A roundup of local events and announcements, compiled by Voices of Laurel staff
SPRING 2024
Shake-up at City Hall
Mayor Keith Sydnor has begun to shape his staff at the Joseph R. Robison Laurel Municipal Center. Communications Director Audrey Barnes was let go and Department of Public Works Director Brian Lee resigned. The new Director of Public Works is Tim Miller. Natalie Williams was nominated and confirmed as Barnes’ replacement at the March 25th City Council meeting.
In a late April announcement, Director of Economic and Community Development Robert Love shared that his last day will be May 3rd. His departure follows that of Economic Development Coordinator Charise Liggins, whose last day with the City was April 19th.
DPW Union Update
Prior to last Fall’s elections, the City Council approved legislation that allowed the city’s Department of Public Works (DPW) employees to unionize. The next step was for the city and DPW to negotiate a contract, which began in mid-January. To represent them in the negotiations, the city hired the law firm Jackson Lewis, which is a curious choice since Mayor Keith Sydnor is on the record for supporting unions.
“Jackson Lewis is a key player in the union avoidance industry,” Fred Feinstein, former general counsel at the National Labor Relations Board told the New York Times. “This kind of aggressive anti-union campaign is not unusual.”
Also, according to LaborLab, a nonprofit watchdog organization, “Jackson Lewis is a law firm that has earned a reputation as a leading union busting firm, representing employers in labor disputes, lawsuits, and other matters related to unions. The firm has been accused of using aggressive tactics to intimidate and undermine unions, including engaging in surveillance, spreading misinformation, and even firing workers who seek to organize.”
After a series of meetings since mid-January, the city (and Jackson Lewis) declared the negotiations to be at an “impasse.” According to section. 13-13(b) of the City Code, which was updated after the council passed the legislation, the “Impasse procedure” reads:
If after a reasonable period of negotiation over the terms of a memorandum of understanding a dispute exists between the employer and the certified employee organization by January 1 of the year following the year in which negotiations were initiated, then the negotiations may be extended to no later than February 1. Should any such dispute not be resolved by February 1, shall be deemed that an impasse has been reached, at which time the matters in dispute shall be presented jointly by the parties in writing to the mayor and city council for hearing and resolution.
Mayor Sydnor and the city’s Public Information Office did not respond to questions emailed to them by Voices of Laurel.
Laurel Track Star Aiming for Olympics
Stanford University track star Juliette Whittaker (pictured) was featured in Sports Illustrated’s “Faces in the Crowd.” Whittaker grew up in Laurel and graduated from Mount De Sales Academy in Catonsville before accepting an athletic scholarship to Stanford. She broke numerous state track records in high school and was considered the number 1 recruit in the nation. Her freshman year at Stanford, Whittaker won the Pac-12 conference title in the 800 in 2:01.19, which ranks No. 5 in Stanford history, and also anchored the Cardinal distance medley relay team to a win at the Penn Relays last spring. She is considered to be a contender the 2024 U.S. Summer Olympics team.
[Source: Sports Illustrated]
Swing into Spring with the American Rosie the Riveter Association
Get In the Mood and Swing into Spring with a 1940s musical presentation performed by Rearview Mirror, Saturday, April 27, from 1:30–2:30 PM at the First United Methodist Church, 424 Main Street. Sponsored by the Laurel Chapter of the American Rosie the Riveter Association, this free event will take you back in time to the songs of the era of World War II when the Rosies joined the workforce on the home front to help the war effort. Doors open at 1 PM. Light refreshments served. Handicapped accessible. For questions, contact Pat, 240-762-3895.
The mission of Laurel ARRA, one of two chapters in Maryland, is to preserve the history and legacy of the Rosies, and to educate the public about their contributions during WWII. Their service to the country was invaluable in winning WWII, having produced 296,429 airplanes, 102,351 tanks and guns, 87,620 warships, 47 tons of artillery shells, and 44 billion rounds of small arms ammunition. The Rosies’ long-overdue recognition was realized on April 10, 2024, when they were collectively awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. The medal will be on display at the National Museum of American History.
[Source: Laurel Chapter of the ARRA]
First Annual CDL Book Club Trucking Show and Job Fair
The First Annual CDL Book Club Trucking Show and Job Fair was held on March 9. CDL Book Club owner and Laurel City Councilmember Jeff Mills hosted the fair, which featured vendors, huge trucks on display, and seminars. Trucking companies were present to interview prospective drivers and some jobs were offered on the spot. The seminars, some of which were tied to Women’ History Month, featured Councilmember Kyla Clark and a variety of speakers discussing, among other topics, the U.S. Army, tax preparation, and women’s services offered in the area.
[Source: Laurel City Councilmember Jeff Mills]
Businesses To and From Savage Mill
Main Street will miss the popular More Than Java Café, which has relocated to nearby Savage Mill. You can find them in the New Weave Building. Coincidentally, one of their new neighbors and a longtime Savage Mill favorite, Sweet Cascades Chocolatier has opened a new location on Main Street. They now have a space within Rainbow Florist.
Fishing at Laurel Lake
Laurel Lake has recently been restocked with Golden and Rainbow Trout and is open for fishing. While anyone with a fishing pole can partake, you’ll need a valid fishing license if you’re 16 or older.
[Source: City of Laurel Parks & Recreation]
Former Raquetball Club Building Named for Moe
Originally constructed in 1979 and opened as the Laurel Racquetball Club, the building at 204 Fort Meade Road was purchased by the City of Laurel in 2020 for $2.4 million and redeveloped into the Laurel Multiservice Center—a facility where residents of the Greater Laurel area can obtain a variety of human services, as well as utilize short-term housing during times of transition. A resolution was passed 4–1 by the City Council in late January to rename the facility in honor of former Mayor Craig A. Moe.
Coming Next Issue: Oldtown Neighborhood Column!
In this issue we debut our North Laurel neighborhood column, written by Angie Latham Kozlowski. Beginning in our next issue (Summer 2024) we will provide complete coverage of all the surrounding areas with the debut of our Oldtown neighborhood column, which will be written by a newcomer to our staff, Caitlin Lewis. Caitlin can be reached at oldtownvoices@gmail.com. As always, we invite input from readers for news, announcements, and events in your neighborhood. Our neighborhood correspondents want to hear from you!