11-2023 The Laurel Independent

INSIDE Holiday house tour returns, P.9 Building relationships with youth, P.10 Give the gift of giving this holiday season, P.11

VOL. 2 NO. 11

NOVEMBER 2023

LAUREL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Sydnor elected mayor; council adds 3 members

By MELANIE DZWONCHYK AND JOE MURCHISON City councilmember Keith Sydnor was elected Laurel’s mayor on Nov. 7, coming out on top in a field of five candidates.

In the city council races, Carl DeWalt and James Kole were reelected in Ward 1, and Kyla Clark and Jeffrey Sydnor Mills won the two seats in Ward 2.

Christine Johnson was the winner in the citywide race for at-large councilmember. DeWalt and Kole are incumbents and the other three winning candidates are first-time councilmembers.

A 20-year Laurel resident, Sydnor has represented Ward 2 on the council since 2017. He had careers in the U.S. Navy and Reserves, and in state and federal SEE ELECTION ON 6 

Guests explore the gym at the new Laurel Multiservice Center. AIESHA SOLOMON

Phase one of the Laurel Multiservice Center complete

By AIESHA SOLOMON A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in October for the completion of phase one of the Laurel Multiservice Center (LMC).

“This is a big project for the city. This entire project, when it’s said and done, will be close to $18 million,” said Mayor Craig Moe, at the event. “ It’s taken a community, and it’s taken the current council and other councils, to come together and really see how this is going to make a difference in people’s lives down the road.”

The center’s mission, according to the city website, is “to promote stabil-

ity and self-sufficiency amongst vulnerable populations through the provision of human services. Such efforts aim to promote hope for the future, equity of service, and strengthening of community throughout the Greater City of Laurel area.”

In 2020, the city purchased the former Laurel Sport Fit building at 204 Fort Meade Road for $2.4 million.

Phase one involved reconstruction of what had been a gymnasium and two multipurpose rooms.

“A gymnasium of course, it’s just that, it’s a gymnasium. It’s got six basketball goals [hoops] in it,” said Bill Bailey, director of the Laurel Department of

Moe looks back at 21 years as mayor

By MELANIE DZWONCHYK

Parks and Recreation. “We’re looking at using that space to rent it out. We get a lot of requests for people looking for gym times for their own teams or organizations and all.”

According to Bailey, the second phase of development will focus on creating the center’s other offerings: short-term housing units, a service kitchen, postal boxes, a barber shop and hair salon, a learning center, a food pantry and a clothing distribution center. Nonprofit organizations will partner with the city to provide the services, he said.

Shannon Mouton, executive direc-

After steering the city of Laurel through a landscape of cultural and societal change during the last 21 years, Mayor Craig A. Moe is stepping down with this month’s mayoral and city council elections. The new mayor, elected Nov. 7, will be sworn into office Nov. 27, together with the winning city council candidate.

Ignoring a former Laurel mayor’s advice to “get in, do the job and get out,” Moe accumulated more than three decades of public service, serving six terms on the city council and five consecutive terms as mayor.

Prior to Moe’s tenure in office, the longest serving Laurel mayor was Merrill Harrison, who served for a total of 14 years between 1948 and 1972.

With no immediate plans to take on another job or move from the city, Moe said, “I came in quietly, and I’m going out quietly.”

Moe points to his parents, Barbara and Robert

SEE CENTER ON 4 

SEE MOE ON 2 

INSIDE: THE NOVEMBER 2023 ISSUE OF THE LAUREL LEDGER HYATTSVILLE MD PERMIT NO. 1383

Reach every consumer in Laurel ... for less! Contact advertising@streetcarsuburbs.news or (301) 531-5234

The Laurel Independent PO Box 132 Hyattsville, MD 20781

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Page 2

The Laurel Independent | November 2023

MOE FROM PAGE 1

Moe, as being the inspiration for his dedication to public service.

Both volunteered for 36 years at Laurel Regional Hospital, beginning when it opened in 1978 as Greater Laurel Beltsville Hospital.

“My parents told us, if we wanted to gripe about something, to get involved,” he said.

At 16, Moe joined the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD), where he has served as president and fire chief and is a life member.

Craig Frederick, a Laurel business owner, has been friends with Moe since the two were in 10th grade at Laurel High. He remembers his teenage friend being “quite a character” at school, but so serious about his fire department work that he practically lived at the fire station.

“He would do the fire runs at night and go to school during the day,” Frederick said. “He’s all about public service. He’s devoted himself to public service.”

Moe showed leadership potential early in his firefighting career, said LVFD President Vic Whipple, becoming an LVFD officer and eventually serving as president of the Prince George’s County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association.

“He listened to everyone’s perspective in the fire department,” Whipple said. “We knew he was going to do the right thing” when making a decision.

After serving on the city council, taking the seat as mayor in 2002 was initially “quite an experience,” Moe said. Working to support the city council’s decisions “was timeconsuming, difficult at times,” he said.

“It was hard to say no to so many people,” Moe added. “That’s what keeps you up at night.”

The city of Laurel experienced a surge of growth and change in the two decades of Moe’s tenure as mayor. According to U.S. Census data, the city’s population grew about 39%, from 21,169 in 2000 to 30,060 in 2020. Race percentages among residents reflect a change from a majority white population

in 2000 to majority Black in 2020, with 15% of the population now identifying as Hispanic/Latino.

Whipple said Moe was “that steady hand” who knew his decisions as mayor weren’t going to please everyone, adding that Moe “understood the balance of running a municipality,” working with the councilmembers and within the constraints of the city’s budget.

Moe lured former Deputy City Administrator Kristie Mills out of retirement to serve as his first city administrator. Mills, whose career with the city included working for seven mayors, said Moe was “one of the few that have come into office knowing what he wants Laurel to become. I enjoyed going to work every day I worked for him.”

She remembers Moe’s habit of taking walks through the city at night. When his staff urged him to be cautious, Mills said he told them, “I’m not going to be afraid to walk in my town at night.”

During Moe’s tenure, the city’s budget grew from $14 million in fiscal year 2003 to $41 million in fiscal 2024, and he’s quick to point out there was no increase to the property tax rate.

Managing the city’s money was always a challenge and will continue to be for the next administration, Moe said.

“Dealing with employee benefits, making sure city services are provided,” were constant tasks, he said.

Moe said he and his current staff have worked to put the city in a good position for the next administration by establishing reserve accounts for such areas as emergency services and parks and recreation.

As he completes his tenure as mayor, Moe said the city is “financially stable, looking good.”

In 2009, Moe was elected president of the Maryland Municipal League (MML), a nonpartisan association of cities in Maryland that advocates for elected officials and staff and provides training and education.

Scott Hancock, former executive director of MML, said Moe’s

Managing Editor Katie V. Jones

A community newspaper chronicling the people and events of Laurel, Maryland.

Mailing address: PO Box 132, Hyattsville, MD 20781 The Laurel Independent is published monthly by Streetcar Suburbs Publishing., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. Editors welcome reader input, tips, articles, letters, opinion pieces and photographs, which may be submitted using the mailing address above or the email addresses provided.

StreetcarSuburbs.News

Katie@streetcarsuburbs.news

Associate Editor Nancy Welch

Nancy@streetcarsuburbs.news

Writers & Contributors Melanie Dzwonchyk, Emily Jacob, Katie V. Jones, Michael McLaughlin, Joe Murchison, Aiesha Solomon, Robert Stewart Layout & Design Editors Ashley Perks, Valerie Morris Web Editor Jessica Burshtynskyy Advertising Sales Manager Amanda Berard advertising@streetcarsuburbs.news 240.408.0722

21-year tenure as mayor is somewhat unprecedented among the MML’s member municipalities.

“They don’t usually last that long,” Hancock said. “Most mayors move on, they run for office at the state and county [levels].”

