Laurel Connections

Lost Laurel

2012-01-19T18:28:00.001-05:00

Check out this website called Lost Laurel. The writer says he is, "a graphic designer currently obsessed with documenting the history of the modest neighborhood where I lived from 1978 to 1987, Steward Manor Apartments. As an ancillary project, I’ve started Lost Laurel as a way of also documenting and sharing the numerous stores, restaurants, and other businesses of Laurel past.

Hat Tip to Andy Hoglund.

First You Need To Row A Little Boat

2012-01-17T20:22:00.002-05:00

So I'm looking for a new hobby to fill my days after I retire next year. I built a couple of beautiful wooden kayaks 25 years ago. They were made from 3mm marine grade plywood, mono-filament fishing line, fiberglass tape and two-part epoxy. A joy to build and to paddle.

So I'm thinking that another small boat project might be just what I need to keep me busy and out from under "She-who-must-be-obeyed's" large, flat feet during the day.

CLC's Northeast Dory Under Sail

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for small wooden craft that can be rowed or sailed easily by a single person. The boat needs to be reasonable to build, easy to handle, lightweight and able to carry a good load of people and gear on calm days on the bay.

[He has a soft spot all right but it's in his damn head! - She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed]

[Please ignore her. - rick]

Chesapeake Light Craft over in Annapolis sells the Northeastern Dory kit. A dory is the perfect working boat for the bay and it looks like a boat project that I just might be able to finish before Laurel DPW's special pick-up boys need to come to get me. The boat is 17 feet long, weighs about 100 lbs and will carry 800 lbs. It's estimated to be about a 500 hour building project for a semi-skilled boatwright.

But this has led to another problem with "she-who-must-be-obeyed" who stated unconditionally that I was not going to make her basement laundry room all dirty and smelly with my boat "cr@p"! Her retort also caused me to measure the basement door and realize that while I might be able to build a 17 foot boat in the there, I would need to wait for a flood to float it. It seems that the basement door and windows are all too small to get the finished boat out of the bottle.

So I'm now building a boat shed in the back yard. A 20' x 12' man cave and workshop 150' away from you-know-who. [Watch it buster - SWMBO] A nice warm place where a little dory can be born admired and stored. A quiet place to sit on a nice day and just appreciate the small things in your life, like working with sandpaper, cutting with finely sharpened saws and the joy of watching a boat come to life under your own two hands.

Richard Bode wrote a perfect little book in 1995 entitled, First You Need To Row A Little Boat,
that explains his love for sailing as a boy and how learning to sail was like learning to live and to love.

Watch this blog to keep track of the boat shop being built and the little Northeast Dory coming to life on Laurel Ave. Stop in anytime, I will have plenty of sandpaper, strong hot coffee and a comfortable place to sit and think about boats and life.

rick

And Now For Something Completely Different

2012-01-08T22:01:00.001-05:00

It was a nice day to do a little research. I wondered what was going on in Laurel in January 1912? One hundred years ago. But I fell asleep after reading a few Laurel Leaders from 1912. That led to a dream, a time warp and then hearing a Laurel radio station from the past, long before there were commercial radio stations. How strange. Perhaps I should stop eating at Red Hot and Blue before napping ...

January 1912 News from Laurel MD

A Independence Declaration for 2012

2011-12-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

As I look back over 2011, I have found that like most years, there was plenty of good and a bit of bad news. I am hopeful that 2012 will be better for Laurel, Maryland, and for America.

As I reflect on 2011's national and regional challenges, I can't help but put some of the blame on our current lawmakers at the national and state levels. Individually, they seem to be for the most part, good, upstanding citizens. But collectively, they live in a corrosive system designed to turn even the strongest among them from the practice of statesmanship to the depths of partisanship. A few examples:

-- Redistricting debacles, where the good of the region is sacrificed to partisan gerrymandering. See PA and MD for examples from both parties.
-- Budget impasses brought on by partisan posturing. See U.S. Congress.
-- Ever hardening partisan demands to not compromise with the other side while chronic and acute state and national problems continue to plague us.
-- Party-line voting is now the norm and expected.

It's become clear to me that my only recourse is to send a shock to the political system. An action that shakes up the system and demonstrates for all observers that priorities must change. This action must be seen as, not a turn away from any current party in power, but rather a condemnation of the practice of partisanship itself.

So I have decided to declare my independence and, regardless of affiliation, I will vote strictly anti-incumbent. If a candidate now holds any partisan office, I declare my vote for their challenger without exception.

If we are successful in this strategy and incumbents lose their seats in large numbers, I'm convinced that our anti-party message will be loudly received. I am also convinced that if we stick together, we can break free from the evils of partisanship and therefore, I offer the following Declaration.

A Declaration of Independence From Partisan Candidates

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for People to dissolve the political bands which have connected them for far too long to their wayward Lawmakers, and to re-commit to those priorities that put the welfare of the People over the welfare of any political party.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments and their elected Lawmakers are instituted to serve the People, not political parties. That whenever any Form of Government becomes so destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish their services, and to select new Lawmakers who demonstrate the following:

-- To hold the rights, safety and good of the People over the needs of any political party, or even their own elected or appointed offices.

-- To work together in good faith, in a spirit of compromise and collaboration that encourages the broadest, most innovative and most lasting solutions to the myriad difficult problems of the People.

-- To spend substantially more time working for the good of the People than working for their own reelection or any other partisan priority.

-- To draw representative district boundaries for the good of the People living within them and without regard to party priorities, or their own reelections.

-- To ensure that they put their legislative duties and imperatives ahead of any other work and that they vow to complete their official tasks before they adjourn for any reason.

-- To promise to be fully transparent and immediately disclose fully and publicly; any and all meetings with, formal or informal requests from, and any form of resources provided by any person, organization or other group with direct or potential legislative matters before them.

We, therefore, the People of these United States of America, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People, solemnly publish and declare ourselves free from the corrosive power of partisan politics and we pledge to remove all Lawmakers who have not demonstrated that they hold the needs and dreams of the People over the prerogatives of party.

To join the cause, just acknowledge your independence in the comments section.

Twitter: News or Not?

2011-11-12T08:52:00.001-05:00

I apologize for only sending a tweet last night during the police search activity in OldTown Laurel. My smartphone lets me forward tweets to the email lists but the formatting gets corrupted. This caused a lot of confusion for people on the email lists.

Kudos to Joshua Garner at laurel.patch.com for getting some information out to the community last night 30 minutes after the helicopters were in the air.

I've come to really like Twitter for breaking news stories. I wish more people, reporters and even PIOs would use it instead of email, or waiting for a reporter to ask them questions. Twitter using the hashtag #laurelmd for breaking local stories would help get information moving quickly.

Remember it's lector caveo! It's breaking news and we all need to be a savvy internet news consumers. I call it "online literacy". This means you gotta know your tweeter. I'll listen to any random guy in a bar spout off investment advice, but I go to a pro when I want to invest for she-who-must-be-obeyed's retirement survivor's benefits.

Breaking news also means that a story will surely evolve. If we want verified news of record, we will need to let the professional news organizations have the time to do their thing, i.e., report, edit, check and then publish.

Like I always tell my boss. "Good, fast, cheap, pick any two. It's impossible to do all three." If you want your news fast and cheap and maybe wrong but evolving, read Twitter. If you are willing to wait for verified facts, then avoid Twitter and wait for a reputable news organization.

Unfortunately, as local news organizations struggle to survive, Twitter may soon be all we have when the sirens wail and the chopper's spotlight circles overhead.

I find Twitter fascinating. It's almost like being there, but without the need to get in the way.

rick

Anonymous

2011-10-29T10:19:00.000-04:00

Is anonymous debate useful?

We are in the final few days of a hotly contested election here in beautiful, downtown, Laurel, MD. It certainly has been one of the most contentious campaigns that I can remember during my 30+ years of living here. Three people are running hard for Mayor and the "at-large" council seat is also locked in a tense struggle.

I like elections. I enjoy the debate. Elections cause me to think about issues. Elections are healthy for a community. But I've been watching a growing anonymity trend that's very troubling for me.

Both of our hometown news organizations, the venerable Laurel Leader and the upstart Laurel Patch are cranking out news, opinions and in a novel twist for a Laurel election, dozens of anonymous online comments.

Go to the bottom of any article, especially in the Laurel Patch and you will see a handful of people strenuously debating. Some of the comments are a bit over the top to say the least.
Some commenters are using -- what appears -- to be their real name. And others are commenting behind a screen name. Of course, there is no way to know for sure that commenters are offering their real names. A commenter could easily use any name, even the name of a candidate. Who could really know the truth?

Yesterday's mail also delivered to me a four page article anonymously attacking the Sarich campaign. It looks like the authors spent a lot of money mailing the piece to every registered voter in Laurel. This is a considerable investment in time and money for over 10,000 voters in the city. Unfortunately, these authors chose to only identify themselves as "17 Laurel Taxpayers."

And finally, a neighbor told me last night that she was called by an anonymous phone pollster. She was asked who she planned to vote for in the Mayoral race. The caller did not provide any affiliation.

I've written about anonymous comments in the past. While I allow them here, I believe that anonymous articles, comments and polls are not very useful. I think anonymity diminishes credibility. It also tends to encourage people to be more rash, untruthful or hurtful in their comments. However, we have a tradition of anonymous political speech in this country. In some cases, anonymously speaking truth to power is useful for the good order of society.

So what do you think? Opinions about candidates aside, does anonymity help or hurt political debate?

Please respond below. Feel free to respond with your real name or anonymously. Please be temperate.

Actual Email to Laurel's Public Works Department

2011-10-27T16:14:00.000-04:00

Dear Laurel Department of Public Works:

I have a 27 inch television that has finally died. None too soon if you ask me, because now I can finally buy a big screen, 1080p, HD, LED, TV that I've wanted for so many years but my wife, she-who-must-be-obeyed, would never allow me to buy as long as our ancient TV kept working.

Now, as happy as I am about the long-awaited demise of my old TV, you can see that I'm in need of your wonderful bulk pick up services.

I do realize that there will be a small fee, that I'm more than willing to pay, given that I've been waiting for this old thing to die for years. My old TV that is, not my wife. Although, how much do you charge to, ....? Just kidding about the wife.

All joking aside, I would appreciate a bulk pick up of my old TV at your earliest convenience. Laurel's Public Works Department is the best!

Sincerely,

G. Rick Wilson
Laurel Ave

Delegate Ben Barnes Responds

2011-10-19T22:08:00.000-04:00

Ok, I feel the need to comment:

1. There seems to be a sentiment that Laurel has been split up, parsed or is in some way not contiguous. This is not true; the entire city is still contained in one contiguous congressional district.

2. There seems to be a sentiment that having Laurel in the 5'th (Hoyer) makes more geographic sense and includes more communities of interest than the 4'th (Edwards). This also flies in the face of fact. The fact is that Laurel has much more in Common with Russett, Gambrils, Mt. Ranier, Cheverly and other areas of Prince George's (which are in the new district) than it does with St. Mary's, Charles and Calvert Counties (which were all in the old district). To try to say that our community has been "split up" because we are no longer in the same congressional district as St. Mary's County, is, well, sort of disingenuous. Clearly, Laurel, which is in Prince George's County and borders Anne Arundel, has more in common with other areas of Prince George's and Anne Arundel County than it does with Calvert, Charles and St. Marys, all areas included in Hoyer's District.

3. "The Delegation" never told us. The Governor's plan was just introduced on Saturday. Yes, that is this Saturday. There had been recommentions made on October 4th that then became the plan that was introduced Saturday. Frankly, I didn't anticipate how personally connected we are to Congressman Hoyer. I didn't anticipate that being put in a district with other areas of Prince George's and Anne Arundel County would be interpretted as a "splitting" of our community. Maybe because I didn't see it that way. For that, I am sorry, it was an error of ommissoin and not commission. I think you all will agree that this 21'st District Team endeavors greatly to keep you all informed, and typically does a very fine job.

4. Wasn't there a way to keep Hoyer? Redistricting is an extremely complex mathmatic, legal and political process. Every action has a reaction. The Governor spent months working on it and its not as simple as saying, give Laurel back Hoyer. In fact, each and every plan, save the one that has been discussed, that we voted for, had Laurel out of the 5'th District. Every single Republican plan introduced had Laurel out of Hoyer's district. The "Fannie Lou" plan had Hoyer out of Laurel, and, of course, the Governor's plan did as well. All of them accept the one ammendment we all voted in favor of had Hoyer out of Laurel....

5. Why did all these plans have Laurel out of the 5'th? Simple math. Southern Maryland (Charles, St. Marys, and Calvert) are the fastest growing jurisdictions in the State. That meant Hoyer's 5'th District had to loose considerable population. Simple logic, geography and math meant that population was probably going to come out of the norther portion of the district. In this case Laurel was the northern most part of the 5'th District.

6. That just leaves one big problem: Hoyer is no longer our Congressman. I too am a fan of Steny Hoyer. But districts change, populations shift and there were few ways to keep Hoyer in Laurel. I have grown up with Hoyer as my congressman. I literally can't remember when he wasn't. But this is the nature of re-districting - populations shift.

Conclusion: We do the best we can, I know how hard my colleagues work, I see it. But we are certainly not perfect and certainly can't anticipate every reaction. I will speak for myself, I mistakenly didn't believe that Laurel being put in a district with Anne Arundel and Prince George's Counties instead of Charles, Calvert and St. Mary's would cause this type of controversy. For that, I am sorry. I didn't anticipate how much of this is personal and is about Hoyer himself, rather than the communities we are coupled with. For that I also apologize. I am, like you all, saddened that he will no longer be our representative, BUT THERE IS NO QUESTION WHATSOEVER: this new 4'th District includes more communities of interest for Laurel, than the 5'th did or does.

--Ben Barnes

It's Over - Laurel's Redistricting Approved

2011-10-19T16:12:00.002-04:00

Political parties are like gangs. They take good elected officials and force them to do things against their best interests, their better judgement and sometimes the interests of their districts. All political parties are guilty.

I also believe that, just like gangs, elected officials turn to parties because we are not paying attention. We don't provide what a healthy democracy needs to survive. We, by and large, are not politically involved with our communities anymore. Politics is boring. Policy issues are complicated. We don't have time. So our elected officials turn to their party for protection, money and esteem. It's our fault.

Today, our 21st District legislators voted for the governor's redistricting plan in the final vote. That plan moves Laurel into the new 4th district. They had to vote for it, their party demanded it.

Earlier in the day they voted FOR an amendment that would have changed the map to move Laurel back into the 5th district. That was a courageous vote and I applaud their bravery and thank them for standing up against their party. That amendment failed 26-107. Your concern and encouragement helped them make that stand.

But this problem is not really about our 21st district delegation. It's not about redistricting. This issue is a symptom of a much bigger disease. This is about the corrosive nature of party politics in our state and our nation. These party gangs are corroding our elected officials and through them hurting our communities.

It's unfortunate that the 21st delegation was thrown under the bus and forced to defend their party's awful map. I know that some of them are upset with me personally for pointing that out. It's uncomfortable under the bus. I agree with them that this is not a fair issue. They were thrown between their party and us.

So what are we to do? The redistricting issue is over. We had a minor success. For one courageous vote, our delegation turned their backs on their party. That's a first step. We need to find more opportunities.

We must continue to keep watch. Frush, Rosapepe, Barnes and Pena-Melnyk are good, smart and hardworking people. We must keep looking for issues where we help all of our elected officials fight off excessive partisan pressure. We can give them money, give them protection and give them hope. Democracy only works if we all stay involved.

In my mind, it's the only way we get our leaders back from the gangs.

Best Regards,

rick

Partisan Priorities Push Laurel Under the Redistricting Bus

2011-10-18T20:09:00.005-04:00

The Maryland Senate approved the Governor's redistricting map today.

Unfortunately Laurel's own State Senator Jim Rosapepe voted for moving Laurel into the new 4th District horse shoe. It was a party-line vote. Here's the link with the details.

Note: Here is the latest story from the Leader.

If the Maryland House agrees, Laurel becomes congressional roadkill. We've been thrown under the bus because of partisan priorities. All of this pain to get 8 out of 8 congressional seats elected as Democrats instead of 7 of 8. Such a pity.

This has been a disappointing day for me. These legislators are smart, hardworking, and dedicated people. Many of them I count as personal friends and mentors. But there is something corrosive in our state and in our nation. It's deadly and it has metastasized. It's a cancer cell that looks a lot like this new Maryland congressional redistricting map.

I guess I should have seen it coming years ago. But I wasn't paying close attention because I've never been partisan. The only question that ever matters to me is what's best for the community. Red, Blue, White, Black, who cares?

What's important is simple -- jobs, education, public safety, quality of life, hope for our kids. Does it really matter if it's a republican or a democrat bill that gets my brother a job? Or a democrat's bill that educates my grandchildren? We've lost sight of what matters in Maryland. Partisanship is blinding us. Partisanship is blinding our legislators. It's killing common sense and shared purpose.

I've been told by legislators that it was too late to stop the bill and get the drafters to reconsider. That strikes me odd. Our legislators have known about the Governor's redistricting map for weeks. Did they really think that the proposed 4th district monstrosity was the best deal for Laurel? Or did they hope that we wouldn't mind being treated as a bridge to nowhere. Hey Laurel, here it comes, take one for the team!

Some have told me not to worry. That it really doesn't matter which congressional district Laurel is located. I'm told we will be taken care of. But how can that be? A congressional district is so much more than a collection of voting drones who are expected to blindly vote like some party consultant predicts. Oh, you are white, vote this way. You are black, you vote that way. Stay in your lane. Don't worry. How cynical!

