Adrian for Laurel

Laurel news

Feb 18, 2025 ∞
Clippings from VoL, Winter 2025 Edition
If you haven’t had a chance to pickup a copy of the latest edition of the Voices of Laurel, I recommend you check it out as it’s chock full of some great reading. The paper provides useful updates from around town, plus also neat long-form reminisces and reflections on the Laurel community that are great to read as you wind down at the end of the day. :)
Some clippings from the Winter 2025 edition:
• Recap and pictures of the Voices of Laurel Day at the Races at Laurel Park last October

• Laurel neighborhood highlights from Oldtown (Caitlin Lewis), North Laurel (Angie Latham Kozlowski), South Laurel (Diane Mezzanotte), West Laurel (Virginia May Geis), and Russett/ Maryland City (Brenda Ziegler Riley)

• Profile of Laurel High School graduate turned rock-and-roll star, Marty Friedman.

• Wonderful reflection of Laurel Elementary School Media Specialist Shane Walker about his experiences with bus duty.

• Reminisces of Richard Friend on his Laurel High School Earth Science Teacher Herb Desind, and Kevin Leonard’s remembrance of the 1972 George Wallace attempted assassination in Laurel.

• Great profiles of community warriors, Laurel Fire Department awards, history crumbs, and more!

• Oh, and there’s an article in there from me too titled, “Laurel: A Community of Communities” 🙂
Pickup a copy at one of the news stands around town (includes Municipal Center, Food Lion, Laurel & Russett libraries, & more) check out the PDF version online, or peruse the posts of the Voices of Laurel website.
While you’re there, perhaps even consider making a donation (see button at bottom of page) to this non-profit powered by volunteers - I know they’ll appreciate it! 👍

Feb 11, 2025 ∞
Snow Emergency Declared starting at 1 p.m. today, Feb 11
Mayor Sydnor has declared Snow Emergency status effective starting at 1 p.m. today, Tuesday, February 11.
As described in the Executive Order 2025-03:
This storm is expected to bring a possible accumulation of snow of up to six (6) inches in the City of Laurel. Among other things, the possibility exists that the City may have to eliminate or restrict parking on certain City streets designated as snow emergency routes and other areas that have been identified as critical locations. This Executive Order shall remain in effect until further notice or until it has been amended or rescinded.
Below is a picture of the City’s snow emergency route, where cars should be moved from, to help keep critical paths clear (also available in PDF). And more on snow removal and snow emergency procedures can be found on DPW’s Snow Removal page.
Forecasts keep varying, so smart to keep an eye on and hopefully another beautiful winter event here for Laurel. ❄️☃️ And a big thanks to our Emergency Management, Department of Public Works, Police, and other Laurel teams that help us bridge us to the other side!
UPDATE 12 Feb 2025: The Snow Emergency order has been lifted effective today, Wednesday, at 11 a.m.

Feb 8, 2025 ∞
Submit your Master Plan Community Survey before Feb 17
It happens only once every 10 years, so be sure to get your feedback and ideas into the Master Plan Committee to help inform and influence their planning process — The Community Survey opened February 4 and will close on February 17 at 5 p.m.
It covers questions like what you think the City should prioritize, which transportation options are important to enhance, what recreational options should be added, types of business & industries you’d like to see in town, what needs to be improved, and more. In total, shouldn’t take any more than 10 minutes, and likely a little less.
So don’t hesitate, click here to begin the survey and be a part of helping shape the City’s outlook for the next 10 years!

Feb 3, 2025 ∞
Re-Write of City Election Laws currently before Council
Following the 2023 election season, the Board of Election Supervisors, in consultation with the Clerk to the Council and legal advisors, have been working diligently to pull together a re-write of the City’s election laws as a means to update and add clarity. It covers everything from who can vote, how votes are cast, rules to apply for candidacy, types of actions candidates can take, etc.
That work now comes before Council and is docketed for consideration this month (February). A few notes:
• Some of the changes are typographic in nature, while others represent material changes.

