06-2024 The Laurel Independent

County council members

tussle over zoning, sprawl

By KIT SLACK

During the May 16 meeting of the Prince George’s County Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, County Councilmember Wanika Fisher (District 2) questioned the economics of building apartments and town houses near Metro stops. Fisher said locating such high-density development in a flood plain, where Metro stops typically are located due to the flat terrain, can quadruple building costs. She also asked about the demand for this type of housing, speculating that buyers who move to the suburbs are looking for backyards to provide a buffer between them and their neighbors.

Council Chair Jolene Ivey (District 5),

Legacy of Laurel’s American Legion commander

By JESSIE NEWBURN

Whether you are a veteran or not, you may have enjoyed American Legion Post 60’s presence at activities such as Laurel’s Main Street Festival parade, the Laurel Car Show, events at Laurel Historical Society and Post 60’s own crab feast. Maybe you donated some pajamas to the organization’s drive for Casey Cares, an organization providing support to terminally ill children and their families.

A sculpture garden’s metamorphosis

By AIESHA SOLOMON

In the city of Laurel, it is easy to spot projects sponsored by the Laurel Arts Council (LAC). Colorful fish peeking from pots filled with native plants on Main Street.

The life cycle of a Monarch butterfly painted on a shed in Sturgis Moore Park. A tiled bench at McCullough Field.

In the summer of 2023, the council started exploring a new project featuring bird sculptures for Granville Gude Park with Christine Lee Tyler, a multidisciplinary artist and the visual arts department chair at St. Vincent Pallotti High School.

“The arts council was supportive of the

idea of public art, art in public spaces. That’s something that we’ve been really looking for opportunities to invest in for a number of reasons,” Kayleigh De La Puente, president of the LAC, said. “When Christine came to us with this project, for a public art garden, a sculpture garden at the lake, which is a very public space, we thought it really kind of matched those goals.”

In an interview, Tyler said her art supports the ideology of eco-feminism. Pieces featured in the garden at the park include bird sculptures with women’s faces, net fungi hands holding birds and a net fungi 8-foot tall female leg raising a bird. (Net fungi are mushrooms with net-like

structures.)

“There’s the larger, broader statement of just like realigning … women with nature, realigning humanity with nature,” Tyler said.

Tyler got her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1998 from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She completed her Master of Fine Arts from Brooklyn College, also in New York, in 2019. She is a sculptor and painter, does ceramic work, and makes collages and videos.

“I don’t like to limit myself to one medium. I like to explore different media. I feel as though it just opens my world a little bit more and it allows me to ex-

Christine Lee Tyler works on pieces for the sculpture garden in her classroom at St. Vincent Pallotti

Invasive plant sales to be banned under new Maryland law

By JIMMY ROGERS

Soon, Maryland garden centers should no longer be able to sell invasive plants like English ivy (Hedera helix).

A plant species is considered invasive if it is nonnative to an area and causes human, ecological or financial harm. Invasive vines like English ivy and porcelain berry (Ampelopsis glandulosa) carpet the ground and climb up trees, smothering forests. Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), which grows equally well in full sun or deep shade, carpets large natural areas with thorny stems and creates perfect conditions for the ticks that spread Lyme disease.

Under a state law enacted in 2011, plants considered invasive in Maryland are listed in two categories: Tier 1 (prohibited) or

Tier 2 (signage required). Only six species in the state are listed as Tier 1 and only 13 as Tier 2. These low numbers stand in stark contrast to the hundreds of plant species considered to be invasive by the Maryland Invasive Species Council, a nonprofit established in 2000 to address issues related to invasive species in the state. Additionally, Tier 2 plants such as heavenly bamboo (Nandina domestica) and Japanese barberry are still sold in great numbers, despite black and yellow signs warning customers that these plants are invasive. “Plant with caution,” the signs say — in bold, capped letters with exclamation points included for emphasis.

The notion that a typical gardener could plant an invasive species with sufficient caution for it not to spread is questionable; indeed, planting an invasive

NEWS BRIEFS

CARL DeWALT RESIGNS

FROM CITY COUNCIL

Councilmem-

ber Carl DeWalt (Ward1) announced his resignation from the Laurel City Council on the evening of May 17.

“We thank him for his service,” Council President James Kole (Ward 1) said, in response. “He served faithfully for as long as he was in office.”

DeWalt was elected to his first two-year term in November 2017. He has resigned prior to the end of the current term, Nov. 24, 2024. DeWalt previously served for 22 years as an officer with the Laurel Police Department. As of press time, he had not responded to a

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request for comments.

A special election would not be necessary, Kole said, as the city charter requires that an election be held only when there are two or more vacant seats on the council. Applications for the position were accepted through June 3, and interviews are being held in early June.

“My goal is to have someone in place by the end of June,” Kole said.

- Katie V. Jones

PLANNING COMMISSION DELAYS DECISION ON PULTE DEVELOPMENT

A decision on a proposed 302home development on Contee Road was tabled by the city of Laurel Planning Commission during its May meeting, as the commission’s staff had not yet completed their report. The de-

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species in a home garden all but guarantees that wind, water and birds will spread seeds and other plant material into wild areas. Consequently, the most popular invasive ornamental plants are easily found in the woods and meadows surrounding residential areas. Home gardens continuously spread these plants, thwarting efforts, often by volunteers, to remove invasives.

Last year the Maryland Native Plant Coalition drafted a new invasive plant bill to do away with the tier system and ban more species, including invasive aquatic plants. The coalition combines the resources of the Maryland Native Plant Society, Green Towson Alliance, Sierra Club Maryland Chapter, Wild Ones Greater Baltimore chapter and Garden Clubs of America Zone 6 to bring issues concerning native plants to the at-

tention of state lawmakers. In its draft bill, the coalition proposed a single list of harmful plants with no option to sell them in the state. The coalition’s legislation would also introduce a new, more efficient means of evaluating harmful plants quickly. Plant Invaders of the Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas, a field guide by Jil Swearingen (et al), lists 92 species that could be readily assessed using this new process.

State Delegate Linda Foley (District 15) and State Sen. Ben Brooks sponsored the bill (jointly filed as HB979 and SB915) and shepherded it through their respective environmental committees. After some amendment of how long growers would have to transition, the Maryland Green Industry Council, which represents the interests of nurseries, joined those testifying in favor

of the bill. The Maryland Department of Agriculture also voiced support once it was confirmed that the new budget would provide personnel for implementation of the changes. The legislation passed in both chambers in March 2024, and Gov. Wes Moore signed it into law on May 9. It took effect on June 1, and the new regulations must be adopted by the state’s secretary of agriculture by Oct. 1 of this year.

Under the law, when a plant is classified prohibited, sellers will have one year (two years for woody plants grown directly in the ground) to sell their stock before the plant is banned from being sold. This means top priority species like English ivy could start disappearing from store shelves as soon as the fall of 2025 — or sooner, if sellers choose to get ahead of the deadlines.

velopment was proposed to the city by the Pulte Home Company. Public comments were still accepted, however, during the public hearing, and several people spoke in opposition to the development. Multiple concerns, including traffic congestion, stormwater runoff and the potential for over-crowded schools, were expressed as well as concerns about the loss of open space and wildlife habitat.

