By NANCY WELCH
At their June 4 work session, Laurel Mayor Keith Sydnor and the city council discussed adopting “Our Voice, Our Future,” the 2025 Laurel Sustainability Plan. If passed, the plan would enable departments throughout the city government to collaborate on and
By ZAYNE ALI
The gym at the Laurel Multiservice Center was abuzz with excitement June 28 as the last contestant in Quill and Company’s Next Bestseller competition finished their presentation and took their seat. Contest organizers huddled on the sidelines, counting votes, though no one could hear their conversation over the upbeat music.
For close to a month, the four semifinalists, Sam Braden
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By ANDREW MOLLENAUER
In June, several Laurel High School class of 1965 alumni and their spouses gathered to reminisce and catch up during a three-day reunion.
Traveling to Laurel from as far away as Wyoming, Tennessee and North Carolina, the former classmates shared catered meals and posed for group pictures to document a long-overdue gettogether. The group normally
meets every five years but missed their 55th reunion due to the pandemic.
Laurel resident Jim Cross said that seeing one another after an uncharacteristically long hiatus was special.
“I mean, we grew up together, we were friends, we dated — we did all that stuff,” Cross, who played trumpet in the band and was quarterback on the football team, said. He recalled with a
chuckle class clowns whose antics made for memories he still enjoys decades later.
“It’s just been so good to see our friends,” Cross said. “We just need to get together more.”
Cross said that about 25 of his former classmates died between graduation and now — and others weren’t interested in participating. There were more than 150 students in the graduating class.
By PAUL RUFFINS
This is the fourth in a series of articles exploring landfills, food waste and methane emissions in Prince George’s County and neighboring jurisdictions. The series is partly supported by an Environmental Solutions Journalism Fellowship from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
On July 1, the city of Laurel entered what can be called the third phase of food recycling, with an ecological policy too bold for many other jurisdictions to consider. In 2023, then-Mayor Craig Moe and the city council decided to fight climate change — and save taxpayers about $60 a ton in tipping fees — by becoming the first jurisdiction in Maryland to require residents to separate food waste from their trash so it could be recycled. Some organizations, like grocery stores and colleges, have been required to do this since 2023, as well.
“We have had a voluntary organics recycling program since 2019,” Michele Blair, Laurel’s sustainability manager, said. “Now we’re going to start enforcing it.”
How far is Laurel ahead of the curve? Let’s examine some recent experiences in Montgomery County, which is still in what could be considered the first phase of food recycling (i.e., where some individuals voluntarily participate in pilot programs), and the unincorporated areas of Prince George’s County, which are in a second phase that is countywide but voluntary.
Cecilie Counts is a vegetarian who lives in an unincorporated area of Silver Spring. Unincorporated parts of Montgomery County use dual-stream recycling, so Counts dutifully places her bottles, cans and plastic
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containers in a separate bin from paper and cardboard. She also bought a rolling cart for trash and puts her yard trimmings in plastic trash cans. In mid-May, she happened upon a pilot program at a farmers market and received a countertop container and one green compostable bag.
“I didn’t know if I was supposed to put the container out with the other recycling,” Counts said. “However, when they told me, ‘Bring your food scraps back here for composting,’ I thought, ‘Forget it. I already put my coffee grounds on my plants, but I am not driving any dead food all the way back here.’ If my trash contained rotting meat, that would be even more disgusting.”
Counts is not alone. There are several reasons why many people who conscientiously sort and recycle everything else are hesitant to sort their food waste from their trash.
First, there’s the environmental question. A big advantage of commercial composting over backyard options is that commercial processing safely incorporates meat and bones, which in a backyard composter can attract rats and other critters. But should a vegetarian
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drive a 3,500-pound car 10 miles to keep a few pounds of banana and potato peels from making methane in a landfill?
Second, Counts didn’t have the proper equipment or information to efficiently or effectively participate in sorting food for composting. In selected parts of Silver Spring, Bethesda and Potomac, she could have volunteered for a pilot program that would have provided a countertop container, dozens of compostable bags and a 35-gallon rolling cart for food scraps from the countertop container. This pilot does weekly curbside pickups. She would have also been able to include paper products with food debris on them, like pizza boxes, napkins and compostable plates — all items that can contaminate traditional recyclables like bottles and cans, and cardboard. Composting keeps these paper products out of landfills and incinerators.
Finally, even though Montgomery County composts leaves, grass and garden clippings, it lacks the infrastructure to process food waste, which it sends to the Prince George’s County Organics Processing Facility. This is probably one reason why
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Montgomery County hasn’t scaled up its household food recycling beyond pilot programs. In Prince George’s County, on the other hand, all 180,000 households served by county trash pickup in unincorporated areas, like Chillum and Adelphi, had been given a free kitchen caddy and a 32-gallon wheeled organics cart by January 2024. Residents in these areas have the added advantage of being able to add yard trimmings to the carts, rather than place that debris in paper bags.
Nevertheless, some residents in Prince George’s County resisted, asking for the carts to be removed. In December 2024, Marilyn Naumann, associate director of the Prince George’s County Department of the Environment’s Recovery Resource Division, told the BioCycle newsletter that when the county offered curbside recycling of bottles, cans and mixed paper years ago, “We used a similar outreach and education approach and got very high participation almost immediately. Few requests were made to pick up the recycling cart.
That’s a stark difference from our organics collection program.”
Regardless, Naumann expected participation in the food-scraps recycling program to rise by 40% over the next two to four years, with a long-term goal of 85% participation. At that level, “diverting food scraps is just as normal as recycling,” she said.
The same ick factor that bothered Counts has stymied thirdphase (meaning mandatory) food-scrap recycling programs across the nation. On April 1, New York City made food-scrap recycling mandatory; homeowners that failed to do this faced a $25 fine for their first violation. By mid-April, the city had issued more than 3,600 citations, though the backlash was so strong that officials now ticket only the most serious repeat offenders.
How does Laurel plan to make mandatory food-scrap separation succeed? Blair said that the city has tried to build community support by providing residents with ample information about the advantages of food separation: decreased methane emissions, financial savings from smaller and more fuel-efficient collection trucks, and fewer unwanted critters attracted by trash overflow. She noted that the city has provided all the kitchen caddies, containers, carts and compostable bags citizens need to make the process as convenient as possible.
Laurel also plans to employ technology — including digital cart tagging, photography and near-field readers — to monitor which carts have been emptied by the city’s crews, which have been missed and which have never been used at all. Blair’s department will use data from the field to identify issues and provide residents with assistance as needed — or issue warnings.
“Nobody wants to give and enforce citations,” Blair said. “Our message is that this is serious, this is important, and if you keep refusing to cooperate, you will get a fine. People are already putting their trash into containers; all we want you to do is put your food waste into a different container.” The statute calls for a $50 fine on the first offense, and up to $150 for each additional violation. In nearby Hyattsville, City Councilmember Danny Schaible (Ward 2) would like his city to make food composting mandatory. “Money is a really good incentive to change behavior, but I think there are better solutions than fines,” Schaible said. “In many communities, people pay for trash pickup and are charged higher rates for garbage than recyclables or compostables. It’s called ‘pay as you throw,’ but I’d rather call it ‘save as you sort.’ The more food you recycle, the more you save.” Montgomery County is evaluating a “save as you throw” pilot program.
