Adrian for Laurel

»Veterans Day Flag Placement at Ivy Hill Cemetary«

One of the annual Veterans Day traditions here in the City is the placement of American flags at the gravestones of veterans laid to rest in the historic Ivy Hill Cemetery on Sandy Spring Road. The cemetery dates to around the 1850s and there are veterans from the many generations of Americans who have served since that time. Thank you to Lisa and Christa for organizing, and I was glad to bring my family to join with community volunteers, a group of Air Force JROTC students, and a Cub Scout Pack to honor our veterans and know that that we remember and value their service.

»Completion of Municipal Ethics Training Course«

Last week, I went to Annapolis for a Municipal Ethics training course that provides an overview of the unique requirements for elected officials. It outlined the 11 main ethical areas to be alert to in order to maintain the highest level of integrity in office, including: (a) conflict of interest, (b) use of public resources, (c) use of prestige of office, (d) soliciting/ accepting gifts, and (e) use of confidential information. For those curious, the State of Maryland has a state-level ethics code and each municipality can adopt a code that is no less stringent than the State’s. In Laurel’s case, we also have the Laurel Ethics Commission comprised of appointed volunteers that oversee ethics rules as they apply to the City, including things like collecting and review the required financial disclosure forms from elected officials, members of Commissions, and other bodies. Holding ourselves to high ethical standards is what enables public confidence in our work, and educating and revisiting these guardrails is a critical part of serving the public well.

»Laurel Multiservice Center Visit«

There was originally a gathering scheduled for Nov 15, and although plans had to change last-minute, I appreciated the opportunity to connect with the two of the Partner organizations that are a part of making our Laurel Multiservice Center a success. The first was Wanda Fisher of Jobs Have Priority who serves as part of the Center’s transitional housing program – We have around 18 units that can serve as a helping hand and bridge for individuals who need to get back up on their feet and that program went live this year with more to come. The second was Susan and Thomas of Taking Care of Our Neighbors, a program to house those needing shelter overnight during the cold winter months. This will be the second year the program (previously known as “Winter Haven”) will be held at the LMSC and volunteer are still needed for check-in or overnight timeslots starting January and running into March. To sign up, you can reach out to staff at the LMSC at 301-947-3010 or email [email protected].