• The changes themselves are spread between two documents: (a) Charter Resolution 181 to amend the applicable provisions of the City Charter, and (b) Ordinance 2038 to amend the applicable provisions of the City Code. So to get the full impact, you’d need to look at both documents.

• (Side note: Quick breakdown on the difference between the City Charter and the City Code: By analogy, you could say the Charter is like the Constitution for the City, while the Code is like the laws. The Charter is typically more high level and comes with additional difficulties to amend, while the Code typically leans more to detail regulations and can be revised in a more standard method. Both are available online.)

• The proposed changes are available via the City’s Meetings & Agenda page - Simply navigate to the next City Council meeting and click on the link for “Agenda Packet”. If the documents get revised between meetings, going to the most current meeting should get you the most current version of the document.

• As it currently stands, the documents would be expected to follow the normal process of: (a) an initial look during the Work Session on Feb 5, (b) First Reading with opportunity for public comment during the Regular Meeting on Feb 10, and (c) Second Reading with opportunity for public comment plus possible vote during the Regular Meeting on Feb 24. (UPDATE 10 Feb 2025: The documents are expected to go through a second Work Session, currently being scheduled. Residents can still share thoughts during General Public Hearings at regular Council Meetings, or anytime directly with Councilmembers.)
Because the City election laws affect basically everybody (covering who can vote, how, who can run for office, how, etc.), it’s one of those items I’d highly encourage folks to engage with. You may already have opinions on City election procedure based on your own experience — If so, I’d very much be interested to hear it. And you may read parts of the documents you’re most interested in and have a question or concern — I would very much like to listen.
My goal is would be that at the end of the day, there’s a process that’s clear, provides an even field, respects residents’ voting rights, and provides a simple path to the best possible outcome for our City every two and four years.
Please reach out to share your questions, ideas, or thoughts as your voice helps me shape legislation and decisions. Thank you! 😀

Jan 31, 2025 ∞
Clippings from the Jan 2025 edition of The Laurel Independent
I haven’t yet had a chance to share from the latest edition of The Laurel Independent, but wanted to be sure to pass along a few clippings folks may find interesting:
• It was very much good news that residents of The Tiers of Laurel Lake Condominiums were able to remain in their homes after wide collaboration to shore up the egress points for the units.
• Laurel’s non-profit Friends of Tonga was chosen by Detriot Lions offensive tackle Giovanni Manu to be featured on his My Cause My Cleats design.
• PG County has been changing how their senior property tax credit works, with further developments still to come.
• 438 homes are expected to be constructed this year among three different developments in Laurel.
• Laurel resident Rishawna Gould publishes her first book honoring her mother’s and aunt’s memories through a tale of a children’s adventure.
• And more!
Check out articles on Streetcar Suburbs News website and a full digital, flippable version on their Streetcar Suburbs News Issuu page — Physical copies also come via mail and are available in many hotspots around town.🔥And consider donating in support of local journalism, it’s needed!

Jan 29, 2025 ∞
Master Plan Committee 1st Meeting on Wed, Jan 29
The loosely year-and-half-long process of the Master Plan Committee kicks off tonight at the Municipal Center at 6 p.m. — The Master Plan is what guides the City, developers, and other stakeholders in a vision for how the City can grow and develop towards a bright future, and is updated every 10 years.
This first meeting is to provide brief introductions, discussion of what a Master Plan is, and an overview of the process, among other items. Throughout the process there will be surveys and inputs sought from all interested parties, but be aware that the first meeting won’t have a “Public Hearing” section but focus more on sharing the first round of basic information.
More about the Committee and a schedule of meeting dates can be found on the Master Plan Committee page, and I encourage everyone to stay tuned to developments and be sure to provide your insights as the process unfolds.

