Around town
- Walk the 5k, or
- Opt for a 1k Fun Walk (also a great option for young kids), or
- If you’re not able to make it on race day, be sure to checkout the Virtual Race option to participate when/ wherever you’re at.
- Reshma Bourne of 1-800-Water Damage of Laurel (and also LBOT’s Vice President).
- Marce Vermeesch of Krafty Kre8tions - Beautiful handmade crafts of all kinds (including fun kid items for back-to-school).
- Jimi Ayodele of Attical, providing CFO consulting services to help small businesses become more profitable by providing clear direction, focused goals, and observable results.
- Tawana LaMar of Ell Events, who loves and has many years of expertise for the onsite logistics of events (such as conferences, parties, & more), and
- Stephanie Roulett of Fish of Laurel, the long-standing Laurel non-profit behind the Elizabeth House providing meals to those in need (right now they’re looking to grow their corporate sponsors to help meet increased demand).
Join the St. Mark’s Emancipation Day 5k on Sep 7
It’s time for the 12th Annual St. Mark’s Emancipation Day 5k!
If you wander by McCullough Field on Saturday morning each fall, you may wonder what all those people having fun are doing? They’re running in honor of Emancipation Day and to help fight diabetes by supporting University of Maryland’s Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology-Midtown that serves Baltimore and the region. Organized by the congregation at historic St. Mark’s United Methodist Church on 8th Street, it’s always a great and fun time to get out in our community, meet neighbors, and do some good in the process.
And don’t worry if running isn’t your thing, you can also:
Follow this link to register and come on out to join the fun!
Mural Art provides Everyday Beauty
If you’ve been to the Laurel Quill Lot on Main Street recently (perhaps for a Farmer’s Market or to eat your lunchtime sandwich), you may have seen the really wonderful wall mural pictured below – It’s the handiwork of Hyattsville retiree and working artist, Elliott Hamilton, who was commissioned by the owners of 329 Prince George Street to add some whimsy and beauty to their back wall. And it brings a smile and brightens my day each time I pass by. :)
It’s always great to see these bits-and-pieces around town where residents and businesses are bringing something beautiful to our everyday life. Kudos and thank you for adding an extra bounce to our days, even if we may not get a chance to stop and share our delight. But an encouragement to others: it’s a great excuse to strike up a conversation and get to know our neighbors better and let them know we enjoy their garden, decorations, or other. And all the more fun to do something of our own as well. :)
To learn more about Elliott, check out this article from last fall featuring his mural work on the DC Branch Trail, and also his artist website. And next time you’re around Main Street, take a moment to swing by the Laurel Quill Lot and look for the hiding bunny. ;)
Free Nats tickets for Kid Summer Readers
Looking to help motivate your kid to read more, or to spend more time reading with them? How about 2 free tickets to a Nationals baseball game at Nats Stadium in DC?
Then check out the Nationals Library Reading Program which partnered with PG County Summer Reading program to offer 2 free tickets, a free t-shirt, and a free tote bag to kids that rack up points for checking out books, attending a library event, and/or reading in 30-minute increments.
But hurry ⚡ - program ends Aug 15 and the free Nationals tickets need to be used in for regular season home game before Sep 15.
Here’s a link to learn more about the program, download the free tracking postcard, then redeem at the Laurel library (or any PG branch) – Two of my little ones just redeemed this past week with mom, and we’re all headed to the Sep 1 game against the Cubs! ⚾
AAE Training & Security Assessments
This past week as part of standard Council training, we all participated in a course about ‘Active Attacker Events’. Although it can be an uncomfortable topic to think about, gaining familiarity of the basics plays a big role in being better prepared should something ever happen. For example, we discussed the three phases the human brain works through (and can sometimes even get stuck) when responding to a high stress event: Denial (wanting to believe this isn’t happening) -> Deliberation (calming yourself enough to rationally think through your alternatives) -> Decisive action (taking the decided course of action). One of the other recent evolutions for situations like these: Be an active participant in your own survival.
I was very impressed at the level of training and experience of our presenters, Laurel Police Officers Sgt. Cunningham and Sgt. Barry, and thankful our community has that expertise in play to protect our residents. And I was also impressed that they make themselves available to businesses and organizations in the City to share this information with them as well, and even to provide complimentary building security assessments and recommendations. If you’re located in town and would like to have them visit, just reach out to the Laurel Police Department to be put in touch.
Thank you officers!
Touch-A-Truck a Bubble Blast
It’s been a favorite of my kids for a number of years, and from the looks of it Tuesday night, many other kids too. :) As I walked around the Emancipation Park area lined with trucks and games with my kiddos, I couldn’t help but think ‘this is what kid memories are made of’. Even when the honking got a little much for the two-year old, we were able to wander into the playground for the new ‘bubble blast pad’ and he jumped right out of my arms and into the mix with his brothers and neighbor kids having a grand time (they couldn’t wait to get home and tell mom what they’d done!).
