Laurel Today - (Page 12) continued from page 6 end at State Center in Baltimore City. There is Metrobus service to the Greenbelt, Silver Spring, and New Carrollton Metro stations. Even with gas prices going down, Brendle notes that public transportation is very popular. The City also has a busy station on the MARC Rail Camden Line, which offers service directly to Washington, DC’s Union Station, as well as to Camden Station in downtown Baltimore. Laurel is within easy access of U.S. Route 1, I-95, and the Baltimore Washington Parkway, as well as to BaltimoreWashington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. “We have a huge service industry, which is one of the reasons we are putting so much emphasis into affordable housing,” says Moe. “Laurel is very determined to be inclusive to all people who live and work here. We want the quality of life to be very good for people of all income levels.” The Baltimore-Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce has a very large, active, and inter-jurisdictional membership. “This is really a dynamic group,” says Brendle. “The chamber sponsors networking seminars, training seminars, and works for business and workforce development. It also sponsors an annual transportation summit at BWI.” III When it comes to higher-education opportunities, Laurel boasts an embarrassment of riches. Not only do residents and workers have easy access to the many colleges and universities in the Washington, DC, and Baltimore metro areas, they also have the Laurel College Center (a partnership between Prince George’s, Howard Community, and other colleges) and Capitol College at their doorstep. Located near Laurel, Capitol College is the only independent college in Maryland dedicated to engineering, computer science, information technology, and business. Well known within government and industry for producing graduates who are highly educated and have hands- on experience, Capitol is also designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. For pure fun, Laurel has a number of parks, including Laurel Lake at Granville Gude Park, as well as a semi-private golf course, Patuxent Greens, for duffers. In addition, the City has two public swimming pools, and there is always fun to be had at the Laurel Park racetrack, with 131 days of live racing. There are a number of shopping venues, too. “We have a mall, Laurel Commons, which is being redeveloped in two phases, and we will be significantly upgrading this deteriorating 1978 retail facility,” says Moe. “And we are near both Arundel Mills Mall and the Mall in Columbia.” There are two annual festivals that draw huge crowds. The Main Street Festival, which is always held on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, has been going strong for more than 25 years and brings as many as 150,000 visitors to Laurel. And, of course, there is the Fourth of July parade and fireworks. Main Street is also home to the Laurel Mill Playhouse, which offers live theater throughout the year. Also on Main Street is the Laurel Historical Society at the Laurel Museum, where one can pick up a copy of the “City of Laurel Walking Tour.” Clearly, Laurel is taking on the challenges of growth and expansion in a manner that is responsive to the needs of its residents and its many large employers, as well as to those of the businesses and individuals coming here from other areas. And with so much to offer, relocating to Laurel truly is a Smart Move. LAUREL today: A Supplement to Maryland Life Mayor Craig A Moe, his Administration and the employees of the City of Laurel are always available to answer any questions or concerns you may have. You can visit the City of Laurel website at www.laurel.md.us or call 301-725-5300. The City of Laurel is a great place to live, work or play and we invite you to the City of Laurel to learn it first hand. 12 http://www.laurel.md.us
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