The planning commission’s next meeting is scheduled to take place at 6 p.m. on June 11 at the Municipal Center, 8103 Sandy Spring Road.

-Katie V. Jones

THE LAUREL BOARD OF TRADE’S MAIN STREET FESTIVAL A SUCCESS

Laurel’s Main Street Festival took place on May 11. Jan Able was

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, Sharon O’Malley, Kit Slack

Circulation:

grand marshal of the parade, which kicked off at 9 a.m.

“Main Street is one of my favorite places, and it was fun to ride in the parade and see so many friends,” Able said. “My ride in the parade was a bright red 1955 Buick driven by Mr Tony, a true gentleman. Both being of a certain age, we had lots of fun reminiscing about the ‘50s.”

Able noted that the event featured many food vendors and craft merchants, and he said that it was a beautiful day.

Maureen Rogers, administrative coordinator with The Laurel Board of Trade, said there was a steady stream of people throughout the day and that everyone appeared to enjoy the local bands and variety of food trucks.

“I always love the parade and, personally, that was one of my highlights of the day,” Rogers said.

Plans are already underway for the 44th festival, which will take place next year. Rogers would love to see the addition of floats to the parade, along with a contest for best the one. No guarantees, but stay tuned.

- Joshua Able

GRAND JURY INDICTS PATROL OFFICER

According to a press release issued by Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD), Corp. Dexter Shin, an officer with the department, was indicted on one count of misconduct in office by a grand jury on May 23.

Shin, who joined the department in 2017, struck a pedestrian in Laurel on March 3 while driving his police cruiser. He did not report the incident, nor did he ensure that the pedestrian received proper medical care, according to an investigation by the PGPD Internal Affairs Division. Shin was suspended from the department following the incident.

“The allegations against this officer are deeply disturbing and do not align with the ethical standards to which we hold our officers and do not represent the hardworking women and men of this agency. If [the charges are] proven true, I would also advocate he be held accountable to the fullest extent possible in the administrative process,” PGPD Chief Malik Aziz wrote, in the release.

Carl DeWalt FILE PHOTO

Jan Able was grand marshal of the Main Street Festival parade. COURTESY OF JOSHUA ABLE

Look up with us: family stargazing under Laurel’s skies

By AGNES PASCO CONATY

If you think about it, a lot of the wonders we’re in awe of are free: All you need is to look up.

My husband and I, who both work at Goddard Space Flight Center, gave out safe-viewing glasses last October for the annular solar eclipse. We hoped everyone we gave a pair to would use them again for this April’s partial solar eclipse, too. Although it was entirely cloudy for last year’s eclipse, but we had great weather this year — and most of Maryland fell within the 90% totality range, making the event even more spectacular. The eclipse far exceeded the expectations of all of us fortunate enough to witness it!

This rare event was followed by an extraordinary dance of lights and magnetism from solar flares — the aurora borealis, or northern lights. More typically occurring in skies far north of

here, the northern lights, on May 11 and 12, could be seen as far south as Georgia. And with expectations of more spectacular events to come this summer, I’m dusting off my 4-inch reflecting telescope and getting ready to aim it at the night sky.

During the warm nights when the moon is full, my family is eager to set up our telescope and aim it at the moon in hopes of seeing interesting craters. But you don’t need a telescope to see features on the moon; binoculars with good magnification can also give you a good view of some details of the seas (called mares) and shadows of hills. Even a cellphone camera can capture some features of the lunar surface with amazing clarity.

When my 18-year-old son was still young, we spent memorable late nights looking up for summer’s meteor showers. Braving the prospect of mosquito bites, we lay on a blanket on the front lawn and spotted the meteors of

Perseids with our sleepy eyes. If you are eager to learn more about sky watching or star gazing, I’d like to offer you some resources you could explore. There are many good apps, and most of them are free. Some of my favorites are Stellarium, Star Walk, Sky Guide, Night Sky and Clear Night, all of which are available for Apple iOS and Android. Each of these apps can help you orient yourself to the night sky so you can learn to spot the visible planets and locate constellations. Another app I like is MeteorActive (available only for iPhones), which offers information about when meteor showers will occur and the best time of night to watch them. Nightshift Stargazing is similar and is available through the Google Playstore. My final favorite is Satellite Tracker, which will help you determine when the International Space Station is above you; you can also use

Austin and Joseph Conaty observe the moon during a family stargazing night in summer. AGNES PASCO CONATY

Laurel resident honored for volunteer service

By MELANIE DZWONCHYK

Laurel resident Karen Lubieniecki was honored as an outstanding community service volunteer by the Maryland State Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) at its annual conference in May.

Lubieniecki was nominated

for the honor by the Colonel Thomas Dorsey Chapter, of Ellicott City. She was one of 15 nominees recognized at the state conference.

“I was so honored to be part of such a distinguished group of volunteers,” Lubieniecki said.

“It was a very special honor. I’m grateful to the chapter and state society.”

Lubieniecki said her interest in history led her to the Laurel Historical Society (LHS) after she moved to Laurel in the 1980s. She has supported research, public relations, events and fundraising at LHS and has been involved in close to 30 exhibits at the Laurel Museum. She is currently chairman of the society’s board of directors.

Lubieniecki said she dove into Laurel’s Civil War history with her late husband, Ken Skrivseth, and together they explored the lives of Laurel Cotton Mill superintendent George Nye and Laurel founder Horace Capron, about whom Lubieniecki developed on-site and online exhibits for the museum. She also worked with other LHS members and preservationists in 2001 to save Laurel’s historic

Fairall Foundry from demolition.

Lubieniecki also spearheaded the Save Our Stop effort, in 2015, after a proposed development at Laurel Park racetrack threatened to eliminate commuter rail service at the city’s historic train station.

Lubieniecki also chaired a voter task force and served on the city of Laurel’s Historic District Commission. She currently serves on the city’s ethics commission.

“Lubieniecki’s work in historic preservation has impacted not only Laurel residents, but the surrounding community,” Colonel Thomas Dorsey Chapter Regent Mary Ann Lees said. “Our chapter saw a strong nominee based on her lengthy service of volunteerism.”

DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical women’s service organization dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education and patriotism. All members are direct descendants of patriots of the Revolutionary War. Founded more than 130 years ago, DAR currently has more than 190,000 members around the world.

From left, Colonel Thomas Dorsey Chapter Regent Mary Ann Lees, honoree Karen Lubieniecki and Maryland State Society Regent Mernie Crane at the recognition ceremony for outstanding community service volunteers May 17.

COURTESY OF MARYLAND STATE SOCIETY DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

it to track other visible satellites in your area. It’s available for both Apple iOS and Android.

There are also a number of websites that offer great information for beginning stargazers. Sky & Telescope (skyandtelescope.org) has a tremendous amount of information for free. Sky & Telescope also offers a terrific guide, Astronomy for Beginners: How to Get Started in Backyard Astronomy, by Alan MacRobert (for the full manuscript, go to tinyurl.com/23u8yvw3).

Stellarium Web offers a terrific star map (stellarium-web.org), and NASA Science has an excellent site for skywatching enthusiasts (science.nasa.gov/skywatching).

