Adrian for Laurel

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. ;)

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! ⚾

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!

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. :)

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.

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.) 🤪

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:

• 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).

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.