Motivating people to sort food waste is challenging. In November 2024, the journal Nature published a study of five states with laws calling for mandatory food recycling. It concluded that Massachusetts, which was diverting 13% of food waste at the time of the study, was the only state that achieved a statistically significant result of keeping more than 3% out of landfills.
Neil Seldman, a cofounder of the advocacy organization Zero Waste USA, believes that policies like pay as you throw can help individual communities do five to six times better than those statewide results. “San Francisco claims an 85% food diversion rate,” he said. “I suspect they’re fudging the numbers a little, but it suggests that with the right incentives, Laurel might certainly achieve that in a few years.”
Paul Ruffins is a citizen scientist and a professor of curiosity.
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NEW LAUREL SPEED CAMERAS GO INTO EFFECT
The city of Laurel activated three new speed cameras June 9.
Two cameras are in the median of Route 198 between 9th and 10th, one facing each way.
The third camera faces south on Route 1 at Main Street.
“We want our roadways to be safer for people who are out there driving on them and for the pedestrians who are crossing them,” Laurel Police Deputy Chief Mark Plazinski said. “Speed is always in your top three reasons for collisions. When you exceed the posted speed limit, those collisions become exponentially more deadly.”
The locations were chosen based on data studies conducted by the Department of Public Works. Citizen complaints were a factor, as well. Heavy pedestrian traffic, particularly near schools and libraries, was also taken into consideration.
Laurel Councilmember Jeffrey
Mills (Ward 2) noted that revenue from the speeding fines is used to enforce public safety.
“If you get a ticket for speeding, that means you were breaking the law,” Mills said. As a child, he witnessed a speeding car hit and kill his friend. “We have to slow down, and if it costs a $40 fee, that is the consequence we have to pay.”
-Sumaya Abdel-Motagaly
More than 200 people participated in a No Kings rally at the Laurel Branch Library June 14, one of thousands of rallies held in cities across the country.
The national event was to protest the Trump administration’s policies that organizers of the rallies consider autocratic.
“We oppose xenophobia and the current oppressive regime,”
Amy Knox said. Knox is the founder of Laurel Resist, the group that organized Laurel’s rally. She added that the progres-
sive group also opposes “Islamophobia, homophobia, misogyny and racism.”
Demonstrators lined up along Route 198 outside the library, carrying signs and waving to passing motorists. A sign that read “Honk If You Hate Dictators” drew a constant stream of blaring horns from motorists passing by.
Prince George’s County Councilmember Tom Dernoga (District 1) joined the rally carrying a sign that read, “Trump Despises America, Real Americans Despise Trump.” City Councilmember James Kole (Ward 1) was also at the rally.
Knox founded Laurel Resist
in 2017, at the beginning of the first Trump administration. The group, which has about 15 members, meets monthly to plan voter education and registration drives as well as candidate forums; they also provide public officials with feedback. “This is our biggest mass mobilization,” she said, referring to the No Kings rally.
-Joe Murchison
Dozens of community members gathered June 14 at the Laurel Multiservice Center to celebrate Father’s Day with a breakfast hosted by City Councilmember Jeffery Mills (Ward 2). The event featured speakers and a performance.
Mills organized the 100 Fathers Day Breakfast to bring the community together, and in particular men.
“We need to have discussions about our role as men and fathers, sons, uncles in society,”
Mills said. “Fathers play an important role in society.”
U. S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (4th District) gave the city of Laurel congressional recognition for organizing the event. As a father of six and a grandfather of three, Ivey highlighted the importance of fatherhood. He also touched on the challenges and hardships the men in his family faced during segregation and slavery.
“Here we are in a different situation, a blessed situation,” Ivey said. “The ultimate blessing is the family — that’s the beauty for me.”
-Sumaya Abdel-Motagaly
Tanks and other military vehicles traveled down 7th Street en route to the District June 12 to participate in a military parade held in honor of the Army’s 250th birthday. At least 12 trucks went by, causing “quite a backup on both 7th st and 198 as these massive vehicles made the turn onto 108,” Laurel resident Stanley Stosh wrote in an email.
By JIMMY ROGERS
The perfect book provides a vantage point on its subject that can forever change one’s perspective. For gardeners taking a vacation from working the soil during the doldrums of summer, I recommend any of the following books that have helped me grow my gardening knowledge over the years.
Bringing Nature Home, by Douglas Tallamy
In my experience, this is the most widely read book among native gardeners. Tallamy, an entomology professor at the University of Delaware, tells of the damage done by habitat loss, how this has broken almost all food webs in North America and how residential landscapes can do more to restore the damage than previously thought. While the book includes few detailed instructions about gardening, it provides gardeners with the means to assess whether the plants in their garden are sustaining the natural web of wildlife around them.
The book is widely available as
a paperback and the audiobook is perfect for a vacation car ride. Tallamy has also written a number of sequels and recently published How Can I Help? Saving Nature With Your Yard, a question and answer book that makes a great coffee table reference.
Our Native Bees, by Paige Embry
Almost every child has drawn a bee in school, learned about queens in their hives and been told to stay far away, lest they be stung. However, these lessons all center around Eurasian honeybees. If you’re going to grow native plants, your garden will attract a host of native bees that defy almost all of these childhood stories. Embry’s book offers a primer on bees that starts with common bee myths, digs into the history and use of honeybees in America and then describes the unique qualities of our native bees. She takes particular care to describe their domestic lives and the surprising quirks of each species. The book is available in hardcover, and the audiobook is excellent.
A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There, by Aldo Leopold
This book tugs at my heartstrings each time I read it. Leopold chronicled the goings-on of nature from his rural Wisconsin shack in the 1930s and ‘40s. He took note of the most subtle, common and often sublime sights and sounds of the landscape. My favorite chapter describes Leopold’s hunting with his dog before the county clerk has started work for the day, when correspondingly there are no human boundary lines on the land yet. Instead, the birds carve up the land, staking claims with their calls but holding off on any confrontation until a more reasonable hour.
A Sand County Almanac is considered one of the two most influential conservation books of the 20th century, alongside Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. While the book takes a humble and often homespun tone, Leopold was trained in one of the country’s first forestry schools and later worked as a professor of wildlife management at the University of Wisconsin. He argued that like our ethical responsibilities to each other or the government, we have a relationship to the
land, which he called the “land ethic.”
The book is frequently assigned in college courses and therefore easily available as a used paperback, and I recommend the audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell, too.