I long for the day when we hold a candidate's partisanship in contempt. When we are as quick to dump a candidate for excessive partisanship as we would vote against them today for illicit sexual escapades or their tax policies. Hey congressman, you voted 200 times last session and 200 times you voted with your party. Come on congressman, you expect me to believe that you have my best interests at heart? There were no votes where our interests rose above your party's?

If all we are going to have are party-line votes -- we don't need to send as many legislators to Annapolis or Washington. We should just send two people to vote in proportion to the latest election results. We will save a ton of money by eliminating all the rest of the legislators and their staffs. Hell, if they are not going to think independently with their district's best interests in mind, why go through the charade of electing them?

No, a congressional district is not a random group of unaffiliated people. It's a group of people striving to define a shared vision based on their similarities, common interests and local problems. Geography matters so much more than race, party or economic situation.

A congressman, the best kind, leads a community to create that vision. They help us identify our shared problems. They bind us together and help us grow a shared purpose to rally around. They unite our state, local and federal leaders to solve our problems and work to make our lives better. Geography matters.

I'm so disheartened today over the loss of community, of what we could become -- for what we deserve to become -- all because of cynical, raw, partisan politics.

Geography matters because community matters. That's what makes us American.

If you would like to contact our 21st Delegation and ask them why they feel that the proposed 4th congressional district is best for Laurel. Or why they did not mobilize the community weeks ago to get our input, here is their contact info:

Senator Rosapepe - jim.rosapepe@senate.state.md.us
Delegate Frush - barbara.frush@house.state.md.us
Delegate Barnes - Ben.Barnes@house.state.md.us
Delegate Pena-Melnyk - joseline.pena.melnyk@house.state.md.us

Sincerely,

Rick Wilson
Laurel, MD

Speed Cameras Blinded

2011-02-26T15:04:00.003-05:00

It looks like someone was upset over a $40 speed camera ticket in Oldtown Laurel. A vandal recently painted the lens cover on both speed cameras installed on 7th Street between Main and Montgomery.

I hope the vandal is caught. I believe that these cameras are always taking pictures on a loop. Maybe we will get lucky and the vandal's picture was taken holding the spray can.

7th and Main
click to enlarge

Painting over the lens cover is not the answer. Slowing down is the answer! I strongly supported the law to permit speed cameras. Speeding cars on neighborhood streets was the the top constituent complaint when I served on the Laurel City Council. The camera is a much better solution than chewing up the time of an officer with a radar gun. I'd much rather have our cops free to solve more serious crimes.

There are at least three speed camera locations in Laurel. Here on 7th, Cherry Lane near Laurel High and on Dorset Road near Scotchtown Hills Elementary School.

By the way, even police officers are not exempted from the speed laws and must pay the fine. So let's all be careful out there.

(Hat tip to Mike McLaughlin for the tip.)

A New News Source for Laurel

2010-12-13T19:26:00.000-05:00

Laurel Patch, an online local news source is now available on the web at laurel.patch.com. AOL’s hyper-local news network called "Patch" now has over 500 community web sites. Laurel's Patch is one of the latest to go live today.

“Yes, you read that right: 500 different websites, all with the same look and general feel, but each one staffed by an editor devoted to writing about the people and businesses in that community,” writes Bizjournals. AOL is planning on investing over $50 million on the Patch Network in an attempt to capitalize on the dearth of local news web sites.

We have two local newspapers in town. Well, we really only have one, the Laurel Leader. The Gazette quietly shuttered their Laurel operation earlier this year and clumps Laurel's news in with Beltsville, College Park and other communities in the northern part of the county. And let me be honest, the Gazette really never committed the resources necessary to serve our community well.

Editor Melanie Dzwonchyk and her plucky band of journos at the venerable Laurel Leader cover our fair city quite well. Unfortunately, they are saddled with a web site from their publisher that is so lame and old fashioned, it looks like something invented by the late Senator Ted Stevens. In spite of her lame web site, Dzwonchyk has been posting breaking news online and on Twitter.

So now we have another online local news source in Laurel. A source with a modern web site, a commitment to getting the story online regardless of the day of the week, and with access to AOL's deep pockets.

Let the competition begin.

National Zoo

2010-11-27T21:45:00.002-05:00

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is only 40 minutes away from Laurel but I often forget just how much fun it can be. I spent a couple of hours at the zoo this afternoon. It was cold but the sun was shining and the cats were active. I should have brought along my tripod. My big 300 mm lens was hard to hold steady in the wind.

"Scared yet kid?"

A few more shots are over on my Flickr page here. Take a break from leftovers and go to the zoo.

Inducing Emotions

2010-11-21T13:01:00.001-05:00

Induced Emotion, Re: PANIC

A woman from my hometown of Youngstown, Ohio, was arrested for "inducing panic" at a local drugstore.

It seems that she became frustrated waiting for a clerk to ring her out. So she screamed that the store was being robbed. Her screams quickly brought a clerk to the checkout. However, after the store crew realized her ruse, they called the law. They had the impatient woman arrested for "inducing panic."

This story has made me wonder about all of the other possible crimes of inducing emotion. Can I have my mother arrested for inducing guilt? Should my robo-calling elected official be arrested for inducing anger? Should Max at Pasta Plus be arrested for providing such a great meal that he induces gluttony and then lethargy? And what about other small town bloggers, who are so much better chroniclers of local stories that they induce my envy?

I say, "away with them all." Anyone who causes such strong involuntary emotions should have to do at least a few days in the Laurel city jail, or some community service to help them kick their inducing habit.

I will be waiting on my porch for Laurel's lawmen to book me for inducing boredom. You may be called to testify.

Had Enough Robocalls Yet?

2010-09-14T00:04:00.001-04:00

I've had it with the candidate robocalls this election season. I must get six calls a day. Do the candidates really think that a robocall is going to make me vote for them? They must have a pretty low opinion of us if they think a few dozen robocalls will change our minds.

"Gee, what a nice guy, I'll be sure to vote for that candidate."

So I've decided to fight back. Click here for the robocall that I'm sending out to every candidate this season. I'm fighting robocalls with my own robocalls. This link goes to an mp3 file located here.

You want to join what?

2010-08-11T17:40:00.002-04:00

I'm sure every parent feels the same way when their child decides to grow up and make their own decisions. A year ago, my youngest child decided he wanted to join the the few and the proud.

I didn't know what to say. He seemed too young, too immature, not ready for this challenge. I wanted him to wait. But I knew that it was his decision.

PFC Steven Wilson, USMC, graduated from boot camp at Parris Island, SC in early March. He then completed combat training at Camp Lejune, NC and he is now attending technical school at Pensacola Naval Air Station, FL.

The corps took away my immature teenager and sent back a confident and capable young man.

I'm pretty sure he now knows at least a dozen ways to knock me out. But I'll never let him forget that he can't beat his old man.

Rebuilding Main Street With a New Library

2010-08-08T23:56:00.004-04:00

Should a new library be built downtown? I believe it should. A new library near Main Street will bring more people to Main Street, providing a solid anchor for increasing retail sales in our shopping district. I also believe that a new library would become the foundation to revitalize downtown while enhancing recreational and cultural opportunities along Riverfront Park.

Building a new library near Main Street will also require unusual cooperation and collaboration from both our county and city governments. Before I explain, let me summarize the situation.

Prince George's County wants to rebuild the Laurel Library at its current location at Seventh and Talbot.
However, the current location has challenges. The property is not large enough to support a new building along with all the necessary parking spaces.
The county would need to acquire additional land from the city to support the new building project.
The need for a larger parcel opens up the opportunity to consider other building locations.
The City of Laurel has the old Police Station property at 350 Municipal Square. It's one block off Main Street and right along the river. The city would like to sell this 1.8 acre property and 19,000 square foot building for 2.5 million dollars.

"Bring Our Library Downtown," or BOLD, is a grassroots group advocating for building the new library downtown at the old Police Station location. They have a slide show highlighting many of the benefits of moving the library downtown.

I agree with BOLD but I would like to go a bit further and suggest that the city simply give, not sell, the old Police Station property to the county for the new library. The city has the most to gain from moving the library downtown. While 2.5 million dollars is a lot of money that could be used for many other city projects, I believe that this is a small price to pay to help revitalize Main Street.

This 2.5 million dollar gift should come with three conditions. First, that the city and county would jointly appoint a dedicated planning commission to design the building and grounds of the new library. Second, the city would get final approval of the county's site and building plan. Third, the county would agree to buy the property on the northwest corner that sits between the old Police Station and the river, highlighted in red below.

By removing all of the existing buildings on the site, we will have a large parcel that opens north to the river. With an open lot, we can build a large, innovative library and learning center that fully incorporates both the river and adjacent park land into its design. This approach also opens options for increased parking for Main Street visitors.

This is obviously an aggressive plan. It will cost both the city and county significant resources, not just money, but also time and attention. The city has a long history of augmenting county services with city tax dollars. For example, the city has contributed over $250,000 per year towards the county's fire and ambulance services. I think it is entirely reasonable for the city to contribute funding that will lead directly to augmenting Main Street's revitalization.

This plan also requires that both county and city governments to work together on the project in good faith and for the benefit of all. It will be difficult because governments rarely share the same priorities or have business and planning processes that are compatible. But the enhanced library and learning center that could result from this cooperation will be so much better than what either government could possible accomplish alone.

Please see the sidebar to take our poll, "Should the Laurel Library Move Downtown?"

Good Morning Laurel

2010-07-18T11:17:00.001-04:00

Wow, it has been quite awhile since I last posted on this far corner of the internets. There has been a lot going on and I really didn't have anything useful to say. So I've been laying low and saving my rapidly diminishing brain cycles for other pursuits like counting campaign signs on Route 1.

Back at Easter time, a couple of doctors said that I needed to have a little heart plumbing done. My advice to everyone is to try to avoid this kind of plumbing job. It's messy, shockingly expensive and personally disruptive for much longer than you might originally be led to believe. In these regards, I guess heart plumbing is like any other plumbing project. You are happy to have had it done until you learn that now you must be even more careful about the bad stuff you can't throw down your new pipes.

I have a new diet and exercise regime. Well actually, she-who-must-be-obeyed, put fresh batteries in her taser to motivate my daily exercise sessions. She also uses that same taser to enforce her award-winning diet plan, "if it tastes good, spit it out." I've become the "biggest loser" on so many levels ...

And since we've now entered the mass hypnosis period that we call our local political campaign season, I thought I would freshen the blog with a little redesign and jump back into the blogging fray. We have so many interesting local issues to consider.

Good Morning!

* The Laurel Lake sunrise picture above was taken on 27 June 2010 from Oxford Drive. I took it quickly before Joanne could turn on her taser.

Bureaucracies are built one monkey at a time

2010-03-20T17:55:00.006-04:00

I have lived for most of the previous 35 years within one huge bureaucracy or another. Living in a big institution changes a man. It takes away his ability to see the world as a normal person would.

As Morgan Freeman explained so well in the film, Shawshank Redemption,

"These walls are funny. First you hate 'em, then you get used to 'em. Enough time passes, you get so you depend on them. That's institutionalized."

Last week I heard a great story about how bureaucratic institutions create such strong and usually intractable cultures. Institutions where the inmates seem to do the same things over and over, in spite of logic or changing environments. I'm not sure if the story is true, but it's too good not to share.

A psychologist set up an experiment with five monkeys in a large cage. Inside the cage, he hung a banana on a string and placed a set of stairs under it.

Before long, one of the monkeys would go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touched the stairs, the psychologist would spray all of the other monkeys with very cold water. Monkeys hate cold water and they would howl.

After a while, another monkey would brave an attempt, but would likewise meet with the same result - that all of the other monkeys would be sprayed with cold water.

Monkeys are smart and they soon figured out that if any monkey went for a banana ... they would get a cold shower. Therefore, when any monkey tried to climb the stairs, the other monkeys would beat the hell of him to prevent him from getting them all sprayed.

Then the psychologist put away the cold water and removed one monkey from the cage. He replaced the original monkey with a brand new one.

Of course, the new monkey saw the banana and started to climb the stairs. However, to his surprise and horror, all of the other monkeys attacked him. After another attempt and attack, he quickly learned that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted by the others.

Next, the psychologist removed another from the original set of five monkeys and replaced it with a new, unconditioned monkey. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is immediately attacked.

The amazing thing is that even the previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm! Likewise, the psychologist replaced a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked by the existing monkeys.

Now we have a situation where the monkeys that are beating the newcomer have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done around here.

And that's how bureaucratic institutions are forged ... one beaten monkey at a time.

Where to Buy the Best Sandwich in Laurel?

2010-03-01T19:31:00.002-05:00

A good sandwich is hard to find. A great sandwich is the world's best comfort food. It cures what ails you. A sandwich can take you back to your youth. Or remind you of sharing a special sandwich on your first date. Your circumstances may be different but all of us have strong food memories.

This brings us to today's Laurel Connection's poll.

Where do you buy your absolute favorite sandwich in Laurel?

Here are the sandwich shootout guidelines:

Tell us where to buy it - Unless you want a bunch of hungry people camped outside your grandmother's house demanding a grilled cheese with tomato and bacon...your favorite sandwich must be available from a commercial food establishment near Laurel.
Tell us how to buy it - Be specific. Tell us about your sandwich in loving detail. Help us to really taste it. Write it like you would see it on the menu or as described in a food column. Help us to order it and fix it just like you eat it. For example, "A steak sub on a lightly toasted Italian hoagie roll with grilled onions and two slices of smokey provolone cheese, gobs of real mayo, lots of dill pickles, shredded crisp romaine and a generous helping of hot pepper relish."
The source of your sandwich should be in general vicinity of Laurel. We can be a bit flexible, but make sure it's within 10 miles or so. Nobody wants to drive too far for comfort food.
Last but not least, tell us why the sandwich is so special you? When did you have it the first time? First date? First time driving the family car alone after you got your driver's license? After a big game or a big promotion? A sandwich you ate late at night after the birth of your first child?

That's it. You can share your favorite sandwich in the comments section below or simply click here. Or send it to me via email (g dot rick dot wilson at gmail dot com). And I'll add it to the Laurel Sandwich Shootout Menu for you.

Thanks for sharing, rick

Sunday Morning in Laurel - Winter or Spring?

2010-02-28T08:28:00.004-05:00

Cody and I woke early today. We made a trip for Cody's "hurry-up" and it felt surprisingly warm outside. The air was still and the temperture just a smidge above freezing. It smelled damp.

The street light committee on our block seemed unsure if it was really morning. Two streetlights had already turned off but a third holdout remained on, waiting for more evidence of morning. Perhaps the holdout was simply hoping to collect a bit of overtime for BG&E before spring's longer days arrive and reduce profits.

This is a fitting dilemma for Cody and me to ponder at the end of February. Is it spring or winter? Night or day? Will we have a few more weeks of cold and snow? Or will Joanne's spring flower bulbs soon announce springtime? We can't be sure.

Time for us to go back inside for coffee and wait for more evidence.

Kojo Nnamdi: Blogging The Blizzard

2010-02-11T15:00:00.003-05:00

Laurel Connections was part of a panel of three community bloggers today on Kojo Nnamdi's show on WAMU - 88.5 FM.

A Podcast of the show should be available soon.

My goal on the show was to explain how web 2.0 tools can help us grow closer together as a community.

The snow storm provided an excellent example of how our local government, our local newspaper and our community collaborated using web sites, blogs, photo sharing sites, listservs and old fashioned can-do spirit to keep each other informed and safe.

Increasing social capital and social cohesion via web 2.0 tools is an answer to Robert Putnam's challenge in "Bowling Alone." I believe it's one of the ways that we will recreate stronger communities in the Internet Age.

Major media cover national news with thousands of reporters. Big city newspapers and electronic media cover metro stories with a few dozen reporters. However, not everything that is most important to our lives happens on Capital Hill or in the West Wing.

In a crisis, the most important thing to know might be what is happening right now on the next block. Major newspapers, TV and radio stations cannot cover our neighborhood. Web 2.0 tools like blogs, Twitter, listservs and Facebook give us the tools we need to inform ourselves. Information we need to stay safe, stay warm and to help one another. Web 2.0 tools support our first ammendment freedom in its purest form.

Blogs and listservs will never replace great community newspapers like the Laurel Leader. However local blogs and community newspapers can cooperate and serve the community better than either could alone.

Sometimes knowing where to borrow a shovel when your car is snowed under, or who has a warm cup of coffee when your power is out can be the most important thing in the world.

Photowalk Wednesday Night

2010-02-11T00:05:00.002-05:00

Here's a new slideshow. I took a cold walk around town Wednesday night.

The only things moving around Laurel were plows and my chattering lips.

Kudos Laurel Leader

2010-02-10T12:27:00.000-05:00

Laurel Leader's Editor, Melanie Dzwonchyk, has continued her unflagging support of digital publishing to keep us informed during the storm. Melanie has heroically filed online stories during the teeth of the storm proving that local journalism doesn’t need ink and paper to serve our community.

The Leader has published early and online this week. You can read the Leader’s latest snow story here. Kudos to Melanie and her team at the Leader.

It's too bad the Leader’s publishers refuse to create a professional website for our much beloved Laurel Leader. We are left with their absolutely horrible “explore howard dot com” website.

The fact that the “explore howard dot com” loses the brand identity provided by the Laurel Leader is sad enough. However, the technology that their site runs on must have been first deployed by Gutenberg himself. There seems to be simply no commitment to digital publishing by this publisher. It appears to be only an afterthought and is certainly not being worked as an emerging profit center.

