02-2024 The Laurel Independent

INSIDE Fentanyl ring bust leads to three arrests, P.2 Mushrooms abound at The Garden International, P.5

VOL. 3 NO. 2

FEBRUARY 2024

LAUREL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER

Plans sent back for Buddhist temple, P.11

Nonprofits seek share of county’s cash

By SHARON O’MALLEY Firefighters, animal rescue workers and representatives of more than a dozen nonprofits asked Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks on Jan. 29 for a share of the county’s fiscal year 2025 budget.

The speakers included a handful of county residents who expressed concern about public school funding and the difficulty they have accessing social services. Most, however, were advocates for nonprofit organizations who outlined their need for staffing and expansion.

“Nonprofit organizations are not just organizations; they are the backbone of our community support system,” Tiffany Turner, executive director of Nonprofit Prince George’s County, said at the virtual SEE NONPROFITS ON 4 

New subdivision for 302 homes proposed

By JOE MURCHISON An Atlanta-based home builder submitted a subdivision plan to the city of Laurel on Jan. 29 to build 302 homes east of Interstate 95 and south of Route 198.

Pulte Home Company, which describes itself as the nation’s third-largest home construction company, said its Corridor Center development will include 141 townhouses, 148 condominiums and 13 one-story villa homes on 28 acres of currently forested land. The city council gave preliminary approval for the development in January 2023.

Pulte is the developer of another Laurel-area projSEE HOMES ON 11 

Jacqueline Jones, co-coordinator of outreach for St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, stands next to the Prince George’s County Civil Rights Trail marker at the church. COURTESY OF AIESHA SOLOMON

County markers recognize Civil Rights Movement

By AIESHA SOLOMON Two sites in Laurel, one in College Park and one in North Brentwood are a part of the Prince George’s County Civil Rights Trail, a public history project that focuses on the Civil Rights Movement that took place from the late 1940s through the 1960s.

“We would definitely consider this more of like a thematic trail,” said Meagan Baco, executive director of the Anacostia Trails Heritage Area, which manages the trail. The trail is not linked geographically but through historical themes.

Creating the trail was a lengthy process that involved extensive research, interviews with those connected with each site and locating historical photos, Baco said. There are currently nine sites identified in the county.

“An ad hoc group of people who are involved in history in the county were aware that we hadn’t been sharing stories of the Civil Rights Movement,” Baco said. “We knew … there was a lot to be shared.”

The National Park Service African American Civil Rights grant provided $45,100 for the project, with $40,000 from a Maryland Heritage Areas Au-

thority grant, Baco wrote in an email.

The signs for each of five sites including St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Laurel Municipal Swimming Pool and Sis’s Tavern in North Brentwood, were installed in April 2023. Each sign has photos, information about the site and links to the county’s website, which has additional information about all of the sites in the trail.

“It is very important to recognize the events and locations that the trail markers are highlighting,” said Sandra Johnson, a historian at St. Mark’s, in an email.

“The events were instrumental in changSEE MARKERS ON 6 

INSIDE: THE FEBRUARY 2024 ISSUE OF THE LAUREL LEDGER HYATTSVILLE MD PERMIT NO. 1383

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Page 2

The Laurel Independent | February 2024

NATIVE GARDENING WITH JIMMY

Plant invaders along the Patuxent

By JIMMY ROGERS

H

ave you visited Riverfront Park, just behind Main Street in Old Town Laurel? The quiet Patuxent River meanders through the woody ravine that separates Prince George’s and Howard counties. When I first moved to Laurel, I thought the river trail was a perfect place to soak in nature for an hour, especially when escaping the heat of summer. However, as I began to learn about plants in the area, my perspective changed.

In the spring, at any particular point on the path, you will notice lush herbaceous plants carpeting the sandy soil. A closer look at that green carpet reveals it to be a monoculture of lesser celandine (Ficaria verna), an invasive plant from Europe that emerges early and crowds out other lowgrowing plants. A few feet away from the path, you’ll see tall stalks of what looks like bamboo. This dense thicket, another monoculture, is Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica). It rapidly takes over new areas along riverbanks and secretes chemicals that prevent other plants from growing (a trait known as allelopathy).

Even the most casual visitor will notice the English ivy (Hedera helix) covering a large number of trees. Native vines, like Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), climb trees as well, but they have evolved to partner with their hosts, rather than killing them like English ivy.

Not long ago the city of Laurel and Laurel for the Patuxent identified an enormous stand of tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissimus) at the western entrance to Riverfront Park. This Chinese tree tends to form dense

stands that push out native plants, again using allelopathic chemicals. Plus, it’s the host for the dreaded spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), an invasive insect which is of great concern to the Maryland agricultural community.

These examples represent a few of the many invasive species I have observed along the Patuxent. I find myself avoiding the park now because the desolation is so complete. These foreign plants cannot feed our insects, they starve (or even poison) our birds, and they choke out the remnants of what was once a vibrant river community.

There is still room to hope. We can learn how all of this happened and then begin to make changes to prevent new invasive incursions.

Many gardeners might describe a plant as invasive because it spreads rapidly. I encourage folks to call these plants aggressive, instead, to avoid conflating a plant’s spreading strategy with its environmental impact.

Under then-President Barack Obama, the government defined an invasive species as an organism that “causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human, animal, or plant health.”

This clarifies the term to focus on the harm it causes, rather than how it behaves in a garden.

You may have noticed the invasive species mentioned above all have an origin outside North America. They evolved in a complex ecosystem full of other organisms competing for dominance. When they were brought here from Europe and Asia, they faced little competition and, if they could survive in the soil and climate, their populations exploded.

Invasive lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) COURTESY OF JUDY FULTON

European colonists initially introduced plants as either crops, herbs, ornamental plants or unintentional weeds. As a consumer base grew for new plants, the rate of exotic introductions increased dramatically. Today, this behavior continues in almost all Maryland nurseries, which commonly sell English ivy, nandina (Nandina domestica) and burning bush (Euonymus alatus), despite the overwhelming evidence of their impact on wild places. When those species are planted in residential gardens (even in pots), wind- and bird-borne seeds make their way into the forests, reintroducing them again and again.

Invasive plants broadly damage our ecosystems in several ways. In a healthy ecosystem, there is intense competition for every square inch of soil and sun. If a new plant has an unusual advantage over others, it can replace the plants that were there before. More invasive plants means fewer native plants. Additionally, invasive plants often take over large swaths at a time, which

Pedestrian dies after being hit by car

By JOE MURCHISON An 86-year-old woman died Jan. 30 after being struck by a vehicle in the Food Lion parking lot on Sandy Spring Road, according to Laurel police.

A police press release said Pa-

tricia Sheppard of Laurel was struck by a vehicle at 3:17 p.m. as the driver was attempting to pull into a parking space. The driver remained on the scene and spoke with officers, the release said.