Essential Native Trees and Shrubs for the Eastern United States, by Tony Dove and Ginger Woolridge
These days, I often use online lists of native plants, but when it comes to selecting native trees, one needs a comprehensive resource. Dove and Woolridge, both Marylanders, have assembled an excellent guide to trees that are not only native east of the Appalachian mountains, but specifically those that they would recommend for residential or municipal plantings. The book includes photos and detailed descriptions of overall shape, growth habit, seasonal interest and maintenance considerations for each recommended species. For trees that they do not recommend, they explain why. I found it very useful when assembling a recommended tree list for the Laurel Tree Board.
Growing an Edible Landscape: How to Transform Your Outdoor Space Into a Food Garden, by
Chiara D’Amore and Gary Pilarchik
The most recent publication on the list, this book is a Swiss Army Knife for garden planning. While their book is not specifically about native plants, D’Amore and Pilarchik, also Marylanders, lean into one of my favorite gardening themes: productivity. The book gives gardeners lots of ideas for how to lay out their gardens for maximum productivity, be it growing veggies and herbs or plants that sustain wildlife. Plus, this is the book that inspired me to create an herb spiral this spring, a three-dimensional earthen structure that makes it easy to grow lots of herbs that are even easier to harvest.
Whatever you read or listen to this summer, I hope it grows your knowledge, expands your vision and inspires you to create new green spaces in your life.
IV, Karla Talley, LaTasha Snell Gatling (known professionally as Tasha G) and Ja’kya Joyce, had been working toward this moment. The contest, a fiveround competition that started in May, was a collaboration between Laurel-based Quill and Company and the city.
When the music faded. Dominic “Coach Nic” Colbert, contest cohost and business coach, took the podium with Quill and Company founder and CEO Robin McCormick to announce that Karla Talley had won the contest.
Quill and Company awarded Tally with full publishing and promotion services, including a national book tour, for her book, Love in the Key of Black McCormick promoted the contest with high expectations that promising writers would step forward. “What I found is that I serve the niche in the market for the novice writer,” she said. “There’s people who are like, ‘I have a great story, but I don’t quite know how to tell … or develop it.’”
McCormick launched Quill and Company in 2020. An author herself, she was inspired
to help others with their writing after she faced significant hurdles with self-publishing. Her company offers a full range of services to aspiring writers, including personal coaching, ghostwriting and publishing assistance. Most services are offered virtually, which gives McCormick and her colleagues optimal flexibility as they work with clients and vendors.
About two dozen aspiring writers from Laurel and surrounding areas entered the contest, which began with the first round of pitch tryouts on May 24. The panel of judges included local literary professionals and educators, including Dr. Michael Dixon (who wrote The Sanctuary Method), screenwriter Paula Murrain and Heather Brooks, founder of The Write Women Book Fest.
The contest format, inspired by reality shows like “American Idol,” featured professional feedback and audience voting. McCormick chose this model because she felt it emphasized community engagement and rapport.
“We would create a fanbase for these contestants so that when they get to the end, if they become the next bestseller … they have that advantage up
front,” she said.
After tryouts, contestants participated in three battle rounds designed to build on their initial pitches. Pairs of contestants sparred in the first two battle rounds, and all contestants sat in the audience for the third and final battle round.
Talley said that having her fellow contestants in the audience pushed her to lean into her strengths as a writer. “In the end, I didn’t really view them as sparring partners but as cocreatives who I was working alongside as we each sharpened the articulation of our vision for our books,” she said.
The finale was a culmination of the previous battle rounds, with live voting as contestants presented their revised pitches.
Braden, who wrote Cashmere Thoughts, came in fourth. Tasha G. came in third for her work Nothing But Yet: How to Turn Your Mom Life Crisis Into Your Rebirth, and Joyce, finished second for Devil’s Night
Now proud recipient of the contest’s quill-feather-shaped trophy, Talley is looking to marry her career as an attorney with her passion for writ-
ing. She encouraged aspiring writers to use their own vulnerability as a reliable tool. “Your writing will be so much better when you take the risk … and a lot of people will appreciate that,” she said.
After the finale, Laurel Mayor Keith Syndor said he was “very impressed” by the program and that he would be willing to support future contests as an extension of his youth-centered
literacy initiatives. Colbert is enthusiastic about a Laurel Season Two, and Quill and Company aims to host similar contests in other Maryland communities.
“We want to be able to create this opportunity, not just for the city of Laurel, but for all cities,” McCormick said. “Everybody has a voice to tell. We want to give them this opportunity to share that.”
“Move it along, feathers. I don’t get paid by the hour ... Or at all!”
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By AGNES PASCO CONATY
How would you like to spend summer contributing to a worthy cause?
However small or simple, be part of something big or complex. I have written about citizen science, where anyone can contribute observations or data
using a cell phone app, to share with the rest of the world.
I introduced the GLOBE Observer app (observer.globe. gov), where you take observations of clouds, mosquito larvae, land covers and tree heights using your cell phone, which could benefit students, researchers and anyone interested in
them on a local or global scale. There are other citizen science opportunities that families can engage in the entire year. Look into SciStarter (scistarter.org) for other opportunities to do civic science — topics from astronomy to zoology.
Civic science is all about using your STEM talents for the good of
the community. If this looks like something you would like to do for Laurel, consider exploring the possibility of being a community leader. As a community leader, you have the ability to choose a specific local concern that you think needs addressing. More details at tinyurl.com/5zpn8wpt. If there’s an environmental issue in your neighborhood that you want addressed, step up and see if this program is a good match for you.
Look around your locality in the city of Laurel. Does your neighborhood near Route 198 suffer from constant flooding whenever rain hits? Is there an air, water or soil contamination problem along Main Street? Do people suffer from chronic illnesses related to mold or dust in Old Town Laurel? Is Route 1 traffic getting too congested and does it need rethinking outside the box?
These are a few of the many kinds of environmental issues community leaders, fellows and scientists from American Geophysical Union (AGU) Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) Community Science Fellows team up and solve in 12 to 18 months.
As one of AGU TEX Community Science Fellows in its May 2024 cohort, I had the opportunity to
volunteer my time and talent in rural Willington (McCormick), South Carolina, where an old school is being restored to serve as a community hub for job training. A portion of the property may be repurposed for farming and tapped as a source of sustainable food supply for some 200 or more people in the community. As a volunteer with this large project, it’s satisfying to see this community thriving because of my commitment.
Whether you want simple involvement by taking observations with your cell phone or more complex challenges as a community lead, there is something for everyone.
This is the summer for putting our volunteer hats on. If you are up to the challenge, go the extra distance.
Summer is a time for fun and celebration, but safety should always come first. The Laurel Police Department reminds everyone to stay vigilant. Lock your doors and vehicles, watch out for suspicious activity, and report concerns right away. Whether you’re traveling, enjoying outdoor events, or just relaxing at home, a few precautions can help prevent crime and keep our community secure. Look out for one another and let’s make this summer safe for everyone! We are here for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, simply call us if you need us. Emergency 301-725-3000
Non-Emergency 301-498-0092
Protect Your Car from Break-Ins This Summer Car break-ins are often crimes of opportunity. Thieves look for easy targets, don’t let your vehicle be one. Follow these crime prevention tips to keep your car safe:
Lock It Every Time – Even in your driveway, always lock your doors and close windows. Unlocked cars are the easiest targets.