Front yard and backyard adventures are on my family’s front burner this summer, which will be packed with phenomenal sky events we don’t want to miss. I hope my family’s enthusiasm for night skies is contagious and that you, along with your own family and friends, will catch the sky-watching bug, too. All you have to do is look up!

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.

HEAD OF THE CLASS LAUREL RESIDENTS

Brooke Miller was named to the spring 2024 dean’s list at Belmont University in Tennessee.

Lucy Buda completed a senior thesis titled Kinetic Sculpture at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.

The following students were named to the winter 2024 president’s list at Southern New Hampshire University: John Cashwell, Daisha Exhem, Ellena Cherry, Sydney Provence, Shainna Medina, Nathaniel Adams, Traveon Gaines, Jada Loreman and Nina Diaz.

Southern New Hampshire University also announced that Ezinwanne Ileka and Yakuba Conde were named to the winter 2024 dean’s list.

Carissa Ward was named to the spring 2024 dean’s list at University of Evansville in Indiana.

Aidan Cooney graduated from Piedmont University in Georgia, and was also named a dean’s scholar for the spring 2024 semester.

David Sagang was initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.

Mount St. Mary’s University named Zoe DeGuzman, Jannah Hall, Cindy Opoku and James Thompson to the spring 2024 dean’s list.

Kevin Logan Munford was

If a tree falls in the forest

By MIKE MCLAUGHLIN

Atreehouse. What kid hasn’t dreamed of living in, or at least having, a treehouse to escape to?

Well, plans by eco-architectural firm, Arborealtor Inc., may help that dream come true in Laurel, and making that dream come true may also save the last remaining stand of forest in the city.

The city is currently considering a proposal that would eliminate the almost-30 acre forest at the north end of Contee Road in exchange for 300 housing units. Arborealtor is offering a plan that doesn’t eliminate trees but instead uses them as foundations for housing. The proposal would be, as Arborealtor said, “a win/win for the city: preserving trees and providing property taxes, both equally important in the 21st century.”

Opponents of the current proposal also question the wisdom of high density housing at that location. “It would turn that one-way-in-one-way-out end of Contee Road into a 300-home cul de sac,” resident Fred Berfal said. Opponents of the plan also decry the burden

one of six McDaniel College graduates commissioned May 17 as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Munford also graduated cum laude with a B.A. degree in mathematics.

McDaniel College also announced that Morgan Elizabeth Chaney earned a master’s degree in counseling.

The following received degrees from McDaniel College during is commencement ceremonies on May 18: Tatiana Rosemarie Hamilton, summa cum laude, with a B.A. degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern studies and political science. Hamilton also earned honors in Arabic and Middle Eastern studies. Rianna Maria U. Nunes, cum laude, with a B.A. degree in biology. Nunes also earned honors in biology.

Angelo State University in Texas, announced that William Lewis was named to the spring 2024 dean’s list.

Rachael Burcker was named to the spring 2024 dean’s list at Lehigh University, Pennsylvania.

Justin Asante was honored at Hofstra Grads of Color graduation celebration, which recognizes the efforts of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) at Hofstra University in New York.

Melinda Kern was named to Washington College’s spring 2024 dean’s list.

on traffic and schools that that kind of density would create.

Arborealtor admits that their low density alternative would not be affordable housing, per se. Customized for tree type and customer needs, the company’s one-of-a-kind offerings are,

as Arborealtor’s literature says, bespoke housing. All units would be solar powered and have high speed Internet, with interiors by renowned treescape designer, George. The company is confident that the sewer and water challenges will be overcome with the help of artificial intelligence.

Jane Allgood, Arborealtor’s spokesperson, said that the higher prices would help fill the tax coffers, allowing the city to redevelop affordable housing in already high density areas in the city.

So when it comes to house hunting in Laurel, things could soon be looking up, quite literally.

The views expressed in this column belong to its author. The Laurel Independent reserves the right to edit “My Two Cents” submissions for brevity and clarity.

were!

HONORING AND REMEMBERING THOSE WHO SERVED

Mike McLaughlin is a resident of Laurel. Arborrealtor is NOT real, but Mike wishes it

Arborealtor’sTarzan’s Retreat model COURTESY OF MIKE MCLAUGHLIN

Laurel City Council President James Kole (Ward 1) addresses the crowd during the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department’s (LVFD) Memorial Day service at Ivy Hill Cemetery. For 51 years, the LVFD, along with members from the Laurel Volunteer Rescue Squad, the American Legion Post 60 and the Laurel Police Department have recognized veterans who have passed away on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend with a service.

OF THE CITY OF

One person has been deep behind the scenes at these and so many other of Post 60’s activities: Commander Lee Luby, the post’s unpretentious yet powerful leader for the past 13 years.

Luby, who served in the Army in the late ‘60s, joined her husband, who was a Legionnaire, at some social and service events hosted by the post. When her husband died, Luby was looking for ways to fill her life with new activities and purpose. She turned to the Legion, got more involved and, in short order, ran for — and was elected to — the commander position.

It may seem a bit anachronistic now, in an era where female leadership has touched all levels of society, but when Luby ran for the position just 13 years ago, only one woman had ever been commander; she held the position back in the ‘70s. Indeed, few of the 12,000+ American Legion posts had female commanders.

Luby, along with “enthusiastic support and help from so many members,” jumped into the role and helped raise community

support for the Laurel post.

For many, the American Legion, an international service and support organization for U.S. veterans around the world, provides transitional and postservice support and friendship.

Local posts implement the Legion’s wide and diverse range of programs and activities for veterans, youth and military families.

“Being a bridge and developing good relationships between veterans and their local communities is part of what the Legion is about,” Luby said. “We’re always looking to partner with local services, organizations and groups,” including, she said, the Laurel police and fire departments, Fort Meade, Laurel Advocacy Referral Services, The Laurel Board of Trade, the city’s Fourth of July Committee and the city of Laurel itself.

Trained Legion volunteers help veterans struggling after being discharged from military service access services designed to help them, including a range of programs offered locally such as youth sports activities, Scouting and scholarly endeavors. With its proximity to Fort Meade, Post 60 has been able

to participate in the Blue Star Mothers’ Children’s Awareness Week to help children with parents in the military feel understood and supported, given the particular challenges they face that other children may nott.

One of Luby’s greatest prides has been ensuring support for Casey Cares, an eight-state organization that assists terminally ill children and their families. “We collect as many pairs of pajamas as we can to give to the children. And we take our job seriously,” she said.

Like many organizations, mandated closures during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic practically shuttered the group. “We are very much a direct-help type of organization, and we had a difficult time fulfilling our mission and supporting the community during COVID[-19],” Luby said.

Time moves on, things change. “It’s time to step aside to make room for some new leadership,” Luby said. Indeed, Post 60 just elected its third female post commander, Josephine Lohman.

To learn more about American Legion Post 60, go to LaurelPost60.org.

Commander Lee Luby, of American Legion Post 60, salutes during a ceremony for deceased veterans. COURTESY OF LEE LUBY

VOL. 3, NO. 6

BUDGET AND PERSONNEL SERVICES: FY2025 BU DGET

The FY2025 General Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program was adopted, without cuts to City services or an increase in City taxes, by a unanimous vote of the Mayor and City Council at the May 28, 2024, meeting.