Moe considered a county office just once. In 2018, he made a run for the Democratic nomination for the District 1 seat on the Prince George’s County Council, losing to current County Council Chair Tom Dernoga (District 1).

Hancock attributes Moe’s long tenure as Laurel mayor to one thing: “He believes in Laurel, he loves Laurel, it’s Laurel first and foremost. [Moe] knew that what he could give Laurel as mayor was head and shoulders above what he could do” in a county or state elected office, Hancock said.

“Laurel is going to miss him.”

In 2015, Moe led the city’s response when Dimensions Healthcare announced plans to downsize and close Laurel Regional Hospital, co-chairing the Laurel Strategic Planning Work Group.

Frederick Smalls, who was a city councilmember for 17 years during Moe’s mayoral tenure, was a member of the Dimensions board and chair of the hospital’s board at the time.

Smalls said Moe was “on the ground and never gave up in keeping the hospital open,” driving home the point that Laurel would be adversely impacted on a healthcare front if the hospital were to close.

Eventually, the hospital campus was redeveloped by University of Maryland Capital Region Health into UM Laurel Medical Center, shifting the medical facility’s focus from inpatient to outpatient care and services.

“Moe deserves a lot of credit in helping advance the rebirth of Laurel Regional Hospital,” Smalls said.

The 2017 death of Laurel Public Works employee Marcus Colbert, 30, is something that surrounds him every day, Moe said. According to police, Colbert was struck by a car as he was loading trash onto a city truck. Colbert’s death

Business Manager Catie Currie Executive Director Kit Slack Board of Directors

President: Stephanie Stullich Vice President & General Counsel: Michael Walls Treasurer: Joe Murchison Secretary: Melanie Dzwonchyk Bette Dickerson, Nora Eidelman, Joseph Gigliotti, Maxine Gross, Merrill Hartson, Marta McLellan Ross, T. Carter Ross Ex Officios: Katie V. Jones, Griffin Limerick, Kit Slack Circulation: Copies are distributed monthly by U.S. mail to every address in Laurel. Additional copies are distributed to popular gathering spots around town. Total circulation is 29,000.

The Laurel Independent is a member of the National Newspaper Association and the Institute for Nonprofit News.

WHAT IS LAUREL, MARYLAND? In 2003, Moe was featured in a $1,600 question on a double jeopardy round of the popular TV show Jeopardy.. Under the category Population Under 50,000, Jeopardy contestants faced this answer: “Mayor Craig Moe probably knows everyone in this tree-named Maryland town about 20 miles from Washington.” Turns out the answer, Laurel, was a triple-stumper, with none of the three contestants answering correctly.

Moe, in his first year as Laurel’s mayor, might not have been easily identified nationally as the top elected official of a city called Laurel. Today, as he prepares to step down after two decades as mayor and more than 30 years in Laurel’s city government, there’s a good chance a Jeopardy player would walk away with some cash. was the city’s first on-the-job fatality.

The Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Office declined to prosecute the alleged driver due to insufficient evidence. Moe said he was disappointed that no charges were filed in the incident.

“We lost a good young man in a freak accident,” Moe said tearfully.

“I think of Marcus every day. The city and public works live with it every day.”

Last month, the city dedicated an athletic field on Overlook Way in Marcus Colbert’s memory.

In 2019, Moe’s administration established a Homelessness and Community Services Task Force. A ribbon-cutting for

the first phase of the new Laurel Multiservice Center housed in a former athletic facility on Fort Meade Road, which the city purchased with state funds augmented by funding through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The center will provide a range of services recommended by the task force, including temporary transitional housing.

“I wanted to have it done, and have it done right,” Moe said of the center. “I’ll look back at this as one of the positive things I did for the community.” The center will offer “help and support, making a difference in the lives of residents,” he said.

SEE MOE ON 3 

EDITORIAL

Give today and support local paper

W

e here at The Laurel Independent are excited to have completed our first year of providing news and information to Laurel residents, businesses and civically engaged individuals — coverage of city elections, features about local civic organizations and businesses, and important issues like rising apartment rents. In this age of newspapers disappearing across the country, we find it all but miraculous that we have been able to counter that trend, to create a new newspaper and build social capital, all elements that knit together a caring and engaged community.

You can help ensure that we continue this mission. The Laurel Independent and its nonprofit parent, Streetcar Suburbs Publishing, are participating in NewsMatch, a fundraising initiative sponsored by the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN). The funding this initiative can provide is critical to our efforts.

Streetcar’s board has launched a strategic planning process, with an eye to growth and improvements. Some of the possibilities are adding Spanish-language content to our newspapers to serve our growing Spanish-speaking populations and increasing our coverage of government and

QR code

education developments. These improvements will require additional funding.

Now through Dec. 31, INN will match all donations to The Laurel Independent up to $13,000. Our goal for local donations this year is $15,000. You can make your donation online by using the QR code posted here or by sending a check to Streetcar Suburbs Publishing, P.O. Box 132, Hyattsville, Md. 20781.

We’re proud of passing our first anniversary and of winning two prizes in the National Newspaper Association’s editorial contest in our first year. And we’re grateful to you, our readers, and to our financial supporters. We look forward to serving you in 2024, and for many years to come!

Katie V. Jones

November 2023 | The Laurel Independent

Page 3

MOE FROM PAGE 2

Co Un nt der ra ct

F Sa or le

ld

Selling for More on the Route 1 Corridor!

So

While he’s sure the next city council and mayor will “do things differently,” Moe said he is convinced they will look out for city residents and do what’s best for the community, both goals he always strived to accomplish.

Moe retired in 2018 as deputy director, Operations Support, Maryland Transit Authority.

Whipple, of the LVFD, predicted that Moe’s leaving office is “going to be an adjustment” for the former mayor. After all those years providing leadership to the city, “you are used to being the man they look to,” he said.

Whipple said Moe’s career serving the city of Laurel “was really a good story for us who knew him all those years, to see him climb into those positions, always do the right thing. His commitment and dedication to the community is unmatched.

He’s handing a healthy, thriving city to the next mayor.”

Even with rising interest rates there are plenty of buyers looking for new homes. The problem is inventory. There just aren’t enough homes for sale in our area to satisfy buyer demand. Are you thinking about a change? Considering upgrades or renovations? Wondering what your home might be worth? I'm here to help - and my consultations are always free of charge.

Want to know more?

Call or email me. I love talking houses!

Don Bunuan

DON@GOBRENTREALTY.COM

C.301.213.6332 O.301.565.2523

Maryland's 21st District Delegation

Laurel’s State Legislators - Standing Up for Working Families!

Good Union Jobs with Great Health Insurance and Pension!

That’s what Maryland state government offers — and most of the jobs don’t require a college degree! We’re looking for hard-working people of any age who are motivated to help our Maryland neighbors.

Visit www.jobapscloud.com/MD or scan our QR code to search the available jobs. Feel free to email or call us to let us know of your interest. We’re happy to assist you.

— Jim, Joseline, Ben, and Mary

Let us know how we can help you!

21stDistrictDelegation@gmail.com | (240) 712-4646 | 21stdistrictdelegation.com |

Page 4

CENTER FROM PAGE 1

tor of Laurel Advocacy & Referral Services (LARS), underscored that the development process has been collaborative. “It [has] really been a true collaborative process that has shown the power of a community when we all work together. … so you’ve got us [LARS] do-

The Laurel Independent | November 2023

ing some things. You’ve got FISH doing some things. You’ve got the Winter Haven Shelter doing some things,” she said, adding, “So everyone’s working together, bringing their special gifts and talents to make this best for everybody, and so it’s been really a great collaborative process.”

The second phase is slated for completion in August

2024, according to Christina Cornwell, director and emergency manager of Laurel Department of Community Resources and Emergency Management.

