»Reader’s Theater performance at Selbourne House«

I thoroughly enjoyed the Readers Theater performance at the Selbourne House on Main Street back on October 24. Performers were drawn from among the senior residents at Selbourne House and members of the wider Laurel community and they delivered short stories, poetry recitations, spoken biographies of African American trailblazers, and songs. The group is led and coached by talented actor Charles Clyburn about whom every member shared how he had helped them come out of their shell, professionally embody the emotion of their part, and project their voice with confidence. It was stellar performance and a testament to the talent of the members and Mr. Clyburn. I heartily encourage anyone who has an interest in joining to reach out and I’m happy to make the connection, and to of course keep a lookout for their next performance!

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»Laurel Volunteer Fire Department’s 123rd Awards Banquet«

Also in October, I joined with Council colleagues and the Mayor to help celebrate our LVFD’s 123rd annual awards banquet – I’m still astounded at the long legacy of volunteer firefighters here in Laurel, and it included a special night recognizing 50 years of service (that’s 50 years!) for Vic Whipple. Many other awards were presented, including Firefighter of the Year to Simone McCumber and awards to volunteers for the number of calls and hours they served this past year. Thank you to all our volunteers for helping keep Laurel safe, and it was also encouraging to see a great new class of volunteers being trained: be sure to check out their website if you’re interested to learn more about how you might become a part as well.

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(Photo credit: LFVD)

»Chandler Robbins Mural Dedication on Main Street«

Readers here have seen me share about the amazing new mural on Main Street that was worked on this fall, and on October 25 it was official dedicated with a host of guests and guest speakers making for a special (perhaps even historic) afternoon. Included among the presenters were the artist himself Jeff Huntington, Chandler Robbins’ daughter who shared touching and insightful anecdotes about her father’s love of birds, co-workers who recounted the many significant achievements Robbins made to the world of bird study and nature preservation, and more. One thing I found fascinating was how Robbins was one of the main pioneers of using sound alone to identify birds, even publishing sonograms within the bird guides he wrote and teaching others to recognize their unique tunes. Thanks again to Laurel for the Patuxent for spearheading this public art beautification and all who contributed: it also stands as a great testament to people coming together to build community!

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(Photo credit: City of Laurel)