The City’s budget process officially starts in January each year, although administration of the budget is a year -round responsibility. Each Department is tasked with projecting and entering its operating budget, as well as any direct revenues, and CIP projects. The Department of Budget and Personnel Services prepares the full -time salary budgets and then compiles all of the budgets and works with the Office of the City Administrator to balance the budget and submit to the City Council, as required by law, by May 1st each year. The FY2025 balanced budget was submitted to the City Council on Friday, April 26, 2024.

The FY2025 General Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) was the first Budget submitted by Mayor Sydnor. The largest priority of the balanced FY2025 Budget – totaling $43,297,245 - is the continuation of services our residents deserve and expect. This requires the complete dedication of Laurel residents ’ tax dollars to fund the essential expenditures, compensation, employee insurance, property insurance, the Pension Fund contribution, debt service and the CIP, as well as contractual and legislative obligations including, but not limited to, the second year of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Laurel FOP Lodge 11 and the first year of the CBA with certain employees in the Department of Public Works. In the past year, recruiting, hiring, and retaining the City workforce has become increasingly robust which is attributed to the City ’s revitalized onboarding and orientation program, classification adjustments, and policy improvements. We look forward to a continued upswing in FY2025.

For FY2025, the City of Laurel Adopted Budget was presented without a tax rate I ncrease, maintaining the City's real property tax rate since FY2009 of $.71 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. However, any property owners with increased assessments will receive an increased real estate tax bill. The Personal Property tax rate will remain $1.69 per $100 of assessed value. The tax rate for the Special Taxing District is $0.03 per $100 of the full cash value assessment. The adopted budget continues all City services at FY2024 service levels.

The CIP includes continued funding of the renovations to 204 Ft. Meade Road for the Craig A. Moe Laurel Multiservice Center; traffic signal upgrades; traffic -calming devices; sixteen (16) street improvement projects; vehicle replacements; and technology improvements, with a total of $30,117,786. Funding for projects are provided through American Rescue Plan funds; state grants, speed camera net revenue and operating funds. To view the FY2025 budget, visit www.cityoflaurel.org.

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATI ON, SATURDAY, JUNE 2 2ND!

Join the City of Laurel Juneteenth Committee on June 22nd, from 3 -7pm, at Granville Gude Park, 8300 Mulberry Street, for their highly anticipated Juneteenth Celebration.

Juneteenth is the oldest known public celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, which happened on June 19, 1865, when word reached those still enslaved in Texas, that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed 2 years before on January 1, 1863, and “that all persons held as slaves...shall be free.”

This celebration recognizes and acknowledges the strives gained through determination, perseverance, education and greater opportunities for African Americans and that we work together to ensure all feel equally valued, equally protected and have access to opportunities that can help them thrive.

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION SATURDAY, JULY 6TH!

9:30AM Parade Check-In Begins

11:00AM Parade Begins, Judging Stand on 4th Street @ Domer Court

12:00PM Car Show Begins

3:00PM Family Fun Games on the Laurel Lake Field

5:15PM Music by Oracle

7:00PM Invocation, Flag Raising Ceremony, National Anthem, Pledge of Allegiance, Welcome & Introduction of Mayor and City Council and Special Guests

9:15PM Fireworks from the Lake

***This year’s theme is V OLUN TEER S ! If you have a volunteer organization, we need you! Call 301-725-5300 ext. 2109 and sign up to be a Grand Marshal.***

GREEN HAPPENINGS IN LAUREL!

Come to Joseph R. Robison Laurel Municipal Center on June 6th, and get an update on the City of Laurel Sustainability Plan! There will be two sessions, so if you can ’t make one, you may be able to make the other! The first session will be from 10:30am - 12:30pm, and the second session will be from 5:30pm - 7:30pm, both in the Council Chambers. If you can ’t attend the Open House, then be sure to scan the QR code in the flyer and take the survey!

Mosquitoes: Buzzing and Biting!

With temperatures heating up, the City of Laurel will once again participate in the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Mosquito Control Program and the City’s spray night will be Sunday. The program consists of two parts:

• Larviciding phase is limited to public rights-of-way and areas where there are large amounts of standing water.

• Adulticiding phase consists of City-wide evening spraying. The City is scheduled for Sunday evenings starting June 2024. Weather permitting residents can expect to see a truck out and about every three weeks.

If you find that you are experiencing a large mosquito population around your home or if you would like your property to be exempt from the program, visit https://mda.maryland.gov/plants -pests/Pages/ mosquito_control.aspx for more details. For more information, e-mail greenliving@laurel.md.us if you have any questions. Farmer’s Market News!!!

Thanks to grant funding from Maryland Market Money, the Laurel Farmer ’s Market is proud to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits so customers can purchase fresh produce and locally -made products at our market! Customers can bring their electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card to our information table and we will charge the card for any amount requested in exchange for tokens that can be spent with eligible vendors. Through the Maryland Market Money program, the Laurel Farmer’s Market will also match up to $30 in SNAP benefits spent at the market – so a $10 charge on a customer’s EBT card will give them $20 to spend! To learn more or donate, visit https://www.marylandmarketmoney.org/.

Learn more about going green on our Green Living webpage. https://www.cityoflaurel.org/green and sign up for “what’s new” to stay up to date on green initiatives!

El proceso presupuestario de la Ciudad comienza oficialmente en enero de cada año, aunque la administración del presupuesto es una responsabilidad durante todo el año. Cada departamento tiene la tarea de proyectar e ingresar su presupuesto operativo, así como los ingresos directos y los proyectos CIP.

PRESUPUESTO Y SERVICIOS DE PERSONAL: PRESUPUESTO FY2025

El Presupuesto Operativo General y el Programa de Mejoras de Capital (CIP) para el año fiscal 2025 fue el primero presentado por el alcalde Sydnor. La mayor prioridad del presupuesto equilibrado para el año fiscal 2025, por un total de $43,297,245, es la continuación de los servicios que nuestros residentes merecen y esperan.

El Presupuesto Operativo General y el Programa de Mejoras de Capital para el año fiscal 2025 se adoptaron sin cambios por voto unánime del Alcalde y el Concejo Municipal en la reunión del 28 de Mayo de 2024.

LAUREL POLICE MONTHLY CRIME REPORT

APRIL 2024

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

Legislation

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 x2120 or at clerk@laurel.md.us. For the full agendas, visit www.cityoflaurel.org

Adopted Legislation:

• Ordinance No. 2026 - to adopt the General Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Program of the Mayor and City Council of Laurel, Maryland, for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025 and to Levy Property Taxes; and to Authorize the Collection of Such Taxes.

Bid Recommendations:

• Carroll Avenue Street Improvement Project LA 24-001 - Public Works - $216,257.30

Appointments/Reappointments:

 Janice Blitz (Reappointment): Environmental Affairs Committee - 5/13/24 - 5/13/26

 Tommy Scaggs (Reappointment): Ethics Commission - 5/13/24 - 5/13/27

Movies begin at sunset Concerrts are from 7pm - 9pm.