“The programs and services will come in at phases, so we may not have everything open up at the same time,” Cornwell said. “We’re always continuing to evaluate what the commu-

nity need is to make sure that we’re bringing in the right program or service.”

The idea for the multiservice center started in 2019, with creation of the Laurel Homelessness and Community Services Task Force. According to Bailey, the task force brought people together to initially create a plan for a facility that would help the homeless.

City employees then visited shelters throughout the DMV, Bailey said, asking questions at every stop: “What did it incorporate? What did they use?

What kind of rooms? Did it have showers? Did it have bathrooms? Did it have laundry?

Did it have counseling?”

“Based on what we had found and saw, we came up [with] some ideas and then the engineers started putting to paper, and we all sat down and kind of chewed on it from there and came up with what we now have as a multiservice center,” he said.

At the ribbon cutting event, Councilmember Keith Sydnor (Ward 2) shared his experience with the Laurel Homlessness Task Force.

“This project started several years ago when I was on the

homeless task force committee and was talking about areas …

Collaborating with the regional county, like Howard County, Montgomery County, dealing with the homeless in our area,” he said. “We wanted to come up with a place that we can address the needs for all the counties.”

Deputy City Administrator Joanne Hall Barr believes that the center is going to be a success.

“Number one, there’s nothing like this anywhere in our area.

Not in our county. It’s such a different approach that we’re taking than some of the other places that we’ve seen,” Barr said. “I just don’t think there’s any way it can fail. What [does] success look like? It looks like helping one person. To me, that’s success. And I just believe, and I think everybody else agrees, that this is just going to be nothing but positive for our community.”

After the speeches and the ribbon cutting, attendees were allowed inside the center. Council President Brencis Smith (Ward 2), Councilmember Martin Mitchell (At-large) and Moe even played a little basketball on the new gym court.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

THANKFUL THANKFUL MAY YOUR HOME BE FILLED WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY, PEACE, AND THE SMELL OF FRESHLY BAKED PIES THIS THANKSGIVING. THANKFUL FOR HELPING HOMEOWNERS IN AND AROUND LAUREL WITH THEIR REAL ESTATE AND NOTARY NEEDS.

DENISE.REDMOND@LNF.COM C: 410-878-5597 O: 301-441-9511

November 2023 | The Laurel Independent

Page 5

Beauty and wonder in our backyards

By MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN I’ve always been a bug guy. For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with all things creepy and crawly. From the time when, as a little boy, I kept what I thought were baby seahorses in a jar of water, only to find a few days later, adult mosquitoes floating on the water’s surface. I was the kid who used a magnifying glass to count the 40 times that a honeybee’s venom sack beats (and can still sting) when the stinger leaves the bee; I was the kid whose very patient mother let him keep (at least temporarily) the birds, bugs, lizards and snakes he found. She even tolerated not one, but two, 4-foot black snakes that I brought home to our Steward Manor apartment — at least until one of them got out of the terrarium.

So decades later, a much older version of that kid learned that there was a simple way to help one of the most beautiful pollinators on the planet, the monarch butterfly. The monarch’s

their otherworldly, physical metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly, to their extraordinary migration from Canada to Mexico and back, these creatures are beauty and wonder rolled into one.

The monarch’s metamorphosis is, in a word, mind-boggling.

Initially it goes from a pinheadsized egg that then increases its mass by 3,000 times in two weeks to become a large, colorful caterpillar. That caterpillar then transforms into a beautiful, emerald-green chrysalis with gold accents, and in less than two weeks a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, slowly unfolding, drying and exercising its big, beautiful, majestic wings in preparation to migrate. The monarchs we see in our area in late summer and early fall are on their long journey to forested regions in central Mexico, where they’ll overwinter before migrating back north in the spring.

Monarchs’ migration, a round trip that may be 3,000 miles, is not accomplished by a single

Laurel Elementary kindergarten teacher Samantha Arnold releases one of the Monarchs her class watched emerge.

COURTESY OF MICHAEL MCLAUGHLIN

numbers had been in decline due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change. One easy solution was to address the habitat loss by planting milkweed. Since milkweed is the host plant on which female monarchs lay their eggs, and its leaves are the sole food source for the caterpillars that hatch

from those eggs, the equation is simple and stark: no milkweed = no monarchs.

About five years ago, I transplanted two milkweed plants from a meadow in Severn into our side yard. Milkweed propagates underground, so the next year we had more than four plants, and the year after that,

16 plants. The past two years, there have been more than 30 plants that I now thin to encourage new leaf growth before the monarchs arrive.

The monarch butterfly is not only a large butterfly with vibrant colors and markings, it has one of the most incredible life cycles in all of nature. From

SEE BACKYARDS ON 6 

Make a Run (or Walk) for It! It’s Almost Turkey Trot Time!

Thursday, November 23rd 8:00 AM McCullough Field Laurel, MD

Lead Sponsor:

Proceeds from this event help families in the Greater Laurel area.

Bring the Whole Family! Start Off Your Holiday With Us! Thanks To Our Sponsors*:

Sponsorships Still Available!

Enter ScorpioSeason for a special discount.

Jailbreak Brewing Company

The City of Laurel

- Mayor Craig Moe

Feet First

Club Pilates

*as of 10/25/23 Our Savior

Emmanuel United Methodist Church Laurel Presbyterian Church

. Mary of the &

St

Lutheran

Mills Church

Church

School

.

St

icholas

Church

.

’

St Philip s Episcopal Church

Register Today: www.laureladvocacy.org

Bring Local Families Joy, Warmth and Comfort

Our Giving Season Programs have kicked off!

Find Out How You Can Help Today!

Page 6

BACKYARDS FROM PAGE 5

generation; indeed, the round trip takes four, sometimes five generations of butterflies: typically three (sometimes four) generations to make the trip from central Mexico north for the summer, and a final generation of long-haulers to make the trip back south for the winter.

You don’t need to do anything special to attract monarchs to your milkweed; to paraphrase a line from that baseball movie, “If you plant it, they will come.”

Three years ago, when a friend said he had monarch caterpillars on his milkweed, I went out and checked ours. Sure enough, there were a handful of monarch caterpillars on our plants, too. I went into protective mode and covered the plants with mosquito netting, and our family enjoyed watching the monarchs transform through their different stages of development.

We released five butterflies that first year. I was able to record some of the magic as it happened, and our grandkids enjoyed releasing the butterflies when the time came.

The Laurel Independent | November 2023

Last year we got a tagging kit from monarchwatch.org and successfully tagged and released 11 butterflies. And though milkweed’s toxicity means that monarch caterpillars have few predators, they can have parasites; we would have tagged and released more than twice that number of butterflies except for the presence of a tachinid fly that demolished our caterpillar crop. Nature can be cruel.

We tagged and released 11 this year, too, including three I placed on our clematis for a photo op. They ended up hanging around on the clematis for over an hour until the sun came out from behind the clouds.

I took the last six we had this year, one butterfly and five chrysalises, to Samantha Arnold, a kindergarten teacher at Laurel Elementary School.

Hopefully her young students will be able to witness some of the magic these fascinating creatures serve up.

By the time you read this, those remaining monarchs, having been tagged and released by the kids at Laurel Elementary, will be well on their way to Mexico with a “Vaya con Dios!” wish from us all.

ELECTION FROM PAGE 1

justice systems as a correctional officer. He has worked as a substitute teacher for Prince George’s County schools since 2020. As council president, Sydnor helped the city navigate the COVID-19 pandemic.

With his election, Sydnor becomes the first African American to serve as Laurel’s mayor.

He is the city’s first new mayor in 21 years; outgoing mayor Craig Moe did not seek reelection.