Hide Valuables or Remove Valuables from your vehicle. – Never leave anything valuable in your vehicle. If you have to leave items in your vehicle lock them in the trunk or glove compartment.
Pick Safe Parking Spots – Park in well-lit, busy areas. Avoid dark, isolated spots where thieves can approach unnoticed.
Stay Vigilant – If you see suspicious activity, report it to law enforcement immediately, don’t hesitate. Quick action can stop a crime before it happens.
Use Anti-Theft Devices – Steering wheel locks, car alarms, and tracking systems deter thieves. Visible deterrents make them think twice.
Thieves act fast. Stay ahead of them by making your car a tough target. Take precautions, stay alert, and help prevent crime in our community!
Heat Safety
- Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated, especially during outdoor activities.
- Avoid prolonged sun exposure, wear sunscreen, hats, and light clothing.
- Never leave pets or children in a parked car, even for a minute, it can be deadly.
Water Safety
- Always supervise children when they’re near pools, lakes, or other bodies of water.
- Wear a life jacket when boating or engaging in water sports.
- Follow posted rules at pools and beaches to prevent accidents.
Road Safety
- Slow down! More people are out walking and biking so watch for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Always designate a sober driver.
- Follow speed limits and avoid distractions while driving.
Community Awareness
- Lock your doors and windows, even when you’re home.
- Be mindful of package deliveries and avoid leaving valuables in plain sight.
- Report any suspicious activity to law enforcement immediately. By watching out for each other, we help keep our community safe! Small actions such as reporting concerns, staying aware, and looking after neighbors can make a big difference. Let’s stay vigilant and work together for a safer summer.
Heading out of town? The Laurel Police Department offers house checks while you're away on vacation or for an extended time. Officers will keep an eye on your property, adding an extra layer of security while you're gone. Schedule a check in advance and enjoy peace of mind knowing your home is being looked after. Call 301-498-0092 to schedule.
Join us for National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, from 6 PM to 9 PM at Gran-
ville Gude Park! This annual event brings our community together to strengthen relationships between residents and law enforcement while enjoying a night of fun and connection. There will be free food, live music with DJ Aggie, K9 Demo, SWAT Demo and much more. Bring your family, friends, and neighbors for an unforgettable evening. Let's celebrate safety, unity, and community spirit together!
Three new Speed Cameras were installed in the city of Laurel. We wanted to remind everyone of their locations.
These cameras are part of an ongoing effort to enhance road safety and reduce speeding in our community.
Sign and Camera locations:
- Southbound Route 1 and Main Street
- Route 198 & Ninth Street (both eastbound and westbound)
Speeding is a leading cause of accidents, and these enforcement measures are designed to create safer conditions for all drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. We encourage motorists to remain alert and adhere to posted speed limits to ensure the well-being of our community.
Thank you for driving safely and helping us foster a secure environment for everyone.
Public Works has completed the daunting task of delivering over 6,000 curbside organics recycling kits to all of our single-family and townhome communities. The information provided explains what can go into their compost carts – it easy! All foods – even expired products – paper napkins/paper towels – pizza boxes are just some examples of what can be put in your composting cart. Remember – loose leaves and grass clippings are also acceptable in your curbside compost cart. Still have questions? Come to the Farmer’s Market welcome desk and meet residents that are compost ambassadors to get some fun “hacks” and answer any questions. Click the QR code to go directly to the organics recycling page for more information.
Come out and visit your favorite vendors from last year and meet some “new” favorites, pick up some tasty food and relax and listen to music in the shade. We are very excited to once again accept SNAP/ EBT benefits and be part of the Maryland Market Money program – giving our shoppers extra market cash to shop with. Stop by the Welcome Tent to get tokens. The Market is open every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 378 Main Street through October 16th. Be sure to check out our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/the market on main) and our City website (https:// www.cityoflaurel.org/1617/Laurel -Farmers-Market).
Mosquito Control Program: With the rain and warmer weather – mosquitoes will start being very active! To help combat the spread of mosquitoes, the City of Laurel will once again participate in the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s (MDA) Mosquito Control Program, but residents can do a lot to reduce the mosquito population and reduce the need to spray. For more ecofriendly, proactive ideas Tip It or Toss It, visit the Green Living page https://www.cityoflaurel.org/431/Mosquito -ControlProgram and https://www.cityoflaurel.org/1478/Mosquito-Control-Program for more detailed information on how to contact MDA. Our spray night is: Sunday.
Want to be part of the sustainability solution? Join the Sustainability Action Group (SAG)! We have a few residents that ar e dynamic and committed to making Laurel a great sustainability community now and for future generations and we need more! Our Composting Ambassadors are already on the move – engaging with residents and promoting our curbside program, the Voices Group is looking for innovative ways to reach more residents and get the “word out. There is a place for everyone – from installing yard signs to attending public events and talking about your sustainable passion.
For more information and to see what we are up to Follow us on Sustainable Laurel Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558113916065 and the Green Living website – www.cityoflaurel.org/greenliving.
POLICÍA DE LAUREL: CONSEJOS DE SEGURIDAD PARA EL VERANO
El verano es época de diversión y celebración, pero la seguridad siempre es lo primero. El Departamento de Policía de Laurel les recuerda a todos que se mantengan alerta. Cierren las puertas y vehículos con llave, estén atentos a cualquier actividad sospechosa y reporten cualquier inquietud de inmediato. Ya sea que viajen, disfruten de eventos al aire libre o simplemente se relajen en casa, algunas precauciones pueden ayudar a prevenir la delincuencia y mantener a nuestra comunidad segura. ¡Cuídense unos a otros y hagamos que este verano sea seguro para todos! Estamos disponibles las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana; simplemente llámenos si nos necesita. Emergencias: 301 -725-3000. No emergencias:301-498-0092.
Los robos de autos suelen ser delitos oportunistas. Los ladrones buscan blancos fáciles; no deje que su vehículo sea uno de ellos. ¡Al cuidarnos unos a otros, ayudamos a mantener nuestra comunidad segura! Pequeñas acciones como reportar inquietudes, mantenerse alerta y cuidar a los vecinos pueden marcar una gran diferencia. Mantengámonos alerta y trabajemos juntos para un verano más seguro.
LAUREL POLICE MONTHLY CRIME REPORT MAY 2025
List of Laurel Police Crime Reports can be found at www.cityoflaurel.org/1896/LPDCrime-Reports
Listed below are recent legislative actions taken, if any, by the Laurel City Council during the past month of Mayor and City Council meetings. For further information on any of these legislative 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:
• Ordinance No. 2038 - Updating Election Laws. Visit https://library.municode.com for details.