I understand that community newspapers are losing money. But it's a damn shame that the people running Patuxent Publishing do not embrace the web and dedicate their time and energies to improving their digital editions. If there is any way to stop hemorrhaging money, the tourniquet must be built from their digital product.

Community news is vitally important to every small town in America. I have dozens of sources for national news. There are thousands of reporters in DC covering the federal government. But on a good day, we only have a precious few reporters like Gwendolyn Glenn and Melanie Dzwonchyk to tell us what is happening in our own back yard.

Come on Patuxent Publishing please give us a real community news website for the Laurel Leader. A website that lives at laurelleader.com and a website that carries a local brand and logo that we can identify with.

The Calm Between the Storms

2010-02-09T16:04:00.004-05:00

Cody and I are taking a break today. Here we are at the Laurel Connections Crisis Operations Center, i.e., the LCCOC. We are getting a bit of much needed rest between these historic and breathless snow storms.

Dogs and bloggers both need their rest after five days of tweeting, face booking, TV watching, emailing, non-stop eating, web surfing, aimless walking, photographing, general and specific malingering and the occasional nip of medicinal hooch.

Cody is keeping watch for she-who-must-be-obeyed (SWMBO). If we sleep too soundly, SWMBO gets all excited and assumes that we kicked the bucket. Cody's job is to make sure SWMBO doesn't haul us outside for special pick-up. The DPW guys are much too busy clearing the streets to drag our large carcass away to the landfill.

We've also been adding new pictures to our LCCOC storm-of-the-century slide show.

On an serious note, Council President Gayle Snyder emailed us this morning saying that Richard Kluckhuhn is concerned that his famous Christmas Tree may have been severely damaged by the February 6 storm. The Kluckhuhn family has brightened Laurel's Christmases for at least two generations with the lighted tree. This picture shows some of the damage. Let's hope that the tree can be saved for future generations.

Oh No ... More Snow!

2010-02-08T16:30:00.000-05:00

Issued by The National Weather Service
Baltimore/Washington, MD
3:04 pm EST, Mon., Feb. 8, 2010

... WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TUESDAY TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STERLING VIRGINIA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TUESDAY TO 7 PM EST WEDNESDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE... SNOW.

* ACCUMULATIONS... 10 TO 20 INCHES.

* TIMING... MID-AFTERNOON TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

* TEMPERATURES... TEMPERATURES NEAR FREEZING AT THE ONSET TUESDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE UPPER 20S TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

* WINDS... LIGHT SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS TUESDAY BECOMING NORTHWESTERLY 15 TO 25 MPH WEDNESDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A few more pictures as the storm abates

2010-02-06T19:53:00.004-05:00

Eric and I walked around this evening as the sun was setting. Blue skies emerged for the briefest moment.

Tastee Diner and another business on Main street lost their window awnings to the snow. Impressive drifts were found on roofs all over town.

Tomorrow we start the big dig.

Slide show is found here.

UPDATE: Laurel Leader posts a snowstorm story.

Snow Stories

2010-02-06T13:31:00.003-05:00

I took a walk around town this morning. Here is the slide show with pictures including last night's and this morning's shots.

I had a chance to talk to Laurel's Mayor, Craig Moe. Hizzoner is out plowing in a small city truck. He does a pretty good job, talking on the radio and clearing the LVFD station driveway at the same time. Craig explained that the county will plow station 10, but that in a storm like this, everybody needs to step up to help. He said it's important that the fire trucks and ambulance can get out of the station.

Marty Flemion and his team of senior staff members are at the City's Emergency Management Operations Center directing the city's response. Council President Gayle Snyder has been volunteering since early this morning answering phones at city hall. Ed Ricks, a long-time city volunteer and former council member, has been up all night cooking for the city crews. You may have seen Eddie and his helpers in the city's emergency canteen vehicle in the past. Everybody in town is hard at work.

The city has been at work for a few days getting ready for this historic storm. Every resource that the city has available is now engaged in the battle. Crews are working around the clock. The mayor told me that his first priority is responding to the storm and protecting the residents. He and the city council will work together to find the money to pay for whatever we need to respond to this storm. He said that is why we set aside financial reserves.

The biggest worry now is the loss of electricity. According to the mayor, we have had a few limited outages. But as the storm progresses and the wind increases, he is concerned that we may lose more trees. Trees rip out the electric wires.

Be sure to call BG&E if you lose power. That is the only way they will know that your power is out.

Laurel is a unique place with so many wonderful people. Jim McCeney has been clearing his neighbor's walks with his snow blower all morning. I just heard that Jim's snow blower may have died before he cleared his own driveway. City staff are working around the clock. Neighbors are helping neighbors. We are truly blessed.

Stay inside. Stay out of your car. Stay in touch. Stay warm.

Oldtown Is Quiet

2010-02-05T21:52:00.002-05:00

Joanne, puppy named Cody, Marybeth, and I took a short walk at about 9pm. It was about 28 degrees F. and snowing heavily as you can see. Marybeth, aka number 1 daughter, measured about 6 inches of snow.

The streets are very quiet. A few cars and plenty of plows. Laurel's snow emergency streets have already been plowed at least twice. Laurel avenue has also seen a plow at least once. DPW valiantly keeping up so far.

Quick slideshow here.

History Books May Be Rewritten

2010-02-05T14:40:00.000-05:00

The National Weather Service in Sterling, Va. has issued the following statement:

...RECORD SNOWFALL FORECAST IN THE BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON DC REGION...

...EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS DEVELOPING TONIGHT...

GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH VISIBILITIES FREQUENTLY FALLING BELOW ONE-QUARTER MILE DUE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT TO PRODUCE NEAR-BLIZZARD AND EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. TRAVEL IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED TONIGHT AND WILL BE VERY DANGEROUS.

LOOKING BACK AT THE BIGGEST STORM OF RECORD FOR WASHINGTON DC... THE JANUARY 1922 KNICKERBOCKER STORM ... 28.0 INCHES OF SNOW WAS PRODUCED FROM 3.02 INCHES OF LIQUID WATER. CURRENT FORECASTS FOR THIS EVENT HAVE TOTAL LIQUID FALLING FROM THIS STORM APPROACHING 3 INCHES ... WHICH ACCORDINGLY WOULD CREATE A SNOWFALL THAT WILL RIVAL THE KNICKERBOCKER STORM TOTAL. GENERALLY ACROSS THE REGION ... 20 TO 30 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL BY SATURDAY EVENING.

Top Ten Snowstorms for DC

2010-02-05T09:26:00.001-05:00

From the washpost - Here are the top 10 snowstorms on record for Washington, D.C.:

1. January 27-28, 1922 ... 28 inches
2. February 11-13, 1899 ... 20.5 inches
3. February 18-19, 1979 ... 18.7 inches
4. January 6-8, 1996 ... 17.1 inches
5. February 15-18, 2003 ... 16.7 inches
6. February 11-12, 1983 ...16.6 inches
7. December 19-20, 2009 ... 16.4 inches (Snowpocalypse)
8. February 15-16, 1958 ... 14.4 inches
9. February 7, 1936 ... 14.4 inches
10. February 16-18, 1900 ... 14.3 inches

Laurel MD Snow Totals via Twitter

2010-02-04T22:13:00.004-05:00

We are going to be tracking snowfall in the Laurel region via Twitter. Just include #laurelsnow in your tweet.

To follow all of the measurements just go here: http://twitter.com and search for #laurelsnow

Or if your firewall blocks twitter, I've added a twitter widget to the Laurel Connections blog.

Here is a tutorial for measuring snow.

SNOW ALERT FROM CITY OF LAUREL

2010-02-04T21:59:00.002-05:00

This is an alert from the City of Laurel Emergency Operations Department.
Mayor Craig Moe has declared a snow emergency for February 5, 2010 effective 10:00am due to the predicted inclement weather that will hit the Laurel area.

If you live on a snow emergency route, please be aware that parking is not allowed on the even addressed side of the street. If your vehicle is found parked illegally on a snow emergency route, the police department will attempt to identify and locate the vehicle’s owner to remove it. However, if the vehicle’s owner cannot be found, the vehicle will be ticketed and possibly towed. If you find that your car has been towed, contact the Laurel Police Department at their non-emergency phone number at 301-498-0092. Please be aware if your car is towed, a parking violation will be issued for which the vehicle’s owner will be responsible. Additionally, if your vehicle is impounded, a fee for storage will be assessed to the owner which will have to be paid prior to the release of the vehicle.

Additionally, please follow the City ordinance that after the cessation of snowfall, all public sidewalks around your property must be shoveled within 12 hours or you will be cited. However, it is recommended that you also clear the walkways on your property in case emergency assistance is needed at your home. And when clearing off your cars, driveways and sidewalks do not throw the snow into the street. This is a violation of City Code as this will create hazards for motorists and more problems for Public Works when they are clearing the streets.

The City of Laurel Emergency Operations Department is asking homeowners and residents to also please check that their downspouts, drains and sump pump discharges are free of snow to allow for proper drainage operations as well as check that fire hydrants are cleared of snow in case emergency personnel need to gain access. Due to the amount of snowfall that is being called for, you are urged to stay off the streets and stay home so that the Public Works vehicles can do their jobs sufficiently. If you do find yourself out on the roadways during the storm, please be reminded that if traffic signals are out or not visible due to snow, you must treat the intersection as a 4 way stop.

Finally, the Emergency Operations Department is asking that because of the cold temperatures that will be in place for this snow event, please check on neighbors, especially any elderly neighbors, to ensure that they are warm and safe. For more information regarding snow removal, please call the Department of Public Works at 301-725-0088. If during the storm you need emergency service, Fire and EMS can be reached by calling 911 and the Laurel Police can be reached by calling 301-725-3000 for emergency needs.

If you have any other questions that the City of Laurel can answer, we plan (subject to change dependent on weather conditions) on having City Hall front desk manned and you can call at 301-725-5300. Thank you.

Totally Useless Fact

2010-01-17T09:43:00.001-05:00

Bloomberg reports $192 million dollars worth of hummus was sold last year in the U.S, "according to PepsiCo Inc., the world's biggest snack maker." That's a whole lot of hummus among us.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T13:34:00.009-05:00

It has been a very busy year with so many professional and personal challenges. The seasons pass so quickly. It seems like just yesterday was Memorial Day. Now is the time to slow down and rejoice in our family, friends, and many blessings.

Merry Christmas from Laurel Connections

Christmas 2006

St Mary of the Mills Church in Laurel, MD. (G.Rick Wilson)

More St Mary's Christmas Photos

Walmart + DPW and I'm good to go!

2009-10-28T23:00:00.003-04:00

From the WTOP.com web site;

"Wal-Mart has started selling caskets on its Web site at prices that undercut many funeral homes, long the major seller of caskets.

The move follows a similar one by discount rival Costco, which also sells caskets on its site. Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., quietly put up about 15 caskets and dozens of urns on its Web site last week.

Prices range from $999 for models like "Dad Remembered" and "Mom Remembered" steel caskets to the mid-level $1,699 "Executive Privilege." All are less than $2,000, except for the Sienna Bronze Casket, which sells for $3,199.

Caskets ship within 48 hours.

So here's my plan to save my heirs a little dough when it's my time to duck out. Joanne orders the cheapest box from WalMart or Costco. She then bribes a couple of my neighbors to help her heft me into it. I'm sure Eric Hoglund and Bob Bain will happily do it for a 12 pack of Sam Adams. They are good friends.

Then she calls Laurel Department of Public Works for a special pick-up.

Thirty-five dollars to DPW and I'm outta here the following Wednesday!

Fall Morning in Laurel (click image to enlarge)

2009-10-25T20:15:00.005-04:00

Laurel Lakes Mallard

Riverfront Reflection

Lakehouse Reflections

Riverfront Bridge

Duck, Duck or Goose?

Whither Newspapers, Universities Next?

2009-10-24T10:28:00.003-04:00

The web disintermediates. The middle man between creators and consumers crumbles under the power of the web. Newspapers, travel agents, and real estate brokers have all been strained to the breaking point. What's next?

The web is now the place where almost every idea is borne. And better yet, where we can all witness the birth and life of most ideas for free. Not just in our own city or country but throughout the world. Billions of people are thinking out loud every day. We simply need to listen.

In the early 90's the web was like a school girl's shoebox. A place to keep memories. Here's a list of songs I like. Here's a collection of my favorite stories. Over here is a catalog of films. Since then the web has morphed from list keeper to the nursery of innovation, knowledge, and new connections.

Today, the web serves as the generator of new knowledge; a garage for the tinkerer, classroom for the curious, lab for the scientist, the writing loft for the freelance journalist, stage for an edgy comic to expose new material, basement studio for the musician, a visual artist's canvas, a photographer's lightbox, ...

I love new ideas. 99.9999% are useless, but .00001% will change the world. How can we find the useful bits? How do we find the trends? Innovation happens when dissimilar ideas rub together. How can we liberate exciting innovation from this miasma? Not for money or fame. But just because it's so damn fun to learn.

Number 1 daughter is now a big shot producer and host of a radio show on WFUV in NYC. She interviewed a Fordham University Law professor on her show this morning.

"The Internet has shaken the foundations of both politics and news. Are colleges next? So says Zephyr Teachout, former director of online organizing for Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign. "

My friend Greg Krehbiel over at the Crowhill Blog, in a post entitled, "The free market shoots and kills two bastions of liberaldom?" says huzzah for the internet.

October Surprise

2009-10-03T16:52:00.002-04:00

I believe that October is the finest month to be outdoors in Maryland. It's often sunny, usually we enjoy mild temperatures and it's always breathtakingly beautiful.

I'm still trying to master my digital SLR camera. So I spent an enjoyable couple of hours this Saturday afternoon at the Montpelier Mansion reading the camera's confusing manual and trying to decipher a few more controls.

I lucked upon a painting class that had moved away from their easels for lunch. Their break gave me the opportunity to capture the paintings and their landscape subjects together.

A quick slideshow from Montpelier afternoon is found here. Use the full screen mode for best viewing.

Enjoy October while you can, winter will be here soon.

Laurel Dog Show 2009

2009-09-13T20:18:00.004-04:00

We had a great time. Dogs everywhere. People were smiling. Sunny and about 300 people and over 150 dogs participated.

Gayle, Fred, Mike, Carreen, Kim, Pat, Jody, Bill the Dog, Rick the DJ, Jimmy, Donna, Rob, Maryann, Joanne, Jack, Eric, Mr. Nixon, Molly, Eddie, Kay, Doug and a team of volunteers, 4 and 2 legged, worked hard on another great family event. The first annual Laurel Dog Show.

A few more pictures for your enjoyment.

Saturday Night Supper

2009-09-12T21:17:00.004-04:00

"My Goodness, we’ve become locavores! She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed wants me to live just long enough for her to collect my pension."

Joanne's supper tonight was fantastic. Warm Butternut squash soup, accompanied with a spicy swiss chard, a nice dry Chardonnay and crusty Pasta Plus bread .

This year we became localvores. We joined the Gorman Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group. We have been getting fresh, organically grown vegetables every Thursday from Dave and Lydia Liker, the farm's proprietors.

We split a full share with our neighbors Juanita and Michael Malone. A split share works out nicely. There is plenty to feed two families. Splitting a full share also gives you a chance to trade those fruits and vegetables to satisfy family tastes.

Joanne's voice almost beams every Thursday when she calls me at work to describe the week's produce. We have loved everything but the beets. I'm happy to give away beets, call me.

I'm far from a tree hugger. My kids have even accused me of wanting to "Pave The Bay". So I did not think that 18 weeks worth of fresh vegetables that are grown a couple of miles from my home would be either worth it or fun. But I gotta admit it has been. It is fun to see what Dave has grown for us. Each week has become an adventure in eating and community building.

The Liker's CSA shares sell out quickly. Contact the Liker's to get on the CSA list for next year.

A full week's CSA share from Dave Liker's farm in August 2009.

Fresh basil pesto with tomato and mozzarella crostini. Prosciutto wrapped around fresh melon slices. Box-o-Chianti to make it all worthwhile.

Rick's Basil Pesto
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1T of balsamic vinegar

Referendum Turnout by Wards

2009-09-09T17:58:00.005-04:00

The Laurel City Clerk's Office has done a manual count of the voters at yesterday's referendum. These numbers may change after the official count comes back from the county election board. But as of today, the count unofficially is:

Ward 1 - 467
Ward 2 - 354

What do you think? What does this mean to you? Comment here.

Referendum Results Analysis

2009-09-08T22:53:00.072-04:00

The plebiscite at the Phelps Center today was a big let down for me. After all the arguing, rallying, litigating, and preparation, only 800 souls showed up to vote. If this was an angry electorate, ready to throw the bums out, then I must be hallucinating again.

Nope, this was voting as usual for Laurel. Steadfast, thoughtful and less than 10% of the registered voters. Laurel voters are predictable and that is who voted in the referendum today.

Voters very strongly opposed council members serving four year terms, by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The voters also rejected any pay raises by good margins. Voters strongly favor changing the municipal voting date and also extending the current council to allow this change.

The voting by ward issue seems to be the only tossup issue and could flip if all of the outstanding absentee votes are returned by next Tuesday and if they all oppose ward voting.

So what does this all really mean? Not much at all by my reckoning.

The goal of this effort was to find ways to increase votor turnout. Approximately 800 people cast votes so far. Considering all of the hype, hand wringing and litigation surrounding this referendum, this turnout is shamefully low.

If people are supposedly this riled up but only 800 of us could drag ourselves to the polls, then I don't think this foreshadows any new grassroots voter movement in Laurel.

For a complete history of Laurel City voting patterns from 1972 to 2006 click here.