Jan 27, 2025 ∞
My Vote on Charter Amendment 180 on Dividing CREM Department
Thank you so much to members of the public who reached out via email and who came to tonight’s Council Meeting to share your thoughts on Charter Amendment No. 180 to consider dividing the existing City Resources & Emergency Management Department (CREM) into two departments: the Department of Human Services and the Department of Emergency Management – it is extremely helpful to hear from residents whenever a change like this is being considered for our City.
I wanted to provide a brief recap of the comments I made during tonight’s proceedings in the process of casting my vote:
• First, I’ve persuaded myself both ways on this Charter Amendment at least a couple times each, because I can see the merits of two sides

• On the one hand, it’s natural that with the addition of the new Multi-Service Center (MSC) and its role in our City, that resources be strategically aligned to empower it to flourish in its mission

• On the other hand, adding to our City’s departmental count in order to create a department for something we already created a department for not even a full two years ago when we already anticipated this (i.e., CREM was formed in March 2023 with one of the principal reasons to oversee the MSC) made it harder to grasp

• The other part for me is also that it’s not so much that Human Services shouldn’t be its own Department (for which I see a lot of solid reasons), but that in this plan, Emergency Management becomes a Department of 2 people all out on its own. And while they are a critical asset for us to have as a City, their function seems better fitted to an Office rather than a Department, perhaps an Office under the Department of the City Administrator where it was before.

• So it’s not to say that there was nothing favorable in the proposal, but that in its current state, it was difficult to conclude it was a ‘complete enough’ plan to accomplish the stated objective, which is a good one, but I believe would benefit from some additional attention.
In the end, my vote was “Yes”, with an ask of the Mayor to give consideration to folding the Department of Emergency Management into another Department in time to avoid un-needed financial burden on the taxpayers.
As a procedural note, a Charter Amendment cannot take effect until it goes through an extra special process including 40 days of being posted publicly and ensuring no more than 20% of qualified voters sign a petition rejection its adoption.
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(Separately, something I’ve been meaning to share with folks that I think many people may not understand about the mission of the Multi-Service Center: The program of the MSC is not actually overseen by the City at all. It’s overseen by a non-City 501c3 non-profit that recruits and monitors other non-profits and government organizations to provide services. In many ways, the City is acting merely as custodian of the building, helping provide a venue through which those organizations can deliver services.)

Jan 27, 2025 ∞
Preserving the Dam behind the City
The story of Laurel in many ways traces its roots back to the Patuxent River – you might even say, Laurel “sprang” from the river.
The reason, is that the beginnings of our town started to take shape when a grist mill was setup in 1811 powered by the waters of the Patuxent. By 1845, it had bloomed to include a second mill (now processing cotton), and together, the mills employed more than 700 workers who now took up residence here with their families, putting “Laurel Factory” on the map. Many of our early churches were organized within that same decade, and finally in April of 1870, the city itself officially incorporated as just “Laurel”. (Which means we’re approaching our 155th birthday this April.)
So you can see how the River, the mills, and the dams powering that mill are really touchstones to Laurel’s birth and parts of its identity. Even today, you can make your way down to the parking lot at the west end of Main Street, get out and walk a couple hundred yards, and see the remnants of the dam still there, albeit crumbling.
Which is why it’s a great relief to share that last year the City received funds from both federal and Maryland grant efforts to shore up and enhance this critical reference point for our City, for our and future generations. Our appreciation goes out to our federal and State delegations for their support, and also a big champion of the project, past Councilman, Michael Leszcz. Included in the project will be preventing further erosion of the stone areas and making them safer, making the approach area and parking lot more accessible, and enhancing many of the historical markers to further tell the story of our town’s beginnings.
While the exact details and timing are still being worked out, if you’re curious to learn more, you can check out the draft engineering report with some of the areas needing attention and some of the ideas on what comes next!