Bid Recommendations:
• Van Dusen Road Improvement Project - Phase 3 Engineering Services - Public Works ($68,422)
• Stanley Place Road Improvement Project - Public Works ($70,000)
• Purchase of Ammunition - Laurel Police ($55,000)
Appointments/Reappointments:
Gabriella Alonso (Appointment) - Laurel Arts Council - 6/9/25 - 6/9/28
July 2025 Mayor and City Council Meetings
July 14th - Virtual Mayor and City Council Meeting (6:00pm)
July 28th - Mayor and City Council Meeting (6:00pm)
July 2025 Boards and Commissions
July 15th - Planning Commission (6:00pm)
July 22nd - Historic District Commission (6:00pm)
July 24th - Board of Appeals (6:00pm)
July 29th - Master Plan Committee (6:00pm)
August 2025 Mayor and City Council Meetings
All Mayor and City Council Meetings will CANCELLED for the month of August.
August 2025 Boards and Commissions
All Board and Commission Meetings will be CANCELLED for the month of August.
City Council Election Candidate Packets available by appointment July 725, 2025. Contact the City Clerk’s Office at 301-725-5300 ext. 2120, or email elections@laurel.md.us, to schedule an appointment.
Music at the Mansion - July 11, 2025 - 6pm at Gude Mansion, 13910 Laurel Lakes Avenue. Enjoy an evening of fun filled with music! 21 and over only.
Free Friday Movies - Begins at DUSK at Gude Park Stage - Bring the family, a blanket and picnic and enjoy:
July 11th“Moana 2”
July 18th“The Wild Robot” July 25th“The Garfield Movie” August 1st“The Mitchells vs. The Machines”
Safe Summer Nights Returns! July 12th - August 16th - Saturday nights, 610pm. Details at www.cityoflaurel.org/1926/Safe-Summer-Nights-Program.
Touch-A-Truck - July 22, 2025 - Emancipation Park on 8th Street from 6:308:00pm. A variety of BIG vehicles will be on hand to tour.
National Night Out - August 5, 2025 - 6 - 9pm at Granville Gude Park. Join the Laurel Police Department and Community Organizations for a night of family fun!
Free Outdoor Concert - August 8, 2025 - 7pm at Gude Park Stage - Enjoy an evening of live outdoor music! Featuring “Spanglish American Band”
August 9, 2025 - Crab Sale - Laurel 4th of July and Pride Committees have partnered to bring back the Crab Sale once hosted by the Lions Club! Visit their Facebook pages - @laurel4thofjulycelebration or @cityoflaurelprideday for details!
Scan the QR Code for the online volunteer application!
By LILLIAN GLAROS
Rosemary Gilmore spent her first 11 years in Laurel. Now 27, she resides in Atlanta, where she is an actress and a producer with Good Ghost Productions, which she helped Meghana Singh, her childhood friend from Laurel, create. Their first film, “A Good Egg,” is scheduled for release this fall. Gilmore also owns a pool equipment installation and repair business with her husband.
The Laurel Independent recently sat down with Gilmore for an interview.
Q:
What was it like growing up in Laurel?
A: I really loved it because of the friends that I had and the teachers that I had, and also with my family being so close, and that’s what I remember the most about Laurel, is the friends that I made and just the connections that I had.
Gilmore COURTESY OF DANIEL PARVIS
Q: What performance-related activities did you do while living in Laurel?
A: I was involved in cheerleading, … I played viola for three years in elementary school. I loved the music
classes that I was involved in. I did choir at the church for some time. I was also in church plays, and I also loved doing the talent shows at school, like where I would choreograph dances, either by myself or with my friends.
Q: What performance pieces have you been in recently?
A: Recently, I’ve been on “Snapped,” which is on the Oxygen network. It’s a true crime docuseries. The first movie that I did is called “9 Windows”; I believe it was released last year. It’s a horror movie starring William Forsythe and Michael Paré. I have some other things coming up as well that I can’t share.
[Gilmore played Nicole Thornhill in “Snapped” and Victim #2 in “9 Windows.”]
Q: What has that experience, performing, been like for you?
A: I really enjoyed it because I feel like it’s really where I belong. I feel very comfortable performing, whether that’s film or theater, and I’m just the happiest when I’m doing it.
Q: What made you want to become an actress?
A: My family has such a love for music and the arts and performance, they were always taking me to those opportunities growing up. My grandmother and my parents, they would take me to go see shows, and I just remember thinking about how I wanted to be up there doing what [the actors] were doing.
Q: Would you say that you represent Laurel in the work you do?
A: Whenever people ask me ‘where are you from?’, I always say first that I was born and raised in Laurel, Maryland, and I think that I definitely represent the community based off of the connections that I made, and because I had such positive experiences with the people in Laurel and with the arts as well. I mean, I think that really made me who I am today, and I try to carry that with me through everything that I do.
MAY 12 - JUNE 11 2025
This crime blotter is based on the most recently available month of crime data from the city of Laurel and does not include all police activity for the period.
MAY 12
15100 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
1000 blk Overlook Way: Range Rover reported stolen by unknown means
14800 blk Belle Ami Dr: Stolen Kia recovered
7900 blk Cherry Ln: Victim assaulted, robbed
MAY 13
9000 blk Marshall Ave: Stolen registration plate recovered
6900 blk Van Dusen Rd: Male
observed shoplifting, fleeing scene 8200 blk Harvest Bend Ln: Acura reported stolen by unknown means
MAY 15
14800 blk Baltimore Ave: Female observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
300 blk Montrose Ave: Group failed to pay for services
MAY 17
13600 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
Unit blk Washington Blvd:
Dodge reported stolen by unknown means
100 blk Irving St: Unknown suspects broke into a residence
14100 blk Baltimore Ave: Electronics stolen
MAY 18
15100 blk Baltimore Ave:
Hygiene items stolen
14700 blk Baltimore Ave.:
Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
MAY 19
15100 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
400 blk Sandy Spring Rd: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
800 blk Fifth St: Money stolen from a vehicle
MAY 20
Unit blk Riverfront Pl: Unknown suspects attempted to steal a Kia
800 blk Fifth: Registration plate stolen off vehicle
15100 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
13600 blk Baltimore Ave: Female observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
MAY 21
7800 blk Contee Rd: Bank card
Photo Contest Entry Guidelines
To enter the contest, bring your parent/guardian and 1-3 original 4”x6” photos (no mats, frames, or names on fronts) to the front desk at the National Wildlife Visitor Center, Patuxent Research Refuge.
Submission Hours:
Wednesday to Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM
Closed on federal holidays
Ages 5-14
You can submit all three photos in one visit or bring one per visit during the contest period
CONTEST RUNS FROM: JUNE 14
Not sure what makes a good nature photo?
Join us for a nature-photo discovery walk & talk
Date: June 28 and July 12
Time: 10:30 AM to 11:15 AM.