Here are brief election results from 2006-1992 for comparison with today:

2006
VOTERS: 827
REGISTERED: 11600
2004
VOTERS: 512
REGISTERED: 10330

2002

VOTERS: 1091
REGISTERED: 10235

2000

VOTERS: 1062
REGISTERED: 9926

1998

VOTERS: 1153
REGISTERED: 8726

1996

VOTERS: 949
REGISTERED: 7667
1994
VOTERS: 1763
Registered: 8014
1992
VOTERS: 951
REGISTERED: 7423

Referendum Results

2009-09-08T21:20:00.001-04:00

Q1. Early Voting       - 480 For     320 Against
Q2. Change Date      - 489 For     310 Against
Q3. Extending Term - 424 For     373 Against
Q4. Term to 4 yrs     - 254 For     541 Against
Q5. Vote by Ward   - 405 For     391 Against
Q6. Raise Mayor $   - 334 For     464 Against
Q7. Raise Council $ - 295 For     503 Against

Turnout 753 machine,
56 Absentee (15 oustanding)
3 provisionals

Doggone it. The Laurel Leader beat me with their results tonight. Kudos to Reporter Glenn and Editor Dzwonchyk. http://www.explorehoward.com/news/65120/referendum-election-results/

The Questions

2009-09-07T13:31:00.008-04:00

Jim McCeney is bugging me to comment on the referendum questions themselves. I guess he thinks that I'm dodging the issue with my previous post. However, in the interest of full disclosure, here are my votes on the referendum questions:

1. Early Voting - Support - Of course we should have early voting. If we could ever figure out how to vote from home on these internets securely, I'd be in favor of that as well.

2. Changing the election date - Opposed - I don't want the election changed to November because I want to keep the city elections separate and distinct. Keep the date where it is now. We just changed it recently and I don't want to go chasing after the date like it's some sort of bad television show looking for an audience.

3. Extend the current terms - Opposed - See my answer above.

4. City Council term to 4 years. - Opposed - I'm sorry but this idea is just wrong. I would never have run for the council if the commitment was four years. I loved my time on the council, but 2 years is long enough to learn the job and decide if you want to continue serving. Besides, I agree with Karen, you need the opportunity to throw us bums out every two years.

5. Voting by Ward Only - OPPOSED - This one I feel quite strongly about. While I can see how voting for your own native son or daughter will encourage more turnout, we will rue the day when we encourage this level of parochialism in our city.

Laurel is a small town. We don't need to Balkanize it and pit ward against ward. Council members that collegially work for the good of the whole city are called great, and we have had many. A council member that is only working to serve their local ward constituents at the expense of the whole is called a Congressman. We already have one Congress, we don't need to turn Laurel into another.

6. Mayor's Salary - Opposed - Now is not the time to increase any salary.

7. Council's Salary - Opposed - Now is not the time to increase any salary.

A Very Special Referendum Indeed

2009-09-07T12:10:00.011-04:00

So what’s going on? I’ve been away.

I heard that there’s a plebiscite scheduled for our fair city tomorrow, September 8th, 2009 at the Phelps Center. I’ve included directions to the Phelps Center because I understand that there are some folks who live in Laurel who don’t know where it is. Just kidding, please don’t sue me!

The Honorable Ed Ricks, former councilman, awesome short order cook and all around good guy was asked by the city to investigate painfully depressed voter participation in Laurel. The last city election in 2008 had only a few hardy souls willing to participate in an uncontested election and the city council thought it was time to see what could be done to improve participation.

Ed’s committee got to work, solicited public input and then wrote a report. The council decided that some of the committee’s recommendations had merit, so a referendum was scheduled to see what the voters thought about seven simple questions related to voter turnout.

But things are rarely as simple as they first appear in Laurel. This referendum tomorrow is not really about increasing voter turnout anymore is it? That simple turnout issue may have been hijacked.

Former city councilman Mike Sarich and the leadership of the Laurel Boys and Girls Club have once again joined forces. They are trying to turn this from a referendum on increasing voter participation into a vote of confidence on the city’s elected leadership itself.

Mike Sarich has long had strong feelings about the need for a second polling place in Ward 2. While a councilman last year, Mike wrote a letter to his colleagues cautioning them that the lack of a second polling place may become a legal issue. Much censuring and arguing ensued. The city’s lawyer, Robert Manzi, wrote an opinion saying that Laurel was compliant with existing laws. After this upcoming referendum was announced on June 8th, Mike filed suit to stop it, and while the injunction was denied, his lawsuit and another are continuing in the courts.

It also appears that that the LBGC sees this referendum as a path towards influencing the council to increase the city’s financial support of their club. The club hosted a rally organized by the Prince George's County political watchdog group People for Change who are demanding a second polling place in Laurel.

So we have possibly riled a few new folks into voting in a city election. That’s a good thing. However, please remember that this referendum tomorrow is not asking any voters to decide on a second polling place or if the LBGC should be given more city money, or if the mayor or the city council should be removed, or even if pit bulls make good pets.

Regardless of how we vote tomorrow, those questions are for another day.

(cartoon courtesy of xckd.com)

Inner Harbor Panorama

2009-08-16T14:09:00.008-04:00

Baltimore's Inner Harbor as seen from atop Federal Hill this morning.

I've been trying to capture a panorama of Baltimore's Inner Harbor for over a year. Each attempt brings me a little closer to a good image. This image above is made up of 8 individual shots stitched together by Adobe Photoshop's "merge" routine. If I printed it out at full size it would be well over 5 feet long.

The detail in the panorama is amazing, however there are still a few stitching artifacts visible. It's always a gamble for me to get some time to play and then to make sure that the weather and the camera cooperate for the best photograph possible.

To see the surprising level of detail available in these kind of shots, click on the full image here. Expand the image in your browser and then you should be able to scroll. Can you find a woman pushing a stroller in front of Rash Field near the yachts? How about the Hard Rock's guitar atop the old Power Plant?

After 40 years of working, this sums it up ...

2009-07-20T21:50:00.005-04:00

To be of use
by Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

The Meeting: An Audio Essay

2009-07-18T21:23:00.016-04:00

I've been a government employee for almost 30 years. Meetings are a big part of my life. But I rarely enjoy them.

The following audio essay captures how I feel after so many meetings, especially the "good" meetings. I produced it this weekend after a particularly difficult meeting.

I've been experimenting with a new software application for producing podcasts. This essay gave me an excuse to try it out.

Click here to hear "The Meeting: An audio essay". It's absurd, dark and cynical but I was trying for a different vibe. If the link above doesn't work, visit here and click the play button. Enjoy.

A tip of the headphones to Joe Frank . Visit here for Joe Frank's podcasts.

EMAIL: AUTO REPLY

2009-03-31T22:48:00.001-04:00

Thanks for your email. However, I'm sorry to inform you that Rick Wilson is spiritually dead. He died recently from latent implementation atrophy (LIA). In layman's terms, he died from generating too many ideas without ever DOING any of them.

A rare type of extremely painful psychic constipation, LIA is known to afflict bureaucrats and other mentally sedentary people.

All of his email messages are being forwarded to his kingdom-come email account. He may occasionally be reading email on an after_life Blackberry in purgatory.

By the way, he wanted everyone to know that exactly 2.3 x 10^8 angels can dance on the head of a pin: But they can only comfortably slow dance.

His purgatory-mandated "angel on a pin" counting sessions are continuing for the other dance categories; foxtrot, swing, lindy, salsa,...

Respectfully,

Rick's Professional Soul Tender

Sunday Morning in Oldtown

2009-03-29T08:37:00.009-04:00

It's so quiet you can hear the house age. Floors creak like my fifty-two year old knees. A faucet drips with the slow rhythm of a Sunday morning hymn, tic...tic...tic...

No NPR warning me of crisis nor folly. Even my Blackberry is quiet, its battery exhausted from a week of what passes for work these days.

I step outside for the Post. Laurel Ave sleeps. Route 1 is still, bracing itself for the crush of the after church crowd in a few hours.

I love to be the first one up on Sunday morning. I wallow in the quiet. Alone with my coffee, dog and paper. No need to rush for the Marc train. No need to steal myself for the countless noisy duties of the day. I seem to even breathe and think better in the quiet. A thought comes to mind and I have the quiet to savor it thoroughly.

I hear the shower. Someone has turned on Morning Edition. I've got to get ready for Mass at Saint Mary's. I plug in my Blackberry.

Sunday morning in Oldtown has recharged me.

A Story Is Substance

2008-12-14T21:28:00.009-05:00

The Laurel City Council did not approve any TIF money for Laurel Commons last week. They only approved the TIF map boundaries. The Gazette left their readers confused, incorrectly writing that the council had approved $14 million for public financing. The Leader got the story correct. Council members must still decide how much, if any, money will be invested in the project.

What do you think?
Would you vote to invest city tax dollar$?
Please add your comments below.

I don’t envy the council’s decision. It's a hot political topic. I’ve already received a surprising number of private emails and comments from neighbors strongly opposed to the TIF. I’ve only had a couple in emails in support. The opposition’s comments have included:

• “We should not pay for more retail. We don’t need it.”

• “Give a TIF to Main Street. They need it more.”
• “They [developers] didn’t say they wanted a TIF last year. Why now?”
• “Invest city taxes for a Burlington Coat Factory? No way!”
• “No more bailouts, bulldoze the mall and build a park.”

I’ve been wondering why so many Laurelites are opposed to the TIF. Why are there such strong emotions?

It might be a reaction to the bad economy and the billions in bailouts for banks and automobile companies. But this can’t be the reason because the anti-TIF drumbeat started long before the economy tanked.

Then, thinking back over the Laurel Mall story, I began to see that some of this opposition might be the result of how the rebuilding story was told. We tell ourselves all kinds of stories. Sometimes the story matches reality and sometimes it doesn’t.

When I start a round of golf with a shiny new driver, I tell myself a story that I’m going to shoot like Tiger Woods. Usually by the third tee I realize I’ve got the same clumsy game as before. It’s a shiny new driver but it’s the same old, fat, bald guy swinging the damn thing. I think that might be what’s causing the strong opposition to the Laurel Commons TIF. We bought the dream but then reality kicked in at the exact same time the TIF was mentioned. Of course we are feeling disappointed.

You have got to hand it to the Laurel Commons developers. They really pumped up the original story. Expectations were sky high after those early focus groups. We swooned over the dream of a reborn mall with historically accurate mill art, classy fabric swatches, and even an ice skating ring.

These story tellers were slick. Maybe too slick as everyone realized we were only getting common stores and the promise of a couple of restaurants and a new multiplex theatre. After buying the early story about a shining cathedral to retail consumerism, we woke up to realize that we are simply rebuilding a shopping center. It's really not Tiger Woods. It’s just the same old, fat, Wilson, but now he has a new toupee and wants the city to pay him $14 million for playing.

You need to sit in the dark to appreciate the light.
You need to fear the nightmare of hell to accept the dream of heaven.

Why do so many people oppose the TIF for Laurel Commons? Let me offer the following explanation for your consideration.

We sold the dream without first selling the nightmare of a failed mall. I think that we, all of us, city leaders, mall developers and even this bloviating blogger failed to fully explain the true cost of a failed mall.

• The Laurel mall was dead 8 years ago, and this was during the boom.
• What would have happened if the developers passed on the Laurel Commons project?
• How long would the mall have survived in today’s economy? It would have gone from death spiral to flat line. Tax revenues would have dropped to near zero.
• The downside of a dead mall is almost insurmountable for a town our size. We can’t absorb the loss.
• How many of you remember the dead Rockville mall? It decomposed for over two decades, not only generating zero tax revenue, but its blight was dragging down surrounding property values.

• The city wins when the Laurel Commons succeeds. We get 40% of the success. If we don't stop the bleeding, we will get 100% of almost zero.
• The tax revenue prediction with a derelict Laurel Mall in 2015 makes the city’s revenue split in the same year with a TIF look fantastic in comparison.

I support the TIF. We must save the mall property from its death spiral. The TIF combines a little bit of city money with a lot of other people’s money to keep the mall from certain death. We won’t get a Columbia Mall but we will get a refreshed mall that will be viable for decades. I would have paid a 40% TIF just to get a new movie theatre.

I encourage the Laurel City Council to approve a TIF for the Laurel Commons project.

There is nothing more important than a story to help us learn new things—or to appreciate common things in uncommon ways.

Getting the story right is one of the most difficult skills to master in business, politics, or life. I've learned to appreciate the mastery attained by the early Christian writers. They told their story and it included both heaven and hell. They got their story right and it has served to both define and renew us for over 2000 years.

Merry Christmas,

rick

Raising Puppies - Lifting Lives

2008-12-13T08:54:00.019-05:00

Fidos for Freedom is a Laurel non-profit institution that trains hearing dogs, service dogs and therapy dogs for people who are physically challenged, deaf or hard-of-hearing.

My wife Joanne has volunteered as a puppy raiser for Fidos for the last 12 years. Joanne is better known to Laurel Connection readers as, "She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed."

Denise Portis recently finished a wonderful article about Joanne and the puppy raising program for Fidos' newsletter. Denise has given me permission to post her article in it's entirety below. Denise is a fine writer and also a Fidos client. She writes about her hearing loss and her service dog Chloe on her blog Hearing Elmo.

A 2009 Fidos for Freedom calendar makes a great Christmas gift and your tax deductible donation helps this wonderful Oldtown Laurel neighbor. Check their website for details.

I'm extremely proud of Joanne's vocation as a puppy raiser. Now you understand how she had the patience keep me around all of these 25 years. At least I started out as almost house trained.

The Imprint of a Puppy Raiser

By Denise Portis (reprinted with permission)

Joanne with current puppy, Champ

The special assistance dogs at Fidos For Freedom all began their training in the same place – the loving home of a Puppy Raiser. The Puppy Raiser provides a home and basic training for a new puppy, while attending weekly classes at the Fidos Training Center. “The pups ALWAYS remember their Puppy Raiser,” says Pat Jarvis, Director of Training. The Puppy Raiser’s imprint is permanent, having helped to shape the character and development of the assistance dog.

Joanne Wilson is a long-time Puppy Raiser at Fidos For Freedom. She began volunteering after meeting two other volunteers at her place of employment – the USDA in Beltsville. She is currently raising Champ, her eighth puppy for the Assistance Dog Program, and has been raising puppies for the organization for twelve years.

Joanne made sure that her children, then ages six and nine, understood that the puppy did not belong to them. She involved them in teaching and loving the puppy with the goal of then giving it to someone who would need the dog to live a more full and independent life. “The trained dog is a gift that we give … the kids understood that logic,” Joanne shared.

Many people wonder how a Puppy Raiser can “give the puppy back” after investing their lives in one for so long. It’s simple really – these special volunteers love people as much as they do puppies. The reward is in seeing a puppy they raised eventually completing their training with one of the training staff, and then being matched with a client in need of an assistance dog. “I have so much pride in every team of which I have had a part,” explained Joanne. “I have shed more tears of joy over what ‘my dog’ has done for a client, than tears of sadness when they have moved on in their training.”

Erin Saywell, Trainer and Puppy Coordinator, sees the mutual rewards between Puppy Raiser and puppy. Erin works closely with the Puppy Raiser during weekly training sessions, helping the volunteer learn to expose the puppy to various sights, sounds and different populations. The puppies are nurtured and loved in a warm home environment, learning good household manners and how to eliminate on command. “Joanne has been a great role-model for new Puppy Raisers,” said Erin, “letting them know the ‘ups and downs’ of raising an Assistance Dog puppy.”

Joanne has learned that although basic puppy raising is the same, different breeds and traits at times create some unique complications. “We had a Field Labrador puppy that needed to play ball on a daily basis. She worked better if she played first,” admitted Joanne. A Smooth-Coated Collie puppy she raised was very smart, but had trouble with fetching. “The trainers at Fidos are always available, and helped me a lot with that,” confides Joanne. “The trainers have knowledge and experience that they share. They make puppy raising easy for me, and I appreciate them tremendously.”

Joanne and fellow Puppy Raisers are surprised at how much these puppies want to work. When they are training a puppy in the house and do not ask it to do tasks, sometimes the puppy becomes bored and performs tasks on its own. Joanne remembers, “I trained a Labrador named Remi. When she was bored she would bring me things; a shoe, a toy, anything to get my attention and praise. Even when I didn’t need my jacket tugged off, or my shoes ‘fetched,’ I asked her to do it because she enjoyed it!”

Although the Puppy Raiser has unique insight into the puppy they are raising, they are sometimes surprised at the role the dog may play in the life of a client one day. “The trainers see things that I don’t see,” Joanne recalls. “Lily, the last puppy I raised, had good skills and was relatively large. I assumed she’d be a Service Dog. But she spent one week with Pat Jarvis, and it was discovered that she had terrific hearing skills.” Lily is now matched with a client who will use her for her fine hearing alerts.

The puppies at Fidos mature and thrive in the loving homes of their Puppy Raiser. The special bond created between volunteer and puppy is never erased. Pat was very excited to re-acquaint Joanne with the very first puppy she raised for the organization at the 10th Annual Stroll ‘n Roll in November. Higgins, a twelve-year-old black Labrador Retriever, now lives with Leah Miller in Calvert County. “Joanne and Higgins had a great reunion … there was no doubt that they remembered each other,” shared Pat. The bond was still there, and Higgins knew Joanne right away.

A permanent handprint is left on the hearts of the puppies because of the commitment of their Puppy Raiser. Also, each volunteer will tell you that the puppies leave permanent paw prints on their hearts as well. What’s not to love about a puppy? The Puppy Raisers will tell you it is more “fun” than it is “work.” It becomes an automatic process to work with the puppies daily to review their skills, cementing what they have learned. However, when they see the puppy do something as if it was second nature, they begin to understand the lasting effect of their training. Joanne will never forget a special moment with Chase, her second puppy.

