Landover Hills Chronicle
Landover Hills Newsletter	September 2001

As a result of concerns regarding the safety of pedestrians; in addition to the appearance and other conditions along Annapolis Road (Route 450),, which is a state road, particularly the portion nearest the Town of Landover Hills; a special meeting was held at Town Hall on Thursday, August 23, 2001. Present at this meeting was the District Engineer Mr. Charlie Watkins and other officials from the State Highway Administration, in addition to the Mayor of the Town of Landover Hills, the Town Manager and Police Chief. There was a lively discussion concerning the need for better lighting along Route 450, particularly at the intersection of 72^nd Avenue and Route 450, where there have been a number of accidents. Other matters discussed included the need to enhance the entire Route 450 corridor; similar to what has been done on Landover Road and what is currently being done along Kenilworth Avenue. Although, the intersection of Route 450 and Route 410 is not within the boundaries of the Town of Landover Hills, but impacts upon Landover Hills' residents as well as everyone else who must pass that intersection; the matters of traffic signals for West bound motorists at that intersection was again discussed; which included the need to move the traffic light and signs approximately twelve to fifteen inches to the left, so that the motorists turning left and those continuing Westbound would not be confused. We were informed that this matter would be looked into, and that other concerns would be addressed; additionally, it was stated that the Town of Landover Hills and other areas along the Route 450 corridor are included in a plan to upgrade Route 450, similar to the work that has been done on Landover Road and the work that is currently being done on Kenilworth Avenue. It was further stated that construction should be completed within the next two years.
 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Town of Landover Hills residents who have made positive comments about the two bus shelters that were installed, approximately two years ago along the eastbound side of Route 450. These residents have expressed how pleased they are to have a bus shelter to sit down in; particularly on days of inclement weather.
 

After the bus shelters were installed, a few residents expressed concern about the shelters being too close to the curbside and sometimes interfering with the range of vision when a left turn onto Route 450 is made. As a result of this concern, the company that installed the shelters were asked to move the shelters back, The shelters were moved back approximately three feet. After the shelters were moved, the Mayor measured the distance from the curbside to the shelters on the eastbound side of Route 459, in addition to the shelters on the westbound side of Route 450, which were installed approximately twenty years ago and found that all of the shelters were about equal distance from the curbside. As a final point, it is suggested that extra care be used when making a left turn onto Route 450.
 

Congratulations to this year's Town of Landover Hills Mayor's Scholarship recipients, Wayne Churaman and Sean Jefferson. Keep up the good work!
 

Also a special word of thanks to the Landover Hills Mayor's Scholarship committee members who review applications and select scholarship recipients. Councilmembers Terry A.B. Wilson, Michael Thompson and Ms. Juanita Hood, Administrative Assistant.
 

The upcoming Town Meeting will be held on Monday, September 17, 2001. The active participation of residents as always is welcome.

Mayor Lee P. Walker

If you received a notice to paint your house or remove a dead tree from your property, please make sure you check your compliance date. Some of the notices have about thirty days left to complete either painting or removing a dead tree. If you go past the due date and you have not requested an extension you will be issued a municipal infraction. A municipal infraction will cost you additional money.
 

If you did not receive a letter about painting or a dead tree, but you notice that this needs to be done on your property, we are still issuing violation notices. So please, beat us to it. Correct the problem before it is pointed out to you. Fall is a good time of year to get things done before winter sets in and damage from fallen trees or untreated surfaces occurs.

The 24^th Annual University Park Children's Co-op Sale will offer gently used Fall/Winter clothing, outerwear, toys, books, furniture and equipment for babies, children and teens on Saturday, October 14, from 10 am to 1 pm at Riverdale Presbyterian Church, 6513 Queens Chapel Road, University Park, MD. High quality items at great prices! (No checks please).
 

Upper Marlboro Antiques Show, Sept. 21-23, Marlboro Tobacco Market, 15251 Route 725, Old Marlboro Pike, from 10 am to 6 pm. Browse authentic antiques and collectibles from 106 dealers, with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, plus food and free parking. For more information, call 301-888-9123.
 

Port Towns Day, Sept. 22, 4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg, held at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park, from 11 am to 5 pm. The event features food, music, games, rides and boat rides. Call 301-927-7048.
 

Kinderfest, Sept. 30. Will be held from noon to 5 pm at Watkins Regional Park, 301 Watkins park Drive, Upper Marlboro. Enjoy live entertainment, hayrides and games. For more information, call 301-218-6700.

Our sympathies are extended to the family and friends of Sharon Unger, of Varnum Street, who unexpectedly passed away Friday, August 31, 2001. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband Gary and their children. Sharon touched the hearts of many and will be missed by all.

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.

By the time you read this article, school will have been open for at least a week. It is starting to get cooler and soon the clocks will be turned back. And to add to this, there will be more children walking to schools that used to ride the busses. For you parents, if you have a child walking to school for the first time, I would suggest that you walk them to school several days to see the route they will be taking and also so that you can give them some pointers. You can make sure that the route they will be taking is one that you approve of and if for some unknown reason they are late, you will know what route to check for them.
 

Make sure that your children have some reflective striping on their book bags if they are going to cross any streets to aid in visibility to motorists and others. When they cross any streets, use any existing crosswalks. If it happens to be dark when they walk to school, a flashlight would be helpful and try to walk with other children. If you are a child that is waiting at an existing bus stop, please try to stand on any sidewalks if available. If your bus stop has a patrol assigned to your bus stop, please listen to them as they are there to assist in your safety. As a reminder to motorists, please watch out for children as they again begin crossing streets and gathering at school bus stops. Motorists should also be aware of school busses and to watch for the yellow flashing lights which indicate that the busses are going to stop as soon as the lights change to red. Also be mindful of the speed limits in school zones as most are posted at 15 miles per hour.
 

To our neighborhood children:

I hope your summer was as pleasant as you had planned and you are now "LOOKING FORWARD" to another school year. As a suggestion, if your last year in school wasn't as successful as you wanted it to be, now is the time to plan on what you should do differently to make it a more productive year.

REMEMBER... YOU ARE PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND YOUR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL. Your Parents and Teachers are there to instruct and guide you along the way, but it is up to you to take advantage of the opportunity that is available to you. Don't look to others that would lead you away from your goals and don't place the blame for failing on others. Count on yourself and those that really care about you and want to see you succeed. Sometimes it may not seem easy and you may have to really work hard to achieve your goals. Rewards do come with hard work; so work hard and you can be the best at whatever you really want to be.