Jan 26, 2025 ∞
Laurel: A Community of Communities
(An article I wrote for the Jan 2025 edition of ‘Voices of Laurel’ – See links at the bottom for the growing database of communities & how to submit yours.)
Each of us starts life in a “community” called family. And as we grow, we naturally become part of more and more communities: Aunts, uncles, cousins; Church, and its sub-communities, like choir or committees serving to those in need; School, our class grade, school groups & friend groups; Hobby and recreation groups like sports leagues, motorcycle groups, Scout troops, candle makers, and book clubs; Public service like soup kitchens, historical societies, charities; And the list goes on.
I like to think of all these communities as a rain forest ecosystem: flowers, birds, trees, monkeys, fruits, insects, jaguars, canopy, undergrowth, water, air, sun. Deep, rich, interwoven, interdependent. Communities overlapping, mutually enriched, vibrant, teeming with life and resilience.
But modern life comes with its challenges: commutes, homework, dishwashers needing repair, working late, lawn mowing, bank password resets that still don’t work. And then there’s the competitions for attention: TV & movies on demand, football & baseball season, video games, social media scrolling, the latest news updates.
It can be easy to find ourselves sliding into a mindset that ‘we’ll go out and connect with others’ later, it’s ‘just one more thing’ when the rest of life feels like a lot already. And self-care is important: we need to have cared for ourselves so that we can care for others.
But there is an odd converse too: Connecting with and caring for others, strangely and somehow stirs a part core inside us. It flips a switch and lets juices flow within our souls that aren’t touched by or activated in any other way. Ultimately, we need to reach into and expand that part of us if we are to be who we truly are — We are social beings, meant to explore and to become, precisely through our interactions with others, in community with them.
Which leads to a further realization too: We are community - community isn’t ’out there’, it’s us. Ain’t nobody here but us people. What we do, is what our community is, you, me, and all of our neighbors, taken together. Whether it’s taking a couple extra minutes to shovel the sidewalk for our elder neighbor next door, asking our neighbor across the street to help retrieve an Amazon delivery when we’re out of town, sharing about our family’s health ups & downs, offering some fresh made iced tea to the contractors, actively slowing down at the crosswalk near the grocery store — each one of these small acts, these are community. Part of the rich tapestry.
And a natural next step is joining a community with others. Whether it’s the new Reader’s Theater group at the Selbourne House and open to all, where members rehearse scripts under the able direction of Mr. Charles Clyburn, then do dramatic reading performances for the community. Or the indoor radio-controlled car racing hosted at Hobby Works that starts in January. Or the Hooked on Crochet group formed by Heidi Temple that meets Sundays at Panera. Or the Laurel 4th of July Committee that puts on such a fantastic event each year, but who themselves are in need small and big helping hands to ensure this tradition can continue for our town next year.
So a note of encouragement: There is so much good going on around our wonderful town, and so many wonderful people. But I also observe communities growing thin, and folks searching for the depth they know can’t come from behind our screens, but only from authentic, patient human connection in the groups in which we can share our small moments and the path of our life lived together.
Ultimately, our community needs you, needs me, needs all of us together — a community of communities, teeming with life and resilience, mutually enriched, and vibrant.
(Note: Help build a living list of ‘community groups’ that call Laurel their home — It’ll provide folks a wonderful insight into the rich tapestry we have, and also be a place folks can come to find a community to connect to. To have your group added, please complete this simple online form. And thank you to the many communities and community members that make up our hometown Laurel!!)

Jan 5, 2025 ∞
City has declared State of Emergency
Update to let residents know that the Mayor has declared a State of Emergency effective 9 p.m. today (Sunday, Jan 5).
We are taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of our community. I ask all residents to follow the parking restrictions, stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary, and be patient as our crews work to clear snow and make our streets safe during the storm. Together, we can minimize the impact of this storm and keep everyone safe.”
One of the key implications to ensure your vehicle is not parked on designated Snow Emergency routes. More details and also some preparedness tips available from the City’s Press Release.
UPDATE 6 Jan 2025: See my post below for implications for the virtual Council Work Session scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan 6 (which will proceed as scheduled).