“We were at Fidos one Wednesday evening, and a client asked if my puppy could pick up her cane that had fallen to the floor. When the puppy did, I was so surprised and overcome with emotion. The dog was merely doing what it had learned to do.” Joanne marvels at what the puppies seem to understand and what is expected. “The dogs really come into their own after they are placed and living with their clients. I’ve heard story after story of dogs doing things for which they were never specifically trained. Somehow these dogs learn what their clients need them to do.”

Puppy Raisers do not “go it alone.” A sponsor provides the funds needed to supply the puppy with food, veterinary care, toys, equipment, bedding, etc. The trainers provide direction, advice and encouragement in weekly training sessions, as well as responding to individual concerns as they arise. The puppy provides an avenue in which one can invest themselves in the life of another. Puppy kisses, wagging tails and unconditional love are a great additional “perk”! Joanne believes that being a Puppy Raiser is surprisingly easy. “These dogs are like gems. The trainers and I just polish them. These dogs are made to SHINE.”

If you would like more information about being a Puppy Raiser, please e-mail Erin Saywell at puppies@fidosforfreedom.org.

Reader Suggests Oldtown Neglected

2008-12-11T21:06:00.007-05:00

An anonymous commenter responded to my previous article about the TIF Tiff and suggested that our Oldtown Laurel neighborhood is being neglected by the city.

Anonymous wrote: "A million bucks for a pool, 20 million for the mall, and not a cent for old town! The police station moves, the Leader moves, it's like the city doesn't care about us."

This comment got some attention at Laurel City Hall and Mayor Moe asked his staff to compile a list of the recent investment projects in Oldtown. I hesitate to post the list because it's an embarrassment of riches and I really don't want to start a squabble with other neighborhoods.

But since you asked here is the Mayor's list of appox. $8.9 million dollars worth of Oldtown projects:

Parks and Recreation Projects

Pool Renovations, 2003-2006, $613,000.
Armory Renovations, 2004-2006, $200,000.
McCullough Field Renovations and enhancements, 2005-2008, $592,000.
Riverfront Park Playground, 2006, $40,000.
Riverfront Park Pavilions, 2005, $20,000.
Riverfront Park Bathroom, 2008, $12,000.
Emancipation Park Playground, 2007, $50,000.

Scheduled Parks and Rec Projects

Riverfront Park Extension, 2009, $100,000.
McCullough Field Pavilion, 2009, $20,000.
Mill Dam Ruins Renovation, 2009-2010, $325,000.
Riverfront Park Interpretive Signs , 2009, $22,000.
Armory Renovations, 2009-2010, $375,000.

Public Works Projects (Total approx. $5.5M from 2003-2008)

Repaved all of Main Street from the MARC Station to 7th Street

New brick pavers for the sidewalks from the MARC Station to 7th Street.
Route 1 SB & NB completely reconstructed and new sidewalks from the County line to Rt 198.

Various additional street improvements and repaving on Montgomery and 8th Streets

Installed 229 traditional lampposts on Main Street and Rt 1. ($750K!)

You gotta love living in a town where a blog comment is made on Tuesday night and the Mayor provides a detailed response on Thursday.

A Laurel Commons TIF Tiff?

2008-12-07T08:35:00.008-05:00

Our Laurel City Council will soon be deciding if the city should invest in the Laurel Commons Mall project in the form of a TIF. It's a complicated issue and citizens have strong opinions. The TIF is creating quite a tiff. I'm sure council members are not taking their decision lightly.

A lot of us are talking about the TIF. Some folks are opposed to any form of public financing. There is a lot of public financing going around these days. From bailouts to buyouts and people are getting fed up. "Bulldoze the mall and build a park." "Why should my taxes be used to bailout a developer?" "We don't need anymore retail in Laurel."

Other people want to understand all the details, "Will the city be left holding the bag, if the mall redevelopment fails?" How can we be sure that the developer accomplishes what they promise, they still haven't even started to tear down the parking deck like they said 2 years ago?" "Why aren't we getting any high end stores like Columbia Mall?"

The Mayor sees the Laurel Commons project as necessary for the long-term economic success of our city. He believes that we need to redevelop the mall and use it as the engine that drives redevelopment along Laurel's Route 1 commercial core.

This is both a complex and often emotional issue. It's hard to explain and even harder for the experts, let alone laypeople to understand. This is not an envious position for any city council member. But don't fear, I think that our TIF tiff took a positive turn over the last few weeks. And it's because of the dedication of a couple of real Laurel heroes.

We often think that public heroes are like the brave firefighter who rushes into the burning house. But there is another kind of hero who rushes headlong into thorny, public policy debates. I'll get to our heroes later, but first let me recap our story.

A TIF is a form of public financing. A developer asks the local government to provide some of the funding for public infrastructure improvements associated with a project, for example, parking facilities, roads, or street lights.

The government borrows money (sells a bond) that is used to finance the infrastructure improvements. But there is a twist. Instead of the government directly paying off the bond over thirty years, like my mortgage, the government uses the development's property taxes to pay off the debt. The TIF concept is based on the assumption that the improved property's value will increase over time because of the new development. With TIF, the bond is paid off by using a part of the future "tax increment."

The Laurel Commons developers asked the county and the city to finance over $30 million of public infrastructure improvements. The Prince Georges County government bailed out of the deal early. That left the city to decide if and how much to invest.

Now our two heroes enter the story.

Jim McCeney went to the TIF public hearing a couple of weeks ago. Jim spent many years as a financial officer of a large corporation. He had a lot of questions about the TIF. He was trying to understand the deal in all of its details. He really wanted to know if the TIF was viable and if the developer failed at some point in the life of the deal, would the city need to pay more than we bargained for? Was this TIF the right deal for this city at this time?

At the public hearing, Jim pressed his TIF questions. City staff and consultants provided answers to the best of their ability at this point in the process. But Jim was not fully comfortable that he understood the details.

A lesser policy hero would've stopped at this point. It would have been easy for Jim to just drop it and move on. He is just a citizen. He has other things to spend time on. But Jim didn't drop it. He called around. He asked more questions. He asked for a meeting with the administration and their consultants. He spent a lot of his time. And at the end of the day, Jim got answers to his questions.

This is when Kristie Mills, another dedicated policy hero enters our story. Kristie is the city's administrator. She is the big boss, after our elected officials. Kristie is the day-to-day manager of the city.

I don't know if Jim inspired her to do it, but Kristie ran into all the confusion and fog of the complex TIF issue and she made magic. She wrote a briefing, in plain English, that we can all understand. You can read her briefing on the City's website. Here is a little bit of it.

• A TIF can only be used for public improvements.

• It cannot be used for any private purpose.
• The property owner is responsible for the remainder of the financing package.
• The numbers will be defined in the ordinance as "not to exceed".
• There is no financial risk to the City with the TIF Special Obligation Bonds.
• Payment of the TIF Special Obligation Bonds is derived from the real property tax revenues.
• The Administration believes this is the best package they can offer while still protecting the City now and in the future!

I recommend that you take a few minutes and read Kristie's whole briefing. It's very easy to follow.

The city council still has difficult TIF decisions to make. Council chambers are often frightening places. However, I think we all owe a debt of thanks to our public policy heroes Jim McCeney and Kristie Mills. They went above and beyond the call of duty and we will all make more informed decisions because they did.

Please add your comments and questions here.

Maryland Task Force on the Future of Growth and Development

2008-10-23T20:23:00.004-04:00

City of Laurel Development Director, Karl Brendle sends along the following:
"Despite current economic conditions, an additional 1.3 million people are expected to move to Maryland by 2030. The Maryland State Task Force on the Future of Growth and Development is charged to re-examine development policies to try and minimize the effect on this new population growth. I represent the Maryland Municipal League planners on the Task Force. I would be happy to entertain any questions, or relay concerns about development issues at kbrendle@laurel.md.us" - Karl Brendle

It only took me 10 minutes to take the survey. And if you have questions, there is nobody better than the Professor Karl to answer.

Karl has 25+ years of experience in the development trenches here in the Mid Atlantic region working for both developers and governments alike. Laurel is very fortunate to have a man of his experience and reputation looking out for our city’s best interests. Karl doesn’t just work here...he also lives right here in the city. He is one of our Oldtown neighbors.

Regards,

rick

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Task Force on the Future of Growth and Development

The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) announced the formation of the Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development at the beginning of 2008 (see Press Release dated January 7, 2008). This Task Force was formed under House Bill 773 and was signed into law last year. The 21-member Task Force is charged with studying a wide range of smart growth and land use issues effecting Maryland. A final report is due by December 1, 2008. The term of the Task Force, however, extends through 2010, serving as an advisory board to the Governor’s Smart Growth Subcabinet.

Upcoming meetings, dates and locations (subject to change)
Monday, October 27th at MDP Office in Baltimore, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 12th at MDP Office in Baltimore, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Monday, November 24th, (Location TBA if needed)

Make a Difference in Maryland for Future Generations

You can help chart the future of growth in Maryland’s communities. The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) and the Task Force on the Future for Growth and Development in Maryland invite you to participate in a survey informing their work on recommendations and strategies for sustainable growth in the State.

Click here to take the survey!

Laurel Commons

2008-10-18T08:30:00.021-04:00

The Laurel Commons redevelopers provided me with a few interesting drawings that show how the property will look when completed. See the Leader's recent story.

The TIF issue is still not resolved. The County does not appear to support a TIF. Either the County Executive or our local County Council Member, Mr. Tom Dernoga, must sponsor the legislation and neither has done so at this time.

The lack of County support for a TIF will make the City Council's support politically difficult. I don't hear a lot of support for a city-sponsored TIF from my Oldtown neighbors.

Please click on any graphic below for a larger image.

My thanks to Ms. Calista Black, Marketing Manager, Laurel Commons, General Growth Properties, Inc.

Hopefully the architects will soon provide their own web page with better graphics. These drawings are really worth seeing in high resolution.

Only 3 days left ...

2008-10-11T10:21:00.004-04:00

The registration deadline to vote in Maryland is this Tuesday, October 14th at 9:00pm.

TO CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION:

Visit this website to check to see if you are registered and to locate your polling place: http://www.mdelections.org/voter_registration/v2/vote_prod.php

TO REGISTER:

Download and complete a Voter Registration Application and bring or Fax it to:
Prince George's County Board of Elections, 16201 Trade Zone Avenue, Suite 108 Upper Marlboro, MD 20721 Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M Telephone: (301) 430-8020 Fax (301) 430-8080 Directions

The Prince George’s County Board of Elections will also be open today October 11th from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. to accept voter registration applications.

FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT:

The deadline to request an absentee ballot for the General Election is as follows: Download Absentee application. If the application is mailed, 4:30 p.m. on October 28, 2008; or If the application is faxed, 11:59 p.m. on October 28, 2008.

FOR SAMPLE BALLOT:

You can visit this page to view a SAMPLE BALLOT for the STATE OF MARYLAND, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY: http://www.mdelections.org/voter_registration/v2/general_2008/Prince%20Georges/BS%201.pdf

PROBLEMS:

Please contact the MD Board of Elections: http://www.elections.state.md.us/voter_registration/index.html or call: 1-800-222-8683.

Laurel Main Street Businesses Profiled

2008-10-08T22:19:00.008-04:00

Renita Young is a broadcast student from Chicago who is finishing her degree in Washington. She recently produced a 2 minute video for Medill News Service about how Laurel’s Main Street businesses are dealing with the slumping economy.

Featured interviews include: Sherron Algarin of the Changing Faces Boutique, Jessica Emery of the Gallery, and Gary Haymes of the Take it or Leave it Consignment shop. Unfortunately, since the piece was taped the Consignment Shop has announced that they are closing.

This short piece is well done and it shows the power of a free blogging site coupled with solid video storytelling skills. Hyperlocal journalism at work.

Click here for the video: http://renitadyoung.blogspot.com/2008/10/kind-of-dragmain-st-businesses-slow.html or here for a bigger picture: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=100151

10/9/08 update - Turns out the Medill website has an entire multimedia package about Laurel's Main Street. http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=100281

Councilmember Sarich to Retire

2008-08-10T22:55:00.005-04:00

Three term Laurel Councilman Mike Sarich told me tonight that he plans to retire at the end of his term this September. He wrote in an email a few minutes ago that he is working on a brief statement to be released soon.

Mike Sarich has served on the city council since 2002. He prided himself on being the council's maverick, often voting alone. In tonight's email he wrote that his council service has often been a joy, occasionally been painful, but it was always an honor.

Short Takes

2008-08-10T22:11:00.006-04:00

1. I hear that cheeky lizards taste pretty good. The one in the photo has made his last annoying commercial. Red or white wine with reptiles?

2. An interesting story about Columbia's Symphony Woods. Not everything is what it seems.

3. Don't tell Joan Fitzgerald but I'm writing my first post with my brand new Apple Macbook.

School Board Questioned

2008-07-10T21:00:00.002-04:00

‘‘This is like building a garage on your house when your kitchen and bathroom are falling apart,” state Sen. C. Anthony Muse (D-Dist. 26) of Fort Washington said of the decision to delay funding on proposed high schools.

The Gazette has a story detailing concerns from some county leaders regarding the recent vote of the Prince Georges County Board of Education's to lease a new administration building. Even the Superintendent questioned their actions. The Gazette story continues ...

"The decision, which went against recommendations from Superintendent John E. Deasy, came one day after the county announced it was facing a $48 million shortfall in funding that would cause widespread cutbacks."

I wonder what in the world is really going on for the Board to be willing to take so much political grief about this building lease? They have not offered much of a defense for their action. There simply must be more to this story. The story we are getting just does not make sense.

Giant Food Store in Laurel to Close

2008-07-03T15:59:00.002-04:00

Garold Stone, over at the South Laurel News and Views Blog has the story.

County Board of Education Feathers Own Nest

2008-06-30T19:46:00.007-04:00

The Prince George's County Board of Education went through with their plan to lease a new building for themselves. The school board approved their plan by a vote of 6-4 to lease 212,558 square feet of office space for $36 million over 10 years for 1,000 administrative employees. Rosalind A. Johnson, Laurel's School Board Member (District 1), voted for the lease. Please see the Gazette's story for the details.

Laurel area schools have over 100 million dollars in deferred maintenance according to the school board's own consultants. It seems imprudent to commit to a new administration building at this time. For the background on this issue please see: http://conexshuns.blogspot.com/2008/05/kindergarten-refresher-for-pg-school.html

Laurel City Attorney Opinion on Polling Places

2008-06-30T19:17:00.007-04:00

Robert Manzi, Laurel City Solicitor, rendered his opinion on Councilman Mike Sarich's memorandum about the city's lack of a polling place in ward two. Mr. Manzi introduces his legal analysis as follows:

In his Memorandum, Councilman Michael B. Sarich discusses his concerns that the
City of Laurel’s current election system may be violation of local, state and federal laws and regulations. Primarily, he argues that there is a need to add at least one polling place in the city. He also argues that there is a need to redraw election boundaries, as the populations in the two Wards in the city are uneven. He also warns that if the city "willfully and knowingly potentially violate" the local, state and federal elections laws, the City may face intervention from the courts. Moreover, in his press release, he warns that failing to take corrective measures prior to the upcoming September 2008 elections will jeopardize the validity of the election.

This memorandum will not discuss the possibility of placing an additional polling place in the city or redrawing district lines, as the Mayor and City Council are currently conducting a study on this issue in light of the changes in the population since the 2000 census. Instead, this memorandum will discuss whether the upcoming election in September 2008 can be overturned if the City does not add at least one polling place and redraw its current Ward boundaries, as suggested by Councilman Sarich.

Mr. Manzi concludes with the following statement:

Based on the above, it is evident that the lack of a second polling place and/or the failure to redraw the Ward boundaries prior to the upcoming September 2008 election will not invalidate the election.

You can read Mr. Manzi's 2000 word opinion on the city's website.

Oldtown Gardener Wins Golden Shovel

2008-06-30T18:15:00.004-04:00

Kimberly Bristol of 328 Laurel Avenue won the city's "Golden Shovel" Award for June. See the City's website for photos. Kimberly's manicured yard and extensive garden are very worthy of an award. I've watched her diligently improve her property for a number of years. This year she added grape vines. She told me that she has both red and white grapes. I'm looking forward to tasting the wine. Congratulations and thank you for making our street so much better.

Laurel Commons Drawings

2008-06-23T20:11:00.002-04:00

If you did not attend the recent town hall meeting, Keith over at the Laurel2020 Blog has the story on the artist renderings for Laurel Commons. http://laurel2020.blogspot.com/2008/06/commons-town-hall-info.html

Let Them Eat Cake ... & Danish & Flan & Bread

2008-06-21T19:18:00.004-04:00

"The fine arts are five in number, namely: painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and architecture, the principal branch of the latter being pastry." Marie-Antoine Carême (1783-1833)

Me, on the phone: "What kind of bakery are you?"

Baker: "Today we have baguettes, yesterday we had olive bread, what kind of bread would you like tomorrow?"
Me: "I'll be right there, don't move."

There is nothing I crave more than fresh bread. One of my favorite sayings is that, "life is too short to eat stale bread." This past week a new bakery has risen in Laurel and no one needs to eat stale bread ever again.

Csilla Baez-Tanczos and her partner Eligia Vallecillo have opened the Ideal Bakery across the street from the Laurel Library at 603 7th Street, Unit 104.

Csilla is a white-coated pixie of a woman with an engaging smile and determined eyes. Csilla and Eligia met at L’Academie de Cuisine, a Maryland based culinary school. They went on to work together in the the food service industry until deciding last year to open their first business together here in Laurel.