“I’m overwhelmed, excited,” Sydnor said on election night. “I want to thank the citizens of Laurel for voting for me and trusting me to be the leader of their city.”

At his victory party, Sydnor congratulated the council winners.

“The campaign is over with,” he said. “I look forward to working together with them.”

DeWalt, a retired Laurel police officer, has represented Ward 1 on the city council since 2017. As a councilmember, he has advocated for rent control and unionization of the city’s Department of Public Works employees.

First elected to his Ward 1 seat in 2021, Kohl supports increased sustainability initiatives and fiscal responsibility. He works as a

VOTES RECEIVED Mayor Seeta Deonauth ............ 46 Martin Mitchell .............. 757 Brencis Smith ................ 197 Keith Sydnor .................. 1194 Sophady Uong ............... 155

City Council – Ward 1 Carl DeWalt* .................. 469 James Kole* .................... 589 Connie Lucas ................. 170 Stephen Wallace ........... 405

City Council – Ward 2 Kyla Clark ....................... 644 Melvin Lindsle ............... 498 Thomas Matthews Jr. .. 329 Jeffrey Mills ................... 543

City Council – At-Large Christine Johnson ........ 1023 Enrico McCleary II ........ 375 Adrian Simmons ........... 827 *Incumbent

manager with a landscape company in the District.

Ward 2 gained two new councilmembers. Clark is a certified court appointed special advocate for children in Prince George’s County foster care. She has served on the Laurel Environ-

mental Affairs Committee and city’s Citizens Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities.

“I’m excited,” she said of her win. “I am ready to work tirelessly to make Laurel an even better place to live, work and thrive.”

Mills has lived in Laurel for 13 years and operates the CDL Book Club on Main Street. He ran as a team with two other candidates who were not elected.

After winning, he said “I feel good, honored, ready to work. I rooted for the whole team, but we work with those who have been elected.”

Johnson, who won the at-large seat in a field of three candidates, was among the first-time council candidates this year. She is an administrator at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

Johnson said her win “was a humbling experience for me” and showed her that “the citizens of Laurel have faith in me.”

City councilmembers serve two-year terms; the mayor’s term is four years. The City of Laurel Board of Election Supervisors will present the official results at a special mayoral and city council meeting Nov. 9. The newly elected mayor and councilmembers will be sworn in on Nov. 27.

OFFICIAL NEWS FROM THE CITY OF LAUREL

VOL. 2, NO. 11

NOVEMBER 2023

SHOP SMALL WITH ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) maintains and oversees the built environment within the City of Laurel. The Department is responsible for zoning compliance, subdivision and development review, historic preservation review, economic development, affordable housing, and implementation of the City’s Master Plan.

These activities are intended to improve the life quality in the City. Department staff work to provide these services in a timely and efficient manner while promoting highquality development which is compliant with State of Maryland regulations and statutes. The City of Laurel is the only jurisdiction in Prince George’s County that has its own planning and zoning authority.

Planning and Zoning ECD oversees the administration of the Unified Land Development Code (ULDC), including written and oral explanations and interpretations. This document serves as the City’s zoning ordinance which determines the uses allowed in various zoning districts throughout the City. The City Planners will review permits and zoning applications to ensure compliance with the ULDC including use and occupancy, building, fence, deck, and sign.

Shop Small!

November 25th is Small Business Saturday!

We encourage everyone to shop locally and support the small businesses throughout the City. Please follow our ECD Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LaurelECD

and our Instagram page at www.instagram.com/laurelecd for more information about Small Business Saturday, as well as other ECD events.

•

•

ECD offers a variety of services to support local businesses throughout the City. From startup, business expansion and relocation assistance to financial incentive programs, we offer services to aid individuals at every stage of their business. For more information, visit: www.cityoflaurel.org/ work#Services.

Historic District Commission The City of Laurel Historic District consists of seven individual, but contiguous districts, located in the northernmost part of the City, all of these districts fall under the design review authority of the Historic District Commission. If you live or work in the Historic District, any exterior work needs approval.

HOW TO APPLY There are a few ways: Use the online e-permits system:

•

www.cityoflaurel.org/permits/ permits/epermits. Email your application to ecd@laurel.md.us and all supporting documents.

Mail in your application to 8103 Sandy Spring Road Laurel, MD 20707 Attn: Historic District Commission or Place your application in the drop off box at 8103 Sandy Spring Road Laurel, MD 20707

The City of Laurel offers a tax credit for approved and qualifying EXTERIOR preservation and restoration projects to structures located in the Historic District. Tax credits are for the materials of the work ONLY. Delivery and warranty fees are not included. The amount of the tax credit is ten percent (10%) of the total expense of the approved work, which must conform with the criteria as established by the HDC Certificate of Approval. An HDC Tax Credit Application must be obtained in order to receive a tax credit. For more information, email them at ecd@laurel.md.us or check out all HDC information at https:// www.cityoflaurel.org/boards/ commissions/historic-districtcommission.

If you have any questions for ECD staff, please contact us at ecd@laurel.md.us or 301-725-5300.

VOLUNTEER LAUREL! LIFTING UP COMMUNITY SERIES What makes a strong community? The answer of course is the people! It’s because of YOU, our residents, that we are growing our Volunteer Laurel program!

Over the next few months, we will share the importance of volunteering and ways you can connect with these opportunities through a series of quick articles. We anticipate this will give you more insight as to why we need your help building Laurel’s Volunteer program!

Did You Know: •

In terms of monetary worth, volunteers are valued at $31.80 per hour? That is up from $29.95 in 2022!

What is the importance of this value? When we add the volunteer hours in 2023, we can multiple that by the given worth of a volunteer and then let you know how much time and money our valuable volunteers have saved the City residents in helping clean up and beautifying our parks, taking time out of their schedules to sit on Boards, Commissions and Committees to help make the City a better place to live, work and play and assist in events and programs so our residents can thrive!

How can you become a volunteer you ask?

Well, let us tell you! Visit our website at www.cityoflaurel.org and on the home page is a link to our Volunteer Laurel! program. Take a look at the volunteer opportunities available through the City and local organizations. Decide how much time you have to give, do your research and then call 301-725-5300 ext.

2109 to speak with the Volunteer Coordinator Carreen Koubek, to check out the next steps. OR, go to the website, fill out an online volunteer application and we can add you to our database. As we have a need for volunteers for different events, we will send out an email asking for help and if you can, just email us back. It’s that simple! Thank you in advance for your consideration of helping grow Volunteer Laurel!

Page 1

COMPOSTING REDUCES LANDFILL WASTE Composting is nature’s way of recycling. It is one of the most powerful actions we can take to reduce our trash, address climate change, and build healthy soil. By turning our food scraps and yard trim into compost, we can transform our waste streams into a beneficial, value-added soil amendment and use it to protect the environment and create resilient communities. (Environmental Protection Agency).

Fact or Fiction Compost attracts rodents!

FICTION: Using the enclosed curbside composting cart with the locking lid is a sure-fire way to deter wildlife from snacking on organic waste.

Composting is too complicated!

FICTION: We make it so easy….instead of throwing your food waste and other acceptable organic materials into your trash can – use the countertop container with the bags provided and throw it in the curbside cart. Then, just roll the cart to the curb on your collection day!

Not all food is compostable.

FICTION: The City’s curbside organics collection accepts meat, bones, seafood shells, spoiled food, and cheese just to name a few. Residents will receive a card listing the compostable items along with their carts. In addition to food waste, residents may also put leaves and grass clippings in their carts – no need to schedule an additional yard debris collection – just put out the curbside organics cart with your food waste mixed with grass/leaves out on your regular collection day.

Composting Reduces Landfill Waste and Trash Overflow.

FACT: Waste reduction is another benefit of composting, since it is generally made from waste (food scraps, organic byproducts, etc.) that is diverted from landfills and incinerators. This reduces the amount of waste disposed and upcycles those materials into a productive, environmentally beneficial product.

