The year was 1971, and I can vividly recall cruising Laurel Shopping Center in my ’66 Chevy Impala from Mid-City Chevrolet while listening to the song “Signs” by the Five Man Electrical Band. Little did I know then that some 50 years later, my wife Martha and I would own a few from Laurel. Signs are indeed everywhere. They become part of the landscape that we sometimes take for granted, not missing them until they’re changed or simply gone. I was reminded of this recently whe

Winter 2026 Karen Beavers, 77 Karen Marjorie Beavers peacefully passed away on October 20, 2025, with her husband at her bedside. Born on November 2, 1947, to James Walter McQuaid and Marjorie Lois Fullerton, Karen lived her entire live in Laurel. She was a member of St Philip’s Episcopal Church, graduated from Laurel High School and the University of Maryland with a degree in psychology, and studied pastoral counseling at Loyola University. Karen served as a volunteer domest