Goverrnment Meetings

(Dates and Times Subject to Change)

June 2024 Mayor and City Council Meetings

COUNCIL O FFICE

301-725-5300 ext. 2120

clerk@laurel.md.us

 June 5th - Virtual Mayor and City Council Work Session (6:00pm)

 June 10th - In-Person Mayor and City Council Meeting (6:00pm)

 June 24th - Mayor and City Council Meeting (CANCELLED)

June 2024 Boards and Commissions

 June 11th - In-Person Planning Commission (6:00pm)

 June 11th - Virtual Environmental Affairs Committee (6:00pm)

 June 18th - In-Person Historic District Commission (6:00pm)

 June 27th - In-Person Board of Appeals (6:00pm)

July 2024 Mayor and City Council Meetings

 July 3rd - Virtual Mayor and City Council Work Session (6:00pm)

 July 8th - Virtual Mayor and City Council Meeting (6:00pm)

 July 22nd - In-Person Mayor and City Council Meeting (6:00pm)

July 2024 Boards and Commissions

 July 9th - Planning Commission (6:00pm)

 July 9th - Environmental Affairs Committee (6:00pm)

 July 16th - Historic District Commission (6:00pm)

 July 25th - Board of Appeals (6:00pm)

City Announcements & Events

(Dates and Times Subject to Change)

 Bike Decorating Parade and Ice Cream Social - June 7, 2024, 6:00pm, Laurel Armory, 422 Montgomery St. Bring your bikes and helmets for some family fun.

 Laurel Police Summer Block Party - June 8, 2024 - 12 - 3pm, Towne Center at Laurel. Games! Music! Vendors and more!

 FREE Concert in the Park - June 21, 2024, from 7 - 9pm at Granville Gude Park, 8300 Mulberry Street. First performance by Spanglish American Band!

 Juneteenth Celebration - June 22, 2024, 3 - 7pm, Granville Gude Park.

 FREE Summer Friday Flicks - All movies begin at sunset. See schedule.

 Casting with the Cops - June 29, 2024 - 9am - 12pm - Granville Gude Park, 8300 Mulberry Street. Join Laurel Officers at the Lake for some fishing fun!

 Independence Day Celebration - July 6, 2024 - 11am: Parade; 12pm: Car Show; 3pm: Family Games; 5pm: Oracle Band; 9:15pm: Fireworks (Weather Permitting)

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

Visit the City of Laurel web site at www.cityoflaurel.org, to learn more about your local government!

Community Resources and E mergency M anagement: How Do Hurricanes Form?

As we prepare for hurricane season, let’s look at what a hurricane is and how they form.

A hurricane is a storm that forms over tropical or subtropical waters in a low-pressure zone. Warm ocean waters create warm, humid air that gets pushed upwards establishing a cycle that rotates and forms storm clouds. As this cycle repeats, the warm, humid air is continuously being pushed upwards into the atmosphere, creating “Hot Towers.” These towers are cumulonimbus clouds that reach into the atmosphere and work to maintain the storm’s intensity.

Hurricanes are possible because of the rotation of the earth, otherwise known as the Coriolis effect. This phenomenon creates the low-pressure zones along the equator for a perfect formation of a hurricane. Did you know the direction in which a storm rotates is determined by what side of the equator the storm has formed on? Hurricanes in the Northern Hemisphere spin in a counterclockwise direction, while hurricanes in the Southern Hemisphere (known as cyclones), spin in a clockwise direction.

For more information on hurricanes, visit https://www.weather.gov/key/hurrweb. To learn more about hurricane preparedness, vi sit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Please send notices of events taking place between July 9 and Aug. 5 to nancy@ streetcarsuburbs.news by June 28.

JUNE 9

Skate for Sickle Cell. Join the Howard County Poodles and raise funds for sickle cell awareness during adult night at the Laurel Skate Center. Proceeds donated to the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation. $22 (includes light refreshments) $5 skate rental fee. 7:30 p.m. 9890 Brewers Ct. Go to tinyurl. com/4pmubmfs

JUNE 10

Laurel Branch Library Ready

2 Read Storytime: Ages 2 – 3. Bring your toddler and enjoy stories, songs, fingerplays and more. Free. 10:30 a.m. 507 7th St. Go to tinyurl. com/5n7ryn4z

JUNE 12

Laurel Branch Library ASL Beginners Club. Learn ASL and club and practice in a friendly atmosphere. 4 p.m. 507 7th St. Go to tinyurl.com/ hrbrw7ha

JUNE 15

Public Dig Days. Look for fossils at Dinosaur Park. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free. 13100 Mid Atlantic Blvd. 301.627.1286

JUNE 16

Free Tours for Dad. Dads can take a free self-guided tour of Montpelier House Museum. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 9650 Muirkirk Road. 301.377.7817

JUNE 19

Juneteenth Celebration

Learn about the contributions of the Black/African-American community through music, activities, education and inspiration. Organized in partnership with Leona’s Sewing Studio. 5 to 9 p.m. Carroll Baldwin Hall, 9035 Baltimore St., Savage. 410.294.3561

JUNE 20

Songs of Freedom: Journey

Along the Underground Railroad. Presented by the Savage Branch of the Howard County Library System, historian Linda Harris brings Harriet Tubman’s story to life with code songs, modern melodies and narration. 7 p.m. Carroll Baldwin Hall, 9035 Baltimore St., Savage. 410.294.3561

JUNE 21

Playday at the Library: Baby Water Play. Children 5 years old and younger are invited to socialize during outdoor

water play. 10:30 a.m. Laurel Branch Library, 507 7th St. 301.776.6790

JUNE 21-23, 28-30

“Winter.” Presented by Laurel Mill Playhouse, Mark Sharf’s play tells the story of two 60-somethings spending the winter in a beach town on Maryland’s Eastern shore. Times vary. $15-$20. 508 Main St. 301.617.9906

JUNE 22

Laurel Garden Tour. Hosted by the Laurel Historical Society, tour features local gardens and festivities including raffles and door prizes. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $30 early-bird tickets, $30 day of. Tour starts at Laurel Historical Society, 817 Main St. Go to tinyurl.com/963uxc6h

Expungement Clinic. Oneon-one consultations with an attorney to evaluate your past criminal record for expungement eligibility and more. 10 a.m. Laurel Branch Library, 507 7th St. 301.776.6790

Crisis in the Chesapeake: Ospreys in Peril. Learn why ospreys are producing so few young and how conservationists are addressing the challenge. Tickets required. 1:30 p.m. Patuxent Refuge National Wildlife Visitors Center, 10901 Tanager Loop. Go to tinyurl. com/mrx4zfym

How to Help and Attract Pollinators. Explore ways to welcome friendly pollinators, including butterflies, to your yard, garden and deck. Free native plant. 2 p.m. Free, registration required. Patuxent Refuge National Wildlife Visitors Center, 10901 Tanager Loop. Go to tinyurl.com/2sewumcd

Adoption Event. Sponsored by Laurel Cats, adopt cats from 2 to 4 p.m. PetSmart, 9041 Snowden Square Drive, Columbia. LaurelCats.org

Corridor Conversations: Living (and Aging) Well with Technology. TechMoxie will discuss how older adults and others can safely use technologies like voice assistants to manage tasks Virtual. 2 p.m. Go to hyattsvilleaginginplace. org/events

JUNE 30

Scholarship Application Deadline. The Laurel Historical Society is again sponsoring the James B. McCeney Scholarship. Graduating Laurel High School students are eligible

to apply for the $1,000 award that fosters community building. For an application, go to tinyurl.com/y8tspxvk

JULY 6

Celebrate July 4! The city of Laurel hosts a parade at 10 a.m., a car show at noon and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Games at Laurel Lake Field from 3 to 5 p.m. Flag-raising ceremony at 7 p.m.; Go to tinyurl. com/mhr9dv4

ONGOING

Montpelier Arts Center: Washington Glass School. Using glass as the primary creative material, the artists from the school explore new territories beyond the boundaries of tradition. June 7 through July 28. Artist talk/luncheon on June 14. To register, call 301.377.7800 by June 10. 9652 Muirkirk Rd.