Location: National Wildlife Visitor Center (under 18, with adult supervision)
stolen
200 blk Fort Meade Rd: Male
observed shoplifting, arrested
600 blk Washington Blvd: Male observed shoplifting, arrested
13600 blk Baltimore Ave:
Female observed shoplifting, arrested
100 blk Bowie Rd: Suspect attempted to rob a citizen; unsuccessful, arrested
MAY 22
13900 blk Chadsworth Ter: BMW reported stolen by unknown means
7600 blk Arbory Ct: Registration plate stolen off vehicle
700 blk Gorman Ave: Business broken into, multiple items stolen
14900 blk Ashford Ct: Infiniti reported stolen by unknown means
14800 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
14700 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
MAY 23
700 blk Washington Blvd: Purse stolen from vehicle
MAY 24
14200 blk Oxford Dr: Multiple vehicles vandalized
8100 blk Fenwick Ct: Multiple vehicles vandalized
1400 blk Vista Dr: Multiple vehicles vandalized
14600 blk Shiloh Ct: Registration plate stolen off vehicle
14700 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
600 blk Washington Blvd: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
MAY 29
14700 blk Philip Ct: Registration plate stolen off vehicle
600 blk Washington Blvd: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
14800 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, arrested
MAY 30
15100 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
MAY 31
14700 blk Normandy Ct: Registration plate stolen off vehicle
800 blk Fifth St: Registration plate stolen off vehicle
600 blk Washington Blvd: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
JUNE 1
14900 blk Baltimore Ave: Business broken into, multiple items stolen
7800 blk Contee Rd: Dodge reported stolen by unknown means
JUNE 2
14900 blk Fourth St: Hyundai reported stolen by unknown means
14000 blk Vista Dr: Suspects attempted to break into residence
JUNE 5
15100 blk Baltimore Ave: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
6900 blk Andersons Way: Vehicle broken into
14100 blk Baltimore Ave: Group observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
14900 blk Silver Trail Ln: Multiple items stolen out of vehicle
JUNE 6
600 blk Washington Blvd: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
14700 blk Baltimore Ave: Group observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
JUNE 7
140 blk Bowie Rd: Victim assaulted, vehicle carjacked
13700 blk Baltimore Ave: Vehicle broken into
14700 blk Fourth St: Multiple items stolen from vehicle
7900 blk Braygreen Rd: Multiple items stolen from vehicle
14100 blk West Side Blvd: Multiple vehicles broken into
300 blk Second St: Male failed to pay for services
MAY 25
15100 blk Baltimore Ave: Female observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
9400 blk Spring House Ln: Acura reported stolen by unknown means
7200 blk Olive Branch Way: Package stolen
MAY 26
15100 blk Baltimore Ave: Female observed shoplifting, fleeing scene Fifth St/Gorman Ave: Vehicle broken into
800 blk Fifth St: Handicapped placard stolen from vehicle 600 blk Washington Blvd: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
JUNE 3
Photo Contest Entry Guidelines
Unit blk Second St: All four tires stolen off vehicle
14700 blk Baltimore Ave: Group observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
JUNE 9
Unit blk Fourth St: Kia reported stolen by unknown means
14100 blk Baltimore Ave: Nissan reported stolen by unknown means
JUNE 10
700 blk Main St: Vehicle broken into
To enter the contest, bring your parent/guardian and 1-3 original 4”x6” photos (no mats, frames, or names on fronts) to the front desk at the National Wildlife Visitor Center, Patuxent Research Refuge.
MAY 27
200 blk Fort Meade Rd: Male observed shoplifting, arrested
Submission Hours: Wednesday to Saturday: 10 AM - 4 PM Closed on federal holidays
14700 blk Baltimore Ave: Female observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
Ages 5-14
Cherry Ln/Baltimore Ave: Stolen Infiniti recovered 900 blk Montrose Ave: Unknown suspects attempted to break into a residential shed 14900 blk Ashford Ct: Kia reported stolen by unknown means 8300 blk Ashford Blvd: Kia reported stolen by unknown means
You can submit all three photos in one visit or bring one per visit during the contest period
14700 blk Baltimore Ave: BMW reported stolen by unknown means
6900 blk Van Dusen Rd: Group observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
Not sure what makes a good nature photo? Join us for a nature-photo discovery walk & talk
MAY 28
Date: June 28 and July 12
Time: 10:30 AM to 11:15 AM.
6900 blk Andersons Way: All four tires stolen off vehicle
300 blk Domer S.: Male observed shoplifting, fleeing scene 14500 blk Greenview Dr: Wallet stolen 14600 blk Baltimore Ave: Cell phone stolen 8200 blk Ashford Blvd: Registration plate stolen off vehicle 9600 blk Fort Meade Rd: Kia reported stolen by unknown means
Location: National Wildlife Visitor Center (under 18, with adult supervision)
9300 blk Spring House Ln: All four tires stolen off vehicle
JUNE 4
600 blk Washington Blvd: Male observed shoplifting, arrested
7900 blk Braygreen Rd: Multiple tools stolen from vehicle
14000 blk Fernie Fld: Both registration plates stolen off vehicle
300 blk Domer St: Group observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
15700 blk Millbrook Ln: Mail stolen
500 blk Sandy Spring Rd: Female observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
JUNE 11
7100 blk Virginia Manor: Lexus stolen by unknown means
500 blk Washington Blvd: Mercedes stolen by unknown means
JUNE 12
200 blk Fort Meade Rd: Male observed shoplifting, arrested 14100 blk Baltimore Ave: Group observed shoplifting, fleeing scene
“But a lot of us are really like, ‘so good to see you,’ especially people coming from other states,” Cross said. “It’s just great.”
Betsy Welsh, who hosted a gathering at her house for the group, said name tags were helpful, as some in the group were hard to recognize after a decade.
“We renewed friendships,” she said. “We had an opportunity to kind of see where people had been this last decade and before, and we talked about memories.”
Welsh said her high school math class inspired her to teach the subject for 40 years, mostly in Prince George’s County.
“I wasn’t thinking I was going to be a math teacher, so it was learning how to be very organized and how to move forward,” she said. “And there were so many things from that.”
Welsh looked back on her experience as a student during that time in the nation’s history. She started elementary school during segregation, to which Laurel wasn’t immune.
“The kids who lived right down this street … were bused to Upper Marlboro,” she said. “My kids don’t believe it. It’s staggering. Our children can’t imagine how our lives have changed.”
Welsh also recalled the announcement
of President Kennedy’s assassination over the school’s PA system as the dismissal bell rang.
“I remember it exactly,” Welsh said. “We were juniors in high school. It was surreal.”
Welsh said it’s been interesting hearing her former peers’ thoughts about current events during the reunion.
“To stand back and see [everyone] in one big circle, sharing … doesn’t happen if you don’t give an opportunity,” she said. “You find that people have different ideas, and certainly we’ve got the whole political spectrum, but we all look for things we had in common.”
The former classmates also had the opportunity to visit their old school building, now home to the Laurel Boys and Girls Club. Opened in 1899, the building was the first high school in Prince George’s County. The class of 1965 was the last to graduate from the old building.
“We’re the last and best class to graduate [from] the old Laurel High School,” Ken Boyer said. “And it was great fun. Some of these people I’ve known since elementary school; we’re still friends. We’d raise the roof on the place during wrestling matches.”
