It's Spring. Must Be Time for the First Laurel Yard Sale Crawl

Things are picking up for the Spring. The Old Town Community is planning its first (or at least first in a long time) community yard sale on May 5 (a date carefully calculated to not conflict with the City Hall sale or Main Street Festival). So far more than 8 families have signed up -- which I think means there is going to be a lot of terrific stuff. Especially if those selling are pack rats like me and my other better half. I anticipate lots of kids items, some antiques, hardware (I know we have duplicates of good stuff), furniture, kitchenware etc.

It's not too late for Old Town folks who want to participate to sign up. Note: Each participant MUST have an individual yard sale permit from the City of Laurel. If you want to participate and be on the map indicating yard sale sites it's not too late To be on the map (participants get copies): Download the form at http://www.cityoflaurel.org/content/miscellaneous-permits and get your permit.E-mail Joni McGovern at jonithomas@hotmail.com by April 24 to be on the Map.
We'll be promoting it with a press release, signs, postings on Craig's list, yard sale search etc. Find more garage sales in Laurel on Yard Sale Search. Should be a great event

Dining Prospects Are Looking Up for the Old Town Area

This past week with our ongoing Spring like weather I was thinking about how fortunate we are in Old Town Laurel that in the past year two new – and very different – eateries have joined our community. It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Salute Italian restaurant. Last week was their first anniversary. Congratulations to Meriem and her lovely family. Their eggplant alone should keep them on the map for a long time.

Double Dip is our other excellent addition. Readers might remember that back in the Fall I was happy they were coming but wistful they were not on Main Street. I still am – but they’ve made a perfect home for themselves on Montgomery – and I have to believe the proximity to Pallotti and St. Marys provides a good continuous and hungry group of customers. I’m also pleased to report a very good experience, too with their sandwiches.

The new deck and patio with benches was a nice place to enjoy that dish of chocolate last week. Our warm spring has meant Ken & I have had many (too many) trips to the DD for ice cream – and hot chocolate made with real milk and syrup on those cold days. None of that wimpy packet stuff. I predict as the weather gets even warmer we’ll see lines out the door.

Put these two new additions with our other eateries, and the prospects are good and growing for Old Town to be the place to go for non-chain food. Salute, Double Dip, Linnys (still the best chicken salad around), Toucan Taco (had the queso there today with the LHS Volunteers), RHB (we were their second outlet so chain doesn’t apply), Tampico, and La Mia. All walkable. All good. Isn’t that what we want in a neighborhood? What’s your favorite walkable dining place?

Voting is the Best Way to Register Your Opinion

Voting is the Best Way to Register Your Opinion

There’s a lot of negative campaigning going on out there. And its getting pretty unsavory. The latest volley was a particularly disgusting mailing sent out by ”17 Anonymous Taxpayers” against Mike Sarich that for my money (and a lot of theirs, too since evidently they printed and mailed a 4 pager to 10,000 voters) hit a new low. A thought for those who write such stuff: you’re hurting your cause more than the people you oppose. For more on anonymous comments see Rick Wilson’s blog.

However, this isn’t going to be about the low levels our political campaign in Laurel has reached. It’s to remind voters that they have one sure way of making sure their opinions on the candidates and the process make a difference: and that’s voting Nov. 1 (early voting ends October 29).

Voting turnout in our city is notoriously low. In the last special referendum fewer than 1000 voters decided on voting wards, terms and salary issues for a city of 25,000 with something like 10,000 registered voters. That’s 10% deciding for everyone. This year for the first time in a long time, there are 2 polling sites, so folks have no excuse that there isn’t a voting place close by. So be sure to vote. For information on where and when: http://www.cityoflaurel.org/sites/default/files/u17/Voting%20Guide%20Oct%202011.pdf

Is There Ice Cream In Our Future?

It’s been a while since I blogged – a smashed elbow in July took a lot of my energy and attention – but it is now well on the road to recovery – plus the fall season is well upon us and it’s time to get the conversations going again.

While I wasn’t at the Mayor’s Town Hall meeting some news has filtered my way that may be of interest.

Seems an ice cream store is planning to open on Montgomery Street 2 doors up from the Harrison Beard building. Great news to have an ice cream store – but I have to wonder why it’s not going to Laurel’s Main Street. Main Street would have the traffic, there are plenty of open storefronts and an ice cream parlor would draw a variety folks not just Old Town locals. Once again Main Street seems to be getting the shorter end of the stick – in this case the ice cream stick.