Montpelier Arts Center: Paper Art by Sookkyung Park Through the repetitive process of folding and threading paper, the artist expresses harmony and community through structure and form. Free. June 7 through July 31. 9652 Muirkirk Rd. 301.377.7800

Laurel Historical Society Exhibit: Visions and Voices. Exhibit exploring the Black voting experience in Laurel. Through June 16. 817 Main Street. 301.725.7975

Montpelier Arts Center:

Melissa Burley, Portrait of a Dream. Burley explores symbolism, unconsciousness and what we dream and why through artworks made of reclaimed objects – test tubes, bicycle parts, clockworks and more. Free. Through June 30. 9652 Muirkirk Rd, 301.377.7800

Patuxent Research Refuge:

Laura Wolf. An elementary art teacher, Wolf paints birds on panels or canvas with acrylics. She also does work in ink and digital illustration. Through June 30. 10901 Tanager Loop. 301.497.5887

RECURRING

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. and bingo starts at 7:30. 2 Main St. 301.725.2302

Every Tuesday Bingo. Hosted by the Laurel Senior Friendship Club; free admission; fee for cards. Doors open at 11 a.m. and bingo starts at noon. Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activities Center, 7120 Contee Road. 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 a business meeting, along with musical entertainment or a speaker. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activities Center, 7120 Contee Rd. 301.206.3380

Beltsville Young at Heart Meets the third Thursday of each month; entertainment, speakers, trips. Ages 55 and up. 10:30 a.m. Beltsville Community Center, 3900 Sellman Road, Beltsville 301.498.9736

Jim Whitney Toastmasters Club. A Toastmasters International affiliate, the club teaches public speaking and leadership skills. June 10 and 24, 7 p.m. St. Philips Episcopal Church, 522 Main St. For more information, go to toastmastersclubs.org

MBC Toastmasters Club Learn communication skills in a supportive environment.

Virtual meetings on the second and fourth Wednesday of every month, 7:15 p.m. For more information, email mbctoastmasters@metropolitanbaptist. org

FOOD PANTRIES, DISTRIBUTIONS

St. Philip’s Episcopal Church. Food distributions in partnership with Capital Area Food Bank. Third Sunday of every month; next distribution is June 16 from 9 a.m to noon. Sixth and Prince George sts.

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 Center, 114 St. Mary’s Pl. Call before you come. 301.725.3080

Gospel Assembly Church Food Pantry. 8740 Cherry Lane, Suite 12. For dates and times, call 301.605.3756

“Have you heard of the ‘Squirrelasaurus Rex,’ ruler of the nut kingdom?”

LAUREL SQUIRREL By Agnes Pasco Conaty

In defense of yardens

By JIMMY ROGERS

Along my little stretch of road in Laurel, my front yard turns heads. Motorists and pedestrians see a uniform series of mown lawns and specimen trees, and then suddenly, a meadow. If they take a closer look this time of year, they’ll see a winding path around a bubbling birdbath and over 100 species of native plants. Birds and bees dance in and out of my narrow front yarden all morning.

When I speak to other interested homeowners about lawn reduction, before revealing that I have done it myself, they often react with fear, uncertainty and doubt. They fear what the neighbors might think, feel uncertainty about carrying out such a project and doubt whether they will somehow break a rule or law. When I share pictures and stories of my experience, it helps defuse their anxiety, as it shows what is possible. But hesitation can linger, so let’s examine what’s driving those fears.

From the moment of its arrival on the North American continent, the turf grass lawn has been a status symbol. The colonial elite planted expan-

sive lawns to emulate those kept by the European nobility. Sometimes animals were used to graze down those lawns, but often they were hand cut by enslaved people. The subtext was clear: The larger your lawn, the more wealthy and powerful you must be. Only after the invention of affordable mowing machines did residential lawns become popular with the broader population, eventually defining membership in a growing postWWII middle class. Nonnative turf grass became not only a hallmark of residential spaces, but the default ground covering for every shopping plaza, roadside edge and house of worship. As the footprint of lawns grew, an opportunity for business grew as well. A perfect lawn requires watering, fertilizing, pesticide spraying, seeding, aeration and above all, cutting. The resulting lawn care industry works hard to play up the benefits of this costly crop and downplay the erosion, pollution, stormwater runoff and harm to insect life that lawns promote. In some cases, lawns serve a purpose, such as for sports fields and picnic areas. However, most front lawns never see a game of tag or frisbee. This lawn tradition has be-

We Train Dogs Of All Ages

come difficult to uproot, if you’ll excuse the pun. In my time on the city’s environmental affairs committee, I’ve heard the city advocate for gardens in the backyard but subtly push back against front yard gardens. Corporately controlled homeowners associations (HOAs) notoriously harass their residents about grass height and so-called weedy gardens. The Maryland legislature passed a law in 2022 to give HOA residents the right to plant eco-friendly gardens; many residents don’t yet know their rights, though, and HOA boards often send notices until threatened with a lawsuit.

Are homeowners right to fear reprisal for reducing or eliminating their front lawn? Let us look at some common concerns.

Municipalities and HOAs try to regulate front yard conformity in the belief that property values will suffer if each plot has a unique or unconventional look. Indeed, newly built communities are often haunted by their builders to ensure the landscape remains unchanged and that it’s populated only by an approved list of Asian shrubs and groundcovers. How then does Takoma Park remain such a desirable community (with a median home price north of $750k), when its front yards rarely display grass or conformity? I suspect the answer lies in the appeal of a community with a sense of place.

Perhaps not everyone thinks they would fit the vibe in Takoma Park. Do you need to identify as a nonconformist to reimagine your property? Is it revolutionary to envision a row of gorgeous tomatoes or a patch of summer squash in your treeless front yard? How about a spiraling raised bed full of herbs along the walk to your car?

Feed your creative side, don’t police it. Add in a native gardening sign and break up the area with paths and borders to help the untrained eye follow your design.

Could the scraggly grass beneath your oaks become a quiet park full of bluebells, ferns and wood aster? Who might visit your pocket of native plants if you added a birdbath or other water feature?

Feed your creative side, don’t police it. Add in a native gardening sign and break up the area with paths and borders to help the untrained eye follow your design. You might be surprised how many neighbors will want to know more about your project and thank you for taking the leap.