Composting Saves Money.

FACT: The City pays less per ton for organics waste delivered to our local compost processing facility than to the landfill. On average there is a $50/ton savings. The more we compost, the more we save, which means the more we can invest in other programs! Signing up for curbside composting is easy – send an e-mail to DPW@laurel.md.us or greenliving@laurel.md.us – include your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Your countertop container, a set of bags, along with an outdoor cart with a locking lid, will be delivered to your home within 7 business days!

Questions about our environmental programs can be sent to Michele Blair at greenliving@laurel.md.us or call 301-725-5300.

Compre en Pequeño, Compre Localmente ¡El 25 de noviembre es el sábado de las pequeñas empresas!

Alentamos a todos a comprar localmente y apoyar a las pequeñas empresas en toda la ciudad. Siga nuestra página de Facebook de ECD (Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comunitario) en www.facebook.com/LaurelECD y nuestra página de Instagram en www.instagram.com/laurelecd para obtener más información sobre el sábado de las pequeñas empresas y otros eventos de ECD. O llame al Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comunitario al 301-7255300 ext. 2302 para más información.

¡Laurel Voluntario! Programa ¿Qué hace que una comunidad sea fuerte? ¡La respuesta, por supuesto, es la gente! ¡Es gracias a USTEDES, nuestros residentes, que estamos haciendo crecer nuestro programa Voluntario de Laurel! ¡Visite nuestro sitio web en www.cityoflaurel.org y en la página de inicio hay un enlace a nuestro programa Voluntario de Laurel! Mira las oportunidades de voluntariado disponibles de la ciudad y las organizaciones locales. Luego complete una solicitud de voluntariado en línea y podremos agregarlo a nuestra base de datos. ¡Es así de simple!

Page 2

LAUREL POLICE MONTHLY CRIME REPORT

SEPTEMBER 2023 To find out more about what’s happening in your neighborhood, visit the Laurel Police Crime Reports at www.cityoflaurel.org/police/ community-info/crime-reports.

Legislation Listed below are recent actions taken by the Laurel City Council during past Mayor and City Council meetings. For further information on any of these actions, please feel free to contact the Office of the City Clerk at 301-725-5300 x2121 or at clerk@laurel.md.us. For the full agendas, visit www.cityoflaurel.org.

COUNCIL OFFICE 301-725-5300 ext. 2121

clerk@laurel.md.us

Approved Ordinances/Resolutions: •

•

•

•

•

Ordinance No. 2012 - Text Amendment No. 263 - to Amend Unified Land Development Code, Chapter 20 "Land Development and Subdivision Regulations,” to Update the Definition Section, the Use Table in the Commercial Zone, and to Update the Special Exception Section, all To Include Licensed Dispensary for Cannabis as a Special Exception Use in Certain Zones.

Ordinance No. 2018 - to Amend the Unified Land Development Code, Chapter 20 "Land Development and Subdivision Regulations,” to Update the Design Guidelines for Historic District Commission and create for Sale Affordable Housing Section.

Ordinance No. 2019 - Amending the General Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland, for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 and to Provide an Effective Date.

Ordinance No. 2020 - to Amend Laurel City Code Chapter 18, Section 21, Nuisance and Providing for an Effective Date.

Resolution No. 9-2023 - to adopt the Hazard Mitigation Plan of Prince George’s County as the City’s Official Plan.

November 2023 Mayor and City Council Meetings  November 9th - In-Person Special Mayor & City Council Meeting (6:00pm)  November 27th - In-Person Mayor & City Council Meetings (Swearing-In of New Mayor/Council )(6:00pm) November 2023 Boards and Commissions  November 14th - Planning Commission (6:00pm)  November 21st - Historic District Commission (6:00pm)  November 28th - Virtual Environmental Affairs Committee (6:00pm)  November 30th - Board of Appeals (6:00pm) December 2023 Mayor and City Council Meetings  December 6th - Virtual Mayor and City Council Work Session (6:00pm)  December 11th - Virtual Mayor and City Council Meeting (6:00pm)  December 25th - CANCELLED December 2023 Boards and Commissions  December 12th - Planning Commission (6:00pm)  December 19th - Historic District Commission (6:00pm)  December 28th - Board of Appeals (6:00pm)

Bid Approvals: • • • •

•

Carroll Avenue Road Improvement - $58,730 Backhoe Loader Fleet Acquisition $159,263.26 Mini Rear Loader Refuse/Compost Truck Fleet Acquisition - $208,500 Audio/Visual Upgrade of Council Chambers, Laurel TV Control Room and Meeting Room #4 - $280,069 Transition of Cellular Service to T-Mobile for Government - $67,042.08

For the full list of approved Bids, visit www.cityoflaurel.org/clerk/meetings.

Mayoral Appointments/Reappointments: • • • •

• • • •

Zoe Roane-Hopkins - Arts Council Logan Staley - Bicycle and Pedestrian CAC Garry Fitzgerald III - No-Kill Community Animal Shelter Diane Sartor - No-Kill Community Animal Shelter Jennifer Shannon - Arts Council Wayne Dzwonchyk - Emergency Services Commission (Reappointment) Shirley Bell - Youth Services Commission Reappointment) Marjorie McCeney - Historic District Commission (Reappointment)

      

November 10, 2023 - City/Passport Offices Closed In Observance of Veterans’ Day. Visit www.cityoflaurel.org for adjusted collections.

November 23 & 24, 2023 - City/Passport Offices Closed in Observance of Thanksgiving - Visit www.cityoflaurel.org for adjusted collections.

December 2, 2023 - Breakfast with Santa - 9:00am at the Laurel Police Partnership Activity Center, 811 5th Street. Cost is $15. Fills up quickly!

December 2, 2023 - Holiday Festival, Parade and Armory Illumination Parade kicks off at 3:45pm from the Joseph R. Robison Laurel Municipal Center and ends at the Laurel Armory.

December 8, 2023 - Holiday Movie, Disney’s A Christmas Carol - 6:00pm at the Laurel Police Partnership Activity Center, 811 5th Street.

December 25, 2023 - City/Passport Offices Closed In Observance of Christmas. Visit www.cityoflaurel.org for adjusted collections.

Learn more about Laurel Parks and Recreation’s Adult Trips, Teen Club, Senior Activities and Classes by calling 301-725-7800 or visit www.cityoflaurel.org

On behalf of the Mayor and City Council we’re sending out a HUGE THANK YOU to all the Chief Judges, Election Judges and staff for their hard work and dedication in this year’s General Election!

Page 3

CUT ALONG DOTTED LINE. PLACE ON YOUR REFRIGERATOR.

CUT ALONG DOTTED LINE . PLACE ON YOUR REFRIGERATOR.

Holiday Illumination/ Parade 6-9pm - Armory Virtual Work Session - 6p

Leaf Vacuuming Ends—Extension TBD Employee Holiday Party - Offices Closed 1—5pm

Virtual Mayor and City Council Meeting - 6p

Planning Commission 6p Historic District Commission 6p

City Offices Closed

Board of Appeals - 6pm

PUBLIC WORKS

301-725-0088

DPW@laurel.md.us

Holiday Preparedness: Home Cooking Safety

What do you picture when you think about the Holidays? Tables of food, football games, family and friends, hours of cooking in the kitchen? With so much going on during the holidays, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement and forget about safety precautions, resulting in accidental injuries or fires.

Cooking safety probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when planning your holiday meals, but we hope we can change your mind. Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Exercise caution and do your part to keep the holiday season safe and full of cheer: •

• • • • • • • •

If deep frying your turkey, set up the fryer outdoors away from anything that can burn. The garage and deck don’t count! And completely thaw the turkey before frying. A partially frozen turkey will cause hot oil to splatter.

