What’s New With The Laurel History Boys
- Staff Writers
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Grants and Donations
Thank you to Joan Robison, Marion Hoekstra, Karl Ginter, Amanda Green, Bryan Castro, and James Bowman for their monetary donations. We are grateful—your support means a lot, and helps us cover increasing printing and website expenses.
We also received some interesting items from one of our readers. Former Laurel resident Dale Hall sent us two photos from the 1960s: one was the GMC dealer on Route 1 between the Turf Club and South Seas bars and the other a picture of Laurel Lake before development, taken by his grandmother, Edna Hall. The photos (below) were featured on our Saturday photo of the week on our Facebook page.
City Honors
We were honored when Laurel Mayor Keith Sydnor issued an acknowledgment of our 10th anniversary as an organization and our fifth anniversary of publishing Voices of Laurel. When we first created The Laurel History Boys we had no idea things would progress to this point: writing three books (with more in the works), publishing a quarterly newspaper, and producing a wide variety of projects, all to fulfill our mission of bringing history to you. We have greatly benefited from the support of the community. Thank you!
Laurel History Boys’ Day at the Races
Mark your calendar for Saturday, April 25 and join us at Laurel Park for our second Voices of Laurel Day at the Races event. The Laurel History Boys and Voices of Laurel team will be under the tent at trackside—join us to enjoy live thoroughbred racing up close, just one week before the Kentucky Derby and three weeks before the Preakness makes its historic debut at Laurel Park. This free event is open to all and provides an opportunity to mingle and learn about horse racing, betting, and the history of Laurel Park.
Wider Distribution for Voices of Laurel
The list of outlets where printed copies of our newspaper are available continues to grow! Every effort to replenish copies is made throughout the week, with our boxes receiving priority treatment.
Food Lion (Sandy Spring Road)*
Food Lion (Montpelier—Crystal Plaza)
Joseph R. Robison Laurel Municipal Center
Laurel-Beltsville Senior Center
Laurel Branch Library
Laurel Museum
Laurel Post Office*
Laurel Train Station*
Maryland City at Russett Library*
Montpelier Arts Center
North Laurel Community Center
Oliver’s Old Towne Tavern*
Robert J. DiPietro Community Center*
Savage Library
Savage Post Office
*Voices of Laurel dedicated newspaper box or wire rack on site.
Main Street Festival Update
Due to the rising cost to participate, we will not have our usual table at the Main Street Festival this May. We have greatly enjoyed meeting so many people over the years at the festival and we will miss it.
Savage Fest
The Laurel History Boys will be at the 38th annual Savage Fest on June 6. Our books will be available for sale, and we hope you'll stop by and say hello and check out the many other vendors on Baldwin Common. The event will take place outside of Carroll Baldwin Hall (9035 Baltimore St., Savage, MD 20763) and runs from 10:00 am–5:00 pm.
Upcoming Presentation
On May 21, Kevin Leonard will present “Failed Mega-projects,” which describes the two mega-projects (the Great America theme park in the 1970s and the proposed Redskins stadium in the 1990s) that, had they come to fruition, would have changed the geographic and economic landscape of the Laurel area and Howard County forever. North Laurel Community Center, 10:30 am. FREE.
Laurel Light Award Call for Nominations
We are seeking nominations for our 2026 Laurel Light Award, which was created to recognize everyday people who make our community a better place. Launched in 2024, the annual award is selected by Voices of Laurel staff and Laurel History Boys, Inc. board members based on nominations received from the public.
Let us know who you’d like to nominate for the next Laurel Light Award:
Tell us what is special about this individual or business and the work they’re doing.
Explain how they are making a positive difference in our town.
Be sure to include your name and contact information, as well as that of the person, organization, or business you’re nominating.
The nominee does not have to be a current resident of the city, and anyone is eligible. Nominations can be submitted by messaging us directly, via email, or by traditional mail via the addresses below:
The Laurel History Boys, Inc.
P.O. Box 759
Laurel, MD 20725
Our Commitment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. — First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The staff of Voices of Laurel takes very seriously the responsibilities that come with being part of a free press. We also uphold and promote the ideals of free speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment.
As historians and journalists, we are committed to preserving the history of Laurel by telling its story through the voices of its people; telling that story honestly, both the good and the bad; giving a voice to the history of minorities and women; and reporting in a non-partisan fashion.
Voices of Laurel is staffed by an incredibly talented and dedicated group of volunteers who make this commitment to our equally dedicated readers. We owe our readers—and ourselves—nothing less.
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