“It was a terrible accident,” said Laura Guenin, public inManaging 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

Columnists Agnes Pasco Conaty, Jimmy Rogers Writers & Contributors Katie V. Jones, Joe Murchison, Jessie Newburn, Sharon O’Malley, Aiesha Solomon Layout & Design Editors Ashley Perks, Valerie Morris Web Editor Jessica Burshtynskyy Advertising Sales Manager Amanda Berard advertising@streetcarsuburbs.news 240.408.0722

formation officer for the Laurel Police Department.

The release said an investigation of the fatality was ongoing, and it encouraged anyone with information to contact the department at 301.498.0092 or LPDtips@laurel.md.us.

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, Paul Ruffins, 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.

reduces overall plant diversity.

Our insects and other herbivores evolved alongside our native plants, adapting to handle the unique toxins created by those plants (secondary metabolites). Newly introduced plants have unfamiliar toxins that our animals cannot deal with, so they leave them alone. Paired with the explosion of the deer population, this has resulted in overgrazed forests where most of the native plants are eaten and the invasive plants can spread without competition.

An uninhabitable forest results from all of this species displacement. Our bees, moths and butterflies can find abundant flowers, but they offer little to no nutrition compared to the flowers that were here even 100 years ago. Many species of insects rely on particular plants; a case in point is the tiny spring beauty bee (Andrena erigeniae) that only feeds on spring beauty flowers (Claytonia virginica); these insect species are at risk of decline and extinction if too many of their host plants lose ground to invasives.

Fortunately, activists in our community have already begun to take action. Laurel for the Patuxent has held vine-cutting workdays for several years. In 2022, they partnered with the city and Howard EcoWorks to clear three-quarters of an acre of invasive trees, replacing them with a wide variety of native trees.

At the state level, the Maryland Native Plant Coalition has proposed the 2024 Biodiversity and Agriculture Protection Act (HB979/SB915) to ban the sale of invasive plants in Maryland. The bill would combine the state’s current tiered system into a single prohibited list and speed up the assessment process for new additions to that list. It has been co-sponsored by Del. Linda Foley (District 15) and Sen. Ben Brooks (District 10) in their respective chambers. Be sure to call or SEE INVASIVE ON 3 

Fentanyl ring busted in South Laurel

By JOE MURCHISON A former Laurel resident was indicted in Prince George’s County Circuit Court on Jan. 5 on 25 drug and weapons charges after county police raided a South Laurel apartment on Dec. 6 and found fentanyl pills and firearms.

Romel Johnson, 22, was one of three people charged after the raid. The other two were Dream Edwards, 26, of Columbia, and Michael Jordan Thompson, 34, of the District.

A police press release said the department’s gang unit made the arrests and found four firearms and 300 fentanyl pills at an apartment on Avebury Drive. The unit later discovered 3,000 fentanyl pills, three pounds of marijuana and an AK-47 weapon in two vehicles linked to the suspects.

In addition to drug possession and trafficking, the indictment

charged Johnson with illegally possessing a machine gun, an AR-15 pistol and two Glock handguns.

Court records register different addresses for Johnson during the past two years, including on Barnesley Court and Ascot Lane, both streets in the same vicinity as Avebury Drive. The records have Johnson most recently living on Good Luck Road in Lanham.

Johnson previously had been charged with drug and firearms violations in 2022 and pleaded guilty to two of the charges in Prince George’s County Circuit Court in May 2023. He is scheduled for sentencing in that case on March 1.

His trial on the 25 charges listed in the indictment is scheduled for April 23.

Police request that anyone with information about the case should call 301.517.2900.

February 2024 | The Laurel Independent

Page 3

INVASIVE FROM PAGE 2

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

Just Listed in Berwyn Heights!

F Sa or le

write your state senator and delegates about this important bill (look them up at mdelect.net).

For more information on the bill and how you can support it, go to facebook.com/banMDinvasives.

With or without state action, you can make a difference. Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas (Swearingen and Fulton, 2022) is a field guide with excellent pictures and instructions for removal of each species. You can get a free digital copy or order it in print at invasive.org/midatlantic/ fieldguide/. Check the book before buying plants at a nursery. Identify both the ornamental and weedy plants on your property, so you’ll know if you have invasive species to remove. Change can start in your own garden.

Welcome to the Cissel House! Built circa 1888 this sunny, beautiful Queen Anne Victorian is a Prince George’s County Historic Site, set on a picture-perfect double lot. You’ll be wowed by the period details as well as the modern upgrades. Don’t miss this chance to call a piece of Prince George’s County history home!

Want to know more?

Give me a 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!

3 Ways Way a s to Improve ay Imp m rove Laurel Schools mp

Every year, we work to secure more state support for our local schools. As champions of Maryland’s new public school reform law, the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, we are focused on improving education for all of our kids. Among the key priorities are: - Raising teachers’ salaries to recruit the best - Expanding Pre-K so more kids are ready to learn - Putting new funds into local schools, not central offices We welcome your input and ideas! - Jim, Joseline, Ben, and Mary

Let us know how we can help you!

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

Page 4

NONPROFITS FROM PAGE 1

listening session, which drew 28 speakers and an audience of approximately 75. Funding nonprofits, Turner said, “ensure[s] a stronger, more resilient community” and has a “profound impact.”

County law requires Alsobrooks to hold at least one public hearing before she submits a proposed budget to the Prince George’s

The Laurel Independent | February 2024

County Council by March 15.

The county council adopted a $5.4 billion budget for fiscal year 2024, up from $5 billion in 2023.

But officials have warned that the county likely will have to cut spending as the government deals with the lingering impact of the pandemic and flat economic growth.

Still, Turner said, many nonprofits in the county already are “operating at the edge of their capacity.”

Speaker April Gower-Getz, executive director of the Prince George’s Provider Council, agreed, saying clinicians, teachers, counselors and other employees of nonprofits working with intellectually and developmentally disabled residents sometimes earn less than grocery store cashiers.

“We cannot compete with industries that pay more and require less expertise,” Gower-Getz

told Alsobrooks and Stanley Earley, the county government’s director of management and budget, who attended the hearing.

Some residents, Gower-Getz said, are not served because nonprofits are unable to recruit and retain staff who can find higher wages elsewhere.

Speakers also asked for funding for walking and bicycle trails, animal shelters, local fire department staffing, English language lessons for immigrants, food pantries, art classes for seniors and

support for blind and disabled residents.

One speaker asked Alsobrooks how the county could come up with the funding to fill all of the organizations’ requests.

“It would be nice to have some of everything, but where’s the money going to come from?” asked 30-year county resident Sherry James. “I understand everyone’s desire and needs; I appreciate everything that everyone has said today. … But where’s the money going to come from?”