Dec 17, 2024 ∞

My New Appointment to the Historic District Commission

I’m pleased to share that with the new term starting the end of November, I’ve been appointed by the Mayor to the Historic District Commission (HDC), and tonight marks my first meeting.

The HDC was established in 1975 ‘to promote the preservation of Laurel’s historic sites and buildings in order to safeguard the heritage of the City’s built environment’. As many folks may be aware, while Laurel was incorporated 154 years ago in 1870, its roots trace back even further into the mid-/late-1700s and in its early life it was called ‘Laurel Factory’ for the factory and mill located along the banks of the Patuxent River.

The Historic District itself is comprised of seven individual, but contiguous, districts illustrated below and the HDC follows the design guidelines listed in Article I, Div. 14 of the City’s Unified Land Development Code.



If anyone has any questions, suggestions, ideas, or other as they related to the HDC, Laurel’s history, or other, please do not hesitate to reach out to me and I’m happy to be of assistance, and additional information about the Historic District Commission can also be found on its page on the City’s website.

Dec 14, 2024 ∞
The Laurel Independent, Dec 2024 edition out!
Just finished perusing my copy of December 2024 edition of The Laurel Independent and here’s a few of the highlights:
• A tribute to Marcus Colbert by his sister, Cynthia Colbert, who recently released a book remembering and honoring him.
• A call to help staff our Winter Shelter at the new Multiservice Center – If you have the ability to volunteer for a night or overnight sometime between Jan 5 to Mar 31, please wholeheartedly consider signing up for one of the 420 time slots (email [email protected]).
• Historical recognition for Laurel’s black community in Bacontown.
• Highlights from Laurel’s Small Business Saturday program.
• Many upcoming events like: “Christmas Carol” at Laurel Mill Playhouse weekends of Dec 13 & 20, Wreaths Across America on Dec 16, Photos with Santa opportunity on Dec 23, Free viewing of “The Grinch” at Partnership Hall on Dec 23, Christmas tree collections starting Jan 8
• And much, much more!
Check out articles on Streetcar Suburbs News website and a full digital, flippable version should be posted soon to their Streetcar Suburbs News Issuu page — Physical copies also come via mail and are available in many hotspots around town.🔥And consider donating in support of local journalism, it’s needed!

Nov 26, 2024 ∞
Cautionary words from Laurel Police Chief
At last night’s Council Meeting, Laurel Police Chief Hamill shared notes and important reminders based on recent events and the upcoming holiday season, including:
1. Never hesitate to call Laurel Police right away if you ever see something suspicious – You are part of their eyes and ears into what is going on around town, and they’d much rather send a police cruiser over to drive through an area and potentially prevent something that may happen (e.g., car theft, property damage, etc.) than have something happen and only learn after-the-fact. It’s a really a service to all of us as neighbors help keep each other safe – And you can post the Laurel “non-emergency” number right on your refrigerator or store in cell phone: 301-498-0092.

2. Always keep alert to your surroundings as you’re out-and-about – For example, as you go to an ATM, take stock of what’s around as you approach, keep a sense of your environment while you’re there, and avoid walking away from the ATM looking down while counting your withdrawal, but keep your head and eyes up as great preventative measure.

3. If you remember you left something of value on your car seat at night, it’s a good idea to go out and get it. Visible items are an easy mark. And just being sure to lock your car doors is important too. The Chief shared a story on how officers tracking suspicious individuals late at night simply going from car door to car door, until they found one that opened – Just a little bit of friction can go a long way.

4. The Police Department will also be stepping up traffic enforcement from now through New Years – It’s notoriously the time of year the most accidents from being under the influence happen and they want to stay ahead of the curve. (Just this past week one of the officers himself was hit by a driver allegedly under the influence, totaling the police cruiser and sending the officer to the hospital, though thankfully recovering at home now.) So be smart and lets all help our friends and family be smart too – celebrating the holidays is so much better when we’re all together! :)
Thank you Chief Hamill for these helpful and important reminders and for your and your team’s work to keep our community safe!