Install a smoke detector near the kitchen.

Never leave food you are cooking unattended.

Keep kids and pets at least 3 feet away from the cooking area.

Keep loose items – potholders, oven mitts, towels – away from the stove.

For small grease fires, smother the flame by sliding the lid or a plate over the pan and turn off the stovetop.

For an oven fire, turn off the oven and keep the door closed.

Have a fire extinguisher in an easy access area close to the kitchen.

Always call 9-1-1 if a fire starts and exit your home, closing the door behind you.

For more safety tips, visit NFPA.org. Happy Thanksgiving!

CITY CONTACTS www.cityoflaurel.org Page 4

MAYOR’S OFFICE

CITY ADMINISTRATOR’S OFFICE

LAUREL POLICE

301-725-5300 ext. 2125

301-725-5300 ext. 2242

Non-Emerg: 301-498-0092 Emerg: 301-725-3000

laurelmayor@ laurel.md.us

cadmin@ laurel.md.us

lpd@ laurel.md.us

PARKS AND RECREATION

COMMUNICATIONS

301-725-7800

301-725-5300 Ext. 2208

parks@ laurel.md.us

laurelpio@ laurel.md.us

November 2023 | The Laurel Independent

Page 7

NATIVE GARDENING WITH JIMMY

Appreciating your autumn garden

By JIMMY ROGERS

I

n the autumn, each gardener privately celebrates a festival of reflection and recognition.

We look back on spring, when we hoped that dormant roots would emerge as promised. We remember with joy and heartbreak the heights our gardens reached in summer, dense foliage crowned with every color of flower, only to witness those flowers now fading and drooping against their neighbors. We stand at our doors, gazing at a paradise lost. But this is not the end; each fall we can still turn to what remains in our gardens and recognize how much we have to appreciate.

A monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) chrysalis hanging from a cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) stalk The cooler days invite quiet strolls among declining stalks and flattened foliage. The faded flowers have sharp brown seeds for hungry birds — or seeds on fluffy tails waiting for a stiff breeze to take them away. I often grab a few seeds and think about where

I might like to see more of that plant. I scratch the dirt bare and lay my seeds down firmly, even stepping on them to ensure good contact with the soil. After that, it’s up to the seed to decide if it likes where I put it.

Our trees turn vivid colors in autumn, but remember to observe your herbaceous plants as well.

Aldo Leopold, author of A Sand County Almanac, once observed, “the blackberries burn richly red on every sunny day from first frost to the last day of the season.” Indeed, red, yellow, purple, brown and black spread like cool fire through a native garden. Those of us who grow Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) are rewarded with crimson leaves, the same leaves that famously encircle the great seal of Virginia and fly on the state flag.

Native shrubs turn such a variety of colors. Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) and elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) turn yellow, while arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) and black chokeberry (Photinia melanocarpa) turn red.

Other natives grow magnificent

berries, like purple beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) and red winterberry (Ilex verticillata); the berries of both are high in fat and power migratory birds.

Many new native gardeners find it challenging to recognize the ways that their garden supports wildlife in the autumn. A stem will turn black or brown, but a closer look may reveal larvae, a caterpillar or a chrysalis firmly attached and waiting for spring. In fact, more than half of our Maryland butterflies overwinter on stems in our gardens. The stems may eventually collapse into the leaf litter on their own, but removing them prematurely puts these delicate creatures in peril. Consider leaving stalks where they are unless they are blocking a pathway. I have found giving up this little bit of control over my garden invites a wider sense of sharing the space with wildlife.

If you would like a last jolt of vibrancy in your garden, consider planting some of our natives that flower late in the season. Of all the herbaceous plants, goldenrods (Solidago species) support insects

the most, and many goldenrods are late bloomers. Bluestem goldenrod (Solidago caesia), fragrant goldenrod (Solidago odora) and showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) bloom into October, while rigid goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) and coastal goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) bloom as late as November. You can see bees gathering their final stores for winter from these important plants. You can even see these tired bees taking naps among the golden flowers on cold or rainy fall days.

Asters create a dynamic contrast with their goldenrod cousins. In the shade, white wood aster (Eurybia divaricata) and heartleaved aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) have graceful white blooms through October. Sunloving varieties — the smooth aster (Symphyotrichum laeve), New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) and New York aster (Symphyotrichum novi-belgii) — brighten shorter days with a range of pale blues to vibrant purples through October, too. To feed the last of the bees, consider a heath aster (Symphyotrichum er-

icoides), which will bloom as late as November.

As we move through fall and into winter, remember to reflect on the past growing season and consider those to come. If you’re just starting a garden, spend time researching and ask fellow gardeners for advice. Try putting a few plants in the ground now, so you’ll have something to look forward to and motivate you in spring. You can safely plant up until the ground has frozen.

If your garden is already established, now is a great time to scan your space for areas that could be more dense or more vibrant, or have a more continuous succession of blooms. Native plants may be scarce at retailers in late fall, so make a list for now and plan a winter sowing project (or wait for the spring sales). Then take a break, reflect and spend some quality time with a hot autumnal beverage.

Jimmy Rogers is an avid native gardener and a member of the Laurel Environmental Affairs Committee.

Spend the holidays with us!

Holiday Open House December 1-3 | Noon - 4:00 PM Join us for holiday festivities with light refreshments and homemade goodies. Shop for unique gifts, including our 2023 collectible ornament!

View our “It’s All Laurel” exhibit before the museum closes for winter break on December 17

Holiday House Tour

December 9, 1:00 - 5:00 PM A 40-year-old tradition continues after a 5 year break! Tour inside some of the best and beautiful buildings in the Laurel area, socialize with neighbors, and enjoy the spirit of the holidays.

Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 on tour day. Available online or at the Laurel Museum.

Rain or shine event.

FREE ADMISSION

WWW.LAURELHISTORICALSOCIETY.ORG

Page 8

The Laurel Independent | November 2023

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Send your event information to Katie V. Jones at katie@streetcar suburbs.news

EVENTS “Pride and Prejudice.” Jane Austen’s 1813 novel about the beloved characters Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Nov. 10-12 and 17-19.

Times vary. $15 to $20. Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St. For more information call 301.617.9906 or email lmp508main@gmail.com Holiday Bazaar. Raffle and silent auction, bake shop, visits with Santa. Nov. 11, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic Church, 8402 Brock Bridge Road.

ROOLBazaar@gmail.com Holly Days Bazaar. Nov. 18, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. St. Phillip’s Episcopal Church, 522 Main St. 301.776.5151

Trashbags, some tools and gloves provided as needed. Meet at the Laurel Municipal Pool at Ninth and Main streets. Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to noon. LaurelforthePatuxent. org Turkey Trot. Laurel Advocacy and Referral Service hosts its 19th annual race against hunger fundraiser. Nov. 23, 8 a.m., Alice B. McCullough Field, Montgomery and 8th streets. 301.776.0442 or laureladvocacy.org

MONTPELIER HOUSE MUSEUM 9650 Muirkirk Road 301.377.7817 Regional Textile Showcase and Artists’ Boutique. Exhibit of textile and fiber arts and original crafts. Thursdays through Mondays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 14.

HOLIDAY EVENTS Tree Lighting. Santa Claus arrives to light the tree. Nov. 18, 6 to 8 p.m, Town Centre Laurel, 14828 Baltimore Ave. 301.317.0206 Savage Yuletide Festival. Shop small businesses and attend the grand opening of the Holiday Makers Market, with local musicians, special offers, pictures with Santa ( 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and more. Nov. 25, 10 a.m. Savage Mill, 8600 Foundry Road, Savage.

410.792.2820 Holiday Open House. Dec. 1st through 3rd, noon to 4 p.m. Light refreshments, homemade goodies and unique gifts. Laurel Historical Society, 817 Main St. 301.725.7975 Bridge and Tree Lighting. Lighting of the Bollman Bridge and the tree at Baldwin Common by Santa, carolers included. Dec. 2, 6 p.m.

Bollman Bridge, Foundry St. 410.792.2820 Breakfast with Santa. Enjoy a hot breakfast with Santa and friends, $10 Dec. 2, 9 a.m. Partnership Hall-Laurel Police DepartSEE HOLIDAY ON 9 

required. Nov. 18. 2 p.m. $39-$42.

Open House. Search for fossils at Dinosaur Park, Nov. 18 and Dec. 2, noon to 4 p.m. 13200 Mid Atlantic Blvd. 301.627.1286 or dinosaurpark@pgparks.com

Preservation Workshop: Caring for Textiles. How to protect items from light, dirt, oils, acids and more. Registration required.

Nov. 12, noon. $17-$25.

Clean-up and Vine Cutting.

Laurel for the Patuxent is sponsoring the event at Riverfront Park.

Fiber Arts Tea. Enjoy finger sandwiches, pastries, scones and tea in the house’s east wing. Registration

MONTPELIER ARTS CENTER 9652 Muirkirk Road 301.377.7800 Nikki Brooks: A multi-disciplinary artist, educator and activist, Brooks creates collages with photos, fabric, paint furniture and

more. In the Resident Artist Gallery. Through Dec. 9

LAUREL HISTORY MUSEUM, 817 Main St. 301.725.7975 Main Exhibit. It’s All Laurel: City Limits and Beyond. Through August 2024

Temporary Exhibit. Tracy Camila Johns’ photography. Through Nov. 26.

Dinosaur Park in Laurel. A virtual program about dinosaurs and the recent find in Laurel. Nov. 9, 7 p.m.

Laurel Historical Society Dig Day at Dinosaur Park. Nov. 19

LAUREL BRANCH LIBRARY 507 7th St. 301.776.6790 Free Digital SAT Practice Exams. Presented by C2 Education Testing Company, the event allows students to get a glimpse of what the test is like. Register by Nov. 30. Test is Dec. 2, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

ACP On-site Enrollment and Laptop Device Giveaway. Do you qualify to save up to $45 monthly on home Internet? Bring supporting documents as Internet service providers, tech support and enrollment specialists will be on site. Dec. 5, 5 to 7 p.m.

SEE CALENDAR ON 9 

November 2023 | The Laurel Independent

Page 9

Popular house tour returns for the holidays

By KATIE V. JONES For Clayton Cooper, featuring his home in Laurel Historical Society’s (LHS) holiday house tour offers several benefits. It is a chance to be an active participant in the community, he is supporting the historical society, and, it is an excuse “to puke Christmas all over the house.”

“We open our whole house except for two rooms upstairs,” he said, with excitement. “We have

CALENDAR FROM PAGE 8

Tail Waggin’ Tutors. Children can read to specially trained therapy dogs. Dec. 7, 4:45 to 5:45 p.m.

An Afternoon of Ballet. The Performing Arts Repertory Company will present dances performed by local student dancers. Dec. 9, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE Programs are free.

Some require advance registration, and all may be subject to change or cancellation due to weather or low enrollment.

For more information and to register, call 301.497.5887 North Tract, 230 Bald Eagle Drive Welcoming Winter Birds.

Search for winter birds on a short drive and hike. Nov. 12, 8 a.m.

Bike Riding at the Refuge. A 12mile guided ride. Bring your own bike, helmet, water bottle and snack. Nov. 18, 10 a.m.

four trees. There is Christmas in every room, even closets.”

After a five-year absence, the popular tour, which showcases a variety of homes, returns on Dec. 9 from 1 to 5 p.m. First held in the spring of 1976, the tour has been scheduled every other year in December, for the most part, according to Ann Bennett, LHS executive director.

“We resurrected the garden tour last year after a 24-year absence,” she said. “We are back

on track. Odd years will be the house tour, even years the garden tour. People are very excited.”

The tour begins at the museum, where participants receive a map with directions to the featured homes as well as a little history about each property. As of early November, about eight homes were listed for the tour. Cooper’s home and the Gude Mansion, now owned by the city and used as the office for the parks and rec-

South Tract, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop

HOLIDAY

Exhibit

ment, 811 5th Street. $10. Mandatory registration is open and must be done in-person at the Robert J. DiPietro Community Center, 7901 Cypress St. 301.725.7800

Hollingsworth Art Gallery. Impressionistic oil paintings by David Terrar of Maryland marshes and landscapes.

Owl and Kestrel. Meet two of North America’s smallest birds of prey. Nov. 11, 11 to 11:30 a.m.

Winterizing Your Butterfly Garden. Learn successful seed collection and storage methods for next year’s plantings. Nov. 11, 2 p.m.

Family Fun: TREE-mendous Trees! Learn about trees through hands-on games, crafts and activities. Nov. 17 and 18, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

FROM PAGE 8

reation department, will both be featured.

“It will be a nice snack stop,” said Michelle Keating, a LHS board member, of the mansion. “People can hang out there and have Christmas treats.”

According to Bennet, participating homeowners are not required to offer snacks or even decorate, but many do go all out. Cooper, a former chair of the house tour committee, noted that homes have featured not only Christmas

Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St. 301.617.9906 Holiday Teas. Celebrate the season with tea, finger sandwiches, pastries and scones at Montpelier House Museum. $42. Dec. 9, 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. 9650 Muirkirk Road. 301.377.7817

Holiday Parade and Armory Illumination. A parade followed by holiday games and activities at the armory before the mayor and city councilmembers light the tree.

Dec. 2, parade at 3 p.m., tree lighting at 5:15 p.m. 301.725.7800

decor, but both Jewish and Kwanzaa traditions, as well.

“People want to get in your house and see what it looks like,” he said. “They come in, walk through and leave. It is not a lot of work.”

Neither rain nor snow - unless extreme conditions, will cancel the tour.

“Weather does not stop them,” Cooper said. “The show must go on.”

Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 on tour day. For more information, email info@laurelhistorical society.org or call 301.725.7975

A Jazzy Christmas: A Dance Extravaganza. Dancers from around the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, including the inaugural line of the Annaplettes, in a festive holiday performance with an appearance by Santa Claus. $35. Dec. 10, 2:30 p.m.

Laurel High School, 8000 Cherry Lane. For more information, email theannaplettes@gmail.com

“A Christmas Story.” Laurel Mill Playhouse presents the musical version of the beloved movie about 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest to get a Red Ryder BB gun. Dec. 8 through Dec. 17.

COMING SOON 14411 Baltimore Avenue, Laurel next door to Nuzback’s bar

We Train Dogs Of All Ages Our training is positive, humane, and fun!

• In-Home Training & Behavior Consultation • Puppy Socialization • Group Classes • Serving Laurel & Surrounding Areas

Jody Broughton CPDT-KA (240) 882-4765 www.socialtailwaggers.com socialtailwaggers@gmail.com

BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY EVENT! Company, family and friends!

Call or text 202-603-5228 or email 198eventscater@gmail.com

Open for Thanksgiving!

8 AM - 2 PM

ORDER ONLINE: www.198eats.com 301-723-7270 • 15540 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville

Page 10

The Laurel Independent | November 2023

Youth summit event builds relationships

By ROBERT STEWART Music vibrated through the Laurel Partnership Activity Hall on a Saturday afternoon in October, as a DJ played a popular track and people of all ages danced playfully to the beat, with officers from the police department adjacent to the hall joining in. A bright purple flier advertised the name of the event, Speak up. Speak out.

Speak loud!, part of a series of youth summits taking place

across Prince George’s County.

Jeanette Brandon, CEO and founder of Together We Can (TWC) energetically welcomed people into the hall.

TWC partners with local officials, police departments, religious organizations and community members to host youth summits designed to foster relationships among youth, law enforcement officers and the greater community. TWC is not affiliated with the national Together We Can organization

Your community newspaper needs you!

We welcome new tips and photos, as well as letters to the editor and op-eds on topics of local interest.

We are looking for volunteer reporters and columnists to help us cover what is happening in our communities more completely.

Email katie@streetcarsuburbs.news if you can help out.

or the TWC in western Maryland.

“I was tired of seeing things going on in the news, and it appeared that no one was doing anything about it,” Brandon said. “We want to save our youth. We want to stop the carjacking. We want to stop the killing.”

At the October event, Laurel police officers distributed snacks while Brandon and Laurel’s Deputy Chief of Police Mark Plazinski welcomed people to the summit. Organizers helped attendees form breakout groups to allow attendees to meet informally with officials.

“When we talk to our youth and we do breakout sessions, we can actually interact with them and talk with them about what’s going on in their life,” said Prince George’s County Sheriff John Carr, who was wearing a purple ribbon marking Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Carr said that TWC events are a proactive approach to dealing with issues facing the youth.

“A lot of times, survivors or victims of domestic violence are suffering in silence. They don’t know who to call. They don’t know who to trust,” he said. Carr focused his breakout group on the ways in which positive relationships can help prevent domestic violence.

Engaging with the city’s youth helps the Laurel Police Department build connections with the citizens it serves.

Plazinski, who has served as Laurel’s deputy chief of police since 2020, said that an act so simple as eating pizza with the attendees helps both sides find common ground. He emphasized that everyday interactions are key. “That’s where you find the commonality with people, and that’s what we’re looking to do,” he said.

Besides building relationships, TWC’s partners provide various types of support.

Anthony Wilson, a public speaker, advised participants about the importance of knowing their rights and quizzed them on their knowledge of the fourth amendment. Don-

nie Frayer, president and cofounder of the nonprofit Hope at the Cross, partnered with TWC for the event to advise attendees about local resources.

Frayer’s nonprofit specializes in providing essential materials, including clothes, school supplies and toiletries, and guidance and spiritual support to young people. Ramina Johnson from the Hyattsville field office of the Division of Parole & Probation, an office of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, educated teenagers about substance abuse and overdose reduction.

“We always want to make sure we are saving a life,” she said, adding that if anyone is in need, they can find Narcan at any parole and probation office. Narcan is a medicine used to reverse an opioid overdose.

TWC has held similar events in Seat Pleasant, Greenbelt and Forestville. Bradon noted that the goal of these events is simple. “If we can save one youth, one youth at a time, then I have accomplished my goal.”

GET YOUR CDL TRAINING WITH CDL BOOK CLUB Do you want more out of your career? Does the thought of hitting the open road and seeing the grandeurs of nature bring you excitement? If so, get the CDL training you need to begin an exciting career in the trucking industry.

When you need an affordable and fast CDL training school, you can count on CDL Book Club. We have helped many individuals get the proper training they need to begin their new career in the trucking industry. Our commercial driver’s license training is sure to help you get the job you’re looking for.

“I passed my road test on my first try.”

thecdlbookclub.com

301-776-2758

November 2023 | The Laurel Independent

Page 11

Giving back this holiday season

By EMILY JACOB It is the season of giving, with Thanksgiving right around the corner. While holidays are a time to get together with loved ones and celebrate delicious food and household traditions for many of us, it is not always the case for others. Holidays are also a time to give to individuals who may not be as fortunate, and supporting nonprofits can be an effective way to do so. Are you aware of the many nonprofits in the Laurel community?

Here are just a few organizations doing fantastic work in various ways.

ICING SMILES Icing Smiles provides elaborate custom-made cakes and treats to families with children who struggle with critical illness.

“We understand that the simple things, like a birthday cake, are luxuries to a family battling illness. Our goal is to create a custom cake for the ill child, or their sibling, that provides a temporary escape from worry and creates a positive memory during a difficult time,” reads its mission statement.

Owner Tracy Quisenberry was inspired to create childhood memories and magic through homemade cakes when her son was sick for the first few years of his life, according to the website.

Icing Smiles welcomes volunteers to serve as Sugar Angels, baking cakes. They also rely on volunteers to host bake sales and always appreciate donations.

For more information about volunteer opportunities or to read about Quisenberry’s backstory, go to icingsmiles.org

homeless and low-income populations in the area since 1976.

Elizabeth “Betty” Colnaghi launched the nonprofit when she opened a food pantry in her basement. With the support of a volunteer team, she initially offered food assistance, emergency financial aid and transportation. Twelve years later, the generous donation of a home, soon known as Elizabeth House, allowed FISH of Laurel to open a soup kitchen. Staffed by volunteers, the kitchen provides hot meals and bagged lunches seven days a week.

FISH of Laurel relies entirely on food donations, financial contributions and volunteer service. In addition to providing meals, FISH of Laurel hosts food and diaper drives.

You can help FISH of Laurel by donating nonperishable pantry items, money or time.

The organization also offers students community service opportunities.

For more volunteer opportunities, donation information or to get in touch with FISH of Laurel directly, go to fishoflaurel. org

SIDE BY SIDE INC. Side by Side Inc. pairs volunteers from local churches with public schools in Prince George’s County with the goal of promoting students’ success in the classroom.

The initiative began in 2004, when the clergy association in Laurel connected with county schools to provide aid. Side by Side Inc. became a nonprofit organization in 2007.

Through their multiple partnerships, Side by Side Inc. provides the Laurel community with a range of services, including continuing education courses for parents and teachers in Prince George’s County teachers and college-

readiness support former Side

by Side students when they reach high school.

Side by Side Inc. is seeking volunteers to serve on the organization’s board of directors, to work as tutors and to assist with a broad range of other direct services, including helping students with meals and providing childcare. The organization also welcomes monetary donations.

For more information, including information about volunteer opportunities go to sidebysidelaurel.org As the holidays approach, consider giving back to the community by helping out with one of these local nonprofits. You could even make it a family bonding experience by volunteering, as a group, to give your time and skills.

Explore the Trails and Towns of Prince George’s County!

www.anacostiatrails.org

RELISH THE ROWING MACHINE Days are shorter and the ergometers await

• Winter on land programs • For new and experienced rowers • Join our Holiday Challenge starting on Thanksgiving Day • Learn the best exercise out there

BEGINNERS WELCOME!

FUN, FRIENDS, AND FITNESS! All activities are at

FISH OF LAUREL

Bladensburg Waterfront Park

FISH of Laurel is an all-volunteer food pantry and soup kitchen that has been serving

WashingtonRowingSchool.com

4601 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg

202-344-0886

Depression? Anxiety? Stress?

We can help you manage your mental health!

Services we offer: Psychotherapy Wellness Counseling Stress Management

Lifestyle for Better Living Jinelle Williams, MSW, LCSW-C

Mental Health Therapist & Wellness Coach

301-701-0294

www.lifestyleforbetterliving.com

We accept Medicaid, Cigna, ESI EAP, HSA

Page 12

The Laurel Independent | November 2023

THANK YOU MAYOR MOE! We appreciate your years of service to Laurel!

FRED FREDERICK SERVING LAUREL FOR 63 YEARS

Here at Fred Frederick Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Laurel, it is our mission to be the automotive home of drivers in the DMV area. We provide a vast selection of new and used vehicles, exceptional car care, and customer service with a smile! Our dealership has a great selection of new and pre-owned cars, trucks, and SUVs. With competitive prices on every vehicle, you won’t find a reason to visit any other dealership.

Visit Us WWW.FREDFREDERICK.COM Today! 39 Washington Blvd | Laurel, MD | 301-776-7373