Week In Review

This week ended with tragedy as NBC Washington reported that police have identified a shooting victim as 17-year-old Erlin Alexis Romero-Ramirez, saying that he was shot about 8 p.m. Thursday in a park on Nicholson Street.

NBC also reported that police said they are looking into the possibility that it was a gang-related killing.

Cpl. Mike Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Police Department -- who is investigating the homicide aspect of the incident – said Friday that no further information is available regarding where he was from.

Police agencies shuttled inquiries back and forth, with county police claiming rights to the investigation of the homicide, but shoveling press inquiries to both U.S. and county parks police.

Inquiries made to both agencies were referred back to county police.

In other Patch news this week, on Sept. 13 the Hyattsville City Council approved – with slight changes – a revised detailed site plan for the Landy development.

Council members Ruth Ann Frazier (Ward 5), Paula Perry (Ward 4) and Timothy Hunt (Ward 3) voted against the plan. Mayor William Gardiner voted in favor of the plan, casting the deciding vote.

Phase one is proposed to have 406 apartments in a building facing Belcrest Road. The total project would have more than one thousand apartments.

Sept. 14 brought out voters to the polls for the primary elections of several races, including the Prince George's County Council and executive spots.

Locally, Will Campos (D-Dist. 2) won another term and Rushern Baker III took the county executive slot.

Voter discontent over the economy and other national policy issues would have hypothetically brought many dissatisfied voters to the polls, according to some pundits, as well as boost Republican poll numbers. But neither seems to have taken place in Prince George's County, according to Neal Conway, a volunteer with the Rushern Baker campaign.

Writer Jessica Wilson told us about her baby's almost crawling debut.

"It all started about two weeks ago when I could here her babbling and kicking her feet against her mattress through the monitor, at 4 a.m. The sound of her kicking feet was so loud that it even woke my husband (the man who miraculously NEVER hears her chatting or cries through the monitor, which I have purposely set on loud)."

We also learned about Hyattsville Middle School's PTA's plans for the year. Susie Long, the new principal at the school for creative and performing arts (CPA), stood up about halfway through the meeting. She addressed parent concerns about issues including dress code, student access to lockers and the number of extracurricular activities –including sports and performing arts rehearsals – that students are allowed to participate in.