Boyer, a U.S. Navy veteran, takes pride in being an “almost native,” he said; his fam-
BIRDHOUSES
CRYPTOLOGIC MUSEUM
FIRE DEPARTMENT
GRANVILLE GUDE PARK
LAUREL GOLF CENTER
LAUREL MUSEUM
MINI GOLF
PATUXENT RESEARCH
WILDLIFE CENTER
CHERRY LANE
DINOSAUR PARK
FORT MEADE
HOSPITAL
LAUREL LAKES
LAUREL RACETRACK
MONTPELIER MANSION
RIVERFRONT PART
COMMUNITIES
DUTCH FARM MARKET
GARDEN ICE HOUSE
JAILBREAK BREWING
LAUREL MILL PLAYHOUSE
MAIN STREET
NSA
SHOPPING CENTERS
ily moved to Laurel from Iowa when he was an infant. His father, who served in the Army, was stationed at Fort Meade, thus beginning the younger Boyer’s 20-year chapter in Laurel.
“It’s where I grew up,” he said. “My earliest memories are here. It’s home.”
Like Welsh, Boyer noted changes to the area since graduation. He was struck by how large the city is now.
“We all pretty much remember Laurel when it was a small town,” he said. “You could go south on Route 1 and you get out to just a little bit past Cherry Lane, and you were out of town; there was nothing until you got down to Beltsville. Laurel was Laurel. We didn’t have West Laurel or East Laurel. It was truly a small town — small-town America.”
But small-town is a reflection of more than a location, Boyer said. It’s a way of life.
“Everybody knew everybody, so you do something wrong, the neighbor lady would
whack you on the butt and send you home,” he joked.
For Cross, the reunion more than half a century after graduation was a sobering reminder of a cliché as old as time: Life is short. Now approaching his 80s, he is especially grateful to reconnect with old friends.
“You get to 77, and a lot of people are getting issues with their health, and you just can’t get up and go do stuff like you want to, so that’s part of it,” he said. “It’s kind of nice to at least get out.”
Boyer, who lives in nearby Pasadena, appreciated reconnecting and reflected on what his classmates meant — and still mean — to him.
“It’s neat to have that kind of a base,” he said of the reunion. “We had everything. It was a fun place. It’s a lot of memories of Laurel. We rode our bikes everywhere when we were kids. It was just a great small town to grow up in.”
Find more local events all month long in our new, continuously updated online calendar at streetcarsuburbs.news/events.
Please send notices of events taking place between Aug. 15 and Sept. 10 to nancy@ streetcarsuburbs.news by July 30
JULY 11
Dinosaur Park Dig Day. Discover ancient secrets while helping paleontology experts dig for fossils. 10 a.m. $10. 13100 Mid Atlantic Blvd. 301.627.1286
Music at the Mansion. Lenny Kurlou brings reggae to the lawn Limited entry. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Gude Mansion, 13910 Laurel Lakes Ave. 301.725.5300
“Laughing Stock.” A backstage farce set in New England about the world of theater. Two weekends only: July 11-13 and 18-20. Times vary. Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St. 301.617.9906
JULY 12
“Butterflies and Flowers: Messengers of the Heavens.” Public reception celebrating the work of visiting resident artists Alla and Milana Borovskaia. 2 to 4 p.m. Montpelier Arts Center, 9652 Muirkirk Rd. 301. 377.7800
JULY 16
Dark Skies Night Walk. Explore Patuxent Refuge Center at night during its first “mothnificent”
night out. 8 p.m. 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop. 301.497.5887
JULY 17
Free Film: “Nocturnes.” In celebration of National Moth Week, Patuxent Research Refuge film series presents internationally acclaimed film about the world of moths. Free, with refreshments and native plant give-away. 5 p.m. 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop. 301.497.5887
Summer Concert Series. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy a modern electro-pop performance by Harborline, Donations of toiletries are being collected for Laurel Advocacy and Referral Services. Free. 7 p.m. Towne Centre Laurel, 14828 Baltimore Ave. 301.317.0206
JULY 18 AND AUG. 1
Water Play. Summertime fun for kids 0 to 5 years old, hosted by the Laurel Branch Library. Free. 10:30 a.m. Laurel Splash Pad at Emancipation Park, 520 8th St. 301.776.6790
JULY 19 AND AUG. 2
Dinosaur Park Open House. Explore the grounds where dinosaur bones have been discovered and learn about fossils. Free. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 13100 Mid Atlantic Blvd. 301.627.1286
JULY 22
Touch a Truck. Check out the city’s police units, a fire truck and more. Free. 6:30 to 8 p.m. Emancipation Community Park, 520 8th St. 301.725.5300
JULY 24
Textile Techniques. Learn about textiles through hands-on activities. Hours vary. Special talk July 24, 2 p.m. Included with admission. Montpelier House Museum, 9650 Muirkirk Road. 301.377.7817.
AUG. 8
Splanglish American Band. Dance to the heat of Latin beats fused with American rhythms. Concert covers American jazz standards, bossanova, salsa, samba, bachata, cumbia and more. Free. 7 to 9 p.m. Granville Gude Park, 8300 Mulberry St. 301.725.5300
ONGOING
Monarch Magic at Patuxent Research Refuge. Explore the lifecycle of monarch butterflies. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Visitor Center, South Tract, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop. 301.497.5772
Laurel Rides the Rails: Tales of Trains and Trolleys. Through December. Laurel History Museum, 817 Main St. 301.725.7975
Hollingsworth Gallery. Digital elements merged into mixed media pieces by Jamie Downs. Through July 31. Patuxent Research Refuge South Tract, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop. 301.497.5772
RECURRING
Laurel Farmers Market. Every Thursday through October, weather permitting. 3 to 7 p.m. 378 Main St. 301.725.5300
Second Friday Senior Book Club. July’s selection is The Jackal’s Mistress, by Chris
Bohyjalian; August’s selection is Summer Island, by Kristin Hannah. 2 p.m. Laurel Armory, 422 Montgomery Call or text Gail Gibson at 301.452.7700 or email book62worm@hotmail.com
Kids’ Discovery Center. July’s theme: bees and wasps. Ages 3 to 10. Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Patuxent Research Refuge South Tract, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop. 301.497.5772
Ready to Read Storytime. Mondays at 10:30 a.m. (ages 2 to 3), Wednesdays at 7 p.m. (ages 3 to 5) and Thursdays at 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. (ages 0 to 2). Laurel Branch Library, 507 7th St. 240.455.545
Game Day. Play the board game “Wingspan” and learn about birds. 10 a.m. No experience needed. Games provided (personal sets welcomed). Patuxent Research Refuge South Tract, 10901 Scarlet Tanager Loop. 301.497.5772
Italian Club. Weekly meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. All are welcome. 6:30 p.m. St. Mary of the Mills Church, 114 St. Marys Pl. For more information, call Jo Saunders at 301.490.8237
Chess. All levels welcome. Thursdays at 2 p.m. Laurel-Beltsville Senior Activity Center, 7120 Contee Rd. Call Mike Farmer at 240.302.9133
Every Tuesday Bingo at Laurel Elks Lodge #2283. Twenty games with cash prizes; food and drinks available for purchase. Doors open at 5 p.m., and bingo starts at 7 p.m. 8261 Brock Bridge Rd.