Nov 20, 2024 ∞
Breakdown of New proposed Council Standing Rules
At the coming Council Meeting on Monday, Nov 25, the Council will potentially vote on adopting new “Standing Rules” that govern the basic operations of the City Council and its meetings. Many of the items are heavily procedural, but there’s a couple items with impact to residents that I wanted to highlight for you:
• The section for Rules 36-46 relate to those around Public Hearings.
• Rule 40 provides each member of the public three (3) minutes to share on their topic. (This is an increase from 2 minutes previously and reflects feedback from residents received over the past year.)
• Rule 40 also describes a new mechanism where, if 5 or more members of the public are present to speak on the same subject, they can designate one member representative to speak for a longer five (5) minutes.
For reference, the sections of the document are:
1. Rules of Order
2. Open Meetings
3. Notice of Special Meeting or Work Sessions
4. Election of President
5. Duties - President of the Council
6. Agendas
7. Conduct & Decorum of Members
8. Standing Committees – City Council
9. Order of Business
10. Public Hearing
11. Report of the Mayor and City Council
12. Legislative Proceedings
13. Introduction and Passage of Legislation
14. Appeal
15. Virtual & Video Meetings
16. Filling a Vacancy of the Council
17. City Council - Boards/ Commissions/ Committees
18. Miscellaneous
You can download a copy of the latest version as of today, and also look to the City of Laurel Official Meetings page for any updates that are included for consideration in future meetings.
Please reach out to me directly with any thoughts or feedback, and feel free to join us on Monday, Nov 25 to share your thoughts for Council on any item as well.

Nov 8, 2024 ∞
The Laurel Independent, Nov 2024 edition out
Just finished perusing my copy of November 2024 edition of The Laurel Independent and here’s a few of the highlights:
• Details around a cascade of special elections at the PG County level.
• Mayor’s reflections on his first year in service.
• Results of the paper’s survey on what readers are looking for from local journalism.
• Highlights of ‘native gardening’ program by Laurel for the Patuxent.
• Updates to Old Town’s Walking Tour program.
• Great list of upcoming events like: Fall leaf vacuuming program, Breakfast with Santa & Holiday Parade + Illumination on Dec 7, LARS annual Turkey Trot on Nov 28,
• And much, much more!
Check out articles on Streetcar Suburbs News website and a full digital, flippable version should be posted soon to their Streetcar Suburbs News Issuu page — Physical copies also come via mail and are available in many hotspots around town.🔥And consider donating in support of local journalism, it’s needed!

Nov 4, 2024 ∞
November 2024 issue of “Laurel Living”
The latest edition of Laurel Living, the official newsletter for the City of Laurel, is available today! – Highlights include:
• Details around the City’s support of Eric’s Law
• An overview of the Mayor’s new First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program
• Recaps Women Entrepreneur workshop, Hispanic Heritage celebration, Clergy leader gathering, and other City goings-on.
• Info on Small Business Saturday coming up Saturday, Nov 30.
• And more!
Flip on through to see what’s been going on, and what’s ahead for the City. (Paper copies to be available at most City buildings, the Laurel Library, some senior centers, and other locations.)

Oct 24, 2024 ∞
Mayor Launches First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program
From the City’s announcement page:
The City of Laurel is proud to announce the launch of its First-Time Homebuyer Assistance Program, designed to provide financial support to first-time homebuyers looking to purchase a home within the city limits of Laurel, Maryland.
Through this initiative, the City of Laurel has allocated $60,000 from its FY2025 budget to offer $5,000 grants to 12 qualified first-time homebuyers. These grants can be used to assist with down payments or closing costs on a single-family home, townhouse, or condominium within the city limits.
Key Eligibility Requirements:
1. Homebuyers must settle on an eligible home between October 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
2. The purchased home must be located within the City of Laurel.
3. Applicants must occupy the home as their primary residence within 60 days of settlement and for at least three years.
4. The household income of all owners must not exceed $100,000 at the time of settlement.
See more details on the announcement page and, soon, on Department of Economic Development page.