If you look out on the amount of lawn you currently have and think it would be too much to convert all at once, you’re probably right. Unless you have maintained a large garden before, start small, perhaps converting a short strip along the sidewalk. That will be easy enough to manage and give you time to learn — in a year, you’ll know if you want to continue expanding. Embracing native plants makes it easier, too, as they will probably love the compacted clay under your former

lawn, so no need to replace the soil or even amend it (though a little compost on top never hurts). Plan to water in your new garden after planting and during droughts, and weed it thoroughly a couple of times in the spring and fall.

Laurel for the Patuxent is currently taking applications for their Laurel Native Habitats program; if you live in any part of Laurel, you can apply through the end of June to have our team help you replace a small piece of lawn with native plants. This year, we have a grant in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation to fund five of these gardens in Laurel. You can find more details at tinyurl.com/4hwsv4cf. If you need inspiration, consider attending the Laurel Historical Society’s garden tour on June 22. There will be several front-yard gardens on display, including the one at my own humble home. You can register for the tour at tinyurl.com/ y3cvs5at.

At the end of the day, homeowners should get enjoyment out of every square inch of their property. If you have a lawn, consider trading in that changeless, flat landscape for a private park where each day you can see new blooms and new visitors. I predict we’ll experience only a few more decades of climate change before a lawn owner wonders, “What will the neighbors think?”

by Mark Scharf

Jimmy Rogers is an avid native gardener in the city of Laurel.

Jimmy Rogers’ front yarden is a native plant paradise. JIMMY ROGERS

press what I want to express,” Tyler said. “I’m not trapped into the idea of just using painting or just using ceramics, like I like the idea of exploring,”

An audio element is also part of Tyler’s sculpture garden at Gude Park. She composed bird sounds using her voice and sound effects.

“They have speakers all up and down the trail, and it’s activated by your presence,” she said. “When you go by, you’ll hear it, but people may hear it and think it’s just birds.”

Funding for the project was provided by the Laurel Arts Council.

“I wasn’t in it for monetary gain. I honestly was in this for getting art into Laurel,” Tyler said. She added that she hopes the project acts as “a springboard for other artists to come in and work in the park as well.”

The Laurel Parks and Recreation Department installed the sculptures at the park on May 2. Before the garden’s official opening on May 4 as part of Lakefest, several pieces were damaged. The Laurel Police Department is investigating the incident.

“The community was absolutely wonderful. People were coming up to me and taking photos and really embraced the idea. They loved it. I do not think this [the damage] is a reflection of the community whatsoever,” Tyler said, noting that the pieces will be refurbished.

Bird sculptures made of rebar and cement are also planned for installation along

the fence at Laurel Lake. If those work well, Tyler’s goal is to have nine birds posed as if they’re becoming airborne. Tyler described the group’s progression: “the four in the back being lowest of the ground, and then

the three in front of those four being a little higher, and then the two being even higher and then the last one being the highest.”

De La Puente said the sculptures bring both beauty and public art to the community.

“It’s a visual show to the public that there’s a community here, and a community that cares about their spaces,” De La Puente said. “It also attracts people to our city.”

Sculpture garden in Granville Gude Park damaged

By AIESHA SOLOMON

The city of Laurel opened a sculpture garden in Granville Gude Park on May 4, during the city’s Lakefest celebration. Several of the painted bird sculptures were damaged, and while a police report was filed, it was unclear if the pieces were damaged during their transportation and installation or if they were vandalized.

Vandalism is uncommon in Laurel, according to Laura Guenin, Laurel Police Department’s public information officer.

“Most of the vandalism we see in the City of Laurel is usually vehicle related, where suspects are attempting to break into cars. Therefore, broken windows, and other vehicle damage,” Guenin wrote in an email. ”This type of vandalism is rare.” Guenin added that the incident is under ongoing investigation.

Bill Bailey, director of Laurel Parks and Recreation Department, also does not believe the city has a problem with vandalism.

“Our parks, we don’t see a lot of vandalism. Maybe some graffiti, but I don’t really recall some vandalism,” Bailey said.

Laurel police do daily foot pa-

trols of the city, including in all of its parks and neighborhoods,, Guenin said. Residents can report apparent vandalism by calling the city’s recreation department (301.725.7800) during business hours or the police department’s non-emergency number (301.498.0092). Residents can also provide information anonymously by emailing LPDtips@ laurel.md.us.

Bailey noted that nothing out of the ordinary in the sculpture

garden was recorded on camera.

“They didn’t see, like kids go up there with a baseball bat or something like that,” Bailey said.

“In fact, the only thing they did see was … one of the sculptures fell over on its own. It was tall, and probably a little top heavy, so it probably just fell over.”

Bailey noted that a number of things could have damaged the sculptures.

“We don’t really know how they were broken or rather it was in

transport or the weather or just the gravity itself,” he said.

Bailey’s staff and the sculptor, Christine Lee Tyler, worked together to have the garden ready and in good shape for Lakefest.

“Nobody really knew there was any real issues or anything out there. It all happened behind the scenes,” Bailey said. “To the average person, I don’t think they knew what happened.”

While Tyler was saddened by the incident, she recalled the

positivity of the community in a phone interview.

“I do not think this is a reflection of the community whatsoever,” Tyler said. “The last thing I want is this to turn into a sad situation. I feel like we’re gonna to triumph, and it’s gonna to happen, and it’s gonna be great. It’s just sort of figuring it all out, which is what we’re doing right now.”

The sculptures have since been removed from Granville Gude Park. According to Bailey, there are plans in the works for exhibiting them again.

“We’re still working out the details on that right now. I can’t say 100%, but it looks like doing some kind of movable exhibit, if you will,” Bailey said. “We’ll move them around from site to site.”

“The work that was destroyed or semi-destroyed is being refurbished to go around the buildings of Laurel. I’m literally putting the pieces in potted plants,” Tyler said. “I’m going to cement them in and put dirt around them, so those pieces are gonna be repurposed. It’s not all for nothing. So those are going to go … to the Municipal Center, the police station, places like that.”

Bailey talked about lessons learned.

“Maybe moving ahead, we’d look at a more metal, more rebar, more rod iron type of thinking or something,” he said.

A damaged bird sculpture. COURTESY OF CHRISTINE LEE TYLER

Christine Lee Tyler works on pieces for the sculpture garden in her classroom at St. Vincent Pallotti High School. COURTESY OF AIESHA SOLOMON

Cowbirds, con artists of the bird world

By RICK BORCHELT

European folklore is liberally sprinkled with tales of babies stolen from their crib by fairies and replaced with either a sickly fairy child or just a doll made from leaves and berries. Seldom do these stories end well for either the human parents or the changeling child.

In backyards across most of America, an avian changeling story also plays out every nesting season. Small songbirds — mostly warblers, but also thrushes, sparrows, finches and similar-sized species — come back to their nests to find a new egg they didn’t lay nestled in with their clutch. This new egg is usually bigger and often a different color, but even if the warbler parents notice anything is amiss, their incubation instinct still kicks in, and they typically care for the odd egg as their own.

Like the changeling fairy tales, this does not end well for these parents or their initial offspring.

A large chick hatches from this egg, often earlier than the original eggs. And that young chick is a badly behaving bird

bully, outcompeting its smaller nestmates and gobbling up all the food when the parent birds arrive with dinner.