Csilla (photo) is from Romania and Eligia is from Columbia and they have created a full service bakery focused on pastries and some breads.

All of their pastries are prepared on the premises and they range from well executed danishes and crescent rolls to the more unusual Latin pastries like flan and tres leches, a sponge cake with cream. This morning their display case showed off brownies, chocolate & raspberry croissants, cheesecakes, carrot cakes and shiny fruit tarts, to mention a few treats.

They offer coffee and soft drinks and few tables to sit and watch the action. They also have deli sandwiches made with fresh bread and salads for lunch and dinner. A hot food table and a catering menu are in the works.

Csilla is serious about her question concerning the kind of bread you want? She wants to hear from the neighborhood. I vote for San Francisco sour dough bread bowls filled with fresh clam chowder.

Mornings just got sweeter in Oldtown Laurel.

The Ideal Bakery is open weekdays from 6-8, Saturdays from 8-8 and Sundays from 8-4. Phone 301.497.1393. Tell Csilla you heard about her from the crazy Laurel blogger guy.

When Politics Trumps Policy, Everyone Loses

2008-06-14T00:17:00.004-04:00

Note - 17 Jun 2008 - Just in case you read this blog via RSS you may want to see the comments section to follow a very engaging discussion .

This week, Laurel City Council Member Mike Sarich published a press release calling for the addition of a second city polling location in ward two. In his message, Councilman Sarich opens with the following quote, "Laurel in potential violation of multiple election laws, Sarich says." He goes on to provide his findings in support of this conclusion drawing from his own twelve-page legal and quantitative analysis previously provided to the council.

Councilman Sarich concludes: "If we want to continue to willfully and knowingly potentially violate the above laws and guidelines, it is clear that Laurel may face intervention from the courts. In order to avoid this, Laurel should add at least one polling place and redraw its current Ward boundaries". You can find Councilman Sarich's complete press release here.

Laurel Council President Fred Smalls, on behalf of the rest of the City Council, responded with his own message Friday stating, "I, along with the other members of the Laurel City Council, are appalled by Mr. Sarich’s press release and its intentionally misleading, prejudicial allegations developed by his desire to preempt the election process."

Mr. Smalls' continues, "Mr. Sarich has made a bold attempt to publicly shame, embarrass, and discredit the City Council and the City of Laurel. The City Council will meet in special meeting on Monday, June 16, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. to publicly censure Mr. Sarich for his disgraceful actions." You can find Mr. Smalls complete press release here.

----------------------------
I've been an advocate for a second polling place in Ward Two since I served on a city voter participation task force in 1994. However, I strongly disagree with Mr. Sarich's tactics. I'm afraid that he may have turned an excellent policy initiative into an election season political stunt. Everyone loses when elected officials let political agendas trump sound policy making processes.

- Rick

State Court Foolishly Upholds Sign Pollution

2008-06-09T20:00:00.003-04:00

I think political signs are huge waste of time and a ugly blight on our landscape.

We traveled to Italy this spring to visit my number 1 daughter in Ferrara and I discovered that the Italians have tamed these ugly beasts quite well by insisting that all political signs be posted together in common areas.

In Italy, political campaigns must use the sign boards conveniently placed around town like you see in this photo on the left. The sign boards are only available during the election season. (Please click on any photo to enlarge.)

Today I read that we will never be able to control these signs in Maryland because U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake has struck down a Baltimore County law restricting political signs, deciding that time limits violate free speech. She issued a written opinion on a suit brought by the ACLU on behalf of three former candidates and four Baltimore County residents who wanted to place political signs in their yards outside of the permitted dates.

By the way, below is a picture of candidate's sign from Ferrara, Italy, that sounds strangely familiar? Anybody ever hear of this guy before?

Laurel Commons Briefing

2008-05-29T21:07:00.012-04:00

The Laurel Commons developers presented their plans for the revitalized mall tonight. I arrived late but here is what I heard:

- They have settled on the following anchors for the project, a Regal 14-screen cinema complex, a new Burlington Coat Factory store, the existing Macy's, and an 400 unit apartment complex located in the old Montgomery Ward's garage area. (My original number of 1100 was quite wrong. - grw)

- The developers are asking the city and the county to kick-in to help finance the project. This is called a TIF, or tax increment financing program. A TIF is a common tool for redevelopment projects. A TIF creates a public-private partnership for the purposes of obtaining public capital investment for infrastructure improvements.

The Storyline

The TIF story is pretty straightforward. For example, assume today that the mall owners pay $250 thousand dollars a year in city property taxes. This is based on the mall's value today. The developers are going to make investments in revitalizing the mall such that the mall's value increases along with the property taxes paid to the city.

Let's say that the mall reopens in 2010 and the owners now pay $1 million dollars in property taxes on the drastically improved property. Then the new increment in taxes would be $750 thousand ($1 million less the original $250 thousand we get today).

The developers want the city to use 60% of that increase (~$450 thousand) to pay off a bond that will be used for improvements. The city will still get the original $250 thousand plus the $300 thousand from the remaining increment ($750 - $450). The TIF is set at this 60% level for thirty years. After 30 years, all of the taxes then go into the city's coffers.

In reality, the developers are looking for the city and the county to pay for a $36 million bond ($18 million each). The bond money will be used to pay for infrastructure improvements such as road and utility enhancements and new parking garages on the property.

It will cost the city approximately $47 million over 30 years to buy the $18 million dollar bond at a predicted 7.75% annual interest rate. But keep in mind, the city is paying the off this debt with the property tax increase (increment). Another way to think of it is that for every dollar in new property tax, the city keeps 40 cents and 60 cents goes to pay off the infrastructure debt.

My Conclusions

I'm a little disappointed in the anchor stores, but I'm realistic. The developers were stuck with the legacy of the smallest Macy's in the world and a long term lease with Burlington. Neither of those stores are currently useful to me or my family.

But in today's market, Laurel simply can't support the same stores as Columbia or Annapolis. Maybe over time, we could grow into more high-end stores. Redevelopment now could provide us with that opportunity later. I think the new Mall will be an attractive addition to the city. I'm looking forward to walking to the movie theaters and eating in the new restaurants.

I also support the TIF. If we do nothing, the mall continues to deteriorate and our tax base continues to erode. The deal they offered us tonight is significantly better than any other option we have and we might just find ourselves in a very strong position 5-10 years out.

I also don't think of the mall revitalization as a single isolated decision. In my opinion, it's the first move in a long-term strategy involving scores of properties along U.S. 1 from the Patuxent river south to Contee road. I see these properties as chess pieces on the city's game board. We have to plan our moves well today if we are going to thrive in the future.

Today, there are powerful development forces blowing through our region like BRAC, Green Line extended, Konterra, ICC and skyrocketing energy prices. These forces are rapidly changing our commercial and residential environment. We can't afford to wait. Have you seen Konterra? Those are billion dollar footsteps pounding just behind us. If we delay our revitalization decisions, we will lose. We must be smart and courageous.

We must look to the long term and plan multiple, mutually supporting, redevelopment moves today. We must be prudent. We must doggedly ensure the developer and the county comply with their parts of the deal. We must ruthlessly verify every detail. But we simply cannot afford to remain frozen in place. Laurel must have innovative redevelopment in our commercial core.

My Bottom Line

I want to see all of the fine print, but I believe that the Laurel Commons redevelopment proposal is a very reasonable and exciting first step. I also encourage the Mayor, City Council and the Prince George's County Council to support the TIF legislation.

Sorry for the long winded post. The story is complicated and I had to do some math. My 30 year bond payment calculation was based on the following fixed rate mortgage formula: c = (r / (1 − (1 + r) ^- N))P *N

The comments section is now open for you. What do you think about the Mall? Do you support the TIF? Please take the poll on the upper left side of this web page.

Full Disclosure: I served on the City's 2006-2007 Master Plan Advisory Committee.

Kindergarten Refresher for PG School Board?

2008-05-26T09:14:00.013-04:00

"Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people."

There are few things more important to our community than our school system. This is why I was surprised to read this morning that the Prince George's County School Board has recently voted to invest $36 million dollars in brand, spanking new offices for themselves and their school administrators. Please see "Timing of School Headquarters Move In Pr. George's Is Criticized by Some."

I'm one of those criticizing them. Why would the administrators put themselves in better facilities than the children they serve?

"Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that aren't yours."

When my children were in PG schools, I remember going to meetings at the Sasscer Administration Building in Upper Marlboro to discuss the massive amount of deferred maintenance in the schools. So I figured that if the school board was buying themselves new digs, they must have caught up on all their school maintenance problems. They would never put their comfort in front of the safety and comfort of the children they serve, or would they? Here is what I found on the PGCPS Board of Education web site.

In September 2007, PGCPS hired Parsons 3D/I to perform an updated facilities condition assessment of 184 facilities (15.3M gross square feet). The purpose of this assessment was to determine the present condition of the facilities and to prepare a capital improvement funding plan required to maintain them.

Some of their findings:
- Mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are antiquated, inefficient, and in need of major upgrades and/or replacement.
- Food service equipment is on average in poor condition, and 65% of all food service equipment is beyond normal life expectancy.
- Most buildings do not comply with ADA accessibility guidelines.
- Substructures are showing signs of settlement and water infiltration.
- Exterior building systems are showing signs of aging and deterioration.

Laurel area public schools had over $100 million in maintenance problems:
- Laurel High $31,066,348
- James H. Harrison Elementary $7,136,720
- Bond Mill Elementary $7,248,003
- Laurel Elementary $7,452,009
- Oaklands Elementary $6,029,400
- Deerfield Run Elementary $13,070,210
- Montpelier Elementary $9,463,852
- Oaklands Elementary $6,029,400
- Martin L. King Middle $9,002,537
- Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle $20,395,757

"Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together."

So can somebody explain to me, why the board is willing to spend money on their own offices before they repair our schools? I must not understand some of the details. Maybe one of our board or county officials will explain it to us in the coming days. What do you think? Please post your opinion in the comments section.

"All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sand pile at school."

Robert Fulghum is one of my favorite authors. He is famous for an essay about life from a kindergartner's perspective. Those are his rules from that essay in bold above. You can read more here.

-rick

As Gas Prices Rise: Laurel Home Values Will Skyrocket

2008-05-23T13:00:00.001-04:00

I’ve been thinking about how we are going to survive the coming $6/gallon or worse extortion by the oil barons.

Part of the answer is living here in Laurel close to employment centers and on the Marc Train line. We really don’t appreciate how fortunate we are to have the Marc service in Laurel. Marc only costs us $3/day to commute to either downtown Washington or Baltimore on the heavily subsidized service. Today, Marc cuts your commuting cost in half, if you work in Washington or Baltimore.

I wanted to see how much living in Laurel was worth in terms of commuter savings. So I calculated the yearly cost of commuting to Rosslyn, VA. I assumed the federal government’s 235 working days year. I also assumed your car gets 30 mpg and I used current Marc, Metro and parking fees. I did not account for the public transportation subsidy programs that are offered by many government agencies. The federal program currently pays $110/month to qualified commuters.

I modeled four Laurel to Rosslyn commuting strategies. I estimated the one-way trip time and the total annual costs based on the price of a gallon of fuel.

1. Marc Train from Laurel to Union Station. Metro Train from Union Station to Rosslyn.
2. Metro Bus from Laurel to Greenbelt (routes 88/89). Metro Train from Greenbelt to Rosslyn.
3. Drive from Laurel to Greenbelt. Metro Train from Greenbelt to Rosslyn.
4. Drive from Laurel to Rosslyn.

Annual Cost @ $4/gal $5/gal $6/gal $7/gal $8/gal
1. Marc to Metro (75 mins) $1,575 $1,575 $1,575 $1,575 $1,575
2. Bus to Metro (90 mins) $2,468 $2,468 $2,468 $2,468 $2,468
3. Drive to Metro (60 mins) $3,701 $3,889 $4,077 $4,265 $4,453
4. Drive to Work (60 mins) $2,967 $3,368 $3,760 $4,151 $4,543

The Marc train from Laurel to Union Station is the best value at $6.70/day. You use your $125/month unlimited Marc Train Pass ($3/day) and then add in the $3.70/day for the Metro roundtrip ride to Rosslyn. There is no charge for your cardio walk from home to the Laurel Marc Station. The Metro Bus is the next best solution, but why ride the bus when the Marc is faster and cheaper?

Driving to Greenbelt and taking the Metro to Rosslyn will be the costliest commute until fuel gets closer to $8/gallon. The costs are so high because Metro charges $4.25 to park and $8.30 for your round trip to Rosslyn. Then you add in your fuel cost for the 24 mile roundtrip drive to Greenbelt Station.

Driving to Rosslyn means 50 miles a day on the road. At $4/gal and with an efficient 30 mpg car, it will cost you $6.70 for fuel and $6 for parking each day. I did not include the annual cost of having your head examined.

I commuted via the Marc Train during a year working on Capitol Hill. I read the paper and drank coffee on the way in to my office every morning. My Friday night commute home ritually included a bag of cashews and small bottle of wine. Try that on the Beltway.

p.s. I also really like the idea of brewing my own fuel. Have you seen these new home ethanol factories? Pump in water, electricity, yeast and feed sugar and you can make 35 gallons a week of pure ethanol for $1-2/gallon. Combine the ethanol factory with solar shingles and a typical Laurel family should be able to significantly cut both our energy bills and carbon footprint.

p.p.s. I hope the oil barons find a tasty way to eat all the crude oil that we won't need.

Shared Memories Make Us Stronger

2008-05-22T19:05:00.009-04:00

Every Memorial Day weekend for many, many years, Former Mayor Bob DiPietro and Rev. Warren Litchfield lead a brief ceremony at Ivy Hill Cemetery. This year’s memorial service will be held on Sunday, 25 May 2008 at 11 am.

Every year a large group of citizens, fire fighters, police officers, and former and current military service members gather at the cemetery for about an hour to remember why we must have a day for memorials.

If you come every year, you already understand why and we’ll see you Sunday. If you have never attended this unique Laurel tradition, you owe it to yourself to come and see one of the very best things about living in a small town.

It’s always a brief and moving service. A few short speeches, an honor guard, the American flag is raised and a brief prayer of remembrance is said for all of those who have served, who continue to serve and who have died serving our community and our country.

The city’s sounds seem to quiet for a few minutes. The breeze rustles the late spring leaves. Friends, neighbors, young and old comrades in arms stand straighter as the bugler blows Taps. We come each year to remember that along these rows of headstones and monuments, we remain tightly bound to them and to each other.

President Abraham Lincoln once remembered a large and bloody struggle for freedom. His remarks were brief as well and they remembered events in another small town about 70 miles North of Ivy Hill Cemetery not unlike Laurel. I can’t help thinking as I read the ending of his famous address below how appropriate his words are for us in our own small community 146 years later.

“But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not
hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have
consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will
little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget
what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to
the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly
advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before
us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for
which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly
resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under
God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by
the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Sunday 25 May, 11 am, Ivy Hill Cemetery on Sandy Spring Road

The Giant Pool of Money: Housing Bubble Explained

2008-05-19T21:00:00.008-04:00

According to the proposed FY2009 budget, the property within the city of Laurel is worth a total of $2,288,481,268. But of course this value is based on property assessments that were calculated while real estate in this region was surfing the housing bubble. The challenge will be to see how our residential and commercial real estate values fair over the next few years.

I have been trying to figure out this housing bubble business for months now. Two years ago, real estate prices were climbing to dizzying heights. Today they are wiping out in a death spiral.

Why? Where did all the money go? Who caused this problem? Should I blame West Laurel for this irrational exuberance? Is it Jack Johnson's fault? Will approving slots make it better? Why would banks arm wrestle each other to see who got to give a $400K interest-only loan to my unemployed tabby cat in 2005? Who got paid off? Why did we get left holding the litter box?

I'm a big fan of a radio program called "This American Life" hosted by Ira Glass. It is one of the best shows on public radio. They recently broadcast a show that answered all of my questions called, "The Giant Pool of Money." The show runs an hour and I recommend it to anyone trying to understand what caused the housing credit bubble. I found their experts easy to understand and compelling.

You can listen to the show on your computer or download it to your portable mp3 player via iTunes. I found it to be a valuable way to spend an hour. Besides, I don't have much else to do since my tabby cat's house went into foreclosure last month. Does anyone need a used litter box?

Disappointment

2008-05-16T17:00:00.002-04:00

I'm disappointed. It seems that far too often American political debates and policy disagreements degrade into personal attacks. I fear that these attacks cast a corrosive fog over the entire process. Why would any reasonable person want to stand for elected office in this environment? Where will we find tomorrow's leaders?

The national election campaigns are notoriously vicious but personal attacks are occurring even at the local level. For example, the comments that were posted in response to last week's ethics story got totally out of hand in my opinion. I am so disappointed about some of those comments that I'm considering disabling comments.

I have not made up my mind because I'm torn between a desire to encourage healthy discussion of important local issues and my fear that every post during the upcoming Laurel election season will devolve into petty bickering and personal attacks. I wanted to create a cyber front porch where reasonable people could share their opinions on our community's goals, problems and solutions --- not a dark alley for attacking people.

The blogger.com software has three comment modes. I can turn comments on, turn them off completely, or moderate them. Moderate means that I must approve the comment before it is posted. I don't want to moderate comments because I have always strived for complete transparency here. I have only deleted two comments in the history of Laurel Connections. Both of these comments met my standard for an over-the-line ad hominem attack. I pulled the comments after they were posted.

It's been my experience that most of the people who seek local elected offices have dedicated many years to community service. Most are involved because they genuinely want to serve. If elected, many shoulder their civic responsibilities at great personal sacrifice to both family time and career progress.