Oct 13, 2024 ∞
The Laurel Independent, Oct 2024 edition out
Just finished perusing my copy of October 2024 edition of The Laurel Independent and here’s some of the highlights I took note of:
• 5 Laurel-area churches have banded together to offer a “passport” among each church’s holiday bazaars: get yours punched at them all, and be entered for a $100. A great way to help local congregations, save a little on gifts for Christmas, and see your neighbors around town.
• A helpful overview plus voting guides for federal, state, and County elections coming up Nov 5.
• Executive Director Kit Slack recaps the survey results received on the coverage readers indicated they’d like from the Independent, and how the paper will continue to evolve in response.
• Updates to the Main Street Walking Tour, and how you can sign-up for one.
• The latest in City legislation, appointments, and meeting schedules for October and November.
• Both City and local organization event calendars. (Note: Oct 19 electronics recycling/ paper shredding, Oct 24 Main Street Trick-or-Treat, Nov 1 Hayride, and Dec 7 Holiday Parade & tree-lighting.)
• Community profiles, and much more!
Check out articles on Streetcar Suburbs News website and a full digital, flippable version should be posted soon to their Streetcar Suburbs News Issuu page — Physical copies also come via mail and are available in many hotspots around town. (Always good with a cup of coffee.) :)

Oct 11, 2024 ∞
Voices of Laurel, Fall 2024 edition out
Just picked up my copy of the latest Voices of Laurel edition outside the Main Street Post Office, and it packs lots of interesting and informative stories from around town, including:
• Recognizing Stillborn and Infant Loss Support (SAILS) as the latest recipient of the Laurel Lights award for being a beacon of hope and healing in the Laurel community.
• Recap’ing neighborhood highlights from around town, such memories from the 4th of July parade, the new Women’s Business Center at Savage Mill, tasty stories of Dirty Dough, the latest on new stores at Burtonsville Crossing, and profile of the Whittaker Sisters' Olympic run, among many others.
• Reminisces by County Councilman Tom Dernoga about when Laurel almost became home to Redskins stadium in 1994.
• An FREE invitation to a “Day at the Races” on October 26 hosted by Voices of Laurel.
• A profile of Oliviah Walton, the kicker on Palotti High School’s football team and all-around soccer athlete and student.
• Not to mention much, much more!
Pickup a copy at one of the news stands around town (includes Municipal Center, Food Lion, Laurel & Russett libraries, & more) check out the PDF version online, or peruse the posts of the Voices of Laurel website.
While you’re there, perhaps even consider making a donation to this non-profit powered by volunteers - I know they’ll appreciate it! 👍

Oct 7, 2024 ∞
New "Laurel Living" newsletter, Oct 2024 edition out
Hot off the presses, check out the latest edition of Laurel Living, the official newsletter for the City of Laurel.
Some highlights from inside:
• Pictures from the City Strategic Plan launch with City staff along with the 4 initiatives identified in the Plan: (a) Sustainable development, (b) Effective communication, (c) Safe & health community, and (d) Premier workplace for City employees.
• Nifty clickable links to videos, such highlights from the 9/11 push-up challenge with the Mayor.
• Featured Laurel Board of Trade small businesses in town, such as Clyopatra Winery & Vineyard, Krafty Kre8tions, Chez Yiamme’s Catering & Functions, and Leda Rose Poduszka Agency.
• Announcement for the Hispanic Heritage Month event coming on Saturday, October 19 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Robinson Municipal Center.
Flip on through and see the latest from the City team!