This masquerade can even take a deadly turn, with the larger chick smothering or kicking the smaller nestlings out when the parent birds aren’t looking. Even when it’s the only chick left in the nest, it keeps the parents running ragged, feeding a youngster that ends up twice or more their size before it leaves the nest.

Where did this changeling egg come from??

The brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater).

Brown-headed cowbirds, despite their unorthodox habit of farming out child care, can be attractive and cheery birds in the urban landscape. During the winter, the brown-headed males, with their glossy black bodies, and drab grayish-brown females are regular visitors to backyard bird feeders, happily eating corn, millet and milo alongside their regular sparrow, junco and finch compatriots. They also throng together with other “blackbirds” — starlings, red-winged blackbirds, grackles and others — in huge mixed flocks that glean corn and other

grains in agricultural fields and livestock pens. Male cowbirds serenade their mates with liquid, tinkling notes.

While they are a common, even abundant species for us now, brown-headed cowbirds are a relatively recent addition to the Maryland avian fauna. Another colloquial name for the cowbird is bison bird — a nod to the fact that before European colonization, cowbirds followed roving bison herds across the great plains, feasting on grasshoppers and other insects stirred up by the constantly moving mammals, along with flies and ticks they found on bison necks and backs.

Because the herds were always on the move, female cowbirds found it impossible to build a nest, lay their eggs and raise young while still keeping up with the bison. So, they took a page out of the playbook of their tropical cowbird cousins, all of whom commandeer the parental efforts of other birds. Brown-headed cowbirds laid their eggs in nests of other birds in thickets and tree margins bordering rivers and lakes along the herd’s route. Scientists call this behavior “brood parasitism,” and it is found in other bird species as well, including common cuckoos in Europe.

Our English word cuckold, used to refer to a man whose wife has cheated on him, derives from the old word for cuckoo. The genus name for the brown-headed cowbird, Molothrus, pulls no punches either, pairing the Greek molos- (battle or fight) with -throskos (to sire or impregnate).

When colonists started cut-

ting down the eastern forests and replacing them with agricultural fields, adding cows and horses to the mix, cowbirds moved eastward to take advantage of these newfound herds and fresh habitat. Here they discovered a whole new community of forest birds to exploit as nannies for cowbird youngsters.

Female cowbirds are consummate spies, watching the comings and goings of other bird species as they build their own nests. The female cowbird waits until there’s an egg or two already in the nest before zipping in when the nest owner is momentarily away. While some songbirds take an hour or more to lay an egg, cowbirds lay theirs in about 10 seconds, and then they’re gone. Sometimes the cowbird kicks out the existing eggs for good measure. They may even destroy nests with young birds in them to encourage the songbird parents to rebuild a new nest with new eggs.

A few of the foster parents have learned ways to fight back. Sometimes they kick the odd egg out of the nest. Sometimes they build another nest on top of the parasitized one. Sometimes they abandon the nest altogether, starting again in what they hope will be a more secure location.

Despite never having seen another cowbird in their lives,

young cowbirds instinctively find other teenaged cowbirds to hang with as soon as their adoptive parents stop the gravy train. Brood parasitism behavior is ingrained, not learned, so these teenagers are able to take up parasitic behaviors as soon as they are of mating age. Songbirds dwelling deep in forests have long been immune to cowbird parasitism — but no longer. As we humans crisscross dense forest with open roads, we’re inviting cowbirds to occupy even these formerly safe songbird strongholds. Luckily, however, most songbird species are pretty resilient. In some cases with rare or endangered species — such as Kirtland’s Warbler in Wisconsin — efforts were made to control the cowbird population until the warblers recovered sufficiently to no longer need the protection. Over time, our Maryland songbirds are likely to reach evolutionary detente with cowbirds just as their Great Plains counterparts have.

Have questions for Rick about the world of nature in and around the Maryland suburbs, or suggestions for future columns? Drop him a note at rborchelt@gmail.com.

Adult male brown-headed cowbird with chocolate colored head and glossy black body MIKE CARLO/USFWS

echoed Fisher’s concern about building on flood plains. She said she worries about air quality for children in new high-density developments near transit stations, developments that typically have few trees to filter the air or help with stormwater control.

In response, Tom Dernoga (District 1) said that the county council is part of the problem because it approves too much development of green spaces inside the beltway. He also said that development has not generally been paying for itself, pointing to overburdened fire departments and school systems.

The discussion came after the committee heard a presentation from the county’s park and planning department about Plan 2035, the county’s comprehensive development plan approved in 2014, which prioritizes high-density development near transit. During the presentation, staff said they’ll be doing fiscal analysis, starting this summer, of the costs and benefits to the county of various kinds of development.

Ivey and Dernoga are mem-

bers of the county’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, along with Councilmember Eric Olson (District 3) and Calvin Hawkins and Mel Franklin, the county’s two at-large councilmembers.

This spring, the committee has been considering controversial amendments to the county’s zoning rules (CB-152024) that change how the county approves development projects. Developers have testified in support of the changes, saying they protect investments in existing projects.

Neighborhood associations and environmental groups have opposed them, saying they will allow for more sprawl.

Dernoga and Olson have sided with community groups, opposing motions supported by Ivey, Hawkins and Franklin.

At an April 18 planning committee meeting, Dernoga and Olson voted against a motion to allow developers to choose between old zoning rules and new ones, originally approved in 2018, for another two years.

Dernoga and Olson abstained on a planning committee vote, supported by their colleagues, that would allow data centers to be built

in agricultural zones. Data centers are buildings housing networked computer servers. Community groups testifying before the planning committee expressed concerns about noise and pollution generated by the centers, along with their energy use.

This spring, the county approved a plan for a data center at the former Landover mall site across from FedEx field, and developers are planning another for a wooded site in Laurel near an office building and a middle school.

Franklin argued that community members should have their say on the nature of development when overall planning is done for an entire area, rather than when the details of a particular development are up for approval.

He proposed reversing legislation from last year (CB-32023) that allows the county council to overturn a detailed plan for a development if it conflicts with plans for the larger area. Franklin said that most of those plans, known as master plans and sector plans, are outdated, with 84% put in place before Plan 2035 passed in 2014, and 93% put in place before a 2018 countywide zon-

This spring, the committee has been considering controversial amendments to the county’s zoning rules (CB-15-2024) that change how the county approves development projects. Developers have testified in support of the changes, saying they protect investments in existing projects. Neighborhood associations and environmental groups have opposed them, saying they will allow for more sprawl.

ing rewrite that he said allowed for public input.

Ivey, who had supported CB3-2023 last year, explained that she had changed her position because she had come to understand that developers need more certainty in order to invest in a project.

Dernoga argued against Franklin’s proposal, saying the public isn’t given adequate opportunities to offer meaningful input early in the process, in part because comprehensive planning is so backlogged. “What we’re telling the public is, ‘Thanks for coming, but we really don’t care about your opinion,’” Dernoga said. He pointed to the council’s history of rewriting zoning through site-specific text amendments, without public disclosure, a process discontinued in another reform last year (CB-2-2023). Franklin, Hawkins and Ivey voted to reverse CB-3-2023, with Dernoga and Olson opposing. All five planning committee members are longtime county politicians with decades of work on these issues. Fisher is a relative newcomer, having served as a state delegate from 2019 to 2022, when she joined the county council.