Other hints from the meeting suggested there will be news soon on the Police Station – and let’s hope it’s something that will get rid of what can only be described as a building well past its prime and a site in desperate need of development.

And what’s with the walking path around Laurel Lakes? It’s been closed again forcing walkers to detour up and around the block. Surely pedestrians and the local folks on the street can come to some agreement so the community isn’t blocked from walking around the lake on a path their tax $$s pay for.

Other news: confirmed by talking with the folks at Montgomery Cleaners: they’re moving across the street to the site of the previous appliance store. They seem excited, and I think this means they’ll have an air conditioned building!.

Starting Sept 2. The Laurel Museum will have a very modest exhibit “Laurel Remembers 9/11”. The commemorative book for visitors that was available to people after that tragic event will be on display – and visitors to the 10 year anniversary are encouraged to read some of the comments, and also write their own thoughts ten years after.

That’s all for now: coming soon the upcoming political season in Laurel.

Politcs: Johnson Still Doesn't Get It

Just after posting below I heard that Leslie Johnson has resigned – effective July 31. Tell me, has she no shame to not make her resignation immediate? Today (as I write this) is July 5. She still wants to remain in office, and get paid for 26 more days. PG Council members should strip her of her office immediately, and not let Ms. Johnson control her term in office.

Parades are Political, Recalcitrant Politicos and More.

Just some random political thoughts.

Laurel’s 4^th of July Parade was a bi-partisan affair, -- and contrary to Harvard polling, had lots of democrat spectators and participants. Laurel’s City Council, and delegation were on hand, as were some others to note.

David Murray, who is making another run for the school board – good to see young people persevering and going for it.

Ken Ulman who is clearly prepping for a run for the governorship. The HOWARD COUNTY executive was walking and shaking hands at the Laurel (PG COUNTY) parade. Asked if he was running, Ulman was non-committal and made a reference to just making friends. He was walking along with Laurel Mayor Craig Moe (also making a run for a 3^rd term in office.) Is Mayor Moe giving an early endorsement?

Kudos to Delegate Mary Lehman (also at the parade) for standing up for taxi drivers in her Washington Post op-ed piece.

Hopefully the groundswell for Leslie Johnson to resign is growing. Lots of comments on the Patch story, and people are hopefully writing their Council members, Johnson and Council Chair Turner. As former Councilmember Tom Dernoga noted in his comments from the Gazette but quoted in the Patch story “If Ms. Johnson wants to move on beyond her ‘mistake’, she must step down immediately,” Dernoga wrote. “No public benefit, only personal benefit, can derive from Ms. Johnson holding on to the council seat. Failure to do so would demonstrate lack of remorse, which the judge should consider at sentencing.”

Is there anyone but Johnson and, inexplicably, Council Chair Turner, not calling for Johnson’s resignation? Do we all need to go to Council meetings and wave signs, or ask at the public comment sections for her to step down?

Let the (Election) Games Begin

Laurel’s elections are four and a half months away (November 1, 2011) but the election season evidently is starting in earnest. And the rumors are flying. First up: Current Mayor Craig A. Moe is running for a third term. At the Board of Trade Annual Meeting a distinguished retired Laurel figure informed out table that he had received a letter from Mayor Moe announcing that he is running for a third term. And I also at the BOT dinner that a well known (unnamed) figure was planning to run against him Is that Mike Sarich? At a meeting I attended later that evening, I was told that former councilman and administration and council nemesis Mike Sarich is also planning a run for mayor.

At this point I’m just reporting what's out on the street. But it suggests it will be an interesting election season to say the least. Like all council members, newly appointed council member, Valerie M.F Nicholas will have to defend her seat, and I believe at least one other current member is not planning to run again. Elections will be by district for the first time in a long long time, and there will be two polling places, finally. Let’s hope all the races are contested, since lively races not only generate discussion of important issues, but may increase the incredibly dismal turnout at Laurel’s local elections. (which we'll discuss another time)

Laurel’s mayoral system is a very strong one – and the mayor determines the City Administrator, appoints all the key staff, determine the makeup of boards from planning to the historic district commission, creates the budget and sets the city’s development priorities. The Mayor and Council are responsible for your local taxes, and the types of businesses that get approved for entry into the city. Who they are, their priorities and vision count. Taking an interest is not only our civic duty, but it should be a critical matter for all of us.

So even though it’s early – mark your calendar for November 1. And let the games begin