Why should this blog provide a public platform that submits these fine people to unsubstantiated and anonymous personal attacks? That's neither helpful for them nor healthy for our community.

Have I allowed the commenters to go too far? Are the comments useful for you? Should I disable comments? Where is your threshold for an inappropriate personal attack?

Please tell me what you think.

Main Street 2008

2008-05-10T17:29:00.007-04:00

I've got a secret that I know I share with many of my neighbors in Oldtown. Please don't tell the Laurel Board of Trade organizers because they work so hard to put on a good festival. But I like it when it rains on the morning of the Main Street festival.

Over the 27 years I've attended the Main Street Festival I've learned that a soaking morning rain knocks down the crowds just enough. The festival is better when the crowds thin out. You can walk down the street and see the booths. You run into more of your neighbors and can have a chat without getting pushed downstream with the unceasing flow.

This morning's festival started in a heavy rain. The organizers, police, public works team, and the ever faithful Laurel Police Auxiliary were already working at o'dark thirty in a cold downpour.

I wish I had taken a photo of Auxiliary Police Officer Wayne Dzwonchyk this moning about 8am. He looked like a mud soaked dough boy in the trenches of France in WWI. The rain was running off of his hat and down his face as he sleepily flagged away yet another vendor's box truck.

The parade was soggy but everyone still had a good time. I especially liked the lawn mower racing team. All of our local elected folks made it out for the Parade. The ever dutiful 21st delegation from Annapolis braved the rain along with our County Councilman, the County Sheriff, our Mayor and all of the Laurel City Council members and marched down the street. Kudos too to the LHS marching band and the West Laurel Ragtaggers, they were all wet but still sounded great.

The skies cleared by 11 and the crowds were good but not unbearable. She-who-must-be-obeyed forced me to walk back up to Main Street at 3pm to eat a sausage sandwich and have a lemonade. Chalk up another Main Street Festival and Happy Mother's Day to all.

A few more quick pictures: http://flickr.com/photos/laurelnow/sets/72157604988638451/

Laurel Leader Barely Gets The Story

2008-05-04T07:59:00.010-04:00

The Laurel Leader's web-only story about Laurel City Council member Mike Sarich's ethics case left me barely informed this week. Their headline says, "Ethics panel clears Sarich — but barely." Unfortunately, the Leader never tells me that the panel decided unanimously in Sarich's favor. In other words, he was found innocent of committing any ethics violation. Not one member of the five person panel voted for finding a violation.

How does a unanimous decision rate a barely? Woman found pregnant, but barely ... makes about as much sense. Guilt or innocence, pregnant or not, these conditions demand a yes or no vote. It is not fair or even ethical to vote for one side but then turn around and call it the other.

I'm not taking sides on this case. I agree with the Laurel Ethics Commission that the rules on soliciting non-profits needs to be rewritten, both in Laurel and in Prince Georges County. The rules that allow our elected officials to act as bag-men for developer dollars has got to be stopped. If developers want to give money to local organizations, let them do it all by themselves.

The Mayor was doing his duty as chief executive officer of the city in bringing the case to the commission. But as far as the Sarich case is concerned, the allegation was made, the evidence was weighed and the panel voted. No ethics violation was found. The process worked.

I hope the Laurel Leader does the ethical thing and they fix their story in time for next Thursday's print edition.

Your comments are always welcome. Click the comments link below to post your opinion on this issue.

-rick

Update 5/5/2008. The Leader changed the story on their website today. The comments to this post are flying furiously. The Sarich effect has returned. Anonymous is even back! See the comments section for the complete discussion. - grw

We Should Call It Herbie!

2008-02-25T18:21:00.006-05:00

The city just bought two new "green" vehicles.

Remember the Disney Love Bug movies? I think we should call one of the new cars Herbie and the other "Tennessee Steinmetz."

Don't you just feel like grabbing one of these vehicles by the roof and going, vroom, vroom?

See the Mayor's blog for the rest of the story.

For a ride down memory lane, watch Herbie.

Hopeful Sign of Spring

2008-02-24T14:19:00.005-05:00

A Sunday afternoon walk along the Patuxent River. The first sign of spring? Thanks to Gary H. for pointing them out.

Does anyone know what kind of flower this is? The flowers are about 1 inch long.

Extra Crispy

2008-02-11T17:20:00.000-05:00

A half a dozen fire trucks responded to a fire at the Kentucky Fried Chicken Restaurant on Washington Blvd. today.

Sunday Stroll in Riverfront Park

2008-02-03T14:30:00.000-05:00

This is the little steel foot bridge fifty yards east of the Avondale Mill site in Riverfront Park. Its metal surfaces have rusted to match February's colors.

We bought a new digital camera. It has more buttons than I can possibly learn to use in a year. So if you see me walking along trying to read a manual and squinting at a camera, you'll know that I'm trying to learn a few more buttons this weekend.

Do you have any interesting pictures of people, places or incidents in or near Laurel? I'd be happy to link to them. Please contact me via g dot rick dot wilson at gmail dot com.

N.B. (You can click here for a much larger image. )

The Tunu Made Me Do It

2008-02-02T08:52:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had one of these magical evenings at a new restaurant?

It's a chilly, rainy evening. You're weary of the familiar neighborhood spots. So you decide to try a totally new place that's still close to home. When you arrive you're treated like a favorite regular, shown to a warm table and then served one of the best meals of your life. After finishing off the last of the wine, you sit back totally satisfied and wonder why it took you so long to try this place.

Last night Joanne and I had this kind of magical experience at the Trapeze restaurant in Fulton, Maryland. Although we've been talking about the Trapeze since it opened, we had not yet made the 5 mile trek out rt 216 to the Maple Lawn area. We also had the chance to catch up with a old Laurel friend. But first to the food.

We started with jumbo shrimp, served unusually in a bread cup and drizzled with a lightly spiced, garlic butter sauce. Joanne's main event was the fried monkfish with a balsamic reduction. I had the pepper crusted Ahi Tuna, seared perfectly to medium rare. The sushi grade tuna was paired exquisitely with a delicate wasabi sauce that did not overpower the tuna. A fruity Pinot Grigio was the perfect accompaniment to the shrimp, our fish and our mood.

We also had the chance to catch up with Mark Steckbeck, Trapeze's Director of Operations. Mark, originally from Laurel, is an old friend who we had not seen in years. Mark has been a leader in the fine dining industry for a long time and is associated with the Trapeze and its sister restaurants, Nottinghams in Columbia and the Bluestone in Timonium. We enjoyed reconnecting with Mark and learning about the Trapeze.

Tired of the same old, same old? Looking for reasonably priced but fine food in a casual setting not far from home? Please do yourself a favor and try the Trapeze. Please say hello to Mark, and be prepared for a warm, filling and memorable evening out.

N.B. Be sure to check out the Trapeze website. They have a clever video called "Fish Tales."

Bella Rosa Cafe Opens

2008-01-31T18:11:00.000-05:00

Coffee is a necessity. It's simply not optional. It's as important as food or air. Coffee is one of those self-evident truths that made America a great nation. Coffee is vital for public safety, that's why you see so many policemen hanging around donut shops.

I'm happy to announce the grand opening of the Bella Rosa Cafe at 504 Main Street. Meriem and Kass Atouani opened their cafe in the building that previously housed the Something Special Coffee Shop. The Bella Rosa Cafe offers plenty of hot gourmet coffee, fresh pastries and whole beans for your grinding delight.

Members of the Laurel Yacht Club participated in this morning's grand opening festivities. The Laurel Yacht Club, founded in 1995, is an informal collection of Main Street oddballs, malcontents, neo-luddites and occasionally, a few truly decent human beings. Not having any real boats, they hang around coffee shops and speak in nautical terms.

Their literature says that they, "... are a club without pier, concerned with plain folks, interesting people, strange places, insignificant facts, a story well told, fat-free muffins, politics, politicians and other scary things that go bump in the night. But mostly, they savor a good time, a great cup of coffee, and the warm company of friends and trusted shipmates."

Laurel is fast becoming the breakfast capital of the Mid Atlantic. I highly recommend that you check out the Bella Rosa for a cup of coffee with a splash of Oldtown community flavor. Stop in, introduce yourself to Meriem, wave hello to the Laurel Yacht Club and remember that ... Coffee is a civic duty.

The Best Donuts in Laurel

2008-01-30T07:08:00.000-05:00

I've never been in law enforcement but I do like a donut now and then. The Little Tavern Donut shop at 115 Washington Blvd has the best donuts I've ever eaten.

The owners don't just truck in bakery donuts from some faraway sugar factory. These donuts are made fresh everyday by hand.

My sins are the glazed donuts. They are soft as a cloud with a just the right amount of glaze.

The whole town is talking about these donuts. The coffee is good too. I'm happy to see the Little Tavern back in operation.

Whiskey Riots 1902 - When Laurel Had Two City Councils

2007-12-29T13:12:00.000-05:00

The interregnum between the Christmas and New Year holidays provides quiet time for reading and relaxation.

Today the Laurel Connections Blog offers you a holiday rerun. It was originally printed in the Laurel Leader on Thursday April 22, 1993 on page A-1. This was the old broadsheet style, 50 cent Leader. I bought a dozen copies to send to relatives celebrating my first published article.

It's a long piece, but if you stick with it you'll get a taste of those good old days when Laurel politics was a contact sport. A number of famous old Laurel names are also in the story. They come from a time before these local names were only known as buildings or streets.

Happy New Year, rick

A time when elections weren’t boring

By Rick Wilson

City elections were not always the quiet, civilized, and poorly attended events we have come to expect.

In 1898, more than 72% of the registered voters turned out for a special Saturday election to decide if Laurel would become a dry town. The measure lost, much to the relief of a thirsty electorate.

After the 1902 election, an angry mob descended upon the city hall at Fifth and Montgomery streets, where the Armory is today, to watch two mayors and city councils argue over which had been legally elected by the people. With this kind of excitement, it’s no wonder that election participation averaged more than 80% over the 40 years from 1898 to 1938.

The Cast of Characters

The contested 1902 election was rife with intrigue, mud-slinging rhetoric and a colorful cast of characters right out of an 1890 melodrama:

- The opinionated newspaper publisher, James P. Curley, first owner and editor of the Leader. The Leader’s first masthead billed itself as “the only republican paper in Prince Georges County.” Curley and his partner, F.C. Dezendorf (son of a Virginia congressman) were also attorneys, real estate developers, brokers, bankers, insurance underwriters and merchants. Curley would later serve terms as mayor and state delegate.

- The much loved, seven-time mayor of Laurel, county commissioner and dry-goods merchant, Edward J. Phelps.

- Gustavus B. Timanus, superintendent of the Laurel Cotton Mills who had formerly served as mayor in 1894 and was the arch-rival of both Curley and Phelps.

Our Town

At the time Laurel was a town of retail businesses and commuters. Forty-six stores supported a population of nearly 3000, from Shaffers building supply at the depot to Phelps’ dry goods, groceries clothing and furniture clear across town at Ninth and Montgomery.

Thirty-four trains left Laurel’s depot at the east end of Main Street every day. It was boasted that a man could leave in the morning for Baltimore, transact business until noon, take a 45 minute train ride to Washington, work the afternoon at the capital and be home for a civilized supper at 6 p.m. It was a 10 cent fare each way.

In 1898 the city provided jobs in the cotton and shirt mills. A typical worker earned 45 cents a day. City lots (50 feet by 150 feet) could be purchased for $375 to $1,350.An advertisement in the Leader on March 25, 1898, described a seven-room house on Montgomery renting for $14 a month.

Laurel had eight churches and two schools. The new Maryland Agricultural college, just down the road at College Park, offered tuition, book, room, board and medical care for $154 per scholastic year.

Laurel also had a mayor and city council that worked diligently to keep the town from bankruptcy and from burning. Fire was a major threat.

The mayor and council met monthly to keep the town’s affairs in order. Fines for lawbreakers were levied and bills paid. Here is a peek at some of their tasks from the meeting of March 18, 1898:

- A five-year contract was awarded for 101 incandescent street lights at a cost of $12 per light per year. It was noted that “the lights must burn every night except those moonlit.”

- A bill was considered and approved for $21.50 for “road grading and repair of Montgomery Street above 10th.”

- A bill was approved for payment of “$15 to the deputy bailiff, Walter Robison, for salary.” Walter was grandfather of Laurel’s current mayor, Joseph Robison. A council meeting in 1899 approved a request for $2 to purchase a bicycle for the bailiff to use during night rounds.

- The possibility of establishing a park northwest of Montgomery Street was discussed. “The area is well shaded and watered. It would be good for fishing, boating or picnicking.”

Our Hero: Edward VII

As the 1902 election approached, Mayor Phelps was serving the last days of his seventh one-year term. He was called “Edward the VII” and was known for his large gray mare. Phelps had been born in Laurel in 1861 and attended local schools until age 14. He formed a mercantile partnership with Charles Shaffer in 1877. He was first elected to the City Council in 1888 at the age of 21. Then he was elected to the Prince George’s County Commission at 26 and was instrumental in getting three iron bridges erected over the Patuxent River at Laurel. (Iron bridges had only been in existence since 1872.) He became president of the County Commission in 1888 and mayor of Laurel in 1895, defeating his nemesis, G.B. Timanus.

Election Day, Monday, April 7, 1902.

The roads are muddy and deeply rutted from spring downpours. The polls open at city hall at 2 p.m. Mrs. Luther Brashears comes down the hill on Eighth Street in her wagon. As she negotiates the turn onto Montgomery Street, the wheels stick in the ruts. The wagon rolls over and the poor woman is thrown to the ground. The horse bolts up Montgomery Street past School No. 1 at Ninth Street. Miss Eliza Cronmiller, the principal, hurries some of the boys to harness the horse. The wagon is destroyed, but Mrs. Brashears suffers only superficial injuries to both body and pride.

The polls close at 7 p.m. The gathering crowd is told of an upset. Timanus defeats Phelps by 23 votes! The entire Timanus slate is elected. In one of the greatest turnouts in years, 427 registered voters participate.

But wait! Later in the week it is discovered that Timanus and his colleagues have failed to qualify within the proper time required by the town charter rules (the Leader is fuzzy on exactly what requirement is violated). The Timanus team, discounting the rules and calling for “the rule of the people to prevail,” shows up at city hall to take over city business.

They demand that the existing administration turn over city papers and ledgers. They constitute a council and elect officers. The bailiffs are retained only if they agree to honor the new council’s rule. The Laurel postmaster is ordered to deliver all mail to the new council.

Phelps refuses all of these requests and seeks legal advice. He is told that the only way out of the mess is a new election.

Phelps calls for the special election at the end of April and then makes his most surprising announcement. “In order to avoid expensive litigation that wastes the taxpayer’s money and causes unnecessary controversy, a special election will be held and furthermore, under no circumstances will I put forth my name for consideration.” In the end Phelps puts the town ahead of his own ambitions.

Timanus easily beats the hurriedly substituted W.E. Linn in the special election, 295-94. Phelps runs again against Timanus in 1903 and 1904. Both elections are heavily contested and full of controversy, but Phelps never again regains his office.

Epilogue

Phelps writes about his accomplishments as mayor in April 1902. He mentions that an electric railroad will be coming to town in the fall. A fire department and water distribution system are forming to protect the city from calamity. A high school will soon be built. Roads are in good shape. The town library is growing and will soon need a paid librarian. A number of park projects show promise.

Phelps concludes with a call to the people of Laurel to heed the following advice, even when conditions decline and economies stumble: “When progress ceases, decay begins.”

NYT Visual Pollution Police Raid Laurel

2007-12-23T20:46:00.000-05:00

26 Dec Update: We seem to have started a bit of an alienation rumble. Be sure to see the comments section below.

The Sunday New York Times today takes the Laurel Shopping Center to task for the crime of visual pollution. I think they take very cheap shots. Here is an excerpt:

'The Laurel Shopping Center: a seemingly endless concrete U of shops that curves around the dominant aesthetic offering of a massive parking lot, where our car is now anchored like a small vessel in an asphalt bay.
The store lights call out. Dress Barn. CVS. Marshalls. Chuck E. Cheese. Ruby Tuesday. H&R Block. And, yes, Subway.
Sitting here, suppressing the urge to flee, you begin to notice how the shopping center’s off-white walls and copper-colored top recall a minimum-security prison, and how readily the layout encourages acceptance of small absurdities. For example, people who leave the CVS with a desire to shop at Marshalls pretty much have to get back in their cars and drive across acres of parking lot.
“It’s not surprising that American society is so alienated,” Mr. Fry says.'

Read the NYT article.
Hear and see the slideshow .

What do you think? Is the Times right? Do you feel alienated by the visual clutter in Laurel? Please add your comments below.

City Holiday Decorating Contest Winners

2007-12-22T15:28:00.001-05:00

Please see the Mayor's post for details.

New Blogs of Note

2007-12-22T11:27:00.000-05:00

If you've been visiting our pages for awhile you'll already know that I'm enthusiastic about using technology to grow strong connections in our community. We may have lost our porch sitting and bowling league habits over the last few decades. However, new technologies like blogs, wiki's, Flickr, podcasts and YouTube are fantastic community connecting tools.

Laurel City launched a new blog this week called Laurel Straight Up. Mayor Moe, City Administrator Kristie Mills and the Mayor's Special Assistant LouAnn Crook explain in their inaugural post that, "As we take better advantage of the technology that is available to us, we are moving forward to bring your local government closer to you and readily accessible."

This city blog is more than a billboard because it permits and encourages comments. The best blogs create opportunities for community conversation. Bravo to the city for initiating this groundbreaking service.