Thank you Parks & Rec team for taking the lead on this fun event every year! And thank you to the other City teams from DPW, Laurel Police, Laurel Volunteer Fire, Laurel Volunteer Rescue, commercial trucks, & more - you made a lot of kids very happy Tuesday night. :)
Safe Summer Nights
Last night, I was happy to lend a small helping hand at Mayor Sydnor’s Safe Summer Nights program being held at the Laurel Armory. It’s designed as a place where any of the city’s youth aged 12 to 16 can come from 6 - 10 p.m. to learn and have fun in a safe environment. Last night, two non-profits, MuteTheViolenceDC and Safe Navigators, were organizing the evening’s program which included activities such as a mentoring talk, basketball, and making fresh donuts (which looked very yummy).
There’s still some nights left in the program for youth to participate – It’s free, just be sure to register on the the City’s Safe Summer Nights event page.
Random bump into The Laurel Independent team
This morning, I happened to bump into members of the Board and Staff of The Laurel Independent while grabbing a coffee at a favorite coffee shop here in Laurel, Ragamuffins. They were meeting to celebrate a strong year and discuss new developments for the paper for the year ahead. Among those present were Board President Marta McLellan Ross, Executive Director Kit Slack, Vice-President Michael Walls, Secretary Melanie Dzwonchyk, Treasurer Joe Murchison, Managing Editor Katie Jones, and Reporter Jessie Newburn (deepest apologies if I missed someone).🫣
It takes a lot of people to put together what we enjoy each month, even more than those listed above. Thank you so much to the entire team! (And thank you to Jessie for the photo – The timing was just perfect to grab a ‘meta’ shot with the latest edition.) 🤪
Laurel Board of Trade - Business Networking event
It was my pleasure to participate in Laurel Board of Trade’s (LBOT) Business Networking event this afternoon – In attendance were small business owners from around the Laurel area seeking to get to know each other better, create both business and personal connections, and also make a positive impact for our community here in Laurel.
Some of the folks I got to converse with included:
I also learned that “Mr. Laurel”, a.k.a. Jim Cross, is among his many volunteer roles, part of the Laurel Amateur Radio Club – We’re hoping to connect to see about a special presentation for our local Cub Scout Pack that I’m sure all the kids would enjoy!
If you’re a small business in the Laurel area, I strongly recommend you check the Laurel Board of Trade out – You don’t have to be a member to attend the networking events, which are a great way to connect with the supportive community they’ve built, and then you can take the next step to become a full member with all the accompanying benefits. Just visit the LBOT website for additional information, sign up links, calendars, and more.
July 4th Celebrations in Laurel!
Growing up as a kid here in Laurel, I’ve long known that Laurel takes its July 4th fireworks seriously. 😃 And all that hard work results in a spectacular show for all our residents and folks from neighboring towns.
Thank you to the volunteers that step forward to make this event happen - we truly appreciate you! And if you like fun, dancing music, colorful things that go boom in the sky, and more - This is the place for you and you are needed: jump on over the Laurel 4th of July Committee website and join up!
It was a highlight for me to join the Parade as part of the Council and to see so many of you along the parade route. Right behind us was a float featuring volunteers from so many of Laurel’s community organizations and non-profits. The classic car show was sweet. Gotta give a shout to my Pack + Troop 1250 friends who assisted the American Legion with Pack 602 with the flag raising. The live music leading up the fireworks was such great fun. (Check out the Laurel City Council doing the Cupid Shuffle on the City’s & LaurelTV’s Facebook page.) ;) And there were so so many more.
Happy 4th Laurel and happy birthday America! 🎆
(Photo credit parade & car: City of Laurel. Remainder: Me) :)
Celebratory Drinks at Skyvibe!
Following the results of Monday night’s election, friends and I went out for celebratory drinks at one of Laurel’s newest hotspots: Skyvibe Restaurant & Lounge on Main Street.
What a treat! - If you haven’t visited, please take my encouragement to come check it out. My wife and I visited for date night drinks and desserts shortly following the soft opening, including sampling of complimentary puff puff - Nigerian deep fried dough that’s absolutely delicious. And I had a Red Wine Margarita, which was equally great.
On Monday, Skyvibe was celebrating their Grand Opening with complimentary wine for visiting patrons: A great time to be stopping by. 😃 And our group also enjoyed both chicken and beef Eko Tacos, an infusion of African flavors into taco stylings that really pops (and works well with red wine).
The decor is so tastefully and beautifully decorated, the staff were exceedingly kind both times I’ve visited, and it’s a top notch experience. The owners are also actively soliciting customer feedback and looking for opportunities to even further refine as they get all cylinders well-oiled at this new gem here in Laurel.
It was a distinct pleasure to celebrate at Skyvibe and I encourage you to check out for any occasion!
