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Winter 2026 Edition
New & Noteworthy
What’s New With The Laurel History Boys
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 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
Staff Writers
Neighborhood News
Oldtown
Local news covering the Oldtown area (Above): The former home of Bertha Moore, at 622 Tenth Street. (Right): Ms. Moore, in an undated photo courtesy of The Laurel Historical Society. A Profile of Bertha Moore With Black History Month approaching, it seemed fitting to write about one of Laurel’s own extraordinary Black women. When Bertha May Levi Moore died on July 2, 1981, her obituary was printed in The Washington Post . While it mentioned her surviving children, grandchildr
Caitlin Lewis
North Laurel/Savage
Local news covering the North Laurel, Savage, and Scaggsville areas Kechy Pizza Co., a Baltimore-based restaurant chain, is planning to open in Savage on the former site of Ma’s Kettle. It will be the chain’s third location—a second is in Westminster. (Photo: Instagram/kechypizzaco) New Route 1 Corridor Campus Will Benefit Families in North Laurel, Savage, and entire county In late September 2025, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball and Community Action Council of Howard Coun
Angela Latham Kozlowski
South Laurel
Local news covering Laurel Lakes, Victoria Falls, Oakcrest, Montpelier, and the Route 197 corridor Greater Washington Deliverance Temple, a small church on Locust Grove Drive in Oakcrest, is led by Pastor Karen Rutherford. (Photo: Diane Mezzanotte) Second-Generation Minister Leads “Love-Filled” Oakcrest Church Tucked among homes on Locust Grove Drive in South Laurel’s Oakcrest neighborhood is a church. I used to walk past it daily, many years ago, when my son was still in a s
Diane Mezzanotte
West Laurel
Local news covering the West Laurel and Burtonsville areas The breakfast tacos (above) and omelette (right) offered at Eggspectation at Burtonsville Crossing, where the food is delicious, the atmosphere pleasant, and the service great.. (Photos: Russ Geis) WLCA Dedicates Garden, Will Sponsor Job Fair The West Laurel Civic Association (WLCA) will be dedicating a memorial garden to honor Melissa Daston, an active WLCA member who passed away in 2024. The native garden will be lo
Virginia May Geis
Russett/Maryland City
Local news covering the Russett and Maryland City areas A new public playground has opened near the community pool in Russett. (Photo: Brenda Zeigler-Riley) New Playground Opens in Russett Congratulations to Russett resident Felicia Bond—a wife, mother of two, and an assistant principal—and to the members of the Russett Amenities Committee for bringing the concept of a new playground to fruition! As the only member of the committee with young children, Felicia recognized the
Brenda Zeigler-Riley
City Beat
City Beat
A roundup of local news, events, and announcements Jeffrey Mills, Kyla Clark, Mayor Keith Sydnor, James Kole, Brencis Smith, and Adrian Simmons during the first Mayor and City Council meeting on November 24, shortly after being sworn in. (Photo: Laurel TV) Voters Re-elect Familiar Faces to City Council in Intrigue-Filled Election Most of the five incumbent Laurel City Councilmembers were re-elected in the city’s general elections held on November 4. The exception was the At-L
Staff Writers
Community
LHS Class of 1975 Holds 50-Year Reunion
Photos by Tom Burkhardt The Laurel High School Class of 1975 always knew how to have a good time, and on October 3 we proved that spirit was still alive when 73 LHS alumni and guests rocked at the Savage Fire Department to celebrate 50 years since graduation! Some classmates had come from as far away as Las Vegas, Alaska, and Scotland, while others were still relatively local; most of us needed no convincing at all to make the decision to attend such a milestone event. Class
Virginia May Geis
Rosa Maher is Newest Recipient of the Laurel Light Award
Rosa Maher accepts the 2025 Voices of Laurel Laurel Light Award at the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department’s Annual Banquet on October 11. (From left to right): John Maher, Rosa Maher, Mike Sellner, and Chief Brian Cox. The staff of Voices of Laurel is pleased to announce Rosa Maher as the 2025 recipient of the Laurel Light Award. Rosa has served the Laurel community for over 50 years as an active member of the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD) Auxiliary and is currently
Staff Writers
History
Angela Latham Kozlowski and Diane Mezzanotte
Kevin Leonard
Wayne Davis
Kevin Leonard
Laurel Noir
Whatever Happened to Winifred?
Laurel Noir is a series focused on historic crimes and the darker underside of our hometown. Winifred Matronia disappeared without a trace in January 2000, leaving everything behind. The Avondale apartment building on Ashford Boulevard has been in the news over the past few months, with tenants seeking help from City officials for an ongoing rodent infestation that has forced several families to move. It’s surprising and unsettling, given the building’s pleasing appearance—b
Richard Friend
Profiles
Tom Downs Plans Ahead
Long-Time Local Lawyer Reflects on a Full Career and His Own Next Steps (Photo courtesy of Tom Downs) When first meeting Tom Downs, he hardly seems like the type of person who talks often about death. Jovial and light-hearted though he may be, he possesses decades of experience planning for our inevitable end. Downs Law Firm, which specializes in estate planning, has been a fixture in Laurel since 2002. Raised in Greenbelt, Downs graduated a year early from high school. Witho
Caitlin Lewis
Growing up in Laurel
In the Eye of the Storm, Literally
Photos by Jim Clash Intermittent lightning flashes near our U.S. Air Force C-130 aircraft. The odd smell of ozone from the outside electric interaction with air in the atmosphere is noticeable in the plane. But the wind is eerily calm now, here in the Eye, a far cry from just minutes ago when we passed through the final part of the menacing Eye-wall of Hurricane Dorian. Stars are visible overhead out of the cockpit window. When we entered the storm earlier, it was classified
Jim Clash
Laurel Archaeology
Signs, Signs
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
Pete Lewnes
First Responders
Hot Stuff From the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department
Photo courtesy of Laurel Volunteer Fire Department LVFD Recognizes Members at Annual Banquet The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department (LVFD) recognized the outstanding work of its volunteers at its 123rd Annual Awards Banquet on October 11, 2025. LVFD was privileged to have the Honorable C. Philip Nichols as their Master of Ceremony to guide us through this memorable evening. Notable guests recognized by President Vic Whipple were Laurel Mayor Keith R. Sydnor; City Councilmembers
Carreen Koubek and Mike Sellner
Obituaries
Staff Writers
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