Every Tuesday Bingo at 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 Rd. 301.206.3380
Every Friday Bingo at American Legion Post 60. Friday night bingo every week; 23 games with cash prizes; food and drinks available for purchase. Doors open at 5 p.m. and bingo starts at 7:30. 2 Main St. 301.725.2302
Friday Food Festival. American Legion Post 60 hosts Friday dinners, with Canteen 60 serving on 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 and musical entertainment or a speaker. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. LaurelBeltsville 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 Rd, Beltsville 301.498.9736
Jim Whitney Toastmasters Club. Meets the second and fourth Monday of each month. 7 p.m. St. Phillips Episcopal Church, 522 Main St. For more information, email contact-1063187@ 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. Email mbctoastmasters@metropolitan baptist.org
Prince George’s County Women’s Bureau Toastmasters Club. Virtual meeting the second Thursday of every month at 7 p.m.; Registration required. For the Zoom link, go to tinyurl. com/8m53udw6
Early Bird Serenity Al-Anon. Support for alcoholics and their families based on the 12 Steps. Free. Virtual meetings every Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. For Zoom link, email nicole@ nicolejburton.com.
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church. Food distributions in partnership with Capital Area Food Bank. Third Sunday of every month, from 9 a.m. to noon. Sixth and Prince George sts. 301.776.5151
implement programs designed to address critical issues and ensure the health and wellbeing of the community, its economy and the greater natural environment.
Michele Blair, sustainability manager with the city’s Department of Economic and Community Development, outlined the plan’s four foundational pillars: people, planet, prosperity and peace and partnership, for the mayor and city council. The pillars are designed to promote equity, health and wellness; promote responsible environmental management; support local businesses and economic growth; and embrace cooperative planning and implementation of projects throughout the community.
When asked by Councilmember Christine Johnson (At-Large) about short- and long-term planning and implementation, Blair noted that demonstrating progress was an important factor and pointed to the installation of motion-sensor lights in city offices as a short-term action slated for this fiscal year. Purchasing electric vehicles for city use, a long-term goal, would call for more planning and additional funding.
“Low-hanging fruit that is near-term because we want to show ourselves, our residents, that we’re making progress, that we’re moving that needle,” Blair said, adding, “I think some [goals] will change over
time, depending on funding,” adding, “We’re always looking for grants.”
Blair also emphasized the council’s role in potentially adopting the sustainability plan. “The resolution [to ratify the plan] is your voice as elected officials and the administration supporting this road map and saying ‘this is what we want to follow as a city,’” she said. Underscoring that much of the framework grew out of residents’ participation in the planning process, Blair said, “[The plan stands] as the voice of the residents, because this is what they have put together to create a long-term sustainable community.”
Laurel has been making major strides toward sustainability for several decades, starting with earning Tree City USA designation in 1993. Other milestones quickly followed: establishment of an environmental affairs committee (2003), the debut of single-stream recycling (2007), Sustainable Community designation by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (2011), and Sustainable Maryland certification by the University of Maryland (2015). Both the state designation and university certification are regularly reviewed, and each of the city’s renewal applications for these programs has been approved.
Laurel also holds Bee City USA certification and was a leader in banning single-use
Hundreds of people braved the sun and heat July 5 for Laurel’s 46th Annual Independence Day Parade. Fire truck after fire truck drove by, playing their sirens and flashing their lights. Organizations such as American Legion Laurel Post 60 and politicians, including Maryland General Assembly Senator Jim Rosapepe (District 21), participated as did scary characters from Laurel’s House of Horror. Many enjoyed family-friendly activities and food at Granville Gude Park before the festivities ended with fireworks. -Story and photos by Lillian Glaros
plastic bags. Laurel notched more marks on its sustainability belt, too. In 2017, the city pledged to uphold Paris Climate Accord commitments and in 2019 launched its food-scrap composting initiative, becoming the first jurisdiction in the state to take this step. (For more about this now-mandatory recycling initiative, see Paul Ruffins’ article on page 2.) In 2021, the city created the Department of Environmental Programs.
In 2021, city residents and civic leaders joined forces to create a comprehensive framework for a sustainable future, one based on integrating city operations and community engagement. Blair described the plan as a road map and a living document — a framework for collaborative growth. During a 2021 presentation, she described Laurel’s need for and readiness to create such a plan:
“While we, the city, knew … that we had many programs that supported sustainability, we realized that the city lacked a formal plan that many of our sister cities and surrounding counties had. This lack of focus prevented us from streamlining programs and getting our residents and businesses fully engaged in a sustainable Laurel.”
The plan grew out of resident-driven focus groups working closely with city officials. Outside organizations and experts contributed to the
framework as well: the Metropolitan Washington Council on Governments (COG), an independent nonprofit representing some two dozen jurisdictions, provided consulting services, and a COG member with applicable expertise reviewed the city’s plan as it was being developed.
“The framework is going to be supported and energized and moved forward by the community,” Blair said in her closing presentation to the mayor and city council on June 4. “That is the goal: We want the community to really take this as their own and help us move the needle forward.”
Calvin Burns and Sophie Smith moved to Laurel in August 2024, bringing with them extensive experience in sustainability and community resilience. They are enthusiastic about the plan and eager to participate in community efforts. In an email, they wrote, “Laurel has a host of opportunities for sustainably-minded residents to get involved and make a difference. We're excited to join this robust collective effort, and we're grateful to have been so warmly and thoroughly welcomed into Laurel's sustainable community. It speaks volumes that the city's sustainability vision was not only curated by residents, but also continues to recruit and engage new residents to the cause.”
Laurel resident Jimmy Rogers, a tireless advocate for the importance of native plants and a regular columnist with The Laurel Independent, par-
ticipated in a focus group addressing the city’s role in environmental stewardship. He noted that the group recommended a range of straightforward ways the city could address current concerns, writing in an email, “…this included protecting our few forested areas from new development, removing invasive species from city land and requiring the planting of only native species, and [designing] programs to encourage or subsidize residential native gardens (especially for underserved communities).” Rogers is glad to see his focus group’s ideas in the plan’s community framework section.
The mayor and city council held the first of two public hearings on the plan during their regularly schedule meeting on June 9. Blair again presented the plan to attendees and encouraged the council to adopt the plan; no residents had registered to speak at the hearing, so there was no discussion before Clark adjourned the hearing.
The second public hearing will take place on July 14 during the regularly scheduled Mayor and City Council meeting, at which time councilmembers will likely vote on the resolution to adopt the plan. To speak at the July 14 public hearing, register your interest with the city clerk by sending your name, address and phone number to clerk@laurel.md.us
The plan is available at tinyurl.com/9uf2ebpr
