population distributions and redraw the districts if necessary. Recently this happened in Prince George's County with the creation of a new district, District 47.
 

The Town of Landover Hills has also had to re-examine the populations of its three wards based on the Census 2000 figures. This re-examination has shown that the Town's wards are no longer equal in population (+/- 5%) and will need to be adjusted to meet the "one person, one vote" requirement. A public hearing outlining the proposedchanges in Ward boundaries will be held at the next Town Meeting on October 21, 2002 at 7:30 p.m.

College Park Aviation Museum Tours, Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit the museum and view the memorabilia related to significant achievements in aviation since the time of the Wright Brothers. Group tours by appointment. College Park Aviation Museum, 1985 Cpl. Frank Scott Drive, College Park. Fee: $4/adults, $3/seniors & groups, $2 students and children Information: 301-864-6029
 

Bladensburg Waterfront Park Activities The park, fishing pier, and boat ramp are open daily from sunrise to sunset. Up a Lazy River (Saturdays & Sundays, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.). Rent a canoe, kayak, rowboat and paddle the Anacostia River. Season ends October 31. Call for fees. Bag Lunch Boat Rides (Tuesdays & Thursdays, 12 noon- 12:45 pm), a free pontoon boat ride up the Anacostia River during your lunch hour. First come, first served, weather permitting. Children 16 & under must be accompnaied by an adult. Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg. Information 301-779-0371

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Aileen O'Reilly, age 101, who passed away on October 3, 2002. Mrs. O'Reilly was the wife of the late George O'Reilly, mother of Kathleen Mitchell, Thomas O'Reilly, George O'Reilly and Bernadette McAuliffe.

Mother-in-law of Jack Mitchell. She also survived by nine grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.
 

Congratulations to Councilmember William Kley and his wife Trudie on the birth of their first grandchild, Abigail Leigh. Abigail was born on September 16, 2002 and weighed in at 8.8 lbs and 20.5 inches long. We wish the new grandparents, parents and baby all the happiness that life has to offer.

Recycling was initiated years ago to save our natural resources and conserve landfills. The more residents recycle, the less household waste has to be taken to local landfills.

Effective use of recycling lowers the annual tipping fees the Town must pay. Landover Hills residents are not fully utilizing recycling and the amount of household waste collected is on the rise.

Each year on your property tax bill, Prince George's County assesses a recycling fee for each household to cover disposal costs for recycling. It is imperative that residents use the service they are paying for. Failure to recycle means that residents are paying twice to dispose of recyclable items.

If you recycle encourage your neighbors to recycle. If you have not been recycling, start today. Recycling bins can be obtained by calling 301-952-7630.
 

CANS (aluminum, steel and bi-metal)

• Rinse all beverage and food cans before placing in your recycling bin
• Remove all lids from food containers

 

• Only glass food and beverage containers are accepted.
• Remove caps and rinse

 

• Newspapers along with magazines, small catalogs, telephone books and glossy inserts
• Newspapers must be placed in paper bags or tied securely and placed next to or on top of your recycling bin.

• Only milk and water jugs, beverage containers, detergent bottles and bleach bottles are acceptable.

On Sunday, October 27, 2002, clocks will move back one hour to end Daylight Savings Time. This is the time of year when Prince George's Fire Chief Ronald Blackwell reminds citizens to change the battery in their smoke alarm. "A working smoke alarm doubles your chances of surviving a residential fire by providing your family with the critical early warning to danger. This early warning can mean the difference between escaping to safety and tragedy".
 

Any citizen who needs a smoke alarm may contact the Fire/EMS Department's Operation Safe Families program at 301-864-SAFE. A smoke alarm will be installed in their home, free of charge. Residents living outside of Prince George's County may call to receive a phone number for the fire department in their area that has a similar program.

Have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home, especially outside of any sleeping area.
 

Check your smoke alarm once a month by pushing the test button on the front of your smoke alarm. An alarm should sound. If no alarm sounds, check your battery or call 301-864-SAFE for a replacement alarm, free of charge.
 

Change the battery in your alarm twice a year. When you change your clock, change the battery in your smoke alarm.
 

If your smoke alarm is more than 10 years old, replace it with a new one.
 

Make sure your family has an escape plan in the event of fire. That plan should be practiced monthly, perhaps at the same time that your smoke alarm is tested.
 

Every family member should know two ways out of each room.
 

Designate a meeting place outside your home where all family members know to meet.
 

Once you are out of the house, stay out.
 

Call 911 for help from a safe location.

Town Hall will be closed on Monday, November 11, 2002 in observance of Veteran's Day. There will be NO YARD WASTE PICK-UP.