I also discovered this week that the First Baptist Church of Laurel is blogging. I hope that all of Laurel's faith communities will soon leverage the power of connection technologies. Beyond preaching to their own choir, blogs provide another way for churches, schools and service organizations to reach into the broader community. We need to take the Internet back from the money changers and put it to work connecting us closer together.

First daughter MB writes a "blahg" that is getting a bit of notice recently called Irregular Hours. MB has been interning at WFUV radio in the Bronx and she recently posted a radio essay on the art of Improv comedy called Follow the Fear. I think it's time for her old man to retire his keyboard and let a much more talented generation carry on.

Speaking of a seriously talented teenagers, William M. is still blogging almost about our local weather over at Maryland Weather Observation. He correctly nailed the forecast for last week's failed snow event. Although it was obvious that he was disappointed, this 10th grader was way out in front of the professionals by saying that the snow would be a no show.

I'm always looking for new local content. Please send me your favorite websites, blogs, Flickr photos, podcasts, or YouTube videos that have Laurel content or local connections. Links only please to g.rick.wilson at gmail dot com.

Merry Christmas and thanks for reading, rick

Sixty Seconds To Tragedy

2007-12-18T00:30:00.000-05:00

I can't imagine that the whole terrible incident lasted more than sixty seconds. It happened while driving home from work on familiar roads. It was dark. It had been raining. Then ... a terrible sound. A sickening realization. Panic, and then a bad decision that worsened an already gruesome tragedy. No more than sixty seconds.

I have no idea what really happened on the 25th of November. I do know that Ruth Ann Storm was killed on the 100 block of 7th street. She was walking home a little before 1 am on a Sunday morning. She was walking on the west side of 7th street as shown in this photo. The side without sidewalks. I also know that Ruth Ann Storm left a teen aged son, who is now an orphan because he recently lost his father. The Laurel Leader provides more details.

Last week I learned that Rodolpho Esau Ramirez-Grijalva confessed to hitting Ruth Ann Storm. He confessed to fleeing the scene two and half weeks after concocting a false story saying that he was not driving his car that night. He was arrested and charged with multiple violations including hit and run and lying to police officers. If he is convicted, he will likely go to jail. He will then leave his one month old child and his wife. His wife and some associates may also be charged for their attempts at helping him to cover up the crime.

Rodolpho Esau Ramirez-Grijalva has a valid Maryland driver's license. His car is properly registered. He has the state-required automobile insurance. He is also an illegal immigrant.

Laurel Deputy Police Chief Rich McLaughlin said at last week's press conference that if Ramirez-Grijalva had remained at the scene of the accident, his citizenship status would not have been questioned.

I was confused about the ability of an illegal alien obtaining a valid driver's license in Maryland. A quick call to our Maryland State Delegate Ben Barnes set me straight. It also gave me a deeper appreciation of the issue. According to Delegate Barnes, Maryland's motor vehicle law does not require proof of citizenship. Maryland only requires proof of identity to get a driver's license.

----------------------------------------------

Part of me wants to build tall fences, deport all the illegal immigrants, and get tough. We are a land of laws and these people have broken our laws. Part of me is appalled that my state would grant a driver's license to an illegal alien. That part of me wants to go to Annapolis and grab our delegation and shake them until they pass tough immigration laws that stop illegal aliens.

But there is another part of me that is more confused than indignant. Is illegal immigration responsible for this tragedy? Do I really want to make it impossible for illegals to get a license and car insurance? With a license, at least they will pass a driver's test and have enough insurance to pay for my crushed bumper or worse, for my medical bills. What good will come from making those protections impossible? Will it keep illegals from driving?

Most illegals immigrate to America for the same reasons as my own ancestors. To take the dirtiest, most dangerous, most unpleasant and exploitative jobs available, for the lowest wages. My ancestors plunged into Pennsylvania coal mines and stoked Youngstown's blast furnaces. They were happy for any job and hopeful for the opportunity of a better life for their children. If we want to stop immigration, we only need to make it impossible for illegals to get jobs.

But of course it's not the same. My ancestors arrived legally in America. But that's not the most important difference between then and now.

I think the most important difference today is that many immigrants are reluctant to assimilate. My ancestors wanted to become American. Their native language was Slovak. Learning English was demanded. Slovak was never spoken around the children, except to conceal "adult" discussions. Spanish speaking immigrants today don't seem to have the same desire or need to learn English.

I guess my long-term advice to our delegates is to continue to allow anyone in Maryland to get a driver's license without proof of citizenship. However, I do want to change the current law so that everyone must pass a written and spoken English language test at the 7th grade level before getting a license. I believe that this will not only make them safer drivers, it may help all immigrants more quickly assimilate, thereby increasing their opportunities for a better life for their children.

-----------------------------

I keep putting myself in Ramirez-Grijalva's shoes. If I was an illegal immigrant, would I be frightened to talk to the police after an accident? Especially if I could not speak any English?

His panic was understandable but I'm not condoning his crime. He confessed to leaving the scene of an accident. He may have been able to provide aid. He lied to the police.

We will never know, but maybe if he spoke a little English his decision might have been different that night. Sixty seconds is a long time.

I know that this is an important issue and many of you have strong opinions. I welcome and encourage your comments.

LPD Solves 25 November Hit & Run Case

2007-12-12T18:37:00.000-05:00

Laurel Deputy Police Chief Rich McLaughlin announced this afternoon that Rodolpho Esau Ramirez-Grijalva was arrested and charged with multiple violations concerning hit and run fatality on 25th of November. Ruth Ann Storm was killed on the 100 block of 7th street while walking home .

Rameriz, 30, was also charged with making false statements to police officers after he confessed to concocting a story that someone else was driving his car.

Rameriz is an illegal alien who had a valid MD driver's license, insurance and proper registration on his vehicle.

Congratulations to the LPD on another great job!

Click here for the video of the press conference.

It's a Chili Night

2007-11-17T17:11:00.000-05:00

It's been quiet on Laurel Ave on this beautiful fall Saturday afternoon. A pot of Chili is on the stove. The beer is getting cold.

I just finished reading Keith's post about "Renters, Skaters and Bus Riders" over at his Laurel2020 blog. Keith always makes a lot of sense concerning development in Laurel. I highly recommend his blog to you.

Enjoy,

rick

Slot Machine Madness

2007-10-26T20:21:00.000-04:00

I think I'm going crazy. Listen to my hallucinations and then tell me I'm not as nutty as a West Laurelite at a pro development breakfast ...

Hallucination 1 - Maryland has enjoyed a decade of unprecedented growth. Property values and income levels are skyrocketing. So I think we should be in fat city. But I must be as mad as a dingo dog because they tell me we have a $2 billion dollar "structural" deficit.

Hallucination 2 - The Maryland General Assembly has a regular gig. They meet at the same time every year. They hang out in Annapolis from January to April and do the people's business. They write laws, go to dinners, find facts and other very intense things. Annapolis has been this way since lobbyists wore expensive powdered wigs.

But I must be nuts because I heard that the governor called for a special session next week. He must be crazier than me if he thinks Barbara Frush and Jim Rosapepe will roll over any easier on Halloween than on Valentine's Day.

Hallucination 3 - This is my big kahuna bad trip. Please follow me closely, because this is the raving of a lunatic.

Gambling is bad.
It's said to be addictive and hard on the poor.
But the state allows lotteries, keno, horse racing, and scratch offs because the state is addicted to money.
Slots are just another type of gambling.
But slots are banned in Maryland.
The governor says the state is now poor so he's in favor of slots.
The state is therefore poor and addicted to gambling.
People are fighting like hell to stop slots because slots are gambling and must be banned.
Nobody is fighting to get rid of the other forms of gambling.
Except barge fulls of lobbyists are grabbing fistfulls of money to lobby both sides.
Lobbyists are addicted to money.
Therefore lobbyists must be the same as gambling.
Maybe we should ban lobbyists?

Please help me.

Please take the Laurel Connections Poll on slots on the left side of this screen. I also encourage you to leave your questions, rants and raves in the comment section.

Urban Turkey Attack & Radar Moms

2007-10-24T12:12:00.000-04:00

Astute readers may have noticed that the Laurel Connections Blog has been on hiatus since August. Astute readers with good taste have been quietly applauding.

While we had hoped to remain in hiding at an undisclosed location until after the upcoming special "bleed us dry" session of the Maryland General Assembly. More on the tax, tax, slot, slot, fizz, fizz session later, two news stories today simply begged for a Connections post.

Red Dawn with a Gobble

The Boston Globe reported today that flocks of wild turkeys are terrorizing Brookline, Mass.

"The turkey eyed Jean-Felix. Jean-Felix eyed the turkey. It gobbled. She gasped. Then the turkey proceeded to follow the Dorchester woman over the Green Line train tracks, across the street, through traffic, and all the way down the block, pecking at her backside as she went."

Wild turkey's are not strangers to Laurel. (No, not the 80 proof kind.) The Laurel Leader reported last April on an incident that city officials then considered a fluke ... but now we know it was a clever poultry reconnaissance mission. Before we are gobbled and pecked into submission we must prepare.

I recommend that our police officers and firefighters be issued shotguns. Billy Miles' freezers at the Meat Market should be readied as cold storage. (Thanksgiving is only 4 weeks away!) And because I'm sure that all our officials will want to help, we should issue turkey calls to all city, county and state elected representatives. N.B. Citizens are advised to avoid locations where shotgun toting fire fighters and turkey calling elected officials are known to congregate.

Smile, You Are on My Radar Sucker - Revenge of the Moms

Speeding was my most common complaint as city council member. Neighbors want the police to strictly enforce the 25 mph speed limit. Small police agencies can't be everywhere. A story reported in USA Today described a win-win solution to the problem.

Police departments across the country are loaning residents radar guns and turning them into neighborhood speed watchers. The volunteers radar gunslingers can't ticket the drivers but their reports can result in warning letters.

Laurel has used the "Drive 25" signs for quite awhile. Traffic calming experiments are now underway on a couple of streets. But talk to most mothers in Oldtown and you will get an earful about speeding on Fourth, Fifth and Montgomery Streets.

I say let's arm them with the technology they need. Give them a radar gun, a digital camera and a lawn chair and we'll have the speeding problem cleaned up before the ice melts at the corner lemonade stand . "Do you feel lucky, speeder?"

Laurel Lakes Townhouse Fire

2007-08-13T21:49:00.000-04:00

WUSA-TV Channel 9's Dave Statter has video and still pictures from Sunday's terrible fire in Laurel Lakes.

Laurel's Lamplighters

2007-08-13T19:11:00.000-04:00

Former Laurel Mayor and local historian Joe Robison responded to my previous post with the following story about lamplighters.

Joe explained that he was reading the Laurel City Council meeting minutes from the 1880's and he learned that care of gas street lamps was the responsibility of the nearest property owner. Joe learned that the nearest owner was required to light the gas lamp at dusk and douse it at sunrise. If an unreliable owner failed to do this, the street lamp would be physically moved to be in front of a more responsible property owner.

Many readers liked the idea of a street lamp celebration. Ice cream, band music, and someone in a lamplighter costume to officiate. Sounds like a great time and a fitting celebration for all the hard work from the Mayor, City Council and the Public Works Department. I hope the Laurel Board of Trade and the Friends of Historic Main Street will take up the idea and sponsor it. Does anyone know a local Barbershop Quartet?

From the reliable source, rumor file - I've learned from that a bakery may be coming to Laurel in the near future. It might not be on Main Street, but if they have sticky buns and sourdough, I just won't care.

Six Things

2007-08-12T21:28:00.000-04:00

Six things I'm thinking about on a relaxing Sunday evening stroll.

1. The great new street lamps have now been installed on the west end of Main Street from 4th to 7th. The picture on the right is near the Red, Hot and Blue Restaurant. I heard that Public Works Department is almost ready to turn them on. I suggest we do it right and have a lamp lighting celebration.

2. We need an honest to goodness bakery on Main Street. Artisan breads, fresh hard rolls, and sticky cinnamon buns are my favorites. I'd easily spend $20 dollars a week!

3. I hope you are following the comments section to the recent post about Laurel's Urban or Suburban Future. Bryon and Keith are sharing some thought provoking thoughts.

4. I hope you took a minute to vote in the poll on the left. It looks like Bethesda is tied with Mayberry as the preferred look for Laurel's future.

5. There are dark, budget busting clouds over Annapolis. The Mayor and City Council were wise to beef up Laurel's infrastructure during the last few years. I have a hunch that the budget salad days will soon be over for any state or county funding.

6. Speaking of salad ... I think it is time for a year-round, fresh produce business on Main Street that is open in the evenings and weekends. The Farmer's Market is good, but we need a business that caters to people that work during the day. Maybe the produce stand out on Gunpowder Road is looking for a new home. The thousands of young, wealthy, upwardly mobile, residents moving into all our new luxury apartment buildings will certainly want fresh fruits and vegetables. (and fresh bread too!)

102 Posts

2007-08-07T22:23:00.000-04:00

The Laurel Connections Blog was born 102 posts ago on February 13th, 2005. A bit of a landmark for me so I wanted to take a brief moment to thank all of you loyal readers. Your continuing visits here and your comments to me privately and publicly on the blog have made this little experiment in citizen journalism satisfying for me and I hope useful for you.

Since that first post in 2005, this blog has hosted over 11,746 visitors and 21,521 page views. My goal has been and remains to find post topics that are relevant to Laurel and that help make an already wonderful community just a tiny bit better. I also hope that you have found a little value and maybe a smile or two over the past 30 months.

I intend to continue the experiment. I hope to add new voices and guest bloggers. I'll also be adding more podcasts and introducing video and real-time interactive call-in technology to the blog in the future. See the neat new poll gadget that Blogger just introduced on the left column of this page. Internet production and delivery has matured so fast that I can't help but mix multimedia with citizen journalism just to see what happens.

Please let me know what works, what doesn't and what you would like to see, hear or read here the future. Please use the comments section or email to me: g dot rick dot wilson at gmail dot com. You'll need to replace the"dot" and "at" with "." and "@" and then moosh it all together.

Thanks again for visiting. - rick

Your Turn

2007-08-06T18:31:00.000-04:00

Have you been following our recent development discussions? Would you like to know more about redevelopment, density, parking, traffic, or creating a more walkable Laurel? Do you have an opinion about the future of Laurel?

The City of Laurel Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the City’s proposed 2007 Master Plan in the Council Chambers of the Laurel Municipal Center next Tuesday, August 14th at 7:00 p.m.

It's your turn to speak out. Serious policy wonks will want to prepare by reading the entire 200+ page Master Plan here in Adobe Acrobat format.

I also want to draw your attention to Laurel2020's interesting article about a more walkable Laurel here.

What do you want? In 2020, Route 1 through Laurel should look like: a) Bethesda, b) Silver Spring, c) Mayberry, or d) the way it is today? Please share your opinions in the comments section.

Full disclosure: I served on the committee that produced the 2007 plan.

Laurel 2015: Urban or Suburban

2007-08-01T23:19:00.000-04:00

The following article is also available in our enhanced Laurel Connections Podcast format. My thanks to Karen Lubieniecki , Marlene Frazier, Councilman Mike Leszcz, Jim McCeney, and Michael Dyer for participating in our podcast.

There was a meeting tonight at city hall to discuss a new development called Hawthorne Place. Please see the Leader’s excellent coverage of Hawthorne Place here.

update: Please also see Keith's take on the meeting at the Laurel2020 blog here.

Tonight’s meeting was typical in many ways. About twenty people attended. The group included bedrock members of the Laurel community. They listened as developers described their dream for Hawthorne Place. The community listened carefully and asked polite questions.

But in many ways I think the tonight’s meeting was far from typical. I think we will remember tonight as an important moment in the history of Laurel.

I say this because I think Hawthorne Place represents the first step towards a new Laurel. The profound question our community must answer is as follows:

In 2015 will Laurel’s commercial core be primarily suburban or urban?

Today Laurel is a suburban town with a suburban feel. We have Main Street and a commercial core along Route 1. Route 1 has a handful of commercial strip shopping centers, a mall undergoing massive revitalization, big box retail stores, and a couple of car lots. Today Laurel is very much like thousands of other suburban towns across America.

Silver Spring, Bethesda, Rockville are examples of town centers with a more urban feel. They have more intense development, high rise buildings, and parking garages. While not Washington’s K Street, or Manhattan’s East side, Hawthorne Place has more in common with them than with say … Columbia or Bowie, or Laurel as it is today.

Hawthorne Place will bring about 2000 residents and 150 thousand square feet of office space and plant it all on 11 acres. It will obviously bring traffic, but also an awesome new tax base to fuel the city.

Most importantly, Hawthorne Place will cause similar development. You can bet that if Hawthorne Place is approved as explained tonight, the market will drive Laurel to a more urban development pattern in the future.

The questions at tonight's meeting reflected these concerns. People asked the developers about the density stemming from 20 and 16 story apartment buildings.

While people seemed to focus on traffic and building height, I think the real debate is about coming to a community agreement on a vision for Laurel’s future. Will Laurel remain suburban or should we become more urban?

This is an important moment in Laurel’s history. We must continue this conversation. However, I suggest we focus our conversation on the fundamental question of wanting a suburban or urban feel in Laurel's commercial core. Building heights, density, or traffic at Hawthorne Place are all leading indicators of a more profound decision. I suggest we look past these specific decisions about the Hawthorne Place project to focus more broadly on Laurel’s future.

Please share your comments about Hawthorne Place and the future here.

Click here to hear voices from tonight’s meeting. I’m also looking for feedback on the podcast format. Please let me know if you find it useful. -rick