THIS IS HOW A WEST LAUREL DOG WALKS

Residents on Goldsborough Avenue in West Laurel were treated to a frog walking its dog on a snowy Jan. 19. COURTESY OF DENISE RAYNOR

February 2024 | The Laurel Independent

Page 5

Elizabeth Robinson harvesting golden oyster mushrooms at The Garden International. COURTESY OF THE GARDEN INTERNATIONAL

Cory Moore harvesting pink oyster mushrooms at The Garden International. COURTESY OF THE GARDEN INTERNATIONAL

Friendship spawns mushroom business

By JESSIE NEWBURN When Laurel resident Cory Moore accompanied a friend to a birthday party in 2017, he had no idea his life was about to change. Nor did the birthday girl, Elizabeth Robinson, who is also a long-time Laurel resident.

The two developed a fast friendship, and as the months passed, they formed a partnership and developed ideas for a business. Each had climbed corporate mountains and racked up successes — Moore as an expert in opening franchises for Gold’s Gym and Robinson as an accounting and finance manager for Marriott International’s headquarters. Along the way, though, they’d each developed health issues related to their stressful lives. Moore and Robinson also found their way to greater health through healthy eating, using plant-based tinctures and changing their lifestyles.

After forming their partnership, the pair rented a large art space in the District — 2,000 square feet where they could offer events focused on community health and wellness. But when COVID-19 shutdowns impacted their business, they had to pivot.

As pandemic-related supply chain issues hit grocery stores, Moore noticed that some items, including meat and other nutritious foods, were more available in higher economic areas, while poorer communities were struggling to provide consumers with healthy choices.

The two partners researched other business options aligned with their core values of plantbased health and nutrition, and

they eventually decided to become urban farmers of a sort and grow mushrooms.

With a lot of research under their belts and a good business plan in hand, they secured a microloan from the USDA’s Farm Service Agency and a grant from Maryland Agricultural & Resource Based-Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO).

They even got a grant from BeyGOOD, the public charity foundation founded by Beyoncé Carter-Knowles. They were among thousands of applicants.

It took over a year to get their business up and running, and while they made a number of mistakes along the way, The Garden International, in Beltsville, is now thriving. Moore and Robinson are growing 20 types of mushrooms that they sell locally at the Butchers’ Club, in Maple Lawn, and at seasonal farmers markets. They deliver their produce throughout Maryland and ship across the country and to Canada, as well as to several countries in Europe. They also sell mushroom-growing kits and mushroom supplements.

“We’ve learned so much along the way,” Robinson said. “Mushrooms, sort of like when raising your kids, are all different. Not only do different types of mushrooms have different requirements and grow at different paces, but even the same species can grow differently from batch to batch. They kind of do what they want.”

“Figuring out how much raw materials to order, and figuring out how much to grow and when — these have all been challenges for us,” Moore added. “Sometimes

we’d show up at a farmers market, flush with beautiful mushrooms to sell, but the weather that day was rainy and cold, and few customers were out.”

Realizing they couldn’t rely solely on local farmers markets, and running the numbers on wholesale versus consumer sales, Moore and Robinson soon realized online sales and local delivery in the state were the way to go. Their revenue ratcheted up quickly once they pivoted to online sales. Moore does still market to local restaurants, particularly those wanting to enhance their vegetarian options.

“You’ve got to try our lion’s mane mushroom crab cake recipe,” Moore said. “The mushroom has a seafood flavor and texture, making it taste and feel like crab.

It’s divine.”

Even as their business needs to make a profit, Robinson and Moore have more than money on their minds. “Before anything, we are first and foremost a wellness business building a wellness community,” Moore said. The two partners have recently leased land for a farm in Clinton, which, in addition to expanding their mushroom-growing operation and allowing them to add more plants and herbs to their future offerings, will become a place people can visit and learn more about urban farming, plantbased health, mushrooms, hemp and more. They envision hosting classes, field trips and events for a broad community.

Their mushroom-growing kits, which offer a fun and flavorful activity for anyone, have been a particular hit with teachers.

When Stacie Vernor, a mutual

friend and fourth-grade science and math teacher at Bond Mill Elementary School, brought kits for four different types of mushrooms to school, she was delighted with how enthusiastically her students responded.

Four science classes watched a video on how to grow the mushrooms, Vernor said, and students then watered and measured the mushrooms daily to record how much they grew. “Some kids even sang and talked to the mushrooms to help them grow more,” she said.

Vernor worked with The Garden International and hired a curriculum-development expert to create seven lesson plans aligned with new science education standards being implemented in numerous states throughout the country.

“Developing the curriculum was more challenging than I thought it would be,” Vernor said.

“Elementary school science is based more on plants and ani-

mals, but mushrooms are fungi, not plants. Using the mushroom grow kits as a base, we were able to weave together lessons about soil health, ecosystems and more complex content. Plus, it’s just plain fun to watch these beautiful mushrooms grow.”

Providing community education, exposing people to more plant- and fungi-based health options, and encouraging more people to do urban farming are core goals for Robinson and Moore.

They’re hosting the National Urban Farm Fest in Brandywine this April and have a number of state agencies, local farmers, food trucks and others coming as vendors and educators.

The dynamic duo has been attending career days to talk with students about agriculture, mushrooms and nature. They also volunteer for a number of organizations, including the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission, the Farm SEE MUSHROOM ON 8 

Page 6

MARKERS FROM PAGE 1

ing the segregated conditions that existed in Laurel and Prince George’s County. The people from the churches and other locations were Trail Blazers in the Civil Rights movement.”

As described on the Prince George’s County Civil Rights Trail website, St. Mark’s actively supported the Civil Rights Movement, including organizing buses to take participants into the District for the 1963 March on Washington. The church’s organizing efforts made it a target of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), whose members attempted unsuccessfully to burn down the church and a nearby home.

Johnson participated in the March on Washington and recalled her experience during a phone interview with The Laurel Independent.

“I was on that bus. My mother insisted that her three children be a part of it …

I think I was something like 13 years old and just looking around, just seeing people everywhere and just the thought of, ‘Oh my gosh! What if I get separated from my mom?’ That would be devastating, so I stayed very close to her that day,” Johnson realled.

Following the KKK’s attempts to burn parts of the Grove, Laurel’s African American community and the site where St. Mark’s stands, the community called upon the city’s mayor, Merrill Harrison, for action.

“Nine days after the second attempt [to burn the church], Rev. John Evans and the

The Laurel Independent | February 2024

Laurel Grove community leaders met with Mayor Harrison, mayor of Laurel, to request improvements to the Grove and the integration of the Laurel pool, and the Laurel pool was integrated in 1968,” Johnson said. The pool had been privately owned and segregated up to that point.

The Jones-Hill House at the University of Maryland (UMD), previously known as the Cole Field House, is recognized on the trail for hosting a game between Texas Western and the University of Kentucky during the NCAA championship basketball game in 1966. The Cole Field House was renamed in 2021 to commemorate Darryl Hill, the first Black football player in the Atlantic Coast Conference and Billy Jones, the first Black basketball player in the conference.

Jones and Hill “both broke the color barriers of ACC basketball and football,” according to Nathan Dennies, a researcher and editor for the Prince George’s County Civil Rights Trail project.

“It’s hard to imagine the pressure on these young men to perform knowing that so many people were wishing them to fail,” Dennies wrote in an email. “Black athletes also faced violence and intimidation. In a recent piece by UMD about the scholarship, Jones talked about being treated like a second class citizen. Despite this, they both thrived. Hill broke the ACC record for touchdown catches. Jones became team captain.”

When asked about the historic Texas Western vs. University of Kentucky game in the Cole Field House, Jones said he was “right behind the Kentucky bench.”

“It is very important to recognize the events and locations that the trail markers are highlighting.

The events were instrumental in changing the segregated conditions that existed in Laurel and Prince George’s County. The people from the churches and other locations were Trail Blazers in the Civil Rights movement.”

Sandra Johnson historian at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church

“I was very excited about them winning [Texas Western] because nobody expected them to, and it was a monumental moment at the time,” Jones said. “They started five Blacks to go against five whites and they got it done. Let it be known that I was very

happy about that.”

Another site on the trail, Sis’s Tavern in North Brentwood, had multiple owners, including Thomas Randall, who ran it as a grocery store, and Jeremiah Hawkins, who was the first mayor of North Brentwood.

Marie “Sis” Walls ran the tavern after buying the building from Hawkins’ wife, Emma F. Quander Hawkins, in 1966. Walls expanded the enterprise to include entertainment, according to Petrella Robinson, mayor of North Brentwood, and documentation shared with The Laurel Independent.

“That place was a destination for Blacks who could not be in the sundown towns after dark, and it was an entertainment venue,” Robinson said.

The tavern also had a barber shop on one side of the building.

Ownership of the tavern transferred again to Deloris R. Sprigs, in 1978. Sprigs renamed the establishment Baby Dee’s Guest Club. By 1996, the property was inactive, and the town of North Brentwood refurbished it as a community center. A mural inside features Pearl Bailey, Marie “Sis” Walls and Duke Ellington.

“Sis’s is important as an example of Black entrepreneurship during segregation,” Dennies wrote in an email. “And to land acts like Duke Ellington and Pearl Bailey!

White audiences would pay top dollar to see the Duke. And here he was traveling to this little club in North Brentwood to play for this local Black audience. Very cool.”

For more information on the Prince George’s County Civil Rights Trail, go to pgccivilrights.org.

THE

OFFICIAL NEWS FROM THE CITY OF LAUREL

VOL. 3, NO. 2

FEBRUARY 2024

WEB SITE REVAMP HAS BEEN LAUNCHED! The City of Laurel Department of Information • Technology continues to work diligently with other City Departments to make sure that the City’s web site at www.cityoflaurel.org houses the most accurate and comprehensive information about City programs, resources, • and services possible.

In November, we launched a new web site and mobile app with a more comprehensive search, better support for accessibility standards, and newly organized content.

While we’re proud of this result, there is plenty more work to be done, and we’d love to hear your feedback on the changes!

What You’ll Find: • When important alerts need to be shared with the public, they are visible in an alert bar across the top of every page on the City web site.

• News and Events are shared on the City home page, as well as under the News Center and the Calendar.

Information about Boards and Committees, including their upcoming meetings, agendas, and past meetings minutes, are available under the Government menu!

Search is improved with autosuggest, better indexing, and a prominent new location in the page header, allowing you to find your way around the site via keywords or the menus, whatever fits you best!

The new MyLaurel Maryland mobile app for iOS and Android is fully integrated into the web site as well, with news, calendars, and other information that can be pushed right to your fingertips in the app. Get it at cityoflaurel.org/mylaurel! The app still has the ability to report issues and submit requests to the City.

Please note that if you were a MyLaurel MD user previously, you will need to download the new app, and you can safely remove the old one.

Get Notified! You can register to receive specific types of notifications, by category, about new press releases, alerts, events, and projects, both in the mobile app and the web site! You can specify whether you’d like to receive your notifications via email, mobile app notification, or both!

No matter how you decide to get your information, whether from the web site or the app, we hope you find what you need and find it easily! Fill out the feedback form that can be found at www.cityoflaurel.org/feedback and let us know what you think today!

READY FOR WINTER? LOOKING FORWARD TO SPRING! Public Works has already been hard at work this winter, making Laurel’s roads safe for travelers. Below are their guidelines for preparing for winter weather and what is coming up this spring!

Brining, Plowing and Salting Before a winter storm, the Department of Public Works pre-treats priority 1 and 2 roads with a brine solution, a new tool implemented just this season, which helps mitigate snow and ice build up if used to treat within 48 hours. The Brine Operations System, purchased through ARPA funds, was setup and Public Works installed a 6,100-gallon fiberglass tank in the DPW yard to store brine that is produced onsite, and several DPW vehicles were retrofitted to deploy the brine during snow events.

During snow removal, emphasis is placed on Snow Emergency Routes, high-priority streets, and hazardous locations such as hills, sharp curves, and busy intersections. Once these high priority areas have been treated and cleared of snow, side streets are treated.

Snow removal can be a monumental task, so we ask residents for patience. City crews work around the clock to clear streets and maintain regular services.

While efforts are made to avoid blocking driveways when plowing, it cannot always be avoided. When clearing driveways, please do not shovel snow back into the street.

When is a Snow Emergency in Effect?

The City's Snow Emergency Plan goes into effect whenever a Snow Emergency is declared for Prince George's County. The Mayor may also proclaim or end a Snow Emergency.

Snow Emergencies are announced on most local radio and television stations, as well as on the City’s social media sites. When a snow emergency is in effect, residents cannot park on the even-numbered side of snow emergency routes.

Coming This Spring!

The Department of Public Works will be hosting the April Recycling event on

Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 8:00am to Noon. This event is for City residents only.

Public Works will provide entertainment electronics recycling, paper shredding, Styrofoam recycling, old paint recycling (at a cost), and Green Drop charity dropoff for City residents and City businesses.

Official IDs with a City address must be presented to enter the drop off site.

We will also provide extra Yard Debris collections on Mondays in May in addition to regular Wednesday yard debris collections. Yard debris pickups are FREE! But residents must still call, email, or submit an online request for yard debris pickups. For more information about preparing yard debris collection, call 301-725-0088 or email Public Works at dpw@laurel.md.us.

Public Works will also host its Summer Construction Debris Drop Off event for residential construction material at their facility on Saturday, June 22, 2024, from 9:00am to 2:00pm for City residents only. Once again, official IDs with a City address must be presented to enter the drop off site. No Commercial debris will be accepted! To learn more about their services, visit www.cityoflaurel.org.

Page 1

THE CIT Y OF LAUREL 2024 CALENDAR NOW AVA ILABLE Updates on Green Initiatives Positive Impact from Laurel’s own Ordinance 2008! The Manager at Harris Tetter reported that in the few weeks since the legislation has been in effect, he was already able to order one less pallet of paper bags! Way to go Laurel!!!

Answers to the most frequently asked questions can be found at https://www.cityoflaurel.org/green. If you have a concern about businesses not complying, please contact greenliving@laurel.md.us. All concerns will remain anonymous.

Green Living 2024 Calendar!! The 2024 Municipal Calendar is here! The calendar is available digitally at www.cityoflaurel.org/green and on the Recycle Coach app. The City has a limited number of printed calendars. If you want a printed copy, please contact 301-725-5300 or send an e-mail to greenliving@laurel.md.us.

The Sustainability Kick-off meeting was a great success, and the focus groups are in full-swing.

The short overview presentation is available at https://www.cityoflaurel.org/green. Residents that are interested in learning more about the plan as we move forward can contact greenliving@laurel.md.us or call Michele Blair, the Environmental Programs Manager, at 301-725 -5300 ext. 2203.

The new and improved Recycle Coach is available. Do you have questions about what can go into your blue cart? Not sure when the next yard debris or special pick up is? Sign up for Recycle Coach! You can type in your question, such as What do I do with household batteries? When is my collection day?, etc. You can also download our digital calendar right on your phone, set up reminders about collections, holiday schedules and special pickup days. It is free and easy!

Find the app on the City’s web site at https://www.cityoflaurel.org/green, then click on the Recycle Coach tab.

Learn more about going Green on our Green Living webpage. https://www.cityoflaurel.org/green

La Renovación del Sitio Web/¿Está Listo para El Invierno?

LAUREL POLICE MONTHLY CRIME REPORT

El Departamento de Tecnología de la Información de la Ciudad de Laurel continúa trabajando diligentemente con otros Departamentos de la Ciudad para garantizar que el sitio web de la Ciudad en www.cityoflaurel.org contenga la información más precisa y completa posible sobre los programas, recursos y servicios de la Ciudad. ¡Mira nuestra nueva apariencia!

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

Obras Públicas ya ha estado trabajando arduamente este invierno, haciendo que las carreteras de Laurel sean seguras para los viajeros.

Visite nuestro sitio web, www.cityoflaurel.org/public-works para ver cómo se preparan para el clima invernal y lo que se avecina esta primavera.

Programa del Mes de la Hisotry de la Mujer Sábado, 9 de Marzo 10 a. m. - 2 p. m.

Laurel Craig A. Moe Centro Multiservicio 204 For t Meade Road

Page 2

List of Laurel Police Crime Reports can be found at www.cityoflaurel.org/police/community -info/crime-reports.

Legislation

COUNCIL OFFICE

Listed below are recent actions taken by the Laurel City Council. 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.

Adopted Legislation: • Resolution No. 1-2024 - Pay Tribute to the Honorable Craig A. Moe by Renaming the City of Laurel Multiservice Center as the Craig A. Moe Laurel Multiservice Center

For more information, call Council member Johnson at 443-972-0513 or email her at cjohnson@laurel.md.us.

clerk@laurel.md.us

Government Meetings (Dates and Times Subject to Change)

Bid Recommendations: • Fleet Acquisition - (2) 2024 Ford Transit Passenger Vans - Public Works • Van Dusen Road Improvement Corridor Survey - Phase I - Engineering Services Public Works • Replacement of Stage Roof - HarrisonBurton Memorial Stage at Granville Gude Park - Parks and Recreation Appointments/Reappointments:  Lynne Sport (Appointment) Ethics Commission: 1/08/24 - 01/08/27  Stephen Wallace (Appointment) Board of Appeals: 1/08/24 - 1/08/27  Stanley Spalding (Appointment) Planning Commission: 1/08/24 - 1/08/29  Inka Patel (Reappointment) - Arts Council: 1/08/24 - 1/08/26  Davonia Bryant (Reappointment) Education Advisory: 1/08/24 - 1/08/26  Vicki Rambow (Reappointment) - Public Safety and Transportation Committee: 1/22/24 - 1/22/26  John Kish (Reappointment) Planning Commission: 1/22/24 - 1/22/29  Frederick Smalls (Reappointment) Board of Appeals: 1/22/24 - 01/22/27  Christian Pulley (Reappointment) City Administrator  Joanne Barr (Reappointment) Deputy City Administrator  Bill Bailey (Reappointment) Director, Parks and Recreation  Christina Cornwell (Reappointment) Dir., Comm. Resources/Emerg. Mngmnt.  Russell Hamill III (Reappointment) Chief, Laurel Police Department  Robert Love (Reappointment) - Director, Econ. & Comm. Dev.  Michele Saylor (Reappointment) - Director, Budget & Personnel Services

301-725-5300 ext. 2121

February 2024 Mayor and City Council Meetings  February 26th - In-Person Mayor and City Council Meeting (6:00pm) February 2024 Boards and Commissions    

February 13th - Virtual Historic District Commission (6:00pm) February 20th - Virtual Planning Commission (6:00pm) February 21st - Virtual Emergency Services Commission (7:00pm) February 22nd - Board of Appeals ***CANCELLED***

March 2024 Mayor and City Council Meetings   

March 6th - Virtual Mayor and City Council Work Session (6:00pm) March 11th - Virtual Mayor and City Council Meeting (6:00pm) March 25th - In-Person Mayor and City Council Meeting - Chambers (6:00pm)

March 2024 Boards and Commissions    

March 12th - Planning Commission (6:00pm) March 12th - Environmental Affairs Committee (6:00pm) March 19th - Historic District Commission (6:00pm) March 28th - Board of Appeals (6:00pm)

City Announcements & Events (Dates and Times Subject to Change) 

Black History Month - Celebrate with us! Visit www.cityoflaurel.org/203/ Laurel-TV and learn about some extraordinary figures in Black History!



Free Friday Movie - February 16, 2024 at 7:00pm at Partnership Activity Center, 811 5th Street, featuring “The Little Mermaid.”



Presidents’ Day - February 19, 2024 - City/Passport Offices CLOSED. Visit cityoflaurel.org/calendars for adjusted collection details.



Women’s History Month Program - March 9, 2024 - 10a - 2pm at the Craig A. Moe Laurel Multiservice Center, 204 Fort Meade Road.



Eggstravaganza - March 23, 2024 - 12:00pm SHARP! Granville Gude Park, 8300 Mulberry Street. Free event. Co-sponsored by the Laurel Lions Club.



To learn more or register for Parks and Recreation activities, visit www.cityoflaurel.org/parks/adult-sports-activities or call 301-725-7800.

Black History Month Essay Contest for City of Laurel students Write an 800– word essay about music, cultural movement, or a person/ organization that played a pivotal role in African American History.

Deadline: February 19, 2024. Details at www.cityoflaurel.org!

Page 3

CUT ALONG DOTTED LINE. PLACE ON YOUR REFRIGERATOR.

CUT ALONG DOTTED LINE . PLACE ON YOUR REFRIGERATOR.

Virtual Work Session - 6pm

Virtual Mayor and Council Work Session6pm

Women’s History Month Program 10am—2pm

Virtual Mayor Planning and City Commission Council 6pm Meeting - 6pm

Historic District Commission 6pm In-Person Mayor and City Council Meeting - 6pm

Environmental Affairs Committee 6pm

Board of Appeals - 6pm

PUBLIC WORKS

301-725-0088

DPW@laurel.md.us

Laurel Department of Community Resources and Emergency Management: Heat Your Home Safely this Winter!

Winter can bring extremely cold temperatures resulting in harsh outdoor conditions. Staying indoors as much as possible can help reduce your exposure to such extreme conditions, but staying indoors can also have its own set of hazards. It is important when heating your home to do so safely. Improper or unsupervised heating equipment can quickly lead to fires, gas or carbon monoxide leaks, and smoke inhalation.

Use the following tips to help you and your family prepare: • • • • • •

Using your stove or oven as a heating source is not safe and can lead to dangerous gas leaks.

When using a space heater make sure to keep them away from flammable materials like curtains or blankets.

Use fireplaces, wood stoves, or other combustion heaters only if they are properly ventilated.

Do not leave children or pets unattended near a space heater.

Avoid using extension cords to plug in your space heater.

If your space heater electrical cord is damaged or produces sparks, do not use!

Keep you and family safe this winter! For more tips about winter safety, visit https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/ duringstorm/indoorsafety.html

CITY CONTACTS www.cityoflaurel.org Page 4

MAYOR’S OFFICE

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

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

February 2024 | The Laurel Independent

Page 7

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

EVENTS “Miss Evers’ Boys”: Laurel Mill Playhouse presents a play about the Tuskegee syphilis study. Feb. 9-11,16-18, 23-25. Various times. $20. 508 Main St. For more information, call 301.617.9906 Networking Session. The Laurel Board of Trade hosts a virtual online networking session on Feb. 15 at 12:15 p.m. For link, go to laurelboardoftrade.org Open House at Dinosaur Park. Come search for fossils on Feb.17 and March 2, noon to 4 p.m. 13200 Mid Atlantic Blvd. For more information, call 301.627.1286 or go to dinosaurpark@pgparks.com AARP Tax Assistance. Free tax preparation services Feb. 14 through April 10 for people ages 50 and older or who cannot afford to pay for services. By appointment only. Laurel Armory, 422 Montgomery St. For more information, call 240.473.2955

LAUREL MUSEUM 817 Main Street 301.725.7975 Visions and Voices 19201923: The African American Voting Experience in Laurel.

Temporary exhibit celebrating the 2023 election of Laurel’s first African American mayor, Keith Sydnor, as well as the highlights and perspectives of other African Americans who ran for office. Feb. 16 through June 16.

It’s All Laurel. An exhibit that looks at the different neighborhoods and communities within and outside Laurel city limits.

Through August 2024

MONTPELIER HOUSE MUSEUM 9650 Muirkirk Road 301.377.7817 Free Self-guided Tours. In celebration of Black History Month, free tours Thursdays through Mondays throughout February and March.

Uhuru Quilters Guild Exhibit: Quilts featuring themes of Black history stitched by members of the guild. Through March 31.

Black History Month Book Club.

In collaboration with the Savage Branch- Howard County Library System, Montpelier House Museum is featuring “Black Was the Ink,” by Howard University alum Michelle Coles. Club meets Feb. 15, 22 and 29, at 6:30 p.m. at the Savage Branch library, 9525 Durness Lane. Go to howardcounty. librarycalendar.com/event

MONTPELIER ARTS CENTER 9652 Muirkirk Road, 301.377.7800 Jazz Concert. Performing artist, educator, songwriter, producer, actress and radio host Lori Williams performing jazz.

March 9 at 8 p.m.

Brian Micahel Dunn. An exhibit of acrylic paintings and metal work. Through Feb. 25.

Black History Month Exhibition. Celebrate Black History Month with works by regional artists highlighting the lives, stories and experiences of African Americans.

Patricia Phillips Bowden. An exhibit on paper and canvas

paying homage to Bowden’s Asian heritage.

LAUREL BRANCH LIBRARY 507 7th St., 301.776.6790 Computer Basics. Hands-on experience learning the basics of using a computer. Feb. 13, 1 p.m.

African Storytelling Reimagined with Ada-Ari! African folktales, a dance session and hands-on encounters with artifacts. Feb.21, 5:30 p.m.

Kids Create: Beautiful Blackbird. Hear the story by Ashley Bryan and create your own blackbird art. Feb. 24, 10:30 a.m.

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine: A Foreign Policy Discussion Series. In-depth discussion on the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Learn about the effect on global security, energy, economics, alliances, defensive reserves and more. March 6, 6 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 Black History Month Interpretive Hike. Explore the tracks, signs, sights and sounds of wildlife at the refuge. Feb. 25, 1 p.m.

South Tract, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop Eagles. Did you know that Maryland is home to two types of eagles? Learn about these beautiful birds, their habits and habitats through activities and crafts at the Kid’s Discovery Center, Tuesdays through Saturdays at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and noon.

Hollingsworth Art Gallery.

February’s exhibit showcases acrylic and gouache paintings

by Amanda Spaid featuring images of birds and other animals.

A reception with the artist is scheduled for Feb. 17, 1 p.m.

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CALENDAR FROM PAGE 7

CARROLL BALDWIN HALL 9035 Baltimore St., Savage.

410.294.3561 Third Thursdays: Volunteer Work Nights. Hands-on projects from painting to cleaning and mortar repair. Food provided. 6 to 9 p.m.

Third Sundays: DJ Swing Dances.

Hosted by Gottaswing, the event kicks off with a free lesson. 5 to 7:30 p.m. $10 Zumba with Susana Miller. Saturdays at 8:45 a.m.

Assuage Yoga in the Library. Wednesdays at 6 p.m.

Gottaswing Beginning and Intermediate Lessons. Wednesdays at 7:45 p.m.

ONGOING Bingo at American Legion Post 60. Friday night bingo every week; 23 games with cash prizes; food and drinks for purchase. Doors open at 5 p.m.; bingo starts at 7:30. 2 Main St. 301.725.2302

The Laurel Independent | February 2024

mission; fee for cards. Doors open at 11 a.m. and bingo starts at noon. LaurelBeltsville Senior Activities Center, 7120 Contee Rd. 301.206.3380 Friday Food Festival. American Legion Post 60 hosts Friday dinners, with Canteen 60 serving the first and third Friday of the month and P&G Catering on the second and fourth. 5:30 to 8 p.m. 2 Main St. 301.725.2302 Laurel Senior Friendship Club.

Meets the second Wednesday of each month; program includes business meeting and musical entertainment or a speaker. Doors open at 9:30 a.m.

Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activities Center, 7120 Contee Rd. 301.206.3380 Jim Whitney Toastmasters Club. A Toastmasters International affiliate, the club teaches public speaking and leadership skills. Feb. 26, 7 p.m. St. Philips Episcopal Church, 522 Main St. toastmastersclubs.org MBC Toastmasters Club. Learn communication skills in a supportive environment.Online meetings held the second and fourth Wednesdays, 7:15 a.m. To join, go to mbctoastmasters@ metropolitanbaptist.org

FOOD PANTRIES, DISTRIBUTIONS

MUSHROOM

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church. Food distributions in partnership with Capital Area Food Bank. Third Sunday of every month; next distribution is Feb. 18 from 9 a.m to noon. Sixth and Prince George sts.

Bureau, the Prince George’s County Food Equity Council Soil Conservation District and the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Urban Farm Advisory Committee. They’ve been helping with legislative and policy changes to make urban farming more accessible, farmers markets more successful and local grocery stores more proactive about purchasing fresh locally grown produce.

“They say, ‘When you love what you do, work isn’t work,’ ” Moore said. “We love what we do. We love the impact we have on our community and beyond.”

For Robinson and Moore, The Garden International may turn out to be just the beginning. With Moore’s background in franchising, Robinson’s strong business acumen and their larger goal of helping people live healthier lives, they envision more growing operations and even franchises in the future.

Partners through and through, they have another business in the works, this one based on a technology-infused resistance band for which Moore received patent approval last summer.

“We’re a great team,” Robinson said. “Cory brings the fire and energy to the room. He’s a great storyteller and has the skills to communicate our shared passion and purpose. He’s more outgoing and really enjoys interacting with people.”

Moore weighed in, noting that Robinson is “a topnotch financial professional and business manager. She’s smart, detailed, strategic and she, like me, believes fully in the good work we’re doing.”

To learn more about The Garden International, go to thegarden.farm.

Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services. Food pantry is open by appointment only Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Monday evenings from 5 to 7:30 p.m. 311 Laurel Ave. To schedule a visit, call 301.776.0442 Fish of Laurel food pantry, Thursday and Saturday, from 10:15 a.m. to noon, 308 Gorman Ave. By appointment only; call 240.547.9013 Living Hope Church distributions, Tuesdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. 613 Montgomery St. For more information, call 301.497.6424 St. Mary of the Mills food pantry, Thursdays, 9 a.m. while supplies last.

Kessler Centers. 114 St. Mary’s Pl. Call before you come. 301.725.3080 Gospel Assembly Church food pantry,8740 Cherry Lane, Suite 12. For times, call 301.605.3756

Every Tuesday Bingo. Hosted by the Laurel Senior Friendship Club; free ad-

FROM PAGE 5

Exhibit runs February 16 - June 16 “It’s All Laurel: City Limits and Beyond” exhibit on display until August

Explore the historic milestones and perspectives of African-Americans who ran for city office Located at 817 Main Street, Laurel.

Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Noon-4:00 PM. Free admission.

For more information, visit www.laurelhistoricalsociety.org

February 2024 | The Laurel Independent

Page 9

THE LAUREL INNER SPACE

Be part of something big: The joy of citizen science

By AGNES PASCO CONATY

T

his April 22 —Earth Day — marks the GLOBE program’s 30th birthday. GLOBE, which stands for the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment, is a NASA-sponsored program with over 150,000 participants, citizen scientists, in 127 different countries across the globe. All of these citizen scientists help compile data by measuring and recording information about Earth’s four spheres.

GLOBE’s website (globe.gov) has information about the four spheres and lists more than 50 ways that you can measure data for them. These spheres include the biosphere (plant and animal life), the atmosphere (air at different layers of the Earth), the hydrosphere (water covering various parts of the Earth), and the pedosphere (Earth’s soil layer). Everyone using GLOBE takes measurements of these spheres and submits the data that they find through GLOBE’s open data collection website.

Anyone who’s interested in collecting data can use the free GLOBE app, which is available at the Apple Play and Google Play stores. The app lets users record data on basic things like clouds, land cover, trees and mosquito habitats.

You can even use the app to record data of the next solar eclipse, which will take place on

April 8. Here in Maryland, we’ll see a partial solar eclipse (8090%) starting as early as 3 p.m., providing the weather cooperates that day and we don’t have cloud cover. Most Marylanders (and pretty much the entire northeastern United States) experienced cloudy skies for the solar eclipse on Oct. 14, 2023.

We hope we’ll have better viewing skies this time. You can see a map showing the path of the total solar eclipse in the U. S. at svs.gsfc.nasa.gov.

If you want to use the app to record data for the eclipse, be sure to capture the temperature before, during and after it. And be sure you use designated solar eclipse glasses, too, as eye protection is extremely important for safely viewing a solar eclipse, so. Solar eclipse glasses are typically provided by most Prince George’s County public libraries, including Laurel Library. You can find more information about eclipses at science.nasa.gov/eclipses.

The GLOBE program is successful thanks to the curiosity and passion we all have to learn more about the world we live in. With 30 years of GLOBE data collected worldwide and available online, everyone can learn more about our Earth.

This year, be part of something big and experience the joy of sharing data through citizen science.

If you’re interested in learning about GLOBE and all of the citizen-science opportunities related to the program, email me at agnes.p.conaty@nasa.gov.

LAUREL SQUIRREL By Agnes Pasco Conaty

“The snow was shoveled so well... I found my acorn.”

Agnes Pasco Conaty is a college math and environmental science adjunct professor who also works as senior research scientist and science lead for the GLOBE Observer Program at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.

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The Laurel Independent | February 2024

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

www.anacostiatrails.org 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.

BERNADETTE MARLOW CELEBRATES 100 Surrounded by family, friends and her neighbors at Victoria Falls Retirement Community, Bernadette Marlow celebrated her 100th birthday on Jan. 18.

“I hope and pray all of you live to be 100,” Marlow said, wearing a birthday sash and a smile from the center of the room.

Born and raised in the District, Marlow worked for the U.S. Census Bureau for 33 years.

She moved to Prince George’s County in 1970 and raised two children, Patricia Golden and Christopher Marlow, both of whom joined her at the celebration. She moved to Victoria Falls 14 years ago with their encouragement.

“A new world opened up to me,” Marlow said. “I made friends and did new things.”

Many at the celebration shared stories about Marlow’s love of dancing, her strong faith and her boundless enthusiasm.

Her good friend, Salome Peters, who organized the party, recalled Marlow’s accompanying her to numerous events, including many political functions, where she met numerous officials. Representatives for Prince George’s County Coun-

Bernadette Marlow at her 100th birthday party. KATIE V. JONES

cilmember Tom Dernoga (District 1) and District 21 Maryland State Sen. James Rosapepe and Maryland State Del. Mary Lehman both presented her with proclamations, and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsbrooks declared Jan 18,

2024 Bernadette Hawkins Marlow Day throughout the county.

“She is a phenomenal woman. A woman of substance,” Peters told the crowd. “She is the woman I want to be when I grow up.”

— Katie V. Jones

February 2024 | The Laurel Independent

Page 11

Buddhist temple plan sent back to planning board

By JOE MURCHISON A local Buddhist congregation suffered a setback in its efforts to build a temple in South Laurel on Jan. 16, when the Prince George’s County Council sent the plan back to the county planning board for reconsideration because of alleged inaccuracies in the application.

“The site plan is erroneous and filled with errors,” said Stan Brown, people’s zoning counsel, near the end of a 90-minute hearing. “There are too many issues with this site plan to be approved.” Brown is a county official who represents the general interests of county residents in zoning and development hearings.

The congregation, Giac Son Buddhist Temple, is seeking to build a 4,625-squarefoot temple on a 1.6-acre lot at Route 197 and Snowden Road. The congregation has worshiped in a house on the property since 2014. The planning board approved the plan in September.

An attorney for six neighbors had ap-

HOMES FROM PAGE 1

ect: the Watershed townhouse development off Route 198 in Anne Arundel County. Prices for the 484 townhouses there have ranged from $435,000 to more than $600,000.

Edward Gibbs Jr., an attorney representing Pulte, said prices for most of the Corridor Center homes would be set closer to the time of construction, probably more than a year from now. He added that Pulte has included in its plans 22 homes with lowerthan-market prices: 11 two-story condos from as low as $145,000, and 11 three-story townhouses from as low as $246,000.

Mayor Keith Sydnor said he supports the development. “I believe the project is going to be a benefit for the city. … It’s going to help people afford housing on a certain income.”

Sydnor cited Gov. Wes Moore’s

pealed the ruling to the District Council (the alternate name of the county council when it acts on zoning and development issues). The neighbors complained that the congregation had caused flooding on their properties by illegally removing trees and a berm. They also said that the congregation disturbed the neighborhood with highly amplified music, drumming and chanting during outdoor festivals.

Brown cataloged a litany of problems he found with the congregation’s application, including the following: — A survey of the property had incorrect boundary lines that didn’t conform with property dimensions in land deeds and realestate tax records. “It is impossible to determine what the land coverage is,” Brown said.

—The plan did not have a legitimate stormwater plan, despite the neighbors’ complaints about flooding. Brown said that the original stormwater plan provided by the congregation had expired and a new one had not yet been submitted.

—The congregation had illegally cut down

2024 Housing Plan, which calls for local governments to help alleviate a statewide housing crisis resulting from an estimated shortage of 96,000 homes. “Home ownership is legacy,” Sydnor said, enabling buyers to build generational wealth.

Laurel for the Patuxent, a conservation group, opposes the development. In a Jan. 3 message to its email list, the organization said, “We are writing you today with an urgent request to help save one of the last remaining tracts of forests in Laurel.”

The email said the development would result in “increased traffic, noise and pollution from an estimated 300 to 600 more cars per day; reduced public safety on nearby roads; no homes for songbirds, pollinators and other animals; increased pollution for our creeks from stormwater runoff ” and “unaffordable housing for most Laurel residents.”

The organization’s website

10,000 square feet of trees on the property but was being allowed to plant trees elsewhere to meet forestation requirements.

—The plan did not include a floor plan for the interior of the new temple. Brown said this meant the planning board had no basis for approving a parking lot with 43 spaces, since lot capacity must be based on the number of seats in the worship space. He pointed to previous testimony by a temple representative that attendance during major festivals could be as high as 1,000.

— Brown also noted that the lack of a floor plan left it unclear if the temple would have a kitchen, even though the congregation had advertised the sale of food, which requires a permit from the health department, on social media.

Raj Kumar, principal attorney for the District Council, added that the plan defined the temple as being under 5,000 square feet when it actually would be larger than that.

Constructing the larger space would call for the congregation to go through a subdivision approval process, Kumar said, adding

states that, “According to the city’s master plan, Ward 2 is supposed to have 225 acres of parkland, yet there are fewer than 100 acres. Instead of cutting down the forest, the city could purchase the land with grant money, protecting it from future development, as other communities have done.”

Sydnor said the master plan, which was adopted in 2016, “needs to be updated.” He added, “We have a large amount of park space,” especially when parks in three counties surrounding the city are included.

Robert Love, director of the City of Laurel Department of Economic and Community Development, said that the city’s staff and planning commission will review Pulte’s subdivision plan and also a forest conservation plan sub-

more requirements and public hearings.

Staci Scudder, a lawyer for the congregation, said during the hearing that the neighbors’ opposition to the temple plan was mostly hostility “to a particular religion.” Council Chair Jolene Ivey (District 5) responded, “I haven’t heard anything that suggested discrimination.”

Councilmember Tom Dernoga (District 1) asked Scudder if the congregation would accept a condition prohibiting parking in the neighborhood during major events. She replied that they would not. He also asked if the congregation would agree to a condition that no speakers or amplified sound be allowed outside the building. Scudder deferred the question to congregation members who were present. One of them, Dawn Nguyen, agreed to that condition.

In the end, Dernoga said, “I do not want to deny this application,” but moved that it be sent back to the planning board for reconsideration. The other eight councilmembers present unanimously voted in favor of the motion.

mitted by the company. The planning commission will then hold a public hearing, he said.

The public also will be able to speak at a later planning commission meeting after Pulte submits a detailed site plan, Love said.

Sydnor said the planning commission will thoroughly review

Pulte’s plans and may require changes. “The planning commission might come back and say, ‘You can’t have 302 homes, you can only have 250.’ “ Love said the planning commission’s first public hearing will be scheduled no earlier than March 12.

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Page 12

The